Austin's Birth Story

Introducing Our newest addition: 

Austin Jones Dansie

May 15, 2012

2:23 pm

9 lbs 1 oz

21 1/2 inches long

(Having 3 babies with 3 different audiences, I pretty much have no shame...so if you don't want the details, better not continue...)

After what we experienced with Breah, I have been terrified to go past my due date again.  So at my 39 week appointment, I scheduled an induction for May 15th, which was my due date.  I was induced with Tayven and I survived, but I really wanted to do it all natural this time around.  I went for one last appointment on Monday and as a last ditch effort to kick start labor, I had my doctor strip my membranes.  I left the doctor feeling discouraged and really doubting my decision to be induced.  I almost called the doctor and canceled, but in the end went ahead as planned.  I had mild cramping that night, but nothing too alarming.  I woke up at 3:00 the next morning just wishing things had gone differently and worried til 5 when I was supposed to call the hospital.  After confirming I was on the schedule (I was kind of hoping they would have overlooked me) I got up and got everything together, and we were off to the hospital by 6.   The whole thing was very reminiscent of Tay's birth . . . After getting all checked in and set up I was talking to the nurses about all my wants and wishes and was having even more anxiety and doubts, but it was too late at this point.  I wanted it to be as natural as possible, but the way Dr. Hiller does things, he would come in and break my water and then start the pitocin and we would wait--I would not be allowed to move around or anything once my water was broken.  But since I was not planning on having an epidural I was planning on being able to move to relieve my pain.  When he came to break my water we decided that the best thing would be to start the pitocin and allow me to move around for 20 minutes of every hour, while on the monitors the rest, then if things didn't progress he would break my water.  Well, at 8:30 they started the pitocin (just like last time...).  I was 4 cm, 85% effaced, and the baby was -2 station, so I think that stripping my membranes must have done something!  The contractions didn't get unbearable for a couple hours, but we did laps around the hallways and I still managed to progress.  At about 1:00 I started to get really uncomfortable and did most of my moving around in the room.  Just before 2 I was at an 8 and really getting uncomfortable, so I had them call the doc to come break my water.  He broke my water at about 2:00, and Brandon joked that if I hurried he could be born the same time as Tayven.  Well, 10 minutes later I had to push.  I hate it when you are in labor and dying of pain and they tell you you can't push.  As if any woman in that circumstance can simply not push...but I tried, I held back as long as I could while they readied the bed and made all their preparations, but then it was just too much, I literally could not hold it in any longer.  I remember telling them a few times that I need to push, but no one seemed to care, so then I remember yelling "I CAN'T HOLD IT ANYMORE!!!" and all of the sudden they were taking me seriously.  I heard all then nurses in the hall start to hustle around and someone yelled "you better tell him to hurry!"  When the doctor FINALLY arrived and I was allowed to really push, I gave it one good long push and then I panicked.  Suddenly it was as if I didn't need to push anymore because I knew there was no way that baby was gonna fit...but then I felt myself rip open and out popped a head.  With Tayven I remember once the head was out the rest just kinda followed, so I thought I was done, but then they were telling me to push again, and after one more great big push he was out!   Everyone was commenting about him being a big baby, but Dr. Chalmers said the same thing about Tayven so I didn't think much of it.  I later learned that after his head popped out they had to pause to unwrap the cord which was wrapped once around his neck, and once around his body.  After learning this I was grateful for the dr.'s insistence that I not move around after my water was broken and wondered if he knew about the cord and just didn't tell me so I didn't worry, or if he's always that strict about it (They had told us the reason for not letting you move after your water breaks is in case the cord is wrapped around the baby's neck or falls below the head because then the baby can't get oxygen).  I was in so much shock after it all that it took me a minute to open my eyes and realize that they had placed the baby on my chest. 

Once I laid my eyes on that puffy, blue, little bundle of joy, I forgot all about the pain and was able to just enjoy him.  He was so precious, and so content to just lay there and snuggle with me.  But we saw his temper when they took him to be weighed and cleaned. 

Not a happy camper!  Boy he could scream!  

 Love his chubs! When they placed him on the scale I saw Brandon and Nancy trying to take a picture of the scale . . . and I just about died when they said he weighed 9 lbs 1 oz!  Holy crap!  That's a whole pound and a half bigger than Breah and Tayven both!  Part of me wishes I would have waited a couple days, but then the bigger part of me is glad he didn't get any bigger.  Another week and he would have been 10 lbs! 

 Grandma Nancy flew all the way from Utah to be here for the birth!  It's always nice to have that extra help in the beginning, which we have decided is one of the perks of living so far away--we get a live in maid for a few days!

I'm just grateful that all went smoothly, and that although I probably prolonged my labor, i was able to do some things my way.  I like to think that leaving my water alone I had a bit of a cushion for a while.  Most of all I'm grateful for a healthy baby boy, Austin.  It's already hard to remember life without him, and we look forward to getting to know him as he grows.  There's just something so special about a newborn!  It makes all the sleepless nights worthwhile!