Jaros Family News: Baby News

Our biggest news:

Mikayla Marie Jaros

born: April 23, 2008 at 4:52 am

weight: 8 pounds, 9 ounces

length: 21 inches

Of course the labor and delivery process was hard work, but well worth it! God has given us another healthy, beautiful baby girl. How have we gotten so fortunate?

Last weekend, I thought that my water had broken... I wasn't convinced it was my water, but couldn't attribute it to anything else... I went to the hospital Monday morning to be checked. The amniotic fluid swab test came back negative. I was monitored for a couple of hours and then sent home with instructions to call if the 'leaking' returned. Of course that happened at 10:30 pm... never at a convenient time, right? :) After speaking with Dr. Tichenor late Monday night, I was to return to the hospital on Tuesday morning between 6 and 7am. I went in on Tuesday morning and after a full exam, Dr. Tichenor determined that the 'leaking' was most likely a common infection among pregnant women. Because I was already at the hospital, Dr. Tichenor felt it was okay to induce. I was near the due date, the baby weighed in at 8 pounds, 7 ounces about a week prior (based on a sonogram), and I was having contractions... So the doses of misoprostol (Cytotec) started... The medication helps to soften the cervix in hopes of bringing about labor. The first dose started about 8:30 am and continued every 3 hours for up to 6 doses. The contractions were increasing in intensity over the next several hours and around 8:30 pm on Tuesday I received an epidural. I truly am amazed at those women that can do labor and delivery without pain medication. My nurse said that most women that do that only when they don't get to L&D early enough... I will say that hearing those women screaming in agony, doesn't do much me during the laboring process. :)

After I received the epidural, I was able to get a little over an hour of sleep which was much needed due to the lack of sleep the night before and the long night still ahead. Around 2:45am (I think) on Wednesday, I started pushing to bring Mikayla into this world. After 2 hours of hard work, she decided to make her entrance rather quickly. Dr. Beattie didn't get his gown closed in the back and they were unable to remove the bottom half of the bed... They (meaning Dr. Beattie and Nicole, our delivery nurse) told me to 'hold up' ... I think they were nuts! Did they seriously think that after 2 hours of feeling like I'm getting nowhere and finally feeling like I was getting somewhere, that I was going to wait?! So at 4:52 am on April 23, Mikayla entered our 'real-world' lives. Of course, she has very much been part of our world since the day we found out we were pregnant.

As I am sitting on the couch typing this, she is in her carseat carrier fast asleep... looking peaceful and beautiful. I cannot even imagine a love stronger than what I have for her and Abi. Life, especially new life, is such a miracle.