Colin's Birth Story

Colin Gabriel, 7 lbs 7 oz & 20 inches

2/11/16 10:45PM. I got up from my yoga ball only to have intense pelvic pain and pressure. I walked around the house. Pain didn't relieve itself, became more intense so I squatted next to the bed to relieve the pain and I heard a splash. My water broke. 38w1d Off to the hospital after loading our sleepy children into the van and took him to their grandparents' house. PH level test, FERN test and visual inspection All positive test results, meaning it was indeed amniotic fluid. 

2/12/16 12:00 AM 4cm, 70%, 38w2d. Plus one cm from last week. Admitted into L&D. Walked the halls for a few hours then tried to rest. 4:30 AM no change in cervix despite regular contractions, about 3/10 minutes. 7:30 Pitocin added after I was allowed to eat a good breakfast (breakfast burrito). Melissa arrived around this time. She and Paul were a great support. Walked the room. Contractions not painful until... 

11:45AM, cervix hadn't changed much, nurse thought baby was posterior (as Anna and Charlie were... I braced myself for another vacuum delivery), fore membrane broken by Dr Johnson, membranes stripped. Baby definitely LOA (anterior facing)... Yay! More intense contractions came. Nothing I couldn't handle at first. But as the hour passed, became painful, intolerable, lots of pain on my hips and lower uterus and pubic bone. Music was a great distraction for a while. 1:00, exhaustion finally got to me so I climbed into bed where I was checked again, 6-7cm, Phentanyl given after I requested an epidural, knowing the hardest part was coming. The nurse said I could go all natural. No thanks! 

1:30 epidural given and worked. Three anesthesiologist was amazing. 

1:50, checked again and 8cm, measured by nurse as well as a student named Taylor. The nurse said I could day I got my epidural at 8cm! I said I'm glad because I'd feel like a wimp if it was fewer centimeters.

Complete by 2:30! 3:12, started pushing 3:44, Colin Gabriel was born @ 7 lbs 7 oz, 20", 13.5" head, after 32 minutes of pushing, he was immediately put into my chest where I checked him to see if he was a boy or a girl... And cried for thankfulness. We had one hour of uninterrupted skin to skin... Beautiful hour, followed by breastfeeding. 💕 Afterwards, my OB prayed over us. It was an amazing, healing birth experience. My older two needed vacuums, I had to push two hours and we're immediately checked by care teams/NICU. Went home 2/13/16 weighing in at a hefty 6 lbs 14 oz LOL 

 Funny story, he was born 4 minutes after my scheduled 38 week appointment with my OB!

Baby #3, 37 Weeks

My 37 week appointment went well. 3cm dilated, 70% effaced, -2 station. The doctor said he thinks I'll go into labor once my cervix is more anterior and the baby drops down a bit. Bought an exercise ball, bounced on it for a few days and today waved adios to my MP. I don't care if it's too much information for the random person who reads this blog, but not only am I a note-taker at heart, but it's also nice to be reassured I won't be pregnant for the next century.
Oh, in addition, if I don't go into labor on my own before then, an induction date will be set for my 39th week. I asked for it because I fear shoulder dystocia recurring in this little one and the longer I'm pregnant, the more likely it becomes that this issue will happen again. There's a light at the end of the tunnel!

Baby #3, 35 Week Appointment

I didn't realize I'd been leaving appointment notes on this blog and I think it's a great idea for this pregnancy as well. I like comparisons. Anyhow... I am now almost 37 weeks, but here are my 35 week notes:

I had the GBS test and the doctor checked my cervix: 1cm and 50% effaced. I've never been checked this early, so there really is no comparison. BP was normal. Weight 148. I also was able to get an ultrasound done to check the baby's weight. Charlie was so big and he had shoulder dystocia, which can be dangerous, and puts me at a greater risk of having another baby with SD. Baby was a normal size, estimated at 5 1/2 pounds and appx 8 lbs at 40 weeks, so pretty normal. The highlight was being able to see the baby's face in 3D! He or she looks so much like Anna and Charlie as newborns. :)

This Friday is my 37 week appointment and I'm going to bring up the idea of induction at 39 weeks to avoid SD. Although baby is average, weight estimates are as much as a pound off in either direction. I think waiting until 40 weeks is pushing my luck.

Until next time...

Hello, baby!