The Birth of Isaac Alexander

I gave my last pregnancy update at 36 weeks. I ended up spending the last month of my pregnancy battling sickness! It started with a stomach bug that went through all the kids, my husband, and then me. Having a stomach bug at nearly 37 weeks pregnant is horrible. We then battled a horrible cold that made its way through the entire family and lasted three weeks altogether. I ended up with a mild sinus infection, but it was terrible to have horrendous headaches every day. The sinus pain and pressure went away just a couple of days before I went into labor…

For several days beginning during the weekend of January 24th I had been having contractions. I was waking up at 5 a.m. unable to go back to sleep. A couple of times I felt like labor might be starting, but after taking a shower or getting up to clean the contractions would stop. It was agonizing! Every time I tried to relax they would start again!

I had my 39 week appointment on Monday, January 26th. My OB had discussed inducing me on the 28th, but I was unsure. I hate inductions and my last labor was easy and quick. I was a little concerned about making it to the hospital on time since my last labor was so fast. I was just praying I would go into labor before the 28th. At this appointment I was 1-2 cm dilated and 50% effaced.

There are no pictures of me during my last month of pregnancy. I got incredibly swollen for me and I honestly did not even recognize myself in the mirror. Needless to say, I wasn’t interested in taking pictures.

On Tuesday the 27th around 2 p.m., the contractions started coming about every 5-7 minutes. Getting up to change positions didn’t stop them. I was sure this was it! Since my last baby was born in only a matter of hours, I called my husband to come home. I called my doctor’s office and they wanted me to come by there to get checked before I went to the hospital. The contractions felt like they were getting stronger and they kept coming, but they weren’t really painful. We dropped the kids off to spend the night with my grandparents and went to the doctor’s office. She checked me and I was at a 3. Ugh. She could definitely say I was in labor and said I could either go to the hospital or go home and rest and come back to the hospital when things got more intense. 

We went home, but as soon as I got home the contractions got more intense. We are about a 30 min drive from the hospital and I did not want to deliver a baby on the side of the interstate. So, we went to the hospital. I was still at a 3 when I got checked at the hospital, but since I was on the schedule to be induced at 5 a.m. the next morning, they didn’t push me out the door. I’m glad they didn’t. They did allow me to eat a meal and get comfortable. My mom came up to the hospital to be with me while we ate dinner. I got checked a couple of hours later and was still at a 3. It didn’t seem like labor was moving along very fast at all. My mom went home to try to sleep and I tried to sleep, too.

I woke up around 11:30 with even more pain, so I asked the nurse to check me. I was at a 4! Yay! I went ahead and ordered an epidural so I could try to rest. I hadn’t slept much in a long time and was very exhausted. I got the epidural around 12:30 a.m. and my mom came back up to the hospital. Hubby did a good job just hanging out and supporting me while I labored. After my epidural we all ended up sleeping. Well, it was mostly just me. I woke up around 5 a.m. The nurse was going to go ahead and give me some pitocin. I asked to be checked and was at a 6. I was really shocked at how slow my labor was progressing. It could have been the epidural that slowed it down, or it was just a slower labor. 

Around 7 my new nurse came in and stopped my pitocin. My doctor still had not left her home and she was afraid I was going to have the baby before she could get there. By then, it was too late. A little while later I felt something pop and they checked me and I was completely dilated. The urge to push was very strong. My epidural was strong enough to numb my pain, but I still had feeling in my legs and could feel when I was having contractions.

My doctor finally showed up around 8. I really felt like I needed to push. She had to break my water and there was meconium in it. I started pushing, but had to push several more times than I had to in my last two labors. He was apparently postioned a little funny behind my pubic bone because I felt when I finally pushed him around it and he just came out after that. 

Of course, they had to suction him and clean him up because of the meconium before I could hold him. Hubby got to hold him first, but then I finally got to meet my little man.

Issac Alexander – 7 lbs. 11 oz. 20.5 in. Born at 8:35 a.m. on January 28th, 2015. He was my lightest baby by a long shot!

We are settling into life as a family of six. It’s been a bit of an adjustment, especially for my two year old. I’m holding it together and hoping to find a rhythm soon. We are in love with our little sweet pea.