BIRTH STORY!!!!

EASTER SUNDAY - MARCH 23, 2008

Since my due date was Friday, 3/21/08, I was scheduled to go in for induction the next day, Monday 3/24/08 and had still not felt any braxton hicks, contractions or anything. I had been dialated to 1 cm for 3 weeks so I thought for sure I would not go into labor until I was induced. However, I woke up on Easter Sunday at 2am with back pain. I had felt back pain for several weeks but this was a little worse. I started noticing that the pain would get worse and last for about 40 seconds and then get better. I started timing the back pain and they were about 7 minutes apart so I started thinking maybe I was having back labor and it was the real thing. Neither my husband nor I didn't really think it was the real thing and after laying in bed for two hours I took an hour long bath thinking maybe that would help the pain. After the bath, I got up and told my parents and mother-in-law (who were already in town for the induction the next day) about the pain. I called labor and delivery and they said to drink 3 glasses of water and see if it stopped.

The contractions were getting worse so I finally went in to the hospital at 7:30am. When I got there they put me in a bed in the triage unit to watch the contractions and see if I could stay or if they would send me home. When I got there I was almost 2 cm and an hour later I was still almost 2 cm. Since I hadn't made much progress they would have usually sent me home but I told the nurse I could not go home because it hurt so badly. The contractions were still all in my back (which is supposedly more painful) and they were getting worse. The nurse called the dr. who was on call and she said since I was in so much pain that I could stay. I was so happy. They brought me to my labor and delivery room sometime around 9-9:30am and started the IV and pitocin to get my contractions more consistant and stronger. I immediately asked for an epidural but they said I had to wait for the contractions to get more consistent. By this time I was in so much pain I didn't think I could wait much longer. At 11 am the anesthesiologist came to give me the epidural and I was so thankful. The epidural was not painful at all. I couldn't even think about being scared of the needle because I knew it couldn't be anywhere near as bad as the contractions. After about 10 minutes I immediately began feeling better. It was amazing to watch the screen showing how strong my contractions were and not feel any pain. Several hours passed and I began pushing around 4 pm. They let me have a mirror in front so that I could see the baby's head during my pushing. That was the most amazing thing ever! The dr. came in and delivered the baby at 4:53 pm. I pushed for exactly one hour. The pushing wasn't too bad but it was extremely tiring.

The dr. had to do an episiotomy and then I tore some more. I ended up with a 3rd degree tear which is pretty bad. I've been sore for a week but it is getting better now. I can move around and walk a lot better now. It was all worth it because now I have my perfect little baby boy. I could not be happier. Matthew Charles Workman, Jr. is doing great. He is a pro at breast feeding. My husband was an amazing labor coach. He has also been so great with the baby and diaper changing. He has actually changed more diapers than me! We've all been pretty tired but we try to take a nap during the day. All the family is gone now so it is just my husband and me which is actually kinda nice. I feel so lucky to have such a perfect, healthy little baby. Matthew weighed 7 lbs, 8 oz. He was 20.5 inches. We had his first dr. appt a few days ago and he had gained 12 oz in 3 days!!!

More....

