Simon Anthony C. First Born - Birth Story
My first pregnancy was super planned. I wanted to have a baby between semesters. I needed the baby to be born in May, right after finals, to have the summer off with him. Also, I wanted to avoid being pregnant in the Florida summer. My pregnancy was amazing, I felt amazing, no pains or aches. I was happy and ate all the ice cream my heart desired. Ice cream and anything fried. I read all the pregnancy books and downloaded aps to follow along on my journey. Took Lamaze classes with my husband, and borrowed Pregnancy Pilates videos from the library. I shopped for maternity clothes the moment I found out I was pregnant ( just pants, hates pregnancy tops). I was so excited about being pregnant and having a son!
I had a doctor that made be feel uncomfortable from the first day we met. I assumed this is just the way these things are. So I ignored the weirdness. At around five months I had the blood test done for gestational diabetes and I failed it. I was shocked. I had no idea what gestational diabetes was. The doctor had a consultation with me in order for me to see a dietary specialist, and he wanted to schedule a C-section at 38 weeks because he felt the baby was going to be too big. I freaked out! My husband was at my every appointment (you know, first pregnancy and all), so he witnessed this crazy doctor pushing an unneeded C-section. The doctor explained to my husband that we will have to schedule a C-section just in case the baby is too big and he had us convinced that all women with gestational diabetes have C-sections. I asked him to wait on that and explained to him that I plan to have a completely natural birth. No drugs. I met with a Dietitian who eased my anxiety and explained what gestational diabetes is and how to control it with diet. The doctor on the other hand, sent me a letter of "non compliance" and fired me as a patient. This was my first pregnancy. I was completely lost and felt I was doing something wrong for my baby. I was already pricking my finger after each meal and following a diet plan my Dietitian planned out. So I was confused why this doctor didn't want to deliver my baby naturally. The Dietitian recommended a Gynecologist with midwife staff, and I made an appointment as soon as possible. I was thinking I was in big trouble and that there was something wrong with my baby to have a C-section. The midwife put me at ease and told me the baby is fine and actually measuring small. All I needed to do is monitor my blood sugar levels and stay fit and healthy, I was on track to have a natural delivery. She was so good. The rest of my pregnancy and care was so good.
At this point all I knew is I wanted a natural birth. Didn't know why, really. I was determined. This is before I watched documentaries like "Business of Being born" and others. So I really listened to the doctors. But, stood my ground when it came to drugs and needles and knives.
My sugar levels were in the normal range the rest of my pregnancy. I loved the diet I was on. Feeling good and studying for my finals. Then, on finals week, on a Tuesday, as my husband got up to get to work at 6am, my water broke. I was confused a bit. Thinking a peed a bit, but as soon as I got up there was just a gush of water. I told my husband, who called into work and our good friends to be ready to head to the hospital. I took a shower and my mucus plug went down the drain. Oh, I was so excited, and freaking out because I was three weeks early. And the finals!
We got on the highway and our car broke down! This car we had just bought and was shipped from Oregon. It arrived that Saturday, so we hadn't even cleaned it, or got it running really. My husband and I both had trucks. I had a Toyota Tundra with a seat in the back, but I didn't want to have a car seat in the back. So we got an SUV. The car stalled right at the exit our friends lived on, so here we were , 5 miles per hour drove off the exit to have them take us to the hospital. We got to their house and just laughed. I sat on a bunch of towels as we all drove to the hospital, and left our car there.
As soon as we got to the hospital around 8am. I was rushed to triage and hooked up to IV's and monitors. Things progressed really fast. A nurse came in and very nonchalantly said, "I'm going to go get the pit". We looked at each other and were like, "what's pit?". I had no idea what Pitocin was at this time. I was too excited and in too much pain to google anything and I had trust in the staff that will support me in having a natural birth. So, she came back with the IV bag and hooked it up and quickly left the room. I labored on a potable toilet, in a squatting position most of the time because I felt I had to pee all the time. The nurse came back in to ask what my pain level was and if she needs to get the epidural ordered. I began to reintegrate that I wanted a natural birth and between contractions asked her, "what in the world is pit?". She told me it's to help with getting me into labor and that it was something they do standard. I was livid! I was in labor when I came in! this was craziness to the next level to me. At this time the contractions were so intense, I remember looking at the clock and seeing it was around noon, I wondered if some of my professors will allow me to take the finals later. Thoughts I had during intense labor, lol. The nurse was so busy that morning, and my midwife was on call, so we waited for her to come. Around 1:45pm my nurse came back in and told me I need an epidermal and she will have me watch the videos later to sign off that I was educated on that. WHAT THE FLIP! I tell ya, she really was amazing, except this epidural and Pitocin situation - she messed up there, big time. She checked me and was like, "you are ready to push!" But, my midwife wasn't there!
My midwife just made it in, as she was getting gowned and gloved the nurse told me to push because I was crowning and the baby's hear rate was dropping. The midwife looked at me and said, "you gotta push him out with the next push because his heart rate is dropping, we need him out now". Oh man, talk about the "ring of fire"!!!!!!. His cord was wrapped around his neck twice and once around his face. As soon as I delivered the head, the nurse called NICU. He was blue. I thought that's what normal new born babies look like and was just excited to hold him. I thought everything was normal. They plopped him in my arms as soon as he came out and the midwife cleared his cord. My midwife was the best. Just kept smiling at me and redirecting me, and telling me how beautiful my boy was. He was perfection. He was 6 pounds 14 ounces and 21 inches long. Long baby!
I tore in five places from that intense pushing action. I do blame the Pitocin to get me so geared into labor when my body could have done it naturally and safer. Sigh, as she sewed me up, NICU staff worked on my baby boy. I just thought they were doing what they did with all babies. What seemed like forever was only a few minutes, and my boy was in my arms. My Simon. I can't explain the love that rushes through every cell of my being. All pain is gone and just a shot of love, devotion and pure adoration takes over. It's incredible. Child birth is incredible.
Why we named him Simon; When I was about 13 years old, my mom dared us and bribed us to read the Bible from start to finish. To make it interesting, I was making a list of names that I loved for my future babies. My mom was pregnant with my baby sister, so baby names were on my mind. I came up with the name Jemuel and Simon. No girl names. Just those boy names. As soon as I got married I told my husband about the names I want for our sons. He was't having it with Jemuel. But, Simon- he loved that name. We gave him the middle name Anthony because that's my grandpa's name, he had passed away a few months before Simon was born. I loved my grandpa. He was handsome, strong, courageous, loved the Lord and was happy (not when he got old... he was a grumpy old man, I want my sons to be jolly old men when time comes), and he loved his wife. I want those traits for my sons.
Simon means "one who hears", "one who listens". Anthony means "priceless", "worthy of praise".
I love my Simon, my priceless gift from the Lord.
ps. I passed all my finals. All but one professor had me take the finals at home and send everything in though email. One professor would not budge. I came in the day after I had Simon and took a math test. I Christmas treed the thing because I could hardly sit and wanted my new born son who nursed every hour. Yes, I took the test as soon as we were discharged from the hospital! The professor gave me a "B". He said it was for actually showing up. Devotion.
Hospital Musts:
