Sept 5, 2009...#4 on the way...and haven't told the family yet. They are going to flip out! I am feeling like it's not going to be a postive experience. Hoping not to tell for another month or so, till I get out of this yucky stage. Some of my family are not going to be happy. My mom will either have a stroke or a heart attack. Isn't it great? Let's add more anxiety to the situation!

Birth Story- #3 Jan 24, 2008

Sunday, Jan 20...I was feeling ill all day. Threw up, diahrea, etc...having contractions...so called doc around 3 pm. They said to come in and get checked out. So, I was having regular contractions, but because I was dehyrdrated. They stripped my membranes...but nothing happened after a few hours, so they sent me home. On Monday my hubby returned to his place of work, about 350 miles from here.

Thursday, Jan 24...3:45 am. I woke up, a bit in pain, like had to pee. Did that, twice..then I was like, hummm, this feels like contractions I think...so went downstairs, took out the dog...while having contractions about every 5 min. I was like yeah, this is it. So I called my hubby at 4:30 am and told him he needed to leave where he was by 6 am so he could hopefully get to see the baby born, I was guessing, around noon. Then I took a shower...called my friend to come and help me get the kids together. She also took them for the day until my mom could get off of work to take them for the afternoon/eve/overnight. I called my other friend to drive me to the hospital which is 40 minutes from here...called her about 5:30am. So, finally got everyone/thing together, and we went out the door about 6:15 am.

Got to the hospital...had to register. They tried to sit me in a wheelchair...um, no thank you, that hurts MORE! So I registered, but did ride back to L & D because it was too far to walk. They checked me and I was 5-6 cm!!! OH MY GOSH!!! So much more than I thought it would be and it was only like 7:30-8 am. They asked me if I waned an epidural..Oh, can you say...YES!!! (looking back, it would have been okay without one..that is, until the set you in the bed and strap you up to the mnonitors..it hurts so much more then). So, I had to get an IV to get the fluid going to get the epi. They stuck me FIVE TIMES!! They had to get 3 people to get the damn thing in, and it took 45 minutes. I was very cold and still dehydrated, so that's why they had a hard time. Thank the LORD they finally got it. So then the epidural man came in. That wasn't too bad..but with this one I felt even more than the first two. So, all this was done around 10 am. There was also some family drama, but I won't get into that...Meanwhile...the friend that drove me stayed with me until my other friend that was going to be around for labor, or until my hubby go there, arrived...so that was around 8:30/9 am..after the whole IV ordeal.

Around 12:30, 1 pm, I am feeling like its getting close. We call my hubby to see where he is on his trip home, and he won't tell me. I dealt with this at first, and understood..because he didn't want me freaking out if he wasn't there when I thought he should be..and he was dealing with snow too...but then the nurses checked me and said my water broke around 1 pm. We called my hubby and told him this and he said he would be right there, sure enough, he walked in. We sent my friend to get some food/drink, she hadn't left me the entire time.

So, they get ready to deliver me around 1:30 and as I'm getting ready to push, there was a little splash. Turns out my water didn't break...but it for sure did when I was getting ready to push. So with the first two pushes he started to come out, along with a moderate amount of meconium. So, they had to call neonatal before he came out...so I'm just holding him there..his head is only out, then they see that the cord is tight around his neck (and I'm watching in a mirror the entire time...which I think helped me know how hard to push, when to wait and why)...and his hand is by his face too as he is coming out. So they cut the cord there, before he came all the way out...then the doc suctioned him with the thing that comes out of the wall, not just the blub syringe..so that was a bit scary...and then I delivered him after that. Just like 2 or 3 pushes...I was a little worried because he was very quite, but I knew they wanted to clear his airway before he cried...

But at any rate, Brendan Patrick was born at 1:46 pm. His dad arrived at 1:15 pm...just as I had planned...it worked out pretty good.