I canNOT believe my sweet baby boy is already 2 months old! It is definitely time I get his birth story written. (Gotta make sure I do it before this old brain forgets all the details - lol)
So here goes:
As soon as I figured out my due date, I was hoping I could be induced on December 30. I went full term with my first pregnancy and the delivery was difficult for me and for the baby. My OB in Austin told me she would not let me go full term again and I was induced at 39 weeks with my 2nd and 3rd pregnancies. I was due between January 4-6 with this pregnancy (depending on which calculator the doctor used and also depending on how much weight they gave the measurements from my early ultrasound) If January 4 was the due date then December 28 would be 39 weeks. My mother's birthday was December 30 and so this was the date I was hoping for. As week 39 drew closer and closer and the Baby A grew bigger and bigger I was starting to worry I wouldn't make it to the 30th. But everything worked out and the induction was scheduled for 11am on Friday, December 30.
David's mom came up from Austin on the 29th. The morning of December 30 we woke up and I tried to eat a good breakfast knowing I wouldn't get much else for the rest of the day. David and I left for the hospital around 10am. When we went to check in, we were told they were very busy in Labor and Delivery and we had to wait to check in. We finally got checked in around noon.
Once we were in labor and delivery all the "fun" pre-delivery stuff started. I got my oh-so-lovely hospital gown and then came the IV's. YUCK! The nurse stuck me FOUR TIMES before she got the needle in and even that 4th one was not in comfortably. However, at that point, I just wanted her to QUIT STICKING ME so I didn't say anything. They started the pitocin around 12:30 and by about 2:00 I was at 4cm and they broke my water. I got my epidural around 2:45. I don't know what it is with me and epidurals but they hit me hard. I remember asking them to turn it down with Audrey because I couldn't feel anything and could not tell the difference between a "good" push and a "bad" push. Amy came so quickly there wasn't really time to feel much of anything. But again with Allison I asked them to turn the epidural down. I was slurring my words and could barely keep my eyes open. So I told them this time that I am sensitive to epidurals and I was hoping that would help them give me the right amount. But once again it was too strong. My blood pressure kept dropping and they ended up giving me something to in my IV to bring it back up.
Before I knew it I was feeling that familiar pressure and I was ready to push. Imagine my surprise when they tell me the doctor is tied up with another patient and I can't push yet. It was so hard not to push. I was trying to breathe through the contractions and I was literally shaking from trying not to push. I wasn't in "pain" but I was definitely uncomfortable. Finally the doctor came in and I was allowed to go for it. I was expecting it to go like the last two times - a few quick pushes and I would have a baby in my arms. But that was not the case. I was pushing and pushing and at one point I told the doctors I was too old and I couldn't do it. They assured me that I was not too old and I certainly could do this. And lo and behold, they were right.
At 5:44pm Andrew Rich Albert was born. He weighed 8lbs 13oz and was 20.75 inches long. Imagine our surprise when they told us "It's a BOY!". While everyone else kept saying they though we were having a boy - David and I both really, truly did think we were having a girl. A boy - WOW!
There had been meconium in the amniotic fluid when they broke my water so Andrew was with the neo-natologist for a bit. It seemed like an eternity before I heard him cry but he finally did and I was overjoyed. They took some time to clean him up (he had meconium in his EARS! - only a few minutes old and already acting like a "gross boy") And the doctor was with me for a while. I had some heavy bleeding that had them concerned so they were giving me some sort of medicine to try and slow it down.
But eventually they placed my new son in my arms and I was in love!
We ended up staying in the labor and delivery room for quite a while as the hospital was packed and there were no recovery rooms available. I was STARVING. The last time I had eaten was around 9am and it was now about 7pm. I wanted a burger and shake from Hilbert's (in Austin) but had to settle for a burger and a Frosty from Wendy's. David and I ate and made calls to family and friends and finally - around 9:30 or so, we were moved to a recovery room.
And THAT adventure definitely deserves it's own post!
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