Alexis Kathleen Hayes

We went to the hospital Monday, August 8th, at 5 am, to be induced. When we got to the hospital I was at a 2 and 80% effaced. They monitored me for about an hour before they stared the pitocin, to make sure Alexis would be able to handle being induced. About 7:15 they started the pitocin. They checked me again and I was at a 3. I knew I wanted an epidural, but I kept debating on when I should get it. The contractions were starting to come, but they were not that bad. About 9 am my doctor came in and broke my water, I decided that I needed the epidural.

I got the epidural about 9:30, and I was still at a 3. Alexis's heart rate started to dip, so I had to lay on my left side. The nurse told me that the epidural worked with gravity, so that my left side might be pretty numb, but that my right side might not be. About 10:45 they checked me again and I was at a 5. My left side was really numb, and luckily my right side was still numb.

Around 11 I thought I could feel the contractions, and I was getting nervous. I started to feel the urge to push. I called my nurse (whom I loved) and sure enough I was at a 10. I had gone from a 5 to a 10 in about 15 minutes. My doctor was seeing another patient and I was told he would not be there for about 5-10 minutes. Every time a contraction came I wanted to push, it was so hard not to. The nurse kept telling me not to push, it took everything I had not to push. I felt like she was just going to come out on her own. My doctor got to my room about five minutes later, and I stared pushing at 11:15. Alexis was born at 11:24. It took three sets of pushes to get her out.

I only put on 20 lbs with this pregnancy, and I was quite a bit smaller, than I was with the boys. My doctor thought she was going to weigh around 7 lbs, so when we found out she was 8 lbs. 3 oz. and 20.5 inches long we were all surprised. My entire labor was 4.5 hours. What a blessing Alexis is on our lives.

She has such a different temperament than our boys, she is so calm, and sleeps really well. Jack just adores her. He asks to hold her all of the time, and wants his picture taken with her. He told me that he was going to take care of her, and I could take care of West. West is not quite sure what to think yet.

I'll post more pictures soon.