Monday, July 19, 2010

Gates, party of 4!

So, it's been a while since I posted and we have welcomed baby Riley Kathryn to our family!



So, I went to see Dr. Putterman on June 17 and as usual he asked how everything was and as usual I replied with ready for you to let me have this baby. He joked with me and said that he was working this weekend, how was Saturday for me. We laughed and I said that it was perfect... wishful thinking! He had been telling me for weeks prior that if I started dialating that he would induce me since we live so far from the hospital, but unfortunately in weeks prior I had not been dialating at all. BOO! By this point I was pretty miserable. So, he checks me and I am 2 cm dialated and 50% effaced. YAY! So, he tells me to meet him in his office. Last go round when he said meet me in my office he scheduled me to be induced with Hayden. So, I go meet him and he says that we could come in very, very early Saturday morning. This is different than with Hayden where we came in at night and had her the next morning. I asked about that and he said that if that worked for us then we could repeat it with Riley.
About to leave for the hospital
So, we went in to Methodist the following night, got the same pill that I got with Hayden, Cytotec. I labored through the night, but nothing too terrible. At 6:00 am, Dr. Putterman came in and checked me and I was 3 cm, so he started Pitocin which took my contractions and pain to a whole new level. So, I asked for the epidural. What felt like an eternity later, I had the epidural. It was not as effective as it was with Hayden. I was still feeling a lot of sharp contractions that were very close together. The nurse informed me that I was probably dialating so fast at this point that the epidural couldn't keep up. Turns out she was right. Only minutes after getting the epidural I was 10 cm and ready to push. Riley was born after 5 pushes. Chip and I were a little concerned when she wasn't out after 3 like her big sister :) She weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces. My dad guessed her weight! She was 19.25 inches long. She is such a laid back, sweet baby. We are so lucky! Big sister is so proud and not jealous at all. She loves to hold and kiss baby Riley. She is always putting the paci back in her mouth the second it falls out. It is so fun to watch Hayden with Riley.