Reflection

DISCLAIMER: I found this post I wrote several months ago on Knox's birth story, and I decided to post now just so I won't forget!

Since Knox is now 4 months old, I figured maybe it was time to finally update and share his birth story.  Honestly, I have not wanted to sit and write this, just because thinking about it raises so many bad memories.  Yes, my baby boy is perfectly healthy now, and God was very gracious to us, but my heart still feels raw when I remember how things transpired.

Around 34 weeks I started having contractions and cramping that I knew were different from the Braxton Hicks I consistently have with each pregnancy.  The first time it happened was a Saturday night, and they kept me up all night.  A little worried, but no biggie I figured since they did go away.  Then the next week they popped back up a few times.  I wasn't due for my next check-up until the next week, but when they called and reminded me of my appointment, I told them what was going on and the midwife wanted me to come in right away.  They monitored me for a little while, then decided to send me to the hospital for monitoring and fluids.  I spent a few hours there, contractions maintained, and then they decided to send me home.  When I went back the next week (the day before Thanksgiving), I told the midwife things hadn't really changed.  They offered to test me for a urinary infection since that could be causing cramping, but I knew that wasn't causing the cramping.

To shorten this story a bit, here's the gist: We made it through Thanksgiving and Chad's mom had already offered to let the 3 kids stay overnight. (I was almost 37 wks at this point)  Contractions woke me at midnight and they didn't stop.  Went to the hospital, admitted, started walking.  Pain was very manageable, but I was getting TIRED.  Finally around noon, we started discussing pitocin with the midwife, who had to leave around 1:30 to take her sis to the airport (boo!).  Since I had to have a little pit with both the girls I thought a little would do the trick.  After an hour things intensified but still weren't what they needed to be, so they upped the drip.  WHOA.  Very quickly I knew I was getting ready to push, even though no one really believed me.  My midwife wasn't back yet, and the one on call (whom I already didn't like very much), hadn't even come in to talk or check on me.  Finally pushing started and out came baby #4 after about 5 minutes.  Chad was THRILLED to look and say "It's a boy!  And, for those interested, he caught this baby as well.  (5 minutes after I delivered MY midwife got back ... boo again).

This little stinker was my longest labor by far, and definitely gave us quite the scare.  Because he was fairly early (actually considered pre-term because he was born just before 37 wks), his little lungs weren't quite ready and he was in respiratory distress when he was born.  Knox spent 9 days in the NICU, during which he was under an oxygen dome, was on the ventilator for a bit, on a highflow cannula, had a feeding tube, in iv in his head, and eventually under the lights for jaundice.  His little eyes were so swollen shut that we never saw both his eyes until we brought him home (9 days old).  Even though he was so early, he still weighed 6 lbs, 15 oz, so we always had a good laugh at our giant preemie!