Caleb's Birth Story

Of course Caleb's birth did NOT go like I had planned...but isn't that the best way to see God's hand in things? My mom flew in on a Tuesday {1 day before my induction date}, and we immediately went straight from the airport to the mall to walk some laps to help start contractions. After walking for 3 hours I started to have contractions every 40--20 minutes. By Wednesday morning my contractions were 5 minutes apart for 45mins and then they stopped. By Wednesday at 6pm, we checked into the hospital to begin inducing. My contractions were every 3 minutes, and lasting a minimum of 1 minute consistently after inducing.

To make a long story short: I had cervidil, pitocin, my water broken...and still was making a snail speed of progress during labor. By 5:30pm on Thursday I was only 6 1/2 centimeters dilated and 70% effaced. I had been in labor for 23 hours in the hospital with no sleep, Caleb's head was coning and molding, and my doctor said that if I didn't make any progress by 7:30pm that I should really consider having a c-section. I was devastated. I wanted to have a vaginal birth and I didn't know much about c-sections. 

Then, at 7pm I had nurses that rushed into my room and ran straight to the monitor, and then tossed me around {all drugged up on my epidural} as they examined me. Hubby went to the monitor to see what was going on and he noticed that Caleb's heart-rate had dropped to 50-70 {danger zone}. Not a second later my main nurse said that my doc was on her way and I needed to be prepped for a c-section due to fetal distress. I was scared to death and crying uncontrollably. 

Boy do the labor and delivery staff move quickly! Seconds later the anesthesiologist was in my room prepping me for the O.R., then my doc arrived, next I was in the O.R. {still crying}. During the c-section I could hear my doc and the nurses say "his umbilical cord is wrapped around his neck." Then I hear them gasp and say "O my goodness!", and my heart drops expecting the worst. My doc calls to me and says: "O my Viv, you have a BIG BOY!". The anesthesiologist leaves my side to look and says "Holy moly girl! Where did you fit that guy?1?!" I'm thinking...good grief people stop gasping...you're freaking me out!! Hubby gets to look as they pull my apparently BIG baby out of my belly and I get to hear the sweetest sound...my child's cry. I could finally breath knowing that my child is alive!

Caleb began to suffer fetal distress at 7pm, and was born at 7:34pm weighing 9lbs 10.5oz, 21.5inches long, with a 14cm head. Big boy indeed! So thankful for a c-section, because I don't think I would have been able to push that boy out!!!

 

Last pregnancy photo as we head to the hospital {now, I can see how Caleb was big...that belly was huge!}