BIRTH STORY

Birth Story

It started on Wednesday September 9^th, I was at work and not feeling well at all, I kept calling Jake, my mom, triage nurses at my OBGYN, and everyone was saying go home and rest. I talked to my manager and she sent me home around 3pm that day. I went home and slept for 4 hours.

That evening I felt a little better but still shakey and like something was up. Went back to bed around 10pm, just to wake up at 1:30 am to contractions. Started to walk around, try to change positions and drink some water. Took a Tylenol PM and was able to fall asleep until about 2:45am when I was awakened by yet more contractions. Jake helped me through the pain, and we decided it wasn’t real labor and to hold out until morning, because I had my OBGYN appt the next morning 9/10/09 at 9:20am.

Around 8:00am the next morning I hoped in the shower to get ready for the day, just to hurry out 5 mins later in pain. Took me over an hour to get my clothes on and hair thrown up In a bun (see labor pics) So we got our stuff together and headed to the doctors office.

We only like about 5 mins from my OB which is another 2 mins to the hospital about (2 blocks away) The drive from Queen creek rd to Germann on Val Vista is a big construction site and the road is all torn up, the ride seemed like 10 hours I was definitely contracting, holding onto the ceiling bar in the car and breathing heavily…I think Jake was starting to wonder what was really up, we arrived at the doctor shortly after leaving home of course, and they took me right back. I was very happy though my weight was exactly 162 J and my blood pressure was perfect…good news. As soon as the actual OB doctor walked in she said to me, you look like you may be doing something here, how are you feeling? I said I'm contracting and have been all night. She then said well today we are testing for the strep B test, while im “down there” I’ll see if you are progressing in labor. As of that day I was 35 weeks and 4 days along in my pregnancy. She immediately checked me and said “You’re 3 CM!” Jake and I looked very surprised at each other and said “what next” “well I would go the hospital if I were you” she says… “or you could try to hold out for another hour and see if it stops. We decided NOT to wait, I was definitely progressing and the pain was intense!

In the doctors office I called my mom and asked her calmly “uh…whatcha doin? Can you come get McKenzie? I’m going to the hospital I’m at 3cm and in Labor” My mom flipped she was SO surprised and very excited! Her voice got very excited and she said she was jumping up and down…haha. Then apparently while on the phone my sister in law Roseanne and our friend Shayda walked in and immediately mom says “holly’s in LABOR!”

So off to the hospital we went. At Mercy Gilbert hospital you are told to enter through ER and then they wheel you up to LD. Well we were in the ER for about 15 mins and I was DYING! Anyway, got taken to triage where I was quickly hooked up to all the fun monitors and checked again. I was now 4CM!! The nurse said well you just got yourself a ticket to a labor room! They had to clean a room real quick, so I was given my IV and blood drawn right in triage…meanwhile in this space of time mom came and picked up Kinz, and went to grab our suitcase and bags from the house.

About 30 mins later I was in my labor room, and called for my epidural!! Yes I am a WUSS! I was dilating so quickly I was NOT about to get to 10CM before getting my epidural! More power to those of you who do it natural but it’s NOT for me! I don’t do pain. So Dr. Ambus came in (he was AMAZING) and gave me my epidural. Didn’t hurt at all, so great. Smooth sailing for the next 6 hours.

My water was broke around 2:30pm, and then we were just to hang out. I was having very consistent contractions, but they weren’t quite doing as much dilating as they would have liked to see. I was given something I’ve never heard of…they basically ADD water back into your uterus to help move the baby down the birth canal, and it helped relieve the pressure of the cord which was wrapped around Brady’s neck. When I would contract his heart rate would go way down…then come right back up. So with the water added and me laying on only my right side they were happy with his stats.

About 9pm I was given pitocin to HARDEN those contractions to take me from 7CM to 10CM. In 1 hour and 17 mins I went from a 7 to a 10 and Brady was BORN!

I only had to push 5 times, and he came out very easily at a whopping 7lbs 4 oz 20 inches long and 4 weeks and 3 days early, considering him premature. He struggled to breathe and was rushed away where he was bag valve masked quickly to turn him from blue to pink real quick! They kept trying to get him to cry but he is SUPER quiet, and because he was struggling to breathe he wouldn’t do it. We had 2 nursery nurses ready for him to come in case of problems since he was preemie.

He was given to me for a short time about 5 mins before he was taken to NICU and Jake went with him.

Overall the Labor part was VERY easy….the next 7 days were what were hard. He was given an IV, oxygen and a suction tube to remove the fluid in his stomach. I was discharged on September 12^th (McKenzie’s 3^rd Bday) and Jake and I just cried together as we drove away from the hospital. Definitely the hardest thing to do, leaving your baby behind. We visited him EVERYDAY at least twice a day, and he improved more and more. Slowly they were able to remove the oxygen, then the suction tube, and once I was able to bottle feed him (he still hasn’t learned to latch yet) they were able to remove the IV. He did get a little jaundice and was able to tan a little under the Billi-lite, but on day 6 the pediatrician told me if he was a happy boy and kept his stats up that he could go home in the morning.

EXTATIC!!! So Thursday morning we arrived at the hospital to talk with the pediatrician whom did his circumcision first, and then monitored him for a bout an hour before releasing him to us! We were SO Happy and relieved to finally have him home.

So far he is a very quiet and happy baby, doesn’t cry (except during diaper changes..poor little circumcised pee pee!) and will squeak when he is hungry, which is about every 4 ½ hours. So we do get some sleep. I was able to rent a hospital grade breast pump so he is able to feed without us having to give him only formula, it’s fantastic, we work on latching everyday and he has latched onto only my left side, but we hope that he will learn very soon.

Thank you all for your thoughts, concerns, emails, texts, comments and phone calls. It was seriously the most heart wrenching 7 days EVER but now that part is over and the fun begins! We can’t wait!

McKenzie is doing SO good with him. She likes to give us a hard time with sleeping and listening, but she sure loves her brother!

Enjoy some pictures of his first day home, including one with his eyes OPEN!!! He is SOOOOOOOOOOO DARNNNNNN CUTTTTE!