Pregnancy Survey
About You
Name?:	Traci
Age?:	26
Height?:	5'4''
Pre-pregnancy weight?:	125
About The Father
Name?:	Matt
Age?:	27
Height?:	6'0''
Are you still together?:	Yes-married
About Your Pregnancy
Is this your first pregnancy?:	Yes
When did you find out you were pregnant?:	Fourth of July
Was it planned?:	Yes
What was your first reaction?:	I couldn't believe we got pregnant the first month of trying!!!
Who was with you when you found out?:	Matt
Who was the first person you told?:	My twin sister
How did your parents react?:	Totally surprised and sooo excited
How far along are you?:	7 weeks 4 days
What was your first symptom?:	Minor stomach cramps
What is your due date?:	March 21, 2008
Do you know the sex of the baby?:	No
If so, what is it?:	I think it will be a boy
Have you picked out names?:	Some
If so, what are they?:	Matt Jr. for a boy, ??? for a girl
How much weight have you gained?:	lost a couple pounds
Do you have stretch marks?:	No
Have you felt the baby move?:	No
Have you heard the heartbeat?:	I saw it on us but too early to hear
About the birth
Will you keep the baby?:	Of course!
Home or hospital birth?:	Hospital
Natural or medicated birth?:	Medicated - I'm not crazy
Who will be in the delivery room with you?:	Husband, and hopefully mom and sister
Will you breastfeed?:	Yes
Do you think you'll need a c-section?:	No
Will you cry when you hold the baby for the first time?:	No doubt about it
What's the first thing you might say to him/her?:	I love you!
Would you let someone videotape the birth?:	No
Are you excited about the birth, or scared?:	Both
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5 WEEKS, 5 DAYS - JULY 25, 2007

Hello...I am Traci. I have been married to my amazing husband, Matt for 3 years. We got pregnant the very first month we tried! I have my first appt on Friday, 7/27/07. I can't wait to go so I can get my exact due date and hopefully get a picture to show everyone. When we took our first pregnancy test, it was a very faint line so we took several more. I think I've probably taken about 10 tests so far! We are so excited about having a baby. I think I am 7 weeks and the only signs I have had are a few dizzy spells and a few stomach cramps that seemed to have stopped about a week ago. Hopefully I won't get morning sickness since I haven't had any yet.

6 WEEKS - JULY 27, 2007

Well, I had my first Dr.'s appointment and was kinda disappointed. All they did was paperwork and bloodwork. They didn't even confirm that I was pregnant (although I know I am). My husband keeps saying he won't believe it until he hears from the doctor. I did schedule an appointment for an ultrasound so now I am excited about that. I can't wait to see the heartbeat!

6 WEEKS, 4 DAYS - JULY 31, 2007

We had the ultrasound. As soon as she started it, Matt started saying things like "oh wow" and "how neat". I couldn't see the screen at that time but I immediately started crying anyways. It was such a neat experience. We got a picture. I still haven't had any morning sickness so I am thankful for that. I hope this continues to be such a pleasant experience for me!

8 WEEKS, 3 DAYS - AUGUST 13,2007

Well, I finally had a sick day. My husband and I went to the river with some friends for about six hours on Sat. I made sure to drink water the entire time but later that evening I got HORRIBLE cramps. The cramps were in my lower back and stomach and lasted for about 8 hours and I threw up once. The next day I still had them some but they were a million times better. My dr. said I should be ok as long as there was no bleeding so I guess everything fine. Hopefully it was just from being out in the sun so long....I won't do that again. Other than that, everything is great. I get to go see my family this coming weekend and tell the rest of my aunts, uncles, and grandparents my surprise!

10 WEEKS - AUGUST 24, 2007

Today I am 10 weeks! Double digits! Last weekend we went to my hometown and told the rest of my family about being pregnant. Matt said the prayer and at the end he said something like, "and God bless mine and Traci's unborn baby". Everyone was really excited for us although I think my aunt and uncle were kind of suspecting. Lately I haven't had any symptoms or pain. I guess it is good but sometimes it worries me. Sometimes I think I can tell my belly is getting bigger and sometimes I think I am imagining it. Hopefully it will start to get more noticeable soon!

17 WEEKS - OCTOBER 12, 2007

So I thought I got lucky and nothing on my page was deleted....but I finally really took a look at it and realized that the last 6 or 7 weeks of updates only was deleted. So here's an update....my belly has been growing but I just started wearing maternity clothes today. They are so much more comfortable! I have been wearing a bella-band for the last two weeks which I would highly recommend to anyone considering buying one. My parents came into town a few weeks ago and my mom bought me a lot of really cute materity clothes.

