Wordless Wednesday (ok, almost Thursday)

Joey's birth story... finally.

Our family is complete!

Joseph Robert Bellinger
Born June 1st 1:08pm
7lb. 1oz – 19.5 inches long

Well here is Joey's long time coming birth story. The 1st is a brief (well for me) narrative of his birth that I wrote up a couple days after he was born. The 2nd is a more detailed timeline version. Yeah, kind of annoying and redundant to post 2 versions but it is more for record keeping sake for me than anything else :)

June 1st 6am was my induction. (My Dr. and I had decided on an induction because my platelet count had dipped too low to have an epidural if I wanted one so several days before my induction I took prednisone to boost my platelet count to an acceptable range.) I arrived at the hospital at 6am but they didn't start pit till 8am. Joey was born at 1:08pm after 12 minutes of pushing. (Amazing compared to my 3.5 hours of pushing with Jackie.) My platelet count had dropped back down to 108 despite the prednisone (from 130 the week before) but at least it was over 100 so I was OK for an epi, but it proved to me how important it was that I was on the meds and planned everything this way even though they made me a bit crazy... I can't imagine how low my count could have gone without the meds.

As planned I did get an epi around 10:45am but worked hard on not pushing the button that gives out measured doses too much -I wanted to feel the contractions some especially when it came to pushing. Well it was perfect! I could tell when I was going from 7-10 cm because it was much more painful but it didn't last real long before the dr. had me start pushing. Again I felt a quite a bit of pain but it really helped me push. It was the perfect balance of manageable but useful pain. Baby Joey - Joseph Robert - was born at 1:08pm - 7lb 1oz, 19.5 inches with a lovely shock of dark hair -like his daddy, like I was hoping :-) We plan on calling him Joey until he tells us not too :-)

I just can't express how perfect this whole L&D was for me. I had such a difficult 1st birth with Jack with so many things that didn't go right, that I feel I missed out on or could have been done differently... but this one was so wonderful. I feel so blessed that I got to experience this birth this way. I got to see his head coming out, the doc even had me help pull him out of me, and I got to cut the cord. This was my last delivery and now I feel like I didn't miss out on anything... I got to experience everything I didn't get to the 1st time. Really it couldn't have gone any better.

Detailed Timeline of Joey's Birth

6am arrive at the hospital for induction – Nurse #1 says dr. didn’t leave orders and they don’t call him till after 7am. New nurse comes on and trusts that I’m actually there to be induced.
7-8am – 1st nurse blows out my vein in the left hand trying to get in an IV. Gets it in the right hand. Lab guy who comes to test for my platelet count and can’t find a vein in the normal spot so does it in the middle of my forearm?! Still had a bruise 2 weeks later. Platelet count comes back at 108, 100 is the cut off for an epi. Surprised it is that low though because 6 days before it was 130 on prednisone (week before that it was 97 without it).
8:10am Pitocin started. Nurse continues to turn it up over the next 2 hours till contractions are 3 minutes a part.
10:10am 5cm dilated, dr. breaks my water. Works around baby’s head to press as much fluid out as possible to move things along quickly. He reports that baby Joey is in the posterior position but will hopefully turn to anterior soon. Epi is ordered.
10:30am Epi team arrives but struggle to get epi in. After putting it in and taking it out, then poking around quite a bit it is in and set by 11am. This process is the one of the post painful part of the delivery, sitting up bent over my stomach through contractions while they try to get the epi in my spine. John was a great help through out the delivery, holding my hand and encouraging me, but was most needed during this time.
11:30am Epi is going, still feel contractions some and am working to not push the button for more medicine. Epi is rather uneven so I’m propped up on my side with pillows to help even it out.
11:35am I’m trying to adjust the pillows and end up realizing one of the pillows is my butt! (as noted by John’s notes for my timeline “11:35am -ass pillow”.)
12:15pm Dr. Chow says I’m almost 7cm, baby has moved into the posterior position, and thinks should move along quickly.
12:30pm "things a hurtin” – let dr. know things are a lot more painful, definitely moving into the 8-10cm dilatation phase. Working hard on breathing through contractions.
12:55pm Pushing begins! Thinking “down, out and away” while pushing and looking up at Jackie’s birth picture in between pushing. Both these things really help. Epi is perfect – low enough for me to feel contractions but up enough that the pain is bearable with focused breathing.
1:08pm Baby Joey is born! I even got to see his head just sticking out of me. He was all purple looking. The Dr. had me stop pushing and suctioned him to get him to fuss/ cry a bit. Then he had me push his shoulders out and then the Dr. quickly said “Mary Jo give me your hands” and he grabbed my hands and had me grab Joey under his arms to help pull him the rest of the way out of me. It was the most amazing sensation! I also got to cut the cord.

I was crying tears of joy and saying Oh My God through the last part of the delivery. It was such an amazing experience. Everything I didn’t get to have the 1st time.
1:15pm Baby Joey pees on mom for the 1st time –right when they put him on me after cleaning him up before they had a chance to cover him up he peed. Jackie pooped on me right after birth so this was quite fitting.

Oh and I just have to giver proper due to my OB, Dr. Daniel Chow of Diamond Women's Center in Edina, MN (http://www.diamondobgyn.com/Physicians.cfm/pid:44/Daniel_Chow/index.html). His care was perfect throughout the delivery as well as the pregnancy. He's one of those doctors that has the perfect style of explaining things to you and helping you understand the situation. He even called me on Sunday once to give me test results. I mentioned that he was my dr. to someone in the health care industry recently and they said "oh, he's a rock star!" So true - I wish I could just see him for all my future medical needs. I even sent him a thank you card and I'm not one to send thank you cards.

I just feel so blessed to have my last labor and delivery happen the way it did, like I've experienced everything I ever wanted to in this area. What a way to finish!

Brothers

My Jack is a bit of a maniac. He's very physical and often rather wild with an awful temper. His 1st reaction to frustration and anger is usually physical (hitting or throwing a toy), which is difficult but I work very hard with him on it (that's a whole other post... I believe his intensity will make him a powerful adult someday.. if I survive to see it :). With all that said I NEVER thought he would be so naturally loving and gentle with his little brother. He is just so sweet with him I can't believe it. He also wants him in the room with us all the time, which is a bit annoying at meal time when Joey is sleeping and I want him to stay that way so I can eat!

I also love seeing how Jack so proudly wants to show off his baby brother when we are in public. At school pick up time he has to show Joey to his teachers or any random parent walking by. If they stick around long enough after the initial introduction he'll say... "And look at baby Joey's cute little feet!"... or yittle peet (he definitely has a thing for Joey's feet... but of course Jack will then refer to his own feet and say "And I have cute little feet too!") He is also quite amazed that Joey has no teeth... or teeff. It is wonderful to see how much Jack is fond of Joey already. Of course that will probably change some when Joey is mobile and interested in Jack's toys. Jack is very very possessive (another separate post). But in the mean time it is so sweet it melts my heart daily.

And Joey continues to love hearing Jack play and tell his stories. Near his big brother is clearly Joey's favorite place to be when he is alert. If Joey is fussy, Jack's noisy ramblings will calm him down and perk him up, which makes me almost which Jack was awake for Joey's late night gassy screams. In fact, yesterday I had Joey in my lap (just finished breastfeeding him) and Jack and I were sitting on the couch talking. When Joey finished eating I propped him up in my arms so he could take in what Jack was saying, and Joey smiled! I knew Joey's 1st smile would some how have to involve his big brother. And on his 1 month birthday. I would guess most of Joey's "firsts" will be somehow connected to his big brother Jack.