In the Potter's Hands: Miracles happen: A birth story

So much has happened since my last post! I'll try to catch you all up.

39 week belly

I went in to the doctor's for my 39 week appointment, just two days before my scheduled c-section, and while I was there the doctor ordered an ultrasound, just to check where the baby was. Much to all of our surprise, Berry was head down! So, the c-section was canceled and I was scheduled for an induction on the 30th. But the doctor said she didn't really trust the baby to stay head down, and that I should go ahead an fill out all the paperwork for the surgery. I went home that day kind of nervous, and very excited! Nervous that the baby wouldn't stay that way and it would mean we had waited an extra day for nothing, or that I would go into labor and be in labor for hours only to have a c-section anyway, or that if the baby had flipped again maybe we could try having the doctor turn him/her manually and then induce labor, or that the induction would fail....there were just so many scenarios going through my head. Alex pretty much laughed and told me that either..I would have a natural birth like we had hoped for, or I would have a c-section, like I had been prepared for for a few weeks anyway. So my fears were pretty silly. Let me tell you, his response was just what I needed!
We spent the next few days making sure we really had everything ready for the baby, and just enjoying our uninterrupted time together.

Thursday night I couldn't really sleep, not only was my carpal tunnel bothering me, I was just so anxious about the next morning that my mind wouldn't slow down enough for me to sleep. We were told to call labor and delivery at 5am on Friday to see if they were ready for us. So Alex had the alarm set...I have never been so ready to have an alarm go off so early in the morning! We gave them a call and they said for me to eat a light breakfast and come on in around 6:30am. So, I got up and showered, ate a bowl of cereal, we grabbed the hospital bags, took one last belly picture, and were on our way!


39 weeks 3 days, last Berry belly shot.

