Andrew's birth story

I got up around 4;30 am.. after a very restless night's “sleep.” Knowing the exact time you're going to give birth is really unnatural to me... the element of surprise makes things a lot easier. I showered, got together a few last minute things... we headed out around 5:45am. We got to the hospital... where they had a room all ready for us. Again, it felt so unnatural. My gown and Drew's scrubs were all laid out waiting. We did our pre-op stuff... including getting 3 bags of fluid (I felt really woozy from this, probably because they pumped the fluids in super fast). My mom (Granny) got here just before 8am. I went back for the c-section around 8:15 or so. I walked into the OR... again... so strange.

The OR was cold and the lights were blazing.

My heart rate was around 120... I know this because of the heart-rate monitor I wore... racing heart due to nerves I suppose.

Childbirth by appointment... so bizarre.

Time for my spinal... when I had Grant... I had an epidural. Getting the epidural was so simple and painless. Getting the spinal hurt, plain and simple. The anesthesiologist couldn't find the right spot in my spinal cord and kept hitting bone... sending shooting pains up and down my spine. Easily the most painful thing I've had done to me. Easily. I keep thinking there will have to be consequences from this spinal... pain or headache or something. She finally found the right spot and almost instantly my feet went numb. I had just enough time to swing them around onto the OR table. The numbness spread very very rapidly. I suddenly had no idea whether my legs were up or down. Then I couldn't feel myself breathing. I checked with the Nurse Anesthetist and he assured my my oxygen sats were fine, I just couldn't feel my diaphragm as it moved with each breath. I think this must be what drowning feels like... only I wasn't drowning.

Next I saw the doctor performing my c-section.

He said “hey, it's time.”

I said “okay, let's do it.”

The next face I saw was Drew's. He was excited and concerned... Wearing his scrubs... so so happy that the circumstances this time around did not involved the doctor pulling him aide to let him know I might not make it through the surgery.

The next thing I know... I smell burning.

I ask if I'm on fire and the O.R erupts in laughter.

They must have been cauterizing something in me.

Very very strange indeed.

I don't even realize that they've started cutting and the next thing I know... everyone is telling me “lots of pressure” and Drew is brought over so he can get a picture of the actual birth.

What they told me would be a lot of pressure was actually not a big deal at all... more like a relief from the pressure as the baby was finally not pushing on my lungs.

A flurry of movement and Andrew Walker Willis was born at 8:56am.

He looked amazing.

8lbs 6oz 21 inches long.

For anyone who cares his agpars were 9 and 9.

I start sobbing.

Drew is clicking away with the camera at my request.

I am marveling at his size. I am 39.5 weeks pregnant... just 3 days away from full term... AND have insulin dependent gestational diabetes. I've been pregnant longer than they recommend someone with that condition be allowed remain pregnant... I delayed for the mystical VBAC... hopes to avoid this spinal nonsense. Grant was 7lbs 9oz when he was born at 37 weeks 0 days. Andrew was born 2.5 weeks later at 39 weeks 3 days and was less than a pound heaver and a full inch and a half longer. I figured he would be 9+ pounds for sure. Of course, people keep saying “oh he's a big chink.” but A) people say stuff because they don't know what to say and B) people just don't know what constitutes a “big” baby. Andrew's size is perfectly healthy and I worked really hard to have him be born under 9lbs as a full-termer.

But I digress.

They finish us up... Andrew is in the OR with us the whole time. No NICU trip for this little guy! (Grant was whisked away to the NICU quickly and we didn't see him for several hours). Once I was put back together... off we go to the recovery area... and Andrew is with us! I got to hold him and breastfeed him within the first hour of his life! What a treat!! I had to stay in recovery for an hour. It was a slow hour... but Drew was with me and all we could do was look at Andrew and be amazed that after all of these weeks of anticipation and sickness... here he was as perfect as could be. At some point my mom came back and got to see him. We gave her the stats and she ran back to our room to start making phone calls.

They wheeled me and Andrew (Drew walked) back to my room by 10am. My vital signs were (and remain) perfectly stable. For the first time, I'm not the most exciting medical case on the floor. We spend the next six hours staring at Andrew... passing him around between the three of us. I tried to doze when I could but was pretty keyed up so sleep was rather elusive. My blood sugars were back to normal... even after drinking regular ginger ale (I have not had a regular coke as of yet... it honestly doesn't sound good and I'm pretty afraid of the gas it will bring).

Andrew is a champion breast-feeder. He latches like a champ and eats just about every two hours or so.

So far, his personality is just what we expected... really really laid back. He loves me already and calms down as soon as he's in my arms, which I love.

He's a champion pooper... six dirty diapers in the first 18 hours of life.

Drew & I are completely smitten. We, of course, think he's beautiful and amazing.

Our first night together with Andrew on the outside was a lot like Andrew being on the inside. He was awake at 11 and ate. They took him to the nursery until 2am. I fed him from 2am until 3:15 (!!) then they took him back to the nursery until 5:45... time for the nurses in the nursery to work on shift change stuff. He was still sleeping when they took him away around 6:45 for his circumcision and now, at 7:30 we're just waiting for him to come back. He'll be really hungry and cranky, I'm sure.

I am still exhausted... and very very very sore. I'm sad that I'll never VBAC but at peace with knowing I did everything I could do to make it happen.

Enjoy some pictures of our sweetie.