Well, this is nearly guaranteed to be my shortest "birth story" post. Sweet Ben surprised us with how quickly he came. First, a little back story to lead up to the day he was born, 1/9/19 (which, by the way, will be the easiest birthday to remember).
Our due date was January 14, which happens to be my brothers birthday as well. I was glad it was far enough away from the holidays, and for the first time I was okay with baby being on time, or even a little late. The week or two before he was a born, I had zoned in on the Wednesday before his due date for the day I was *hoping* he would born on. We had a few things going on the days leading up to that Wednesday, the kids were going back to school the day before (Tuesday, which would make for 1 final day of nesting), and my parents were set to arrive on that Wednesday.....that Wednesday was *the* day I was hoping for. A few days before that, when people would ask how I was doing, I would mention that Wednesday being the day I was hoping for him to come, and asked for a prayer that it would happen that way. That Wednesday was, of course, 1/9/19, the day he ended up coming. David and I also talked about how great it would be to labor and deliver during the daytime. Both Penny and Wesley's labors began in the middle of the night. We talked about how nice it would be to get a night of rest before a labor and delivery. (can we just talk about how incredible our God is? He heard and answered both of those prayers. Answering a prayer that really didn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but mattered to me in that moment. We serve such a loving and faithful God).
I woke up really early (1 am) on that Wednesday, with some extremely mild contractions. It was at most some casual period cramping in terms of pain. Just enough to keep me awake from my (probably 12th) bathroom run that night. I ended up staying awake for 2 hours until they faded away and I fell back to sleep. David worked from home that day to join me and the kids for my doctor appointment later that morning. We got to the doctors office at 9:30 for my appointment. My doctor was actually at the hospital for a delivery, the other doctor was out of town, so I saw a nurse practitioner. She checked me, I was 3 centimeters. I had been 2 the week before, and 1 the week before that, so I wasn't surprised that I seemed to be very slowly progressing. I knew that I could still remain at 3 centimeters for days, if not weeks. We ended the appointment with the NP saying "see you next week!" I was showing no signs of active labor. I had a few contractions from about 7 am until my 9:30 appointment, but they weren't painful, and they felt like what I assumed braxton hicks felt like which was, again, something that could go on and off for days/weeks.
We left the exam room, and ran into a friend in the lobby. David ran to the restroom on our way out, during which I had 2 contractions. The first inkling that something could possibly be moving along, though I definitely wasn't sold on anything happening that day yet. I told David when he got out of the restroom that I had 2 contractions, and he was on the same page as I was, something could be happening, but we weren't totally sure. We left the doctors office and headed to the car. I had another contraction on the way out, an again when David was buckling the kids in. We start heading for home, the opposite direction of the hospital, we just weren't convinced yet. I had another contraction or two before we decided to call my sister to see if she could meet us at our house, in case we wanted to drop the kids off, grab our bags, and just turn right around and head to the hospital. After David spent about 5 minutes on the phone while Meghan decided whether or not she needed a nap (MEGHAN!) both she and Meredith decided they'd meet us at our house ASAP. Meghan got to our house maybe 10 minutes after we got home, and right before she got there was when we decided that we'd be heading to the hospital for sure. I had several more contractions, just a couple minutes apart, before she got there that sealed the deal. The idea that it could be false labor, or that the contractions could still ease up or stop, was still in the back of our minds. We even decided that if we got to the hospital and the contractions stopped, or if they checked me and I was still just at 3, that we'd just have a date day downtown to be close to the hospital in case they kicked back up again.
We were about 20 minutes away from the hospital (a 45 minute drive total) when I realized that I was pretty certain that this was in fact the real deal, and that it was moving along FAST. It was also around that time that we realized it had been 3+ years since we had last been to that hospital and we had no idea where to go anymore. David called the main number, and asked where to go for labor and delivery. They suggested we schedule a tour of that wing for the following week. David, very calmly, explained that we didn't really have that kind of time....they gave us some helpful directions, which parking garage and floor to park on. We find the parking garage and floor, and park in the "Laboring Mothers" spot closest to the door and went right in. They asked all the usual questions and finally checked me into triage. They checked me right away and I was already at a 6. They of course immediately admitted me and took me to the Delivery room. The triage nurse was nice....but had me walk to the Delivery room (after being wheeled to Triage). And you guys YOU GUYS. In that moment, I had never been more disappointed, haha! I kept having to stop during contractions, and that minute long walk felt like an hour.