A couple weeks ago I was touching my belly and I swear I could feel the baby's heartbeat. I know it wasn't mine because it only lasted about 4 seconds and then went away (maybe the baby moved so I couldn't feel it anymore?). Also, recently I have been feeling a few little, very light movements. I am not really sure if it is the baby but I think it is. I can't wait to feel the real kicks! I had a dr. appt this week and found out I have gained almost 4 pounds. I chose to take the optional tests to check for the neurological defects, spina bifida, downs, etc. Hopefully everything comes back good! Sometimes I am still tired but that is about all of my symptoms so I am still lucky! We should find out the sex on November 5th. I can't wait to start shopping!!!!

20 WEEKS, 3 DAYS - NOVEMBER 4, 2007

I have been feeling kicks for 2 weeks now. It is such an amazing feeling. Since the first day the baby kicked I have actually felt kicks every single day. They are getting stronger every day too. The last 4 or 5 days I have been able to actually look down and see the kicks! Matt has felt some kicks too over the last few weeks. This weekend my MIL, neices and nephews came in town and they were all able to feel kicks. Tomorrow we go for the big ultrasound. We are so excited to find out what we are having. I have thought throughout the whole pregnancy that it is a boy. The only thing that makes me think it's a girl is the high heartrate (160's). I know the old wives' tale is not true but I guess we will find out tomorrow. I can't believe I am more than 1/2 way through the pregnancy already. Time has gone by so fast!!! I have really enjoyed every bit of my pregnancy. It is just such a neat feeling to feel a baby growing inside of you. I have been so lucky to have been able to enjoy this pregnancy without any sickness. I'll let everyone know tomorrow what the ultrasound tells us!

20 WEEKS, 4 DAYS - NOVEMBER 5, 2007

It's a boy!!! I've felt like it was a boy since I first found out I was pregnant. We are so excited! I had no preference but I knew my husband really wanted a boy so I was hoping for a boy just for him. We went straight to the stores to start shopping!!! We got some really good pictures that I posted below....and you can definitely tell it is a boy. Everything was healthy with the baby so we feel truly blessed to be so lucky. It just keeps feeling more real every day. We are soooo happy! I love my baby so much. His name will be Matthew Charles Workman, Jr.

Below are two pictures of our baby boy. Soooo cute!!!

Below is a pic of the foot and another of the baby.

Below are two pictures of the little boy parts. This is a sideways view of the legs spread open....it is obviously a boy!!!

23 WEEKS, 5 DAYS - NOVEMBER 28, 2007

So far I've had a terrific pregnancy. I have been getting bigger the last month ago and I love feeling and looking pregnant. Sometimes it has been more difficult to breathe but I'm sure that will only get worse. Baby Matt moves all the time. Sometimes it feels like he is running from side to side over and over! Matt talks to the baby and feels him move every night. A couple days ago I found out my twin sister is also pregnant! (Tara-K) We are so excited to have our babies the same age. I'm sure they will be best friends just like we are!

28 WEEKS, 4 DAYS- JANUARY 1, 2008

I haven't updated in a long time. I've been getting much bigger and I am still having a great pregnancy. It is harder to breathe and bend over but everything is still going great. It definitely seems to be going by very fast still. I really enjoyed having such a long time off from work for the holidays but I have to go back tomorrow. I think the next 3 months will go by very fast. We painted the baby's room now we just have to fill it up! That will be so much fun. We got all kinds of clothes for Christmas for the baby. I have my first shower in 2 weeks! Baby Matt still moves all the time but lately I feel more of the "rolling" than the kicks. I love watching my belly when he moves all over the place. It is so neat to watch Matt talk to the baby and feel him moving around. We are getting really excited since we are getting so close!

30 WEEKS, 3 DAYS-JANUARY 14,2008

We had our first baby shower this weekend back home in Lake Jackson. We got some really good presents and all kinds of cute clothes. Now I'm so excited about getting the room set up. I want to go out and buy everything else we need now but I am making myself wait because we have another shower coming up in February. We will probably go ahead and buy our dresser and crib this weekend so that will be fun to be able to organize and fill up the baby's dresser! I just can't believe I am 30 weeks already. I'm still doing good, only have a little back pain every now and then but that is about it. I can't wait to meet my baby!!!

