As I sit here nursing my 4 weeks old and my 2 year old is asleep I thought this would e. a perfect time to write down all the details from my little Andrew's arrival....
Well after being in bedrest for 10 weeks for preterm labor and a short cervix I was released at 35 weeks. I just knew the minute I was off the couch our little boy would make his arrival but the days past and then the weeks....then this mommy got very impatient!
Eli was born at 38 weeks so when week 38 came I was a little disappointed. I was feeling huge and just ready to hold my little one in my arms. I'm pretty sure the thought crossed my mind that I was going to be pregnant forever. (Unrealistic maybe but what pregnant woman hasn't had that thought before, right?!)
I had very few contractions once I was off bedrest. I had some on Father's Day Sunday night and got real excited then they quickly left. So another week of waiting :/
At my 37 week appointment i was only 1cm dilated...not much progrss at all. But by my 38 week appointment I was 3cm and 60% effaced. I was so giddy....we were moving in the right direction!!
I planned to go back on Monday to have my membranes stripped which we were about 90% sure that would send me into labor. So we made plans for Monday to be little man's birthday.
Well the weekend came and I had a few contractions Saturday but nothing strong or consistent. My grandmother suggested I stay in on Sunday because my back was hurting so Eli and I didn't go to church. We had a pretty relaxing morning and then headed to my grandparents for lunch. Steve and I enjoyed a quiet
Sunday afternoon while Eli napped and before Steve headed back for the evening service...I have to say my last Sunday with just Eli went pretty perfectly!! Not sure when we'll have another quiet
Sunday afternoon. Maybe one day the boys will be on the same schedule but I'm not holding my breath yet :)
Around
4:15 Eli woke up from his nap. I had had maybe one or two contractions all day so I didn't think much about it. We headed back to my grandparents to have some yummy watermelon. Nothing like watermelon in the summertime (TMI warning: won't be having it for a while since I puked it up during labor! Not fun!) around
5:00 I went outside with Eli and walked him around in his wagon. By this point I had had 2 contractions but nothing strong.
By
5:30 I had another contraction or two so I decided to start timing them. By
6:00pm they were around 8-10 minutes apart. By
6:15 I decided to text Steve who at church and my mom just to give them the heads up. I still wasn't confident this was the real deal but soon my contractions were 5-7 minutes apart and by
6:40 I was calling Steve to come home and starting to panic a little at how quickly this was going.
I think part of me knew I was in labor but since my water broke with Eli before contractions even started I had no experience with the beginning stages of labor so I still wasn't convinced it was the real deal.
I could tell my contractions were getting a little stronger...I began trying to breath through them, I also swayed back and forth or walked. I was still trying to tend to Eli but thankfully my grandmother was there and took over taking care of him.
By the time Steve got home I had called the doctor and my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. Trying to load the car was quite comical since we were in a very big hurry!! I wish we had had a video camera! Steve came running out carrying about 8 bags, half were Eli's and he had to take them back in. Then he couldn't get the birthing ball in...I was laughing hysterically!!
Once we started driving my contractions were about 1-2 minutes apart and very strong. They say once you can't talk through them to come in so we flew to the hospital. Although I did get out of the van at a red light because it was much better to sway during the contraction then have to sit in the van. The poor people behind us probably thought I was crazy!!
I had several friends I had planned to text to let them know I was going to the hospital but my contractions were so strong and coming very quickly I didn't get to tell anyone.
By the time we got to the hospital and checked in it was after
7:30. I was 6cm 100% effaced and I knew I was heading into transition...the hardest part of labor. I wasn't sure I could do it naturally as I had planned but my sweet husband was very encouraging and my nurse was amazing. We followed my birth plan almost perfectly.
They quickly got my IV hooked up for my antibiotics and they tried hooking up the mobile monitor so I could walk around as I had wanted but it wasn't working. honestly I was able to stay focused in the bed and bare through each contraction which were now lasting 90 seconds and about 30 seconds apart. My nurse applied counter pressure to my back and Steve continued this throughout the labor and it helped tremendously! Obviously labor is labor but it made it at least bearable (to some degree)
Around
8:00pm my nurse asked for the room to be set up for delivery. I thought she was joking. People came in and the room was set up by about
8:30 and the nurse said now we were just waiting on the doctor. I still was thinking she was just trying to encourage me but she wasn't lying...we were very close!!
My doctor wasn't able to be there but the on call doctor was amazing!! She was just what I needed. She came in around
8:40 to meet me and said we'd have a baby soon. I still was in denial it was happening so fast.
My contractions were now only 10 seconds apart...i remember i kept telling the nurse I needed a break...she kept reminding me Id have a break soon because the baby was coming.
Once the doctor came in she broke the rest of my water and I got ready to push. I'm not exactly sure what time I started pushing because honestly it all went so fast. I think it was around
9:10 or so. My husband is the best motivator at this stage. I honestly only remember pushing a few times. Having a natural birth was an incredible experience as I could really feel myself bringing our little boy into the world. My doctor talked me through everything and in just a few pushes, sweet Andrew was crying and in my arms. The moment they lay him on your chest is the most amazing feeling in the world. I would do it a thousand times over!
Andrew Foster was born on June 29th at 9:25pm weighing 7lbs 10oz and 19 1/2 inches of perfection.
After a rough pregnancy Andrew's birth could not have gone any better. The Lord really answered all my prayers about delivery that I had been praying for the past 9 months.
We are so blessed and thankful that God has given Andrew to us. Another son to raise for His glory!
