1 year later lol. Better late than never right?
Early Labor
Around 22 weeks I started having contractions when I did things especially picking Rae up. The doctor checked to make sure I wasn't dilating and luckily I wasn't. But I wasn't aloud to lift anything. Easier said than done, but done none the less. Around 30 weeks I thought I was having some contractions but I wasn't sure at this point in a pregnancy it doesn't matter if they are strong or not, they want to know about any you have that are 4 or more in an hour. But I didn't want to call. After over 24 hours of not really feeling the baby move I called and was told to go to L&D (labor and delivery). Isaac was at class so a friend said she would watch Rae till he got out. She had never gotten ready for me as easily as she did that day. It had me a little worried, just to the point where I figured something must be going on. I headed in. Of course as soon as I get there the nurse is putting the monitors on and the baby kicks her. I told her "I swear it wasn't moving before" She said she believed me. I was having enough contractions that he would be tired and less likely to move. They did some blood work and such, all came back normal. They hydrated me, still contracting. They did a Fetal Fibronectin (fFN) test which came back positive basically it is a test that if it comes back positive could mean you are 1-3 weeks from delivery. Read the article it is very helpful. I got a shot of terbutaline which slowed the contractions down but didn't stop them. They can give you up to 3 so they gave me another one. When that did nothing they didn't try again. They gave me steroid shots to help the baby's lungs develop. Because of this and wanting to get an ultrasound, I was in the hospital for 48 hours. The ultrasound showed the baby as being on the larger side, which is good if we were going to be dealing with a preterm delivery. They sent me home on some medication to slow things down, and bed rest. From here on out I saw only doctors, no more midwives. The contractions continued. I went back in at 32 weeks and was 2cm. This was just a few hour stay, no big thing.
The way things work is at 32 weeks I could have the baby in Beverly, so that was my goal. Once I made it to that I was less worried about how things were going to play out. Although, the whole time I was rather calm the nurses didn't quite understand it. I had people all over the world praying for me. God was in control. Whatever was going to happen, was going to happen. And I tried not to think about anything else. They were going more for 34 weeks. At that point they would no longer try to stop the labor, they would just let things happen.
Active Labor
At 33 weeks I told God that I was only a week away from 34 weeks. I wasn't going to call unless I was bleeding or actually in labor. Well at 33 weeks 2 days I was still having the contractions like I had been. But there were a few more stronger ones in an hour. I was counting and fell asleep. When I woke up I figured it couldn't be labor cause I fell asleep. I went to the bathroom and I was bleeding. Called the doctor, went right in. Rae was supposed to come home that day, she had been with my parents for 5 days. I was still at 2 cm but the doctor told me I had earned myself an over night stay. my mom was halfway down with Rae and headed back. This was the start of her unhappiness. The next morning the doctor told me she wanted to wait to check me until I was about to leave that afternoon. Well around 10am I had a strong contraction, the nurse came in and saw it on my face. I had a couple more while she was there and we called for the doctor she didn't leave me she just used the buzzer. The doctor checked me.. I had gone to 3 cm. They started me on Magnesium Sulfate. I was in the bed for good. This meant I also got to have a catheter fun lol Anyway. The only reason I got out of bed for the next 6 days was to have an ultrasound. And at 33 weeks 3 days the baby was 6lbs which meant if I went full term the baby could be over 9.5 lbs Also, I finally got to see Rae a week after she had left our apartment. She was a completely different kid. My doctor even came to see me even though he hadn't been on while I had been there. It was really nice to see him. At the 30 weeks he told me it was possible that I wouldn't have the baby till it was full term., and if he were a betting man he would bet I would go full term. A lot of what they were basing this all on was because Rae was 40 weeks 1 day. When he got to be the one to discharge me at 34 weeks he said I would have the baby preterm. At 36 weeks I was 4 cm and I stayed there till 38 weeks 4 days. The day before I had been having some pretty strong contractions but didn't call cause I knew I was coming in the next day. When he walked in for this appointment he told me he hated pregnancies like mine. It was great because it was all the same reasons I was frustrated. Almost 9 weeks of early labor is crazy. I reminded him that it was a good thing he wasn't a betting man. We laughed. He said he was going to check me and go from there. "Oh yeah" he said "you are easily 5 cm. The next time I am on it Monday, how about we induce so we can set down a stopping point. Unless you go before then." Which at this point we were both very much doubting. But I will never forget those words. A couple weeks before I wasn't about inducing, but by now YES PLEASE!
