Abigail Kate Watts

Our precious Abigail Kate was born on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 1:57pm.  She weighed 8 lbs 11.2 oz and was 21 1/4 inches long.  She is absolutely beautiful and perfectly made by her Creator! Bert and I could not be more thankful or honored to be her parents.

Abigail's Birth Story:  The last few weeks of my pregnancy were interesting because Abby's position was what the OB's call an "unstable lie."  She was flipping all over the place despite her size.  At 36 weeks she was transverse, 37 she was breech, 38 she was oblique, and at 39 she was head down, but was still as high as she could get.  Up until my 39 week appointment I hadn't dilated or effaced at all, which was very different from my other pregnancies.  At 39 weeks I found out I was about 1 cm dilated but hadn't effaced at all. We needed to give her some time to drop and help my body get ready for labor.  My 39 week appointment was on Monday, Feb 29th, and since my due date was Saturday, March 5th, the plan was to give it another week and go back in on Tuesday March 8th, with plans to induce if she hadn't come on her own by then.  On Wednesday March 2nd I started showing some signs of labor....I started having some contractions along with some other signs, and all this was very exciting to me as I was ready for my body to start getting ready for delivery.  On Wednesday morning I also woke up with a small tickle in my chest.  I was coughing some, but not bad at all.  I didn't feel 1000 % but what 39 1/2 weeks pregnant woman feels 1000 percent?!  On Thursday it was more of the same.  My cough was some worse, my voice started sounding rough, I didn't feel very good, but I couldn't decided if it was because I was starting to get sick or because of the pregnancy, or both.  Friday (March 4th) was totally different. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling terrible.  I was weak and shaky and for the first time it crossed my mind that I might have the flu.  That morning I was so weak and shaky I had difficult time getting dressed.  I absolutely couldn't imagine taking a shower because I knew I was too weak to stand up for that long.  I called my OB's office about 9:30 and asked for an appointment.  I wasn't feeling Abby move like I thought I should and I wanted to make sure she was good before the weekend (their office closes at 12pm on Fridays).  I wasn't sure if I could/should drive myself to the doctors office but I really wanted Bert to go to Emily's school to watch her run in the Color Fun Run so I decided I would be fine to drive since I was sitting down.  The nurse that called me back could tell I felt terrible, but once she found out I didn't have a fever she didn't seem overly concerned.  They took me back for a non-stress test for Abby.  Abby looked good on the monitors and they took me to a room to see a doctor.  I talked to her about my symptoms (weak, shaky, and cough, but no fever).  I asked her if it would be possible for them to do a flu test.  She said she felt sure it wasn't that since I hadn't run a fever, but they would be happy to do a test for me to make sure.  She decided to check me before they did the flu test and found out that I was now 2 cm dilated and 75 percent effaced.  Progress!  She was still at a -3 (hadn't dropped at all).  They did my flu test and to everyone's surprise it came back positive for Type A flu.  Ugh.  I was due the very next day and I felt like death.  Yes, I absolutely had the flu shot as I do every year (I'm a stickler about it) and have never had the flu in my life. Who gets the flu for the very first time the day before she's due??!!  The doctor came in the room and told me multiple times how important it was for me to rest she said I could get "VERY sick if I were to go into labor while I have the flu."  She said it would be best for me to wait until at least early the next week until I go into labor.  I didn't know this at the time, but while I was still in the office she called the doctor on call for the weekend to let her know I would probably be coming in.  She didn't think I would make it through the weekend without going into labor.  Apparently the flu often induces labor.  Anyway, I headed home feeling literally horrible, stressed out, overwhelmed and tired. I started Tamiflu about 1:30pm on Friday afternoon and tried to rest, but ever since my appointment my contractions had started coming about every 10 minutes and they were slightly painful.  We were praying (and asked lots of other people to pray ) that I would start feeling better soon, no one else in our family would get the flu and that I wouldn't go into labor for several more days.  Not everyone comes running when they hear your have the flu, but my mama does.  She left work early so that she could get to our house and help Bert and be emotionally and physically supportive.  We were so thankful to have here there!  I stayed in the bed the whole day, but maybe only napped 30 minutes or so because my contractions were keeping me awake.  That night about 12am my contractions started getting even more intense.  I texted Bert (who was banned from our room to the couch....it was bad enough that one of us had the flu, but I absolutely couldn't stand the thought of him having it too.  One of us needed to be able to hold our baby.) to let him know my contractions were coming every 5 minutes or so and were getting too painful for me to talk through.  He needed to get us ready to head to the hospital.  This was taking place about 15 hours after I found out I have the flu....not ideal.  By about 4am we were on our way to the hospital with our bags and masks and prayers in our hearts and on our tongues for our baby girl.

