Brady's Birth

Brady is almost a year and I don't think I've written the full birth story anywhere so here goes :)

My last doctor's appointment was the morning of June 28. I saw Dr. Doan, who was a partner in the same office as my doctor, Dr. Friedman, who was going on vacation in a few days for the 4th of July. She convinced Dr. Friedman to schedule an induction since I was 2 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and my due date was that Saturday. Dr. Friedman loved to tell me each visit that “this isn't a small baby”, so I was very happy to get him out! I would go into the hospital the next night to get the induction started, and actually get pitocin the morning of the 30^th.

Just as planned, I went into Christus Saint Catherine (a nice small hospital in Katy) on Wednesday, June 29 at 8 pm. I can truly say I wasn't nervous at all, just ready. I spent that day making sure everything was ready and packed while I waited for Eric to get off work. Eric was SO nervous, but incredibly supportive. Everyone made a point to tell me their awful induction stories and the horror stories they'd heard from so-in-so, but I knew my doctors had waited until my body was ready. They had first mention an induction weeks before but waited, and I was only 2 days from my due date of July 2^nd. At the time, I didn't care what I faced as far as pain and long labor, I just wanted my baby born!

The hospital was busy, but got us in a room and checked in that night. As soon as I was hooked up to all the machines, the nurse said, “You're already having contractions.” I was surprised at first, but then it made sense. I had been in pain. Lol! But I had also been preparing myself to be in pain, so I really thought it was nothing. I'm usually a total wimp. So for 9 months, I'd been talking myself into being tougher. I guess it worked! Around 10 pm, I got cervidil inserted overnight to “get my cervix more ready for the induction”. It's basically a flat, rectangle tampon that sits on the cervix. I immediately felt cramps, but nothing too bad. Like a bad menstrual cramp, basically. I was able to get some sleep that night and Eric slept on a big couch. At one point, I rolled to my right side, the nurses came in and made me move, because Brady's heartbeat had slowed down. I was freaked, but glad I was hooked up and they could monitor that. I still had incredible fear of something happening to him right at the end.

The morning of the 30^th, I was just slightly more dilated and more effaced. At 10 am, I got the pitocin. Holy smokes! Induction contractions are unrelenting! Someone text me to ask how far apart my contractions were. I thought.. what? There's no time in between AT ALL!? They got pretty bad and by noon, I asked for the epidural. My nurses (I had 2 at this point and they were phenomenal!) made Eric leave while I got the epidural. I didn't like that one bit. I got cold, and nervous, and was shaking while the anesthesiologist got ready. He didn't announce what he was doing and obviously I couldn't see. The nurse had to tell him to please let me know what was coming. I was beyond annoyed, but he was really the only person I encountered up until then with poor bedside manner, so I just tried to stay calm. Throughout my pregnancy, I said “Oh yeah, I'll get the epidural” like it was no big deal. In the moment, it's a lot different! I had expected that Eric would be by my side, but the nurses were great and I felt immediate relief. Mostly on my right side at first, then all over, then I couldn't even move from the waist down.

For the next few hours, I just relaxed and hung out with Eric. By 3 pm, I started to feel pain again and told my nurse. It was bad and right in the middle of my lower abdomen. She was going to check the epidural, but decided to check me first, and sure enough it was time to push. I didn't feel the 'have to poop' pressure like most women. I said, “Shut up!” when she told me it was time and everything felt very surreal. The moment was really here!? I did have to wait 15 min for Dr. Friedman to get there from his office. It felt like forever! The nurses said I could start pushing before he got there if I 'needed' to, but I didn't like the sound of that and waited for him to get there. The pressure was so bad though. Eric started to say something and I yelled, “Just shut up!” I didn't want to hear anything during the pain. Then he actually complained about me squeezing his hand to hard. Who does that!? Lol.

When the doctor got there, 10 different people came in the room and started setting up. I wasn't really prepared for all the 'witnesses'. Oh well, legs up and let's get this baby out! Lol Dr. Friedman came in and put his ipod behind me on a counter. It was loud and blasting Garth Brooks. Are you kidding me!? My child may be born in Texas but NOT to Friends in Low Places. Okay!? I had my nurse shut that thing off.

We got ready to push and Eric automatically got tears in his eyes. The husbands don't have the same mental and physical preparation as the pregnant wives. I was SO ready and I think he was scared! He stayed strong and held my right hand and leg and one of my nurses held the left. The monitor for contractions had stopped working, so I just had to push when I felt them. 10 seconds never felt so long!! Eric counted with the nurses and I thought it was going in slow motion! Probably didn't help that I was so out of shape and that I couldn't feel how hard I was pushing. Brady crowned very quickly and I think that's the only time Eric 'looked'. He started crying and saying “I can see him! I can see him!” Dr. Friedman said “He's bald like you” to Eric. I had to have an episiotomy and then Brady was suctioned out. I pushed him far, very quickly, but then he was stuck.

The whole thing lasted less than 30 min and Brady was born at 3:43 pm. 8 lbs 5.4 oz. And 21 inches long. As soon as I heard his cry, I sobbed. I felt such relief and all my anxiety left me. I didn't realize until that moment just how worried I had been that something awful might happen to him before or during delivery.

Eric stood next to Brady and his nurse, while she cleaned him up and weighed him. She gave him to me and I cried some more! It was truly a magnificent moment. He looked like me, his eyes were open, and we just stared at each other. I fell in love instantly. I held him, kissed him, and told him I loved him for the first time. Brady Dean Weisinger had my heart!

His nurse said she had to take him to make sure he was getting enough oxygen because he was breathing heavily. That scared me, so I loved on him and kissed him for a minute and then handed him right back. I got cleaned up and taken care of while we waited on Brady. The nurse came back to tell us that he was breathing fine (he was born 'in stress' (as if any babies are not!?) and had pooped on his way out), but he did have low blood sugar (go figure since I hadn't eaten anything since noon the day before! Doctors orders). So they were giving him formula and I couldn't breastfeed yet. We didn't get to see him again until almost 8 that night. It took 24 hours to get his blood sugar back up and staying up. I yelled at one nurse in the middle of the night for pricking his foot. I could hear him crying so hard and I said, “How many times are you going to poke him!?” I must have scared her, because she immediately left and Eric said she only poked him once but she was squeezing the sh** out of his heel to get blood. I hated it! But I do feel bad for yelling at her.

I started to feel better, but then got worse. The episiotomy was painful but the hemorrhoids were something evil!! Somehow, the nurse I had that Friday missed it and I didn't know that was why my as* felt on fire until I was home. I knew I was pushing pretty hard!! I couldn't get up or sit up without serious pain! Poor Eric was taking care of me and Brady for the first week. He had blood shot eyes and was SO exhausted. He was the best husband and Daddy we could have.

We took Brady home on Saturday, July 2^nd. My due date!! Eric and I panicked getting him into the car seat. Lol Like new parents would! And I said, “Be careful!” about 100 times while driving home. There were balloons and a sign at our house courtesy of Eric's parents. It was so exciting to have Brady home and in his room! My family came to visit the next week. 

I think I had the best pregnancy and delivery I could have hoped for. (Minus outrageous weight gain and moving at 33 weeks!) But even so, God blessed us with a healthy, handsome, strong baby boy and reliving all of this has me excited for the next baby! Brady will be 1 year old next month. We've come a long way in a year and I am blessed to be his Momma!