Allison's Birth Story

Once again, the Staples slogan, "That was easy" summarizes my labor with Allison but here is the long version!

Granny and Granddaddy flew in on Monday and I was scheduled for an induction on Tuesday morning. Dr. Weno was back from vacation and this was her first day back on call. I got a call early Tuesday morning that I was going to be rescheduled because there were too many people in labor already. I was so disappointed. Around 1130 I learned that I would not be able to come in that day so I scheduled an office appointment for that afternoon.

While in the waiting room with Granny, Dr. Weno messaged me to see if I could come in early Wednesday morning for an induction. We thought that if I got an early start, she would be able to deliver this one, too! She came to the NST room and then I had an office visit with her. I was 2-3/70%.

We took our last picture as a family of four on Tuesday night. We had to be at the hospital at 0500 Wednesday morning.

I must have checked my phone two dozen times from 0300 on in hopes I would not get rescheduled again! We checked in at 0500.

Katie and Becca came in and started the admission process while Jason napped.

At 0545, Pitocin was started and at 0615 Dr. Weno came in to break my water. I was 4cm/75% and feeling a few contractions. Within 30 minutes, the contractions were stronger and I was breathing through them. I was hoping to wait until 0700 for an epidural so I could get a fresh anesthesiologist who had not been on call all night!

By 0700, I did not care who it was or how tired they would be. I was hurting and wincing through the contractions. A little after 7, Lisa and Abby came in to take over. I could not even greet them during a contraction and tried to talk in between contractions. Dr. Jackson came in a few minutes later for the epidural. I warned Lisa, Abby and Dr. Jackson that my blood pressure usually drops after the epidural so have the Ephedrine ready! Not long after the epidural was placed, I started feeling woozy so they quickly gave me Ephedrine and laid me back down. I had a couple more doses of Ephedrine and finally started feeling better.

By 0800, baby was misbehaving on the monitor so they checked me and I was 8 cm! Lisa went to go make a delivery cart but every time she walked away to make it, the heart rate would drop and I would need to be repositioned. Soon I was laying on my left side with oxygen. At 0815 I was 9 cm and by 0830 I was complete.

I teased Lisa and Abby that they could just deliver the baby. Lisa reassured me that Dr. Weno was nearby. She came in and we got set up for delivery. I was feeling pressure but still had to push a few contractions to get baby to come down. It was decided that Jason would announce if it was a boy or a girl. We were so excited to meet this little one.

The baby had a double nuchal cord (cord around the neck twice). It had to be cut and then we were ready to deliver. At 0848, Dr. Weno held the baby up and I looked just as Jason said,

"It's

A

Girl!"

I immediately started crying tears of joy and saying, "Oh my goodness, a girl!!" Dr. Weno placed our girl on me and Jason cut the cord. I was so excited that we finally got our Allison! Allison was taken over to the warmer .



Her APGARs were 9,9. They did her measurements. Allison weighed 7 pounds, 0.7 ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long.

 Soon she was back in my arms!

Jason texted my parents that baby was here so they came up to meet their #8 grandchild. They were so surprised baby was a girl. Granny cried along with me that we had our sweet Allison.

Luke did good meeting baby sister. He looked at her and then Daddy read him a book.

Jason called Grampa and Granna to let them know. We sent out these pictures in a text to announce baby Allison's arrival:

Davis came up after school and met his baby Sister. He had said all along that it would be a baby brother but he was pretty excited.

The Staples slogan, "That was easy" definitely summarizes my labor experience. Less than four hours after being admitted to the hospital, 2.5 hours of actual labor and six or seven contractions of pushing, I had our baby GIRL in my arms!

Dear Charlie

Dear Charlie,
I hope you enjoy your last day growing inside because tomorrow is going to be much different. We are going to a place that is very familiar to you. This time mommy will be the patient and not the nurse. Daddy will be with us. Luke will be at home with Granny and Granddaddy and Davis will be at school.

Once I get settled into bed, you are going to feel two things pressing down on you. One will reassure all of us that you are doing well and the other will let us know how often everything is tightening around you. Try not to kick or punch these monitors off of you. After awhile I will sit in the rocking chair and rock you but as the tightening around you gets closer and closer it will be back to bed for both of us.

Soon everything you have been swimming around in and cushioning you will be gone. This is when your job gets very important. You will need to look down and keep an eye on your cord. You do not want it to get above your head or around your neck like Big Brother. At some point when the tightening is really close and really strong and I can't "just breathe through it" anymore, I will sit on the side of bed. I will try not to startle you by jumping or moving at all for a few minutes. Then we are going to lay down. We will be in bed for the rest of the day and depending on you maybe into the night as well.

