A Baby Story

Since today is ds4’s bday I thought I would take a walk down memory lane and reminisce about his birth.  Feel free to tag along…did you bring snacks?

Ds4 was my most eventful pregnancy for sure.  He is my late in life child, although I didn’t think it was so late at the time.  I was 37.  When I went for my first checkup with my ob she said I had to go see the fancy schmancy specialist ob…because of my advance age.  What a slap in the face!  Turns out any time the mom to be is over 35 they consider it a “high risk” pregnancy.  Go figure.

So we go and first off I don’t like the guy because, well, he’s a guy.  I have always had women doctors for my “female” issues.  They have a certain insight into things a man could never have.  Well, I’ll deal with it I thought.  Next thing I know they prick my finger and say I have gestational diabetes.  Yikes.  Right off the bat, too.  Now I’m looking at a special diet and daily finger pricks.  Then they do a color big time ultrasound.  And report that ds has a hole in his heart.  I am soooo not liking this doctor at this point.  He consulted with me about the problem and left me to worry for the next 6 months until he did a follow up exam.

Things preceded pretty normally except for the finger pricking, soy milk drinking and oh yeah, the hurricane.  But we survived it all.  And at the follow up exam they proclaimed ds’s heart to be just fine.  My nerves were another thing altogether.  ;)

I have been induced in all of my pregnancies.  Ds1 was 2 weeks overdue, ds2 was brought forth 2 weeks early because I developed preeclampsia, and ds3’s birth was scheduled because I tested positive for strep and needed to be on antibiotics during labor.  If you ever test positive for strep, all future births need to be monitored so I was scheduled to be induced on Oct. 6.

Around midnight of the 5th I was dreaming in bed that “that time of the month” had started.  On autopilot I got up and headed for the bathroom.  Only to discover that my water had broken.  This was the first time ever I had gone into labor on my own!  Poor dh, he was not feeling well that evening and had just gotten to sleep when I had to wake him again.  We herded the other boys to my parents’ home and checked in to the hospital.  A nurse had me sit at a desk while waiting to be examined.  Another nurse came up and asked me why I was there.  “My water broke,” I said.  “Then why are you sitting in my chair?!” exclaimed the nurse.

I don’t remember all that much after that…epidurals and I don’t get along.  They knock me out and I feel awful…never like those women on “A Baby Story” that lay in the bed laughing and playing cards during labor.  I remember they made me lay flat because the epidural made my blood pressure drop very low.  I remember drifting in and out of sleep and gasping for air when I did because it felt like my body was forgetting to breathe.  Finally it was time and nothing else mattered then…my baby was here.  :)  He’s been a blessed addition to the family and a wonderful ending to my child bearing saga.  Happy 5th Birthday my last little boy.