We went to triage where they determined I was 4 cm and 75 percent effaced (had dilated 2 cm over the course of the day).  They decided that I would be staying and moved us over to a labor and delivery room at about 6:15am on March 5th.  I felt bad for every nurse that came in our room through out our whole stay.  I knew they probably felt like they got the "short straw" and would much rather have a patient that didn't have the flu, but everyone was super kind and helpful.  That morning they started my IV and were just watching the monitors trying to decide what to do with us.  No one wanted me to have her when I hadn't even been on Tamiflu for 24 hours, but they didn't want to send me home because it was my 4th and I go fast once I get into active labor (my contractions had slowed some after they started pumping me full of fluid through my IV).  It seemed like the entire hospital was in a twit over what to do with us.  They were trying to determine their policy for what to do with Abby once she was born.  Our nurse was first in contact with the Nursery Coordinator, then Residents and Interns, and then an Attending Doctor at the hospital.  My OB made calls to two of the pediatricians at my pediatricians office.  Finally they got an Infectious Disease Doctor involved who got information from the CDC on what the exact protocol should be.  At one point during all the hullabalu our nurse had talked to the nursery and they said I wouldn't be able to see Abby after she is born...she would go straight to the nursery and would stay there.  She came back another time and said that I might not be able to take her home when we leave the hospital.  Then they said she could be in our room, but I would need to pump.  Then they said they wanted me to nurse her.  It was c.r.a.z.y!  Towards the end of the morning my nurse and Dr. Dubose (my OB) came back in together and agreed that I should be retested for the flu.  They both thought I was too well to have just been diagnosed with the flu the day before.  We heard out nurse talking to another nurse and she said "it just doesn't add up" talking about me having the flu.  At this point, my cough, weakness and shakiness was totally gone (plus I had still never run a fever).  I was happy to do another flu test and I understood why they wanted me to but I felt sure it was going to be positive (I easily remembered how bad I had felt the day before).  The flu test did come back positive again for Type A.  They attributed my "wellness" to me getting the flu shot (which probably gave me a milder case of the flu), and the Tamiflu working quickly.  I'm sure both of those things helped, but I truly believe the reason I was doing so well (without getting any sleep, having the flu, and in labor) was because I had so many people praying for me. God was hearing and answering prayers!  About 1:30pm my doctor came back in and said "okay, we have a plan."  I was relieved.  The plan was for them to hold off my labor until I had been on Tamiflu for at least 48 hours (which was going to be the next day...I had 24 more hours to go), I was supposed to be fever free for 24 hours (not a problem since I hadn't run a fever the whole time), and wear a mask at all times when I am in the room with Abigail.  If all of these things took place I would be able to have her in the room with me and nurse her as long as there was a healthy adult with me at all times that could do everything except nurse.  This was the official CDC recommendation on what was safest and best for the newborn (with a mom testing positive for the flu) based on lots of research and studies and I felt pretty good about the plan even though I was stressed about getting my baby sick.  So, my mom and dad headed back to our house to stay with the girls the rest of the day while Bert and I settled in for the day.