Whenever you decide to move way down (the sooner the better) there is going to be a lot of commotion in the room. You may hear someone counting and yes, they know how to count higher than ten. Your head may hurt a little bit but if you don't stay put for a long time it won't be as bad for you or mommy. The next thing you may notice is a light but don't look up at it, try to keep looking down. Keep your eye on the cord. After a while you are going to feel some hands that are much bigger than yours cradle your head. By then Mommy and Daddy are going to be so excited and Mommy may be crying. Then you will feel a finger under your armpit and then you will be free. Dr. Weno is going to look at you and announce if you are a boy or girl. You'll go to my chest to keep you warm and Daddy will cut your cord and then that would be a great time to let us hear you cry.
Depending on how much you are crying and how you look, you may go straight to mommy or the warmer. There will be a warm blanket to lay you on and then the nurse is going to rub you with the blanket. You just keep crying. At some point you may feel a mask covering your mouth and nose and if you do take lots of breaths and it will go away sooner. Please remember to keep breathing, big brother had trouble at first and forgot to do that. Then after a few minutes you are going to be cold for a little bit when they lay you on something really hard. There will be lots of pictures taken and then an announcement as to how much you weigh. If you are still crying and looking good, they will put a hat and diaper on you and place you on my chest. That is going to be the best feeling of the day.

Charlie, I cannot wait to hold you in my arms and look into your eyes. I am so excited to see if you are a girl or a boy, have red hair like I did when I was a newborn and how much you look like Daddy. You will meet your big brothers depending on how early in the day you come. They are excited and both think you are a boy. They like to feel you move and talk to you.

Love,
Mommy

39 weeks

Charlie is the size of a mini watermelon.

Heart rate: 130 (130 with Davis and 144 with Luke).

Weight gain: Lost 1 pound, 17 pounds total

Best moment: Baby is more active and I can see it move across my belly. Induction is next week!

Symptoms: I was 2-3/70% when Dr Hines checked me this week. She again mentioned she doesn't think baby will be very big. Braxton Hicks contractions are getting stronger and more frequent!

38 weeks

Charlie is the length of a leek.

Heart rate: 130s (140s with Davis, 158 with Luke)

Weight gain: lost 1 pound, 18 pounds total

Best moment: Davis and Luke feeling the baby's hiccups.

Symptoms:  Still sick and throw up a couple of times a week. I was 2/60% when Dr. Hines checked me. She mentioned the baby will be around 7 pounds. Taking Glucophage three times a day. I have noticed more cramping.

37 weeks

Charlie is the length of a bunch of swiss chard

Heart rate: 140 (140s with Davis and 145 with Luke).

Weight gain: None, 19 pounds total

Best moment: Baby is more active and I can see it move across my belly. I have newborn sleepers and an outfit layed out for a boy and a girl!

Symptoms: I had a NST to make sure baby is doing ok since I am considered AMA (Advanced Maternal Age). It was reactive. Dr Singla said I was still 1 cm. Jason is going out of town for a few days this week so she reassured me that this was not a laboring cervix. Charlie should be quite content while he is gone. I am now taking Glucophage twice a day.

 

36 weeks

Charlie is the length of a head of romaine lettuce

Heart rate: 138 (140s with Davis, 145 with Luke)

Weight gain: gained 1 pound, 19 pounds total

Best moment: Feeling the baby move, mostly in the afternoons and when I lay down to go to bed. Seeing the baby at our 35 weeks ultrasound and the induction day is scheduled for October 25!

Symptoms:  Still sick and throw up a couple of times a week. Dr. Weno checked me and I was 1 cm/25%. Started taking Glucophage once a day. It helps prevent low milk supply in Moms with PCOS.

35 weeks ultrasound

So wonderfully made!

Wisps of hair

On Monday, I got to see the baby on ultrasound to check if it is head down. It is head down like it is supposed to be! Baby weighs just over 5 pounds. I set up an induction date for Tuesday October 25. That is Dr. Weno's first day of call back from vacation. It is so nice to have it planned already.....I am due on Sunday, Mom and Dad come on Monday and then the induction is on Tuesday! 

34 weeks

Charlie is the size of a cantaloupe

Heart rate: 152 (145 with Davis, 150s with Luke)

Weight gain: lost 2 pounds, 18 pounds total

Best moment: Feeling the baby move, mostly in the afternoons and when I lay down to go to bed.

Symptoms:  Over the last week, I have started getting sick more often. I had to go to L&D for fluids and nausea medication on Labor Day because I was very dehydrated from being sick all day. Dr. Weno wasn't sure if the baby was head down so we get an ultrasound on Monday.

