It has been way to long since I updated so I had to go back
and look at the last couple entries. The last time I wrote Noah was breeched
and I was dealing with my blood pressure. As we approached the end of week 36
both of these were still issues for us. My blood pressure medication was
doubled and that made being 9 months pregnant even more uncomfortable because I
felt like it was the first trimester all over again. We made it through though
and I remained pregnant for what felt like forever. Thanks to my amazing
chiropractor we were able to get Noah turned from the breeched position to head
down at 37 weeks. It was so crazy. I had
been going for regular adjustments since before my pregnancy and then went
weekly after we learned that he was breeched. On the way back from my second
weekly appointment I was able to feel him turn. It was such an odd and amazing
feeling. I had an ultrasound later that day and it confirmed that Noah was in
the “go” position. I was still pregnant a few weeks later at my 39 week
check-up, which was longer than any of us thought we would make it. That was
when the decision was made to start induction on my due date if I did not start
labor on my own.
The weekend came and went and no baby so at 40 weeks we
started induction. Jeremy and I made sure to enjoy a nice dinner just the two
of us before the craziness began. We arrived at the hospital just before seven
pm and shortly after my friend Jenny arrived. Not long after they inserted the
cervidel to soften my cervix. We spent the rest of the evening talking and
breaking the television. Yeah, we somehow managed to screw up the volume on the
tv and they had to replace it at 10 o’clock. We didn’t even end up using it
then, but watching them try to repair it was pretty entertaining. We all tried
to get some sleep but I think I was the one that got the most. Jeremy did not
sleep well the night before so he was exhausted by Wednesday. In the morning, I
was 3 cm dilated so things were going fairly well. After I ate breakfast, they
started the Pitocin. Around 10:30 Jenny and I took a walk around the maternity
floor while Jeremy took a nap. That was pretty much all it took. By the time we
came back to the room around 11 I had started active labor. I’ve heard that
Pitocin makes your contractions more painful, I wouldn’t know. However, I went
from 0-10 superfast. Literally and figuratively. I had a lot of back labor and
since I decided to go without the epidural, I am pretty sure the whole floor
heard me screaming. I did not get to labor in the tub like I wanted because I
needed to be able to walk there myself and that was not happening. By 1:30 it
was time to push and everything was a blur. Jeremy got to catch Noah at 1:49
and I was able to have skin to skin right away. The sweetness of the moment was
short lived because a few seconds later Noah pooped all over me. We will not
forget it, that’s for sure. I was also able to breastfeed right away but I do
not remember it much because I was getting stitched up at the same time. Noah
came out with is hand up by his face (just like he had been in all the
ultrasounds) and tore me up. I also ended up breaking my tailbone, but I would
do it all again for my miracle.
I can’t really explain the emotions I felt during labor and
delivery. It went by so fast, at least for me. I was in awe of how the human
body takes over and manages the pain in its own way. Although, the process was
hard on me physically we were blessed with a perfect baby boy. After the
struggles we have had in the past few years to get to this point, Jeremy and I
both mentally prepared ourselves for something to be wrong. We were blessed
beyond our expectations. Noah was 8lb 10 oz and 21.5 inches long. He passed all
his screenings and less than a week later he was above his birth weight. He was
the best birthday present I have ever received, even if he was a day early. I
had all these thoughts about how I it would feel to finally have a baby and
really it was nothing like that. I didn’t even cry until we were in the car
heading home. It was all surreal, even now two months later it still does not
feel real sometimes. We are starting a new chapter in this journey but it is
far from over. We face many future decisions about how to deal with both my
infertility and endometriosis. I hope to continue blogging about these and
other topics in the future.
Below are a few maternity pictures and our wonderful baby boy.
Our not so little guy at 1 month.
Looking for trouble.
All smiles, today at 2 months.
