Thanks to everyone for all of your emails about the new baby! He is doing wonderful – and now that he will be 2 weeks old tomorrow – I’m finally feeling organized enough to begin to post all the adorable photos and share a bit of his birth story with everyone! After 2 days of deliberation we decided to name him Kyle Michael.
This photo was taken after right after he was born and is the first photo of me holding him. Kyle was born at 7 lbs 2 oz and was 20 inches long. The other picture is of Mackenzie cozying up to her new brother!
Labor went great in the sense that it was very fast and furious. Start to finish of discomfort was about 2 hours – and I was able to do a natural childbirth without an epidural as planned. I am so fortunate that my labor is so quick – which means the only terrible and painful part is at the very end – when it is almost over anyhow. I coincidentally managed to go into labor while at the hospital too – which is beyond me how crazy this was – I guess things have a way of working out! Especially considering all of my concerns about my quick labor and my fears about not making it to the hospital in time and that I wouldn’t realize it was the real thing till the very end of labor.
Basically, I went to my 39 week OB appt. and had terribly high blood pressure along with protein in my urine. They immediately sent me over to the hospital to get monitored with serial blood pressures and a NST for the baby. They told me that depending on the results of these tests along with bloodwork they would either prepare to induce me if I could tolerate labor – or they would be doing an emergency C-section. I got to the hospital at 3 PM and by 530 they realized that my bloodwork was okay and the blood pressure improved when I was reclined on my left side so they felt I could tolerate labor – especially since I was ready to go and already 3 CM dilated. So the plan was to be induced. Around 615 PM , while they continued to monitor me before sending me back to a labor and delivery room to meet up with the doctor – I noticed my normal evening braxton hicks type contractions were really hurting like a very very very bad cramp and they were happening just about every 2 minutes.
Contractions 2 minutes apart instead of my normal 4-5 minutes apart had been my pre-determined rule to consider heading to the hospital….. so I began to suspect I might be in labor. When they brought me back to be induced to a labor room just before 7 PM I told them I was pretty sure I was in active labor. They checked me and I was 4-5 CM dilated. I called my Mom at 8 PM and told her that they were certain I was in Labor as the 730 Check had me at almost 6 cm with the head having dropped even further. I planned to watch the NBC show CHUCK to help me try to relax and and distract myself from the discomfort between 8-9. They checked me a little after 815 when I told them I thought I was in transition stage of labor since I was starting to fall asleep after the last 2 contractions. I was 9-10 cm and ready to have the baby. The head was crowning before I was even starting to push and organized to deliver! Needless to say I never made it through the TV show – as he was born at 8 : 36 PM.
Kyle had a bit of a distressed delivery at the very end as he ended up with shoulder dystocia (where the head is delivered but the rest of the body won’t come out since the shoulder was jammed in my pelvis.) Usually this might happen with a larger baby in the 9-10 lb range – but apparently I have a small pelvis. Luckily they were able to get him out quickly enough – and avoided breaking his clavicle too! Mike was not able to cut the cord and Kyle needed to be resuscitated, but after about 5 minutes we were able to take photos of him and they said he’d be fine. So all is well with this little healthy baby boy – who seems to be growing very very fast ! We are counting our blessings and lucky stars – as apparently according to my doctor – despite the odds against this happening – we’ve had 2 very serious deliveries with positive outcomes that could have just as easily been otherwise. (Mackenzie also was not breathing at birth due to the cord being terribly tight around the neck , but they were able to get her out in time with the vacuum and then resuscitate her as well!)