I decided that I wanted to write my whole "birthing story" before I forget all those little details that are still burned into this little head of mine. As you can see, it's kind of a lengthy story and most likely overly detailed but this is mostly for me to keep and for any of you who really don't have much to do.
My due date was September 17th. I went into what was supposed to be my last check up before this little guy was going to make his grand entrance into this world when I got the news that any 9 month pregnant woman never wants to hear... it will be at least another week. Still no progress and not even a hint of any progress wanting to even think about happening. Dr. Judd scheduled me to be induced on the 25th (yes... you counted correctly, that is
8 days past my due date) which meant I would most likely give birth on the 26th. Before I left the appointment I was instructed to make a few visits to the hospital before my induction date to get non-stress tests done just to make sure this little guy was still doing awesome.
Once we left the appointment I, like any other pregnant woman getting this same news, burst into tears. I didn't think I could go that much longer with this baby in my belly. But luckily my husband knows me too well. A quick stop to McDonalds and a stomach full of breakfast sandwich goodness made those tears dry right up (Food makes everything better).
I (surprisingly) loved these non-stress test appointments. There really was nothing else like sitting in a dark, cool room alone while you get to listen to your baby's heart beat for 20ish minutes. I could listen to that beat all day. I knew this whole time that I was growing a mini person in me but to actually hear that little sign of life brings on a whole new set of emotions. The first test was a success! Everything looked perfect.
My next appointment was scheduled 2 days later. I invited my mom to come with me since the hubs was at work and she didn't have much going on that day. We basically made a whole day out of it. Grabbed some lunch at Zupas (nom nom). Stopped by one of our favorite interior design stores, Gate House. Drooled over all the amazing & overly priced items in the store and discussed and planned how we could make those same things ourselves and save a million dollars. Then off to the appointment we go. After we sat in the dark, cool room listening that heart beat again the nurse came in with some news I really wasn't expecting. "The amniotic fluid is too low, you need to go to the hospital now and have this baby". I tried to keep my composure and stay calm since my mother was already doing a great job of freaking out for me. There really never is any need to have 2 crazy women making a scene in the middle of a hospital. I was going to have my baby boy today!! I couldn't believe it.
I called Colby and gave him the news. I dropped my mom off at home and told Colby I would meet him at our house (which the nurse was pretty uneasy about, she wanted me to get to the hospital as soon as possible). The second I walked into the door of my house the tears started flowing again. I wasn't ready! I needed those few extra days I had left to prepare. I don't know what else I needed to do to prepare because everything was ready and had been ready for a couple weeks now but I just needed those last days. I didn't feel ready and, honestly, I was dreading the pain of labor that I was about to experience. I didn't know how I would handle that.
We got to the hospital and were lucky to have my ex-aunt as my nurse. It's comforting to have someone you know and trust help you along this very unfamiliar road you are about to go down. I changed into one of those super sexy hospital robes and got checked for any signs of my body preparing to go into labor. Nothing. No dilation. No dropping. NOTHING! She came back in with a doctor (who was not Dr. Judd, he was out of town. Horrible!) to give me my options. Here they were:
1. We can start the induction process now. "Give you the Pitocin now, blah blah blah..." all I could really hear is "pain pain, ouch ouch, hurt hurt..."
2. We can go ahead and go with a c-section.
My odds of actually going into labor once the induction started where at 20% or less since I had already gone so far over my due date and still hadn't had any signs of progression. Which meant I would most likely need to have a c-section anyways. They left me and Colby alone while we made our decision. After prayers, phone calls and much discussion we decided to just go on with the c-section. With such a low percentage of me actually having this little dude (cover your ears boys)
vaginally it seemed like the best decision.
Thanks to my awesome Zupas lunch, I had to wait a couple hours for the c-section to take place cause you basically need to have an empty stomach. Trying to keep my mind from overloading with excitement, nervousness and pretty much all other emotions, they kept me busy by signing paper after paper. We then sat back and watched an episode of The Office, Parks and Recreation and The Community for the last time as a family of 2 (seriously the longest 1.5+ hours of my life).
They wheeled me into the surgical room, shot me up with some huge needle that made me feel like both my legs had been cut off and then started cutting away. All I could focus on this whole time was Colby's face and the conversation going on between the doctors about their golfing day at Sleepy Ridge. The first cry I heard from my baby boy truly is an unexplainable feeling (wow... I just got the chills thinking about it. And I may or may not have just started tearing up a little) Apparently the little guy was so far up in my belly they literally had to scoop him out with a big spoon. They walked his little grey body over to where I could see him for the first time and my heart was instantly filled with a type of love I have never felt before (and yes there were more tears involved). Before I knew it they sent in another nurse to help the husband out, there was so much love and new emotions going on for both of us that I think it was a little hard for him to handle. He got a little dizzy (hopefully he doesn't get too mad for me sharing this with you. I just thought it was sweet.) and just needed a second to pull himself together.
Lots of stitches and staples later we were in our own room. Just the three of us. My own little family was finally together. I loved it.
I had to stay in the hospital for a couple of days since I had the c-section (which was definitely the right decision. We were told by doctors and nurses there was no way this little guy would have come out any other way). That was torture. I was ready to go home and just be a family. I am so grateful that my amazing husband stayed by my side the whole time.
I felt great afterwards and honestly felt like I cheated out of the whole pregnancy/labor thing. I never got sick during my whole pregnancy and never had to experience any type of labor. If I would have known this was how easy having babies was then I would have had 5 by now! (watch out Michelle Duggar, I'm comin for ya!). That's a lie, taking care of a baby is a whole different story for a whole different time. But I truly am so blessed to have this little guy around and am so grateful for modern medicine!
Nixon Robert Sutton
Born: 9/22/11
Time: 9:41pm
Weight: 8lbs 1oz
Height: 21inches
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