33 WEEKS, 5 DAYS - FEBRUARY 6, 2008

Well, everything is still going good. My back hurts, especially at work from sitting at a computer all day and I have many nights where I don't sleep very well. I have no trouble going straight to sleep but I always seem to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep for 2-3 hours. Other than this, everything is going well. My doctor appt's are going good too. I go back on Valentine's Day when I will be 35 weeks! I had the most amazing dream two nights ago. I dreamed that my baby was moving around and poking like normal and then he started poking his hand out. I could actually tell it was his hand and I could make out all 5 fingers! Then I put my finger on his hand and he clenched my finger with his. It felt so real - I actually thought it was for real when I woke up for a few minutes. It was really the best dream I've ever had - just thought I'd share! I had my 2nd baby shower at work a few days ago. It was fun and I got lots more great gifts. We have our 3rd (and last) shower this coming weekend in Austin which should be a lot of fun too!

34 WEEKS, 6 DAYS - FEBRUARY 14, 2008

Well, we had our 3rd and final Sat this past weekend. I couldn't believe how much stuff we got. This baby will have clothes forever! I am looking forward to this next weekend because we are going to go buy a few things left that we still need. Matt keeps getting onto me about packing my hospital bag so I will probably pack that this weekend too. I can't believe there are only 5 weeks left. Matthew kicks and plays in my belly all the time. His movements have gotten so strong lately - it feels like he is trying to get out! All I think about is my baby and how exciting it will be to finally meet him. I go to the dr. today. I can't wait for my next u/s in about 2 weeks. It's been so long since I've seen my baby!

37 WEEKS - FEBRUARY 29, 2008

I had a dr. appointment yesterday and she said I am not dialated at all. Then she said if she really stretched her imagination she could say I'm about a fingertip dialated. But she did say that it was pretty soft and that his head is down pretty low. She sounded pretty surprised at how low his head is so I guess that is a start. I still haven't felt any contractions. Sounds crazy, but I wish I could start feeling them so I know something is going on down there to get me closer to the big day. Lately I have had these horrible pains in my lower pelvic area. It only lasts for about 5 seconds but then as soon as it stops it starts back up again. The dr. said it could be because his head is down so low, it hurts me when he moves his head around. I had an u/s on Wed and found out Matthew weighs 6 lbs, 15 oz. They predict he will be almost 8 lbs when he is born. I guess that is not too big. That is about it for my updates...everything else is great. We are just so excited and can't wait to meet Matthew!

39 WEEKS - MARCH 14, 2008

Went to the dr. yesterday and found out I am still 1 cm. She scheduled me to be induced on March 24 which is 3 days after my due date. I didn't even ask to be induced but she said they don't like to go too far past the due date. She said she is just scheduling it in case I don't happen to have him by that time but that I could still have him on my own. I really want to have him on my own but I'm afraid I won't. I still haven't felt any contractions. I have lost my mucas plug but that is the only sign so far. My mom and husband are teachers/principals and are both on spring break next week so I really wanted to have him during their spring break while my husband was off and my mom is in town. I will start walking and hope that works! I do feel much more sore and I have more pains but that obviously didn't give me any progress over the past week. I'm so ready to meet my baby. Matt is so excited too! I guess either way, the latest we will see him will be 3/24/08!

40 WEEKS, 1 DAY - MARCH 22, 2008

Still no baby! I'm getting induced Monday, 3/24/08. I think that sounds like a good birthday! I was still only 1 cm last Thursday and 50% effaced. I'm very excited and nervous. I went to my pre-admittance appointment and the nurse explained everything to me in detail. My parents and MIL are all in town so we are all just sitting around waiting. I sure hope everything goes smoothly. I'm planning on getting the epidural so hopefully it is not too painful. Hopefully the next time I log on will be to say I had my baby!