Brayden Joseph - Birth Story Added!

[Bethany89]

I will post my full birth story later but Brayden Joseph was born yesterday, the 4th, at 5:45 pm after 24 hours of labor via a csection. He weighs 9lbs 13oz and is 22.5 inches long! He is perfect and a wonderful nurser!

Ok I'm back to type up my birth story - hopefully!

So on the 3rd, I had a doctors appointment. My blood pressure was up again. He stripped my membranes for the second time and sent me to L&D for monitoring for an hour for an NST and BP. I was having steady, readable contractions. My BP was good so they sent me home. I had contractions on and off throughout the day and by the time that 4pm came around, they tapered off and I was not happy. I had even tried 2 tbsp of castor oil hoping it would combine with the stripping and work. Nada.
So.. Andrew decided at this time he was going to make me angry and made some comments that left me fuming, to say that least. I was making dinner, chopping up some zucchini and I felt a contraction. I was like good, maybe it'll pick up. I looked at the time. 15 minutes later, I felt another and they kept going. I felt some really strong contractions and was excited, despite them being farther apart.
I walked the house, bounced on my ball, etc.. around 8pm, we decided to take a drive. At this time, they were 5 minutes apart but needed to pick up intensity before I was going to go to the hospital. It was 45 minutes away and I was GBS+ though so I knew I had to go in earlier than I would want, the nurse had told me so that day.
The drive helped.. Around 11pm, my grandparents showed up at my house to stay with Caelyn, who was asleep (fell asleep on the ride). Off we went to the hospital. I had terrible back pains in the car.

We got to the hospital, hooked up and monitored. My doctor was there to deliver another baby (he delivered a total of 4 on the 4th!). He looked at my contractions and decided to break my water. We were going for a VBAC and he felt that would speed up my labor. It did. Contractions started to come stronger and quicker. I ended up getting an epidural around 4:30am. I had planned natural, but I was exhausted and didn't think I could push if I was so tired. It helped and I was able to sleep. They checked me around 10am and I was 4cm, but the baby was still high - at a -2. They added a little bit of pitocin to try to make the contractions more progressive. Around 1:30pm, my epidural machine stopped working. From then on, I was natural. It was terrible. My contractions alone were strong enough, but the pitocin stacked the contractions so for some of them, I would ride 3 of them together with no relief. My doctor was worried because he didn't want it to rupture my previous csection scar, with contractions that strong and no break. I kept riding them out, vocalizing and breathing with my mother. Around 4:45 they checked me, I was 5cm, but he had not moved down at all. He was still at -2. We made the decision around 5pm to go for a c-section. He was not descending and hence why I wasn't able to make it pass 5cm.

I was prepped for surgery around 5:15-5:20 and taken back to the OR and given a spinal. Relief! I was so thankful for that lol. Andrew came in and I was so nervous. He sat down beside me and I was just wanting to cry, not because I was upset because I wasn't getting my VBAC, but because I knew in a few moments I would hear my little man cry. They started.. I was waiting for when they'd say I would feel a lot of pressure. They finally said that and I told Andrew he was about to come out. My doctor, who never shows emotion, said what a big baby this was and that he was going to outweigh my daughter. He asked how big she was again and said oh yeah he is bigger. Then, I heard his cry. Perfect. He told me to look to the side and he held him up for me to see. He was huge! The whole room was laughing and excited. The anestiologist (sp?) had my mom's camera and was snapping pictures like crazy. I watched as Andrew cut his cord. With my last csection, I couldn't see anything, just sounds. I could see this time. They held him up so I could see his face again. They finally weighed him - 9lbs 13 oz. Andrew held him.. It was so sweet. They let go of one of my hands and laid him beside me so I could kiss him and touch him. He looked just like Andrew. The nurse told me since I wanted to nurse and I had reminded them a million times, that as long as he was healthy and fine in the nursery, they would wait to do most of the stuff like baths and eye ointment and would get him back to me asap to nurse. I was so happy. I knew he would be ok.

Andrew went with him to the nursery and they finished sewing me up. Brayden was born at 5:45 and i was in recovery around 6:15, but Brayden was in the OR for 15 minutes with us - taking pictures and allowing Andrew and I time to see him.
I didn't know til I saw Andrew at 6:30, but they were walking to the nursery and my mom and his mom were there and the nurse allowed them and my dad, his dad and my sister into the nursery. For Caelyn's birth, they refused to open the blinds for 45 minutes! She was totally healthy. They said they only do that if there is something wrong with the baby. My mom was so happy. Andrew said his mother was bawling. They weren't allowed to hold him yet.
I went back to recovery and waited. They hooked me up and I watched the clock. They told me as soon as she was done, he would be coming back. Andrew came back around 6:30 and said he was on his way over. I was able to nurse him 45 minutes after birth - a blessing because I couldn't see Caelyn for an hour after in recovery.
After I was done, Andrew brought Caelyn back and we were able to, alone, introduce her to her brother. It was the most amazing sight, watching her touch him and hold him. She loved him immediately.
Soon, my parents came back, his parents, my grandma.. I was moved to my room around 8:15.. They took him back around 7:45.. After I nursed.. They cleaned me up.. I was able to brush my teeth.. and just feel more human. They took us to our room and brought him back to us for the evening.

I didn't get the VBAC I wanted, but I don't mind. This birth overall was so much more healing than my first csection. The bonding time and the way the surgery was handled left me feeling so much happier. I have no regrets. The care during my stay was top notch. The staff was very happy we didnt circumcize him and never questioned us delaying the hep b shot. All of my fears and worries never occurred. He is perfect and 6 days old now!

[marliah]

Congratulations! He's beautiful, what a big boy too!

[mabelinoad]

such a cutie!!! congratulations!!

[Buffy1023]

Yay Bethany!! What a handsome little man

[stevensmom]

Oh Bethany. So happy for you!

**I do know how to spell...my iPod on the other hand does not**

[philenabean]

Congratulations, Bethany!!! He has such an adorable face. We're having some big boys here!

[srpettitt]

He's perfect! Congrats mama!

[Bethany89]

Bump for the birth story added!

[erkelly]

Love the story! So happy to hear that you are happy with how everything turned out!

[remrath]

Awwww, what a sweet little face Congrats, and i'm so glad this c-section was so much better than the last.