When we got to the hospital they showed me to my room and had me put on a gown. A gown that had so many snaps and ties that Alex and I weren't even sure I had it on properly. About 15 minutes later a nurse came in and hooked up all the machines. A heart monitor for the baby and a monitor to measure my contractions I suppose. So we sat in the room for another 10-15 minutes listening to the baby's heartbeat and just waiting. Eventually the nurse came back in and looked at the readings from the machines and asked me if I was feeling the contractions. I was really surprised! I had not been given anything to induce the labor yet, and had absolutely no idea I was already having contractions! I felt nothing except baby moving, but apparently I had had 3 or 4 of them. A few minutes later my doctor came in with an ultrasound machine to check Berry's position one last time before the induction. Berry was head up again!! So we started talking about options while she looked at the readings from my monitor. She was concerned though because every time the reading showed a contraction the baby's heart rate dropped some. That and the fact that s/he had flipped so easily pretty much eliminated the choices for an induction or trying to manually move the baby. The doctor decided we would try a few things to improve the heart rate, so I was put on oxygen, and given an IV for fluids. They also took blood for labwork in case of a c-section. So I sat there for a few minutes with all this going on, Alex was sitting across the room just watching and smiling at me whenever I looked over. I was sure I looked crazy, suddenly having all these machines and the oxygen, it had all happened so fast! The baby's heart rate was still dropping during contractions so my doctor came back in and asked us what we thought of scheduling a c-section for that day. I was all for it! Baby was obviously not staying head down, seemed to be in some sort of minor distress, and I was just getting impatient to meet our little one. When they asked me when I had last eaten and I told them that I had eaten breakfast they all seemed a little concerned. They don't like having anything in the stomach during a surgery. Eventually we were told that we had to wait a few hours because of the food, and that the surgery was scheduled for 5pm. I was a bit disappointed that we would be sitting in the hospital just waiting for so long, but so excited that Alex and I were finally going to meet our baby.
About 10 minutes passed, maybe a few more, and my doctor came back in the room and said that because we were going to do a c-section anyway, and because the baby's heart rate was still showing slight distress during contractions, we were going to go ahead and do the surgery as soon as possible, that there was no point in putting it off. After that everything went so fast!!! Alex was given a set of scrubs to wear in the surgery room, an anesthesiologist came in and gave me some nasty acidic drink to help counteract the food in my stomach, and about five minutes later I was on a gurney being wheeled back to surgery. Alex would be brought in after I was prepped.
When we got in the room I noticed that it looked very...cold and sterile. So much metal and harsh lights, and I also saw the tray of tools that was set out. I was transferred from the gurney to a rather narrow little table, and the anesthesiologist, Scott, came in to do the spinal, my doctor and another nurse were standing in front of me with their hands on my shoulders, or patting my hand giving encouragement through the whole procedure. As I was sitting there I noticed that my legs were having spasms that I couldn't control. It was nerves, even though I didn't feel nervous. I was just excited, and probably a bit overwhelmed. The nurse noticed, so they got a warm blanket and put it over me. The spinal was a bit painful, but not too bad. I was sitting on the edge of the table, and had to bend over as far as my belly would allow, put my chin to my chest, and arch my back. Scott said "Sharp pain, like a bee sting" and I felt the needle poke me. What was unexpected was a few seconds later a blanket of a deep ache spread over my back for a minute or so. Scott then said he had to try again, the spot he had found was too bony. So again: deep breath, arched back, sharp sting, and sudden ache...then my legs started to tingle, and in the minute or so it took them to move the blanket and tell me to turn and lay down, my legs felt way too heavy to lift. Once I was laying down a couple nurses started prepping the incision area, and a big blue curtain was strung up at my shoulder level. I also had my arms pulled out to the side and strapped onto boards. I was told it was so I wouldn't try to help. I also had my oxygen mask back on. Soon Alex was brought in and stood by my head, I asked him to hold my hand, and then mentioned that they had to do the spinal twice. Right about then I felt like my whole body was being jostled, when Alex asked if it hurt I told him it was like going over a really bumpy drive way, and not at all painful. Right then Alex asked if I would mind if he stood up to see and I told him just not to pass out. He stood up just in time to see them to break the water and he mentioned to me that it was a lot of fluid.
Less than a minute later I heard the nurses and doctor "Look at that cord!" "The cord is wrapped around his neck twice!"
Alex leaned over, grin on his face "We have a boy."
They had Alex go over to look at the baby while they cleaned him off and soon I could hear little Jacob crying. I started tearing up at that point. I had such an uncertain start to the pregnancy, and a stressful last few weeks, but mine and Alex's baby was actually here safe and sound and -they soon told me- perfectly healthy. A few more minutes passed, Jacob crying the whole time, then they brought him over to see me. He was held up by my face and my first thought was "He's so perfect!" I said hi to him and kissed his forehead and they whisked him away again, Alex followed them after kissing my forehead and squeezing my hand.

Our first face-to-face meeting

I was in the surgery room for another 20 minutes or so, and I just laid there listening to the doctor and nurses talking. At one point they said that with the cord being how it was a natural birth would never have worked, even if Jacob had stayed head down. Chances were, if we had tried, he wouldn't have made it. At best, I would have ended up with an emergency c-section anyway.
Soon I was being wheeled to a recovery room, and just a few minutes later I saw Alex walking toward me carrying a tiny little bundle. I finally got to hold my baby!!

He was a lot smaller than anyone expected at 6lbs 9oz, 19 inches long. My tiny little guy has a full head of blonde hair, loves to smile- especially when he's napping and can hear his daddy talking, and loves to eat and sleep.
We've been home since last Sunday and it seems crazy that it's been a week already! My recovery has been pretty slow, so I'm still not able to actually do very much. Alex has been a huge help though, and such a good Daddy. You would never know that his first time changing a diaper was at the hospital! He's also an expert swaddler. I really just don't know how I would be managing if he weren't here.

We're so thankful that our precious "Berry" is here now, safe and sound and healthy. We're loving being parents despite the occasional frustrations and little less sleep than normal. It will be such a blessing, and a responsibility, to take care of and train this little guy as he grows up.