32 weeks

32 weeks

Charlie is the size of a jicama

Heart rate: 140 (145 with Davis, 150s with Luke)

Weight gain: 1, 20 pounds total

Best moment: Davis and Luke will talk to the baby. Davis will try to feel the baby move and listen to it!

Symptoms: lower back pain, rib pain on the right side, indigestion and vericose veins.I still don't have much of an appetite. Over the last week, I have started getting sick more often. 

30 weeks

Charlie is the size of a large cabbage

Heart rate: 142

Weight gain: None, 19 pounds total

Best moment: Charlie gets most active when I am resting, particularly during big brothers' nap time or when I go to bed at night. Davis tries to feel the baby move but the baby will stop moving when Davis puts his hand on my belly. He loves to talk to the baby.

Symptoms: The biggest discomfort is lower back pain, rib pain on the right side and I get full really fast. 

28 weeks. Hello, third trimester!

Charlie is the size of a large eggplant

Heart rate: 145

Weight gain: 1, 19 pounds total

Best moment: Charlie gets most active when I am resting, particularly during big brothers' nap time or when I go to bed at night. In the last few weeks, the bump has finally popped out! 28 weeks marks the beginning of the third trimester!

Symptoms: The biggest discomfort is lower back pain and rib pain on the right side. I have noticed occasional Braxton Hicks contractions. It helps to stretch out with my arms over my head! I had my glucose test for gestational diabetes (I passed!)

24 weeks

Charlie is about a foot long, similar to the length of an ear of corn.

Heart rate: 154 (Davis' was 140s-150s, Luke's was 144)

Weight gain: 5 pounds since last visit, 18 pounds total

Best moment: Charlie is considered to be viable now! This is huge because now if Charlie was born, it could live outside of the womb. Granted it would be a long NICU stay and a long road. Let's just continue to grow baby inside mom.

Symptoms: I still get sick a couple of times a week first thing in the morning I have occasional Braxton Hicks contractions if I don't watch my water intake, still stuffed up all the time and my face is breaking out. I have been taking my prenatal vitamin and Vitamin B6 once a day

20 weeks

 Davis and Luke went with us to our 20 weeks appointment and ultrasound. We did not find out the sex of the baby. It was amazing to see Charlie and the pictures were so cute.

Hi Davis, hi Luke!

This was toward the end of the ultrasound, the baby just rolled over as if it say, "I'm done!"

Davis thought the baby was waving at him, it was adorable! Davis told the sonographer that he was having a brother and the baby's name is Brian! We don't have a boy named picked out yet.

Charlie is the length of a banana and weighed 11 ounces on ultrasound

Heart rate: 153

Best moment: Seeing the baby on ultrasound. I notice the baby moving around a lot more now. I love feeling the baby move!

 Symptoms: I still throw up occasionally first thing in the mornings. I am no longer taking Diclegis for nausea. I do take Vitamin B6 once a day. (Diclegis is a combination of Vitamin B6 and Unisom).

Charlie is the length of a banana and weighs 11 ounces

16 weeks

 

Size of baby: apple

How far along: 16 weeks

Heart rate: 156

Weight gain: 11 pounds,  I am having no trouble in gaining weight this time around

Best moment: I feel the baby moving around every now and then. It feels like a little thump!

Symptoms: The biggest problem I have is my stuffed up nose. I have to sleep with my head elevated! I am weaning off the Diclegis but still get sick a couple of times a week first thing in the morning.

Cravings: fruit and pineapple juice

1st trimester

Once again, I found out I was pregnant when I was not quite 5 weeks.

5 weeks: Baby Charlie is the size of a sesame seed

The nausea and vomiting started earlier than the other pregnancies. I was very sick from 5-10 weeks. After 1 1/2 weeks of barely being able to function, Jason called Granna to come take care of us. The house was a complete mess, I barely got off the couch other than picking Davis up from preschool and to throw up. Jason would come home from work and either bring supper home or fix supper. I would go to bed by 7PM and he would put the boys to bed. It was miserable. Granna came to take care of us for 3 weeks from 7-10 weeks. I missed two shifts at work. I went to the hospital twice (7 weeks and 9 weeks) for IV fluids and nausea medication. I lived on popsicles and chicken noodle soup. I started Diclegis (a combination of the sleeping pill Unisom and Vitamin B6. I took Zofran my other pregnancies but it is no longer recommended because of possible birth defects.

Around 10 weeks, I was on the max dose of Diclegis which is three times a day. Stephanie and Steven came two days after Granna left to take care of us. By then I could do more and got to enjoy our visit together. Aunt Jen came to visit us at 11 weeks. I was mostly better by the time she came. I still got sick a few times a day but was able to take care of the boys!

