A Mother’s Day Gift

This year’s Mother’s Day is going to be a lot less exciting compared to last year’s.

I spent several hours at the hospital the day before last Mother’s Day. I went in after waking up that morning with spotting and what felt like cramping. It was almost five weeks before my due date. The doctor monitored me for a long time, gave me a couple doses of  Terbutaline, and sent me home.

The Labor and Delivery staff assured me that the baby wasn’t coming yet, and I was probably just having very strong Braxton Hicks contractions.

When I woke up on Mother’s Day I was still having the contractions, and they seemed to be getting stronger and closer together.

I was supposed to be resting, but I tidied up the house a little, and made sure my hospital suitcase was ready. I just had a feeling I needed to be ready to go.

Then I sat on the couch, and started keeping track of how frequent the contractions were, and how long they lasted.

Since it was Mother’s Day, Dave started making lunch for me. It seemed like a really long time as I sat there keeping track of everything. I wondered if he was going to finish lunch before we had to go to the hospital. But I waited patiently. I didn’t want to spoil it.

Dave did finish lunch, and I ate it knowing it might be awhile before I could eat real food again. It was delicious, but as soon as I took my last bite, I called the hospital again.

They told me I could come in to get checked if it would make me feel better. So we packed ourselves in the car. We took David with us too thinking they’d probably just send us home again.

The hospital is about 25 minutes away from our house, and on they way there the contractions started to really get uncomfortable.

The nurses only monitored me for a few minutes, and decided to check us into a room.

My doctor just happened to be on call that afternoon. He came into see me, and he was still skeptical at that point. He said I was dilated three centimeters, but wanted to observe me a longer.

He came back and checked again an hour or so later. I was dilated 7 centimeters by that time, and 70% effaced. Finally he believed me that I really was in labor.

The contractions were definitely painful by then. I remember the doctor said to me, “I know you’re in labor, because you look really uncomfortable. You were still a little too happy last time I talked to you.”

My in-laws picked up David, and drove him back to our house. Then my parents came and took him to their house where he stayed until I was out of the hospital.

I was scheduled to have a planned C-section on June 4th, because my oldest son was also delivered by C-section.

The doctor tried  to talk  me into having a VBAC since I was already so far along, and settled into a birthing room. But I was so rattled from everything happening so quickly and unexpectedly. I insisted on going with the C-section. I think because it was the one thing I could still control.

I do regret that decision now. The recovery from surgery the first time was easy, but it was much more difficult the second time around.

As soon as the doctor said he would notify the OR, nurses came into prep me. It was amazing how fast it all went after that. Less than 30 minutes later I was on the table getting the spinal inserted in my back.

Oh, sweet relief! No more contractions as soon as the spinal took effect. I was numb from chest to toe, and I felt better than I had since the cramping first started the day before.

After that it was all a routine C-Section.

There was some concern about the baby being small because he was early. I laid there waiting to hear the him cry so that I would know he was OK.

And he was! Wade Campbell Stout was born at 8:12 p.m. May 10th, 2009, healthy, and perfect.

Wade is such a happy, sweet little boy. He’s a blessing, and joyful addition to our family. He and big brother David are are already good buddies. They laugh and giggle together all the time.

Tomorrow family is coming over to celebrate Mother’s Day and Wade’s first birthday a day early.

No, Mother’s Day won’t be as exciting, but it should be more relaxing this year.