Andrew's Birth Story

This whole pregnancy I was less anxious than I was with Anna.  And I think it's mostly because I made it to the hospital with Anna, so I had more confidence in my ability to know when it was time to get there.  This pregnancy I had toooooonnnnnnnnssss of braxton hicks again.  It's just the way my body works I guess.  I think I started having them around 28 weeks this time.  And, towards the end, they get painful and make me crabby.  It's not that they hurt THAT bad, it's that they hurt AND they aren't doing anything.  Well, I suppose at one point they are, but for all those weeks they aren't.  Anyway, enough whining.

Monday, August 1, I went to a check up (39 week checkup).  When my midwife measured me, I measured small, which is normal for me, but then she looked back and noticed that I hadn't grown in 3 weeks and that made her a bit concerned.  SO, up I went to labor and delivery for a non stress test and bio physical profile (ultrasound).  I passed the test, but the ultrasound looked a LITTLE weird.  I guess some things were measuring small and we were debating what to do next.  My midwife said I could come in the next day for her to strip my membrane to try and move things along in case something was wrong, so I made an appointment for the next day.  

Monday evening (Aug 1), Ben needed to head into Lansing, and I said I would go with because I wanted to take care of a few things in our church nursery.  I was having some more frequent contractions and started wondering if I was maybe in labor.  I was distracted by that and totally forgot the whole reason I was heading to Lansing, so I accomplished nothing.  THAT was annoying.  Anyway I went to Aldi instead with Caleb and Anna. While I was holding Anna and a heavy grocery bag in the parking lot, I had another stronger contraction.  That was not a nice moment, and I started freaking out.

On the way home from Lansing, I told Ben I was going to text my mom and dad and tell them I thought I might be in labor and that they should be ready to come.  About 4 minutes later I said, "Ok, start heading to my house". Since I tend to have fast labors, I was getting really anxious that I was running out of time!! Ben tried talking to me in the car, but as I've learned the last few times, I do NOT like talking when I'm trying to determine if I'm in labor.  I prefer complete silence while I freak out.  

We got home and Ben put the kids to bed (in record speed) while I finished packing my hospital bag. My parents came, and Ben and I headed to the hospital. (It was about 7:30) I got there and of course, my contractions slowed waaaaaay down.....  SO then I felt like a total idiot for coming in.  But, when my midwife came and checked me, I was 6 cm!  It was a HUUUUUUGE relief!  Just like with Anna, I threw my hands up in victory. I DID IT! 

I sat on the bed for a while and really was having just a few contractions here and there.  It was just like I'm used to at home on a daily basis with my braxton hicks.... SO, I didn't really know what to do in the hospital. I went in the tub for a few minutes, but it was kind of boring.  Then I took a walk with Ben.... then I sat on an exercise ball in my beautiful gown.  The Cubs game was on, so that was nice for Ben, but after a while he went to sleep.  (don't panic, it's ok with me ;))

 I took another walk, laid on the bed.... and just wondered why in the world it was taking so long and when would things start progressing!?! (After an hour I was 7 cm but then stayed at a 7 for the next couple of hours).  After my midwife checked me and I was still a 7 (at about 11:40p.m. or so), she decided to break my water.  I fought her a little on it because I was worried that breaking my water would just make my very bearable contractions more intense, and then I would be miserable for however many hours.  She basically said, no, let's do it, and broke it.  That was a weird feeling.  THEN after a few minutes things reeeeaaaaallly started picking up.  I went in the tub, which I really like for stronger contractions.

Soon I knew it was getting serious and the baby would be here in no time, so I had Ben pull the string to alert everyone I needed help, and they came rushing in.  I DESPERATELY wanted to stay in the tub, but silly St. Anthony's won't let you have a baby in the water anymore (Boooooooo!!!!), so I had to move to the bed.  And really, when you're in intense pain, you do NOT feel like getting up and moving.  I think I even said "I don't think I can move." Anyway, the end for me seems like an eternity, but apparently I only pushed twice and out popped a baby boy. During the horrible part (the ending), I was frantically grabbing for a piece of gauze I had put some clary sage essential oil on.  I was basically inhaling that while driving my head into a pillow.  Ben is still making fun of me for that. ;) My midwife called to Ben and asked if he'd like to catch the baby, so he did.  Ben says it definitely wasn't as cool as catching Grace, but I think he preferred this way.  I had the baby 34 minutes after she broke my water.  In hindsight, breaking my water was brilliant, and I probably should have done it a couple hours earlier to move things along.  But, how do you know?! You just don't.  Well I s'pose I do now.

Those first few moments after you have a baby are so amazing aren't they?! For me it's a HUGE feeling of relief "I'm so glad it's OVER" and also, "I can't believe this child is MINE."  I got to hold baby boy for THREE hours before they took him from me (even to weigh him!).  He basically nursed the entire time. ( Little did I know that was a foretaste of how he would eat.  Slow. Reeeeaaaaally slow. ) I'm calling him baby boy because we had no name for him.  Ben loved doing it this way, but I felt weird not knowing who I was holding.  Ben went home about 2:30 (I had the baby at 12:18am) to try and get some sleep, and I sat awake most of the night because I'm pretty wired after I have a baby.  Plus when the nurses need to take your blood pressure every 5 minutes, it's hard to get sleep.  And for the record, those automatic blood pressure things are terrible! OUCH.  If you move they just keep squeezing and squeezing your arm.  AND when you're trying to nurse your 3 minute old baby and they need help re-latching, you kind of have to move.  Amen? 

Anyway, l basically named him while I had him all night, and later in the morning when Ben came back and I took a shower, he named him something else.  So then we had to battle between two names.  It took us until about 4 pm to come to an agreement.  Ben's name got picked (in case you're wondering) because I eventually came around.  And, lest you think he's a big, fat meany, he WAS willing to go with my pick by the end.  We named him Andrew William --Andrew after the disciple and William after my dear ole dad.  Now all four of our kids are named after a grandparent.  Pretty neat eh? 

He's the sweetest ever, is nicknamed Drewbie Doo, and today he's TWO weeks old.  We are so incredibly blessed.
-Melanie