I had a feeling a week before Isaiah's arrival that this baby was going to be coming before his due date. I was in full nesting mode days prior, cleaning and washing everything in sight. My last doctors visit (the Monday before Halloween) I was 1cm dilated and having LOTS of braxton hicks contractions. I was so over being pregnant by this point. I was 38 weeks and a few days along trying everything I could to see if I could get little man to make his appearance early. He was due on the 9th of November, but something inside of me just knew I wouldn't make it until then... turns out I was right.
October 31st- Labor Day: I remember waking up around 6am on October 31st to go on one of my many bathroom trips for the day. After using the restroom, I noticed I had lost my mucus plug in the process. I knew exactly what this meant since stalking every website before hand on signs that labor was coming soon. I woke my husband up and told him something may be starting soon- in my mind I was thinking the next day I would start to feel something major but lo and behold I started having contractions - even though I didn't realize it, at about 8am that morning. To be honest I thought they were my usual braxton hicks contractions again- they were mildly painful and when I started to time them, they we're very sporadic; so i went on about my day as usual. My husband and I had a few errands to run that morning so we did those and when it came time to send him off to work I didn't think twice.
A few hours later I get a phone call from my husband letting me know he was coming home early, he felt sick from the breakfast we had eaten and wanted to lay down. Before we ended the call he asked how I was feeling, I've been timing my contractions since that morning and they were averaging every fifteen minutes lasting about thirty seconds long. The pain was steady and not increasing, so even at this point I didn't think I was actually in labor. By the time my husband got back home, my contractions went from every fifteen to every eight to ten minutes apart- still with the same rate of pain. I had been experiencing the tight, crampy sensations for hours now without it easing up any less, now was the point that I began to wonder if I was in real labor or not. I remembered reading that pumping could help with making contractions more regular and intensify, so I pulled out my breast pump and started pumping to see if that would do anything to keep the contractions coming . About a half hour into it, I felt a huge gush of fluid come out and I seriously thought my water had broken. I got up, and ran into the bathroom only to find blood - and a lot of it. At that point something didn't feel right, I had the urge to make my way to the hospital even though deep down I felt like I was probably being dramatic and that the bleeding meant nothing, we still proceeded to go at about 6pm that evening. Getting dressed was painful, walking was painful even the car ride was painful! As I breathed my way through each contraction I remember thinking that today may very well be my sons birthday- it was such a surreal moment!
We get to the hospital and sign in, they get me hooked up to a monitor and we wait. My poor husband still feeling sick from earlier that day was with me the entire time! I was so grateful to have his support and calm demeanor, because on the inside I was freaking out. While sitting in the hospital bed, waiting to hear some news I found entertainment by endlessly scrolling through the hospitals tv channels. I just knew they were going to send me home with the usual reminders of how to watch out for when "real labor starts". My bleeding had stopped and upon being checked by the nurses I was still 1cm dialated. After what seemed like forever, a doctor came in with news that rocked my world. She pointed out that she noticed on the monitor every time I would have a contraction, my sons heart rate went down at a dangerous rate as well. Even though I came in for bleeding (that turned out to be nothing) that they were going to admit me because I would need to deliver him no longer than in 24hrs or he may not survive. Talk about being shocked. An ultrasound later on confirmed I had low fluid levels and the umbilical cord had low blood flow making my sons heart rate drop to a dangerous level.
A few hours later I get a phone call from my husband letting me know he was coming home early, he felt sick from the breakfast we had eaten and wanted to lay down. Before we ended the call he asked how I was feeling, I've been timing my contractions since that morning and they were averaging every fifteen minutes lasting about thirty seconds long. The pain was steady and not increasing, so even at this point I didn't think I was actually in labor. By the time my husband got back home, my contractions went from every fifteen to every eight to ten minutes apart- still with the same rate of pain. I had been experiencing the tight, crampy sensations for hours now without it easing up any less, now was the point that I began to wonder if I was in real labor or not. I remembered reading that pumping could help with making contractions more regular and intensify, so I pulled out my breast pump and started pumping to see if that would do anything to keep the contractions coming . About a half hour into it, I felt a huge gush of fluid come out and I seriously thought my water had broken. I got up, and ran into the bathroom only to find blood - and a lot of it. At that point something didn't feel right, I had the urge to make my way to the hospital even though deep down I felt like I was probably being dramatic and that the bleeding meant nothing, we still proceeded to go at about 6pm that evening. Getting dressed was painful, walking was painful even the car ride was painful! As I breathed my way through each contraction I remember thinking that today may very well be my sons birthday- it was such a surreal moment!
We get to the hospital and sign in, they get me hooked up to a monitor and we wait. My poor husband still feeling sick from earlier that day was with me the entire time! I was so grateful to have his support and calm demeanor, because on the inside I was freaking out. While sitting in the hospital bed, waiting to hear some news I found entertainment by endlessly scrolling through the hospitals tv channels. I just knew they were going to send me home with the usual reminders of how to watch out for when "real labor starts". My bleeding had stopped and upon being checked by the nurses I was still 1cm dialated. After what seemed like forever, a doctor came in with news that rocked my world. She pointed out that she noticed on the monitor every time I would have a contraction, my sons heart rate went down at a dangerous rate as well. Even though I came in for bleeding (that turned out to be nothing) that they were going to admit me because I would need to deliver him no longer than in 24hrs or he may not survive. Talk about being shocked. An ultrasound later on confirmed I had low fluid levels and the umbilical cord had low blood flow making my sons heart rate drop to a dangerous level.
The original plan was to be induced the next morning but throughout the night Isaiah's condition got worse and the decision was made to ultimately have an emergency C- Section to get him out faster. Isaiah was born on November 1st 2017 at 11:17am- 5lbs 11oz. Before this moment, I had never had any type of surgery done before. Laying there having my stomach cut open was probably the most terrifying thing I had ever done. I was shaking and hated having to be without my husband while they prepped me. When he finally was allowed inside, He held my hand and told me funny stories to distract me. When I heard the sound of my baby crying my world stopped. He was finally here, and he was safe. My husband went with the nurse to keep an eye on him, while the doctor sewed me up and wheeled me into my post- op room. Even though my was rough, the doctors was floored by my progress. By the end of the night I was walking and we were able to go home as a family of three a whole day early. I am so grateful for the staff of doctors and , who I truly believe were guardian angels surrounding me. I was scared, but God was with us through it all. I later found out my son was born blue with the chord wrapped around his neck. If I wouldn't have gone through with the surgery I can't say for sure If I would have even met my son. If I hadn't gone into the hospital when I did who knows what could have happened. I'm so grateful for God and his divine timing! Isaiah passed every test and got a clean bill of health from the hospital, he is now home with us and thriving! He is such a chill baby and brings joy to anyone who sees him. Not to mention he's pretty cute ;)
Thank you to everyone who has sent prayers our way during this time. We couldn't have done it without the love and support from our family and friends.
Thank you to everyone who has sent prayers our way during this time. We couldn't have done it without the love and support from our family and friends.
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