I get to the labor room, and the pain in the contractions kicked up to the highest gear. At this point, I was in more pain that I had been in with my previous labors, by far. I was progressing so quickly, my body was shaking during contractions, and it was my first labor/delivery where I cried from the pain. They immediately did a blood draw to check to see if I could get an epidural. There were about 5 nurses in the room at this point all rushing around, we all were realizing how quickly this was happening. I was checked once more and was at an 8. The nurses told me that with how quickly I was progressing I didn't need an epidural if I didn't want it, since it would all be over soon. I assured them I wanted the epidural. They called the anesthesiologist to come and get everything ready to go. She came very quickly (my angel!) and got everything set up as we were waiting for the results from my bloodwork to come back. When she was just about ready to administer the epidural, she had the nurse call down to the lab to see if the results were in. They weren't so she told them to put a rush on it. She sat behind me as I was sitting on the edge of the bed in position for the epidural, and told me "I'm ready to go as soon as I hear from them". She was there with the needle in her hand, just waiting for the call. The nurse called again and was sharing the results with the anesthesiologist for the levels on everything that was tested and the anesthesiologist cut her off and said "just tell me what the platelets are!" The nurse responded and the anesthesiologist immediately told me she was going to start. At this point, my contractions were lasting 2 minutes long each, and there was just 1 minute between each one. I only felt a few more before the pain subsided enough that I could relax my body a bit.
With Penny and Wes, my epidural was successful enough that I couldn't feel a thing. I mean, not. a. thing. With Ben, I could still sense when there was a contraction, even though the pain was as minimal as it could possibly have been. Not too long afterwards, a nurse checked me again and I was at 10. She coached me through my first push and then called my doctor in, who was still there from the delivery she had earlier that day, during my scheduled appointment with her. This was the most pushing I had. Penny was delivered via forceps, Wesley came after just 3 pushes, and Ben was closer to 10 minutes. I had the epidural, but I was feeling more than I had felt before. This was the first time I actually felt when my baby leaving my body, and then was out. I also felt an immediate relief within my body, on my stomach, and my hips and joints. I felt such relief, immediately. Coming off of the most painful pregnancy I had experienced, this was such an incredible end to it.
They immediately gave Ben to me and we got to do skin to skin, while David cut the cord. It was so so wonderful. My doctor finished everything up with me, and then they cleaned Ben up (he cried SO loud during this, all the nurses commented on how loud those lungs were! David and I noticed he was significantly louder than both Penny and Wes, and thought we were in for quite a boy! Surprisingly, we haven't heard a cry nearly that loud since that moment!) and gave him back to me.
It wasn't long before we had some visitors. My parents got there (they were already on there way, remember?) about an hour after he was born. My sisters brought Penny and Wes a couple hours after that so they could meet their new baby brother (they both had school the next day). It was such a special afternoon and evening. Watching them meet their baby brother was incredible. Penny was a bit overwhelmed, with all the people and seeing her mom the way I was, was a bit much for her to take in. She wouldn't even come to me for a couple of minutes. Wes, on the other hand, was pure Wes from the moment he got there. Nothing phased him...he was so excited to see David and I, and meet his brother. Ben let out a cry and Wes immediately announced that he must be hungry and started running around the room looking for a snack to get him (how precious is he). Penny got to hold him first and was so proud (and quiet). Wes then wanted a turn and did so so good. It was so special watching them all together.
Then they wheeled me (THANK YOU) to the recovery room and Penny held my hand/walked right next to me the whole time, she was so proud to be next to Ben. She was right by his side the rest of their visit. She had an extremely hard time leaving Ben when it was time to go home. She wanted to stick by his side. Eventually she and Wes head home with Meghan and Meredith, though she struggled on the car ride. My parents had such a sweet idea to help...they had some pictures of Ben and their time in the hospital with him printed. The next morning, they took the kids to Walgreens to pick the pictures up, and got both kids a box of munchkin donuts to bring to school with them. They showed their teachers and all their classmates their pictures of them with Ben, and shared their donuts to celebrate, they loved it.
David and I ended up asking if we could get early release. We didn't want to spend the 2 nights in the hospital, but wanted to go home after the first night. We were approved to do that and ended up getting home at around 7:30 on 1/10. It was so fun being home and getting to wake up the next morning all under one roof. Penny and Wes were already asleep when we got home, so it was fun to surprise them in the morning, and show them Ben in his crib when he woke up. He is so loved!
first morning home.
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