That appointment was on a Thursday. Saturday night Isaac and I were able to go out and get some last minute things. In the process of doing this I had a LOT of contractions. We kept stopping and I kept trying to stay relaxed. My mom and sister were going to be coming down Sunday night. I was frustrated because everything was all planned and this baby was going to ruin it. lol. Sunday night my mom and sister came down; my mom to watch Rae on Monday and my sister to be there for the birth. I got a decent amount of sleep Sunday night, although Rae was awake early and I ended up being the one with her. My mom said she would have done it if she had known I was still in there. I told her I knew but she had been through so much I wanted to be in there with her.
^The Night Before^
Delivery
Isaac, my sister and I headed over to the hospital for 7am. We got there, all checked in and learned that the midwife on was the same one who delivered Rae, she was rude and I didn't like her. I was hoping I didn't go into labor until after he was out of surgery. Before we started the nurse asked if I wanted an epi because at 5cm once they started it would probably be too late. Around 8:30 am they started the pitocin. Everything stayed the same, lots of contractions, only one or two an hour I could feel and even then they weren't extremely strong. Around 12:30 pm the nurse came in and said the doctor wanted to come in a break my water. She asked again about the epi. Again, I said no. So the nurse stopped the pitocin and I got into bed. Within a couple minutes the contractions we all strong. The nurse sat and monitored things for a little bit. She said she had to go do something and told me to send someone to get her if my water broke or I felt like I needed to push.Well no sooner did she leave the room then did my water break 1:04 pm. My sister ran out of the room. They came back in and checked me. She said "I don't feel anything" I was like What? Then she said "I've never seen someone so calm at 8cm" I think that is why she was so confused. lol. I was very calm, I just breathed through them and didn't think about anything and tried as hard as I could not to talk or even open my eyes. A little bit later she said she had to do something she might have said more, but I was very focused she said if I needed to push to get her. Well.. lol Same thing again, as soon as she left I HAD TO PUSH. This next part happens all within less than 5 mintues so just bare with it:
My nurse, another nurse and the doctor came rushing in. My nurse told me I had to move, the doctor told her that if I was comfortable we should try like this first. I said "I don't think I want to do this anymore" My nurse was in shock. My doctor just laughed and then told her I was joking. Isaac and the other nurse were on my right side and my sister and my nurse were on my left. The way my nurse and Chrys were pushing on my leg it caused quite a bit of pain later, another story for another day ;) I pushed twice, the doctor told me to stop so he could unwrap the cord and then with another the baby was out. To be truthful I don't think I pushed at all, I think he just fell out lol. I think the pain was just him crowning. So at 1:40pm on Monday, January 18th, 2010 Joseph Daniel was finally born. At 39 weeks 1 day he was 8 lbs 9 oz which means he could have been 9 lbs 9 oz had he come at his due date.
^Newborn JD^
Random Information
My nurse told the nurse that was taking over that she had never seen anyone so calm. She described it as Hypnobirthing but I was calmer than any of the woman she had ever seen do it. She also mentioned that the doctor wanted to induce because he feared I would go very quickly once I started in labor.
At my follow up appointment I asked him what happened. He said I definitely went into preterm labor, there was just no preterm birth. He thinks that the reason I went full term with Rae was because she was only 6 lbs 7 oz. My body started to really tell them it was ready when JD hit 6 lbs so that confirmed their thoughts. Which is exactly what I thought when they did the ultrasound and he was 6 lbs and then another doctor said the reason they base the next ones off the first babies is because if your body can carry a baby to term chances are good that it will always do that.
^1 Year Later^
Phew... I think that is everything.
HISloveNAME
The Woodward Family
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