I was still having contractions but managed to get a nap that afternoon and slept about 4 hours straight that night until 3:30am when my contractions started again in full force.  They were coming every 3 -5 minutes and were quite painful.  I couldn't go back to sleep, but was glad Bert was able to catch up on a little sleep before all the excitement started again.  By about 9:00 am my contractions were still coming hard and often.  I asked for an epidural and had one by 9:30.  I was able to rest (not sleep...I was too excited for that) for a couple hours before my doctor came back in.  They didn't want to get anything stirred up once they decided it was really important for me to be on Tamiflu for 48 hours, so they hadn't checked me since noon the day before when I was still 4 and 75%.  About 12:30 on Sunday, March 6th my doctor came in and checked me.  To my surprise I was STILL at a 4, was 100% effaced and she had dropped down 2 positions.  So, I had made progress, although I was shocked I was still at a 4 after all the contractions I'd had.  Dr. Dubose was the OB on call.  She has a special place in my heart....she delivered Claire in 2014, did my D&C in 2012 and is my favorite doctor at our practice....I was so thankful she was on call this weekend.  She is an incredibly gifted doctor, but also has a way of putting me at ease, which was super helpful with the added stress of delivering with the flu.  Dr. Dubose broke my water at about 12:30pm.  Remember they didn't want me to deliver until after 1:30.  I asked the nurse as she was walking out of the room when they would be back to check me (I went from a 4 to a 10 in an hour when delivering Hannah and knew I would probably go fast once the broke my water).  She said they probably wouldn't check me again until it was time to deliver.  She said they try to keep their checks to a minimum and I was to just tell them when I started feeling lots of pressure.  She jokingly said "this is your 4th....you'll know....just let us know when she's ready and we'll have a baby."  My contractions were coming every 1-2 minutes although I wasn't feeling them much thanks to the gloriousness of the epidural.  At about 1:30, I all the sudden started feeling SO MUCH PRESSURE!!!  I called the nurses' station and asked them to send in my nurse.  After about 5 minutes (felt like an hour) my nurse hadn't come and I called back again to let them know that our girl was ready.  The lady at the nurses' station let me know that my nurse was checking in another patient and would be there soon as she was finished.  I told her that this is my 4th and I am about to have a baby (I was actively trying not to push with each contraction) and let her know that any nurse would do, I just needed someone to get in there (I was very nice, but at this point she realized I was serious).  She sent in another nurse after just a couple minutes.  This nurse checked me and said "She's a 9 but will probably be a 10 at the next contraction....we're ready to have a baby."  They started wheeling in equipment, and my nurse came in within just a few minutes.  As soon as my nurse came in she called Dr. Dubose and told her it was time.  Dr. Dubose was there within 5 minutes.  Bert had helped put my mask on and given me tons of hand sanitizer just before I started pushing so that they could put her on my chest as soon as I delivered.  I pushed 3 times and she was out. She was born at 1:57 pm.  I had officially been on Tamiflu for just over 48 hours, fever free and was wearing a mask.  Our baby was here...in my arms....I could hardly believe this precious little gift was ours.  The miracle of childbirth is absolutely unbelievable.  Abby cried almost immediately (sweetest sound) and pinked right up after being a little blueish directly after being born, and her daddy and I were in love with our sweet little girl!

Seconds old...

Each of my girl's birth stories and the memories wrapped up in them are so special to me.  I just can't describe how thankful I am to be their Mommy. It is a gift, joy and privilege I don't take lightly.

Masks, masks everywhere....

Bert, my mom and all three of Abby's sisters started Tamiflu within a couple hours of finding out I had the flu.  Our pediatricians office usually doesn't put healthy children on Tamiflu, but under the circumstances they made an exception.  Everyone stayed well and I am so thankful that God allowed it to stop with me.  

Abby getting held by her amazing Daddy for the first time.  He loves his girls so much.  

When we were still in labor and delivery, before we moved to our mother/baby room, we Facetimed with our girls to show them their new sister.  They were SO SO excited!  

Abby Kate, you had quite an exciting entrance, coming just 48 hours after finding out I had the flu (sorry about that), but God was taking care of both of us every step of the way.  None of this took Him by surprise.  We love you more than you'll ever know, Abby.  You are a gift straight from God and we are so thankful to have you in our family.  You have three sisters that could hardly wait to meet you, a mommy that wants to kiss your face and snuggle you close so bad she can't stand it, and a daddy about to burst with pride.  You are loved, so loved, by us and by the One who made you!