We had our first appointment at 12 weeks and got to see the baby on ultrasound. It was a huge relief to see a healthy growing baby! I was also relieved to only see one heartbeat, I had been wondering if it was twins since I was so sick. By the end of the first trimester, I was on Diclegis three times a day, tired and sore, and still threw up a couple of times a day.

Our world is about to change

This time around, I wasn't feeling too different than I normally do before I start. I was on Day 46 and needed to take a test so I could call the office to start Provera and then Clomid. I bought a test the day before and thought to myself when I bought it that it was a waste of a test. I had taken a test the week before and it was negative.

So the morning of Day 46 on Feb. 18, I had to take another one just to be sure. I took a test so I could call the office to get a prescription to start my medication. I had to be on Clomid to get pregnant with the boy and brother. I was shocked to see Pregnant and so excited that we didn't have to do Clomid again!!

When Jason came home from work, I had Luke in this shirt. It took him awhile to finally notice it said Big Bro.

We FaceTimed Granny and Granddaddy a few days later. It took them awhile to notice, too. Granna, Grampa, and Aunt Jen noticed right away!

Luke's Birth Story

The Staples slogan, "That was easy" summarizes my labor with Luke but here is the long version! The induction was postponed until Saturday, December 21st (two days past my due date) because it was crazy busy at the hospital. Since I was an elective induction I was the first one rescheduled. Although I was disappointed, it was nice to get last minute errands and Christmas shopping done, spend time with Granny and Granddaddy and just soak up the last few days of pregnancy! Also, Dr. Weno was on call all weekend. She has been my doctor with Davis, through 7 cycles of Clomid, and this pregnancy!

On Saturday morning, I must have checked my phone a dozen times hoping the hospital was not calling to reschedule again! Granny and Granddaddy made a big breakfast for Jason and me. I could barely eat I was so nervous. Davis woke up right before we were leaving. I was so glad to see him! We took one last picture before we left.

We checked in at 0802 and got settled into our room.

My nurse Gina came in and started the admission process. By 0845, Pitocin was running and my antibiotic was started. I was 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Dr. Weno came in and said I could have the epidural whenever and she would break my water after I was comfortable. I knew I wanted the epidural but wanted to wait until the Pitocin started to work before getting it. As we waited for the contractions to get more uncomfortable, I sat in the rocking chair and visited with Gina and Jason.

Around 11, Granny and Granddaddy brought Davis up to see me and pick up Jason for lunch at Sub City. He did pretty good although he didn't like that I had an IV.

I was beginning to feel the contractions more so decided to go ahead and call for the epidural. I knew since it was the weekend it could be awhile. The anesthesiologist was on the way so I asked Dr. Weno to go ahead and break my water.  I was ready for labor to really kick in! At 1155, she broke my water. I was still 3 cm. I was starting to get more uncomfortable by the time Dr. Shockley was done with the epidural. By 1230 I was comfortable with a fabulous epidural!

At 1320, Gina checked me and I was 4-5cm/100%. I was keeping Gina busy! I started to feel really out of it and my blood pressure had dropped. She gave me a couple of doses of Ephedrine and that helped everything not be so fuzzy. At 1400, I was 7cm dilated. I was finally beginning to feel better so I took a nap for a bit.

When Gina was giving report to Deanna at 1500, Dr. Weno came in and checked on me. She checked me and I was complete! We did a couple of practice pushes and then she had me stop. They got everything ready and soon I started pushing again. After only 3 or 4 contractions and at 1521, we were ready for Dr. Weno to announce.......

"It's

A

BOY!!"

Dr. Weno placed our boy on me and Jason cut the cord. The feeling I got to have our baby on me was pure joy. I was 99.9% sure I was having a girl and had told everyone that. Melissa and I had looked on the ultrasound and were sure we had seen girl parts! Jason and I didn't even have a boy named picked out! Here's audio of our reaction to "It's a boy!"

Brother was taken over to the warmer for more stimulation. His APGARs were 9,9. They did his measurements and soon he was back in my arms. He was 8 pounds 3 ounces and 20 1/4 inches long.

Jason texted my parents that baby was here and to bring Davis when he got up from his nap. Here's big brother meeting brother:

He did not tell them the gender of the baby. When they arrived, he said, "Well would you like to meet your new grandson?" Both of their mouths were wide open and they thought we were kidding! I wished we would have taped their reaction. Taking in their #4 grandson:

We had a wonderful hospital stay. Most of it was debating on a name for our baby boy. Finally on Sunday night we decided on Luke Steven Brown. Steven is my Dad and brother's name and we just liked the name Luke! 

The Staples slogan "That was easy" definitely summarizes my labor experience. Seven hours after being admitted to the hospital, less than three hours of actual labor, and maybe three or four contractions of pushing, I had our baby boy in my arms!