Birth Story

My induction was scheduled for Friday, May 21. My phone rang at exactly 6am that morning; it was Rex telling me that they would be ready for us at 7:15 to start my induction. We were in our room by 7:30. After being hooked up to the monitors, we could see that I was already having regular contractions about 6-7 minutes apart. I had been feeling these for quite some time now but didn't realize what they were...I had thought it was Ben moving differently inside me. By 9am, I started the Pitocin. All day, my contractions grew but they were not that noticeable...I thought labor was going to be a breeze.

By 5:30, there was some progression but we decided to make things move faster. My doctor came in and broke my water. Immediately, I had my first "real" contraction. Jed asked for my epidural...I couldn't even think to ask for it. Within an hour, the anesthesiologist came. It took awhile to kick in but once it did, I was much better off.

Soon enough, I was pushing and Ben was finally here. The first moments after his birth were the scariest moments Jed and I have experienced. When my water broke, we had been told he had been exposed to meconium and the doctor/nurse tried preparing us for these first few moments. We knew that there would be a special team of doctors waiting for him and it would take at least 30 seconds before he would take his first breath and we would hear him cry. It seemed like at least a minute before he cried and the doctors continued to work on him for at least 2 minutes. It doesn't sound like much time but it seemed like an eternity of waiting to make sure he was okay. Sure enough in the end, he was fine.

We moved to a new room while he was taken to the nursery so that he could be cleaned and monitored awhile longer. It was about two hours later that we both got to really hold him. We spent the next two days at the hospital and we finally came home Sunday evening.

Today, Ben is one week old...time has flown by!! I've had a tough time recuperating but Jed and I have had such wonderful support and help from those we love. Jed has also been more helpful, loving and supportive than I could have ever dreamed. I'm blessed to have such a wonderful husband and Ben is so lucky to have such an awesome daddy! :)