alex's birth story

i didn't keep a blog or journal 9 years ago when alex was born.  i didn't even know what a blog was in 2002.  i have read several recent blogs where women have babies and post the birth story.  i decided that i wanted to post alex's birth story (what i can remember) so i will have it some where for when i'm old and can't remember and he has questions.  if you decide not to read, i'll understand.  this post is mostly for me. happy 9th birthday my baby boy!  this is your story...


(side note:  this was supposed to post on september 23, 2011 at 7:21 pm)
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my due date was september 15, 2002 (that put me at 40 weeks).  that date came and went.  i was making no progress.  he dropped for a day and went back up.  i never dilated.  my cervix was closed up tight.  the doctor did an ultrasound at my 40 week appointment to make sure he was head down.  he was.  she said we were going to induce.  we set the date for september 23, 2002 (41 weeks).  this was a very anxious time for me.  i really thought he would come on his own.  little did i know then just how stubborn he would be.

so sunday september 22nd we (his dad and i) went to zio's italian restaurant to enjoy a nice meal before alex came into our lives and changed everything forever.  i can't remember now what i ate, but it was a big meal and we enjoyed it.  after dinner we went to clear lake regional hospital to check in and get settled.  the nurse took all my vitals and i was hooked up to a machine to monitor contractions (there weren't any that night). and his heartbeat.  i was also given cervidil (something that is put on the cervix to soften it up).  i remember having a difficult time sleeping that night.  mostly because i was excited/anxious, but also because alex was very active and i could hear him moving all around on the monitor.

i was woken up the next morning (i don't remember the time) and the cervidil was removed.  i was dilated to 1 cm.  the nurse got me ready for the pitocin (i don't remember everything).  they started the medication and the contractions started right away.  the thing about contractions when you're being induced is that there are no peaks and valleys.  you don't get a rest between contractions.  they are pretty constant.  i remember saying that i decided i didn't want to do this.  that i couldn't do this.  i was in so much pain.  to top it off, i had the worst nurse.  she wouldn't let me get up and walk around.  she said i had to stay connected to the monitor so they could watch alex's heart rate.  i'm not saying that isn't important, but it would have been nice to get some relief from the pain.

at some point during the day, my doctor tried to break my water.  i was still only 1 cm, but she thought if she could break my water it would speed things up.  no such luck.  i continued to suffer with constant contractions and more and more pitocin.

thank goodness for shift change.  i got a wonderful nurse at 3pm who let me get up, go to the bathroom, and walk around a bit.  i wasn't allowed up for long, but it was nice to get a little relief.  i still hadn't made any progress.  i was miserable.  i just wanted alex to be here already.  so around 4pm i decided (without telling anyone) that i would have a c-section.  i had to get this baby out.

the doctor came back to check on me around 6pm.  i was still only 1 cm.  no progress had been made all day.  alex's dad had stepped out for dinner (did i mention i couldn't have anything but ice chips?).  the doctor gave me 3 options:  have a c-section, start the pitocin again in the morning, go home and see if it happens naturally.  for me, the last two were not an option.  alex was going to be born.  i told the doctor this before alex's dad was even back in the room.

they prepped me for surgery by giving me the epidural.  i don't remember what else they did--just that i felt numb right away and was wheeled down the hall.  the anesthesiologist was a man and pretty funny.  alex's dad got into his scrubs and we were in the operating room.  the doctor told me i would feel some tugging and pressure.  i did. she told me when alex was almost out.  i remember holding my breath waiting to hear him cry.  it was the most beautiful sound!  he was born at 7:21 pm and weighed 8 lbs and 14 oz.  he was 20 1/2 inches long.  he was perfect!

at my two week check-up my OB told me that my pelvis was just too small to give birth to a baby alex's size.  it never would have happened.  i didn't have too much trouble with healing from the c-section.

happy birthday my sweet boy!