Landon's Christmas birthday!

ashbee0223 · February 2013

Background:

First pregnancy due date January 27, 2013. Emergent cerclage at 20 weeks due to incompetant cervix. Put on bedrest and pelvic rest.

My birth story:

Christmas eve I went to visit my family for Christmas dinner. Due to bedrest I stayed on the couch during my visit. I had been having contractions on and off for the last week, so I didn't think much of the ones I started having on this night. They weren't strong or regular. My husband and I arrived home around 8pm and I went to bed, only to toss and turn and toss some more for the next few hours. I finally got some sleep until I awoke to a soaked bed. I thought I had peed on myself. I got up and went to the bathroom. I started to panic when I actually did pee and realized that I couldn't have just urinated in bed, it had to be my water. I woke my husband. He was pacing the hall calling my doctor, while I was in the bathroom still in denial trying to determine if it was just pee or my water. My doctor told me to put a pad on and lay down, if I soaked it in 45 minitues it was my water. I did as told and within 15 minutes everything was soaked! We immediately threw on clothes and grab our bags, luckily they had been packed and waiting for weeks now, and jumped in the truck.

We arrived at the hospital close to 4am. They got us settled in a room and started monitoring my contractions. A nurse did the little strip test to determine if it was my water. The test was negative and I just knew that I was crazy and had been peeing all over myself for the past 2 hours! My nurse decided to check me internaly to be sure. She said she was positive that it was my water. I felt so many emotions at that time and scared was the biggest one. I was only 35 weeks pregnant and worried that my baby wouldn't be healthy enough.

A couple hours later my doctor finally arrived. It took him long enough! He checked me and I was 2cm dilated and my cervix tearing due to the cerclage. He confirmed that my water broke and that we would have our sweet baby boy today! He removed my cerclage stitch and I dilated right to 4cm. The removal was very painful and I didn't expect it to be that way! I had my mind made up that I was going to have a natural birth without an epidural. Then my doctor told me that if I wanted one I should get it now because everything could go fast from here. I thought about it for a couple minutes and decided I would just get it.

The anesthesiologist came to give me the epidural. It took him 3 trys to get it, but it wasn't that bad. A little later they started me on pitocin because my contractions weren't strong or close enough. That was when I realized that my epidural wasn't working because I felt every contraction after they gave me pitocin. I started to get restless because I was ready to have my baby in my arms. 12 hours after my water broke I was at 10 cm and it was time to push.

This was it and I was about to bring my son into the world. I started pushing and I felt every contraction and every urge to push. My MIL held one leg and my mom the other. My poor husband was at my head trying to cheer me on, but bless his heart, he was more scared than I was. After an hour of pushing I screamed that I couldn't do it any more. I was exhausted and emotional but I knew I could't give up. More pushing and pushing, then I felt some stinging and cutting. One word.. episiotomy! Then my doctor grabbed the suction vacuum. That was it! After 1 hour and 50 minutes of pushing, they layed Landon on my chest! He was here! He was beautiful! I was inlove! He was what they call sunny side up (face up) and got stuck. His beautiful head and face was bruised so badly that it broke my heart! Then they took him away from me to be checked out..

At 4:34pm on December 25, 2012 Landon was born 5 weeks early. He weighed 5 lbs 9 oz. and was 18 3/4 in long. He was the most beautiful thing I ever laid my eyes on! I thought I loved him when I was pregnant, but no love could ever compare to how I feel for him now!! They kept him in NICU for 3 hours then I finally got him in my arms again. He was ok and other than needing to stay in the warmer every couple of hours, he was very healthy!! We were blessed that he didn't have any problems and got to go home with us 2 days later without any extra hospital stay.

Landon is doing great now and is a happy, healthy baby. We got the best Christmas gift that I could ever dream of!