The Birth Story Of Baby G (Part 1)

Before we get to the nitty gritty of his actual birth a little back story. When Devon and I decided to try for baby Benson #7 we had hoped for a June or July baby, well Daddy was in quite the baby making hurry and as we know we ended up with a May due date.. May 11th in fact, Big bubba Jaydons birthday. I knew He was baby G the second I was pregnant with him, I knew in my heart I was already pregnant and I knew that baby was a boy. We already had a boys name and a girls name, I would have been content not finding out, Daddy not so much. I called My Doctors office as soon as I got the positive pregnancy test because I know my doctor books pretty far out, I was about 4weeks so I called and scheduled for a 9week appointment. My appointment went perfect and I discussed with my doctor how far overdue she was comfortable with me going before inducing (due to my history of bleeding heavily and throwing clots) she said she would give me up to four days past my due date. I had walked into the office with the date May 13th in my head, two days passed my due date, a Friday the 13th (which Grandpa was born on a Friday the 13th and since Gibbs was going to be sharing his middle name why not share that too) and since four days past due would have been a Sunday and My doctor doesn't work on Sunday. So I made peace (or tried to) with the decision to be induced on Friday May 13th and put it on my schedule. I then went about doing anything and everything in my power to prep my body to go into natural labor prior to that date, including saying a lot of prayers and talking to baby G. The months passed slowly... until finally I was almost full term, 38weeks. By this point I was in a lot of pain, more than my normal amount I was having lots of painful contractions but nothing that were consistent. Then two days before the 38 week mark I starting contracting pretty regularly. I was hopeful it was early labor, They started late Sunday night but I was able to function through them and continue to somewhat sleep at night, I went to my 38 week check up on Wednesday that week, Gibbs hadn't been moving very much that day and my pain had increased to the point I couldn't drive myself to my appointment so my doctor sent me over for a NST. I was monitored and told I was contracting every 1-2min they checked me again and there was no change so I was sent home the nurse said I bet you will be back by 3am to deliver this baby. I didn't sleep that night because the pain had increased, I continued to work through these and I was slowly getting my hopes up that I would get to have this baby from a spontaneous natural labor as I had prayed. Thursday the pain was getting difficult (by my standards) and I asked my doula what I should do, she suggested seeing my Chiropractor. So I loaded up all 6kids and took them by myself to his office for a last minute appointment that he was so kind to squeeze me in for before catching a plane. I prayed maybe baby was mispositioned and this would either get him lined up and stop the contractions so I could rest or get the show on the road, the adjustment helped my back pain but didn't touch the contractions. By Friday I was no longer hopeful, I hadn't slept since Tuesday night and the pain was as bad as full blown labor but I knew I wasn't progressing. I called my doctor and said something wasn't right and she said get up here to be seen now. So I loaded up all 6kids and drove myself to Newport to be seen at L&D to figure out what was wrong. Thankfully my mom had a appointment in Newport with our doctor (yes we share a doctor,  we both obviously have good taste) she came straight from her appointment to the hospital to watch the kids. My doctor knew I wasn't in labor, I knew I wasn't in labor, but the nurse (not my normal nurse) apparently thought she knew better so I walked into a room set up for delivery. The Nurse looked at me with a huge smile and said if you're a four we are admitting you, I looked at her and said I won't be.. She checked me and her face went from yay I get to help deliver a baby to oh shit in about 5seconds. She looked at me and said no change since Wednesday. She ran some tests and while that was being done I had a good breakdown, I felt so defeated. Come to find out I had a bladder infection so I was put on antibiotics. It took about 24hrs for those to kick in. At this point I had been contracting for a week and hadn't slept in 4days, my body pretty much felt like I had already given birth, my uterus was tired and so sore and still had the weight of a baby in it. I was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted and defeated. It was at this point I became extremely thankful for my amazing doula who kept me from falling over the brink of those feelings. My amazing mom who listened and repeatedly told me just what I needed to hear. For my friends who instinctively knew when I needed a random pick me up message, and for my husband who was doing all he could to ease my discomfort and stress. But despite my amazing team of support I still felt like a failure. I prayed and prayed for my baby to come and I begged and pleaded and cried with my baby. I asked my mom, I said mom I am trying so hard to give this to God and tell myself all in God's time, but why won't God pick a birthday for my baby why do I keep having to pick them. And in all her strength, grace and mother's wisdom she said to me if God didn't want that day to be your child's birthday honey the induction wouldn't work. By my 39th week appointment I had given up, I was no longer attempting to convince Gibbs to come. I decided I would rather rest and do nothing and let him come if it was his will and be rested for labor then wear myself out and have it do no good. I was defeated, I felt broken, I was tired and sore and done. I was dreading the countdown on my phone that said "Nancy's Probable Induction date". I had 3 easy and "quick" inductions and then Aria which was a 13hr induction and at hour 12 I sort of lost it. I dreaded induction again, I was scared it would be even longer, I was worried about how much pain I had been in at the end of this pregnancy and what it meant my pain would be like for labor. I was angry, I wanted the beautiful births I read about where the women wake up in labor and labor at home and go in to be 8cm and having a baby in under 4 hours. I felt cheated, this was my 7th child, why couldn't one of my kids please just cooperate, why didn't my body work like it was supposed to, why was I broken. May 11th rolled around, I tried so hard to be joyous my baby was 8, all he wanted was his baby brother to be born, I felt horrible that I couldn't make his wish come true. I spent all morning crying and unable to stop, Devon hadn't planned on going with me to my appointment that day since he would be taking Friday off for my induction, but when I showed up to switch vehicles he looked at me and said want some company? He knew I needed the support, I went up to my appointment just trying to accept the inevitable. I walked in, did all the normal appointment stuff and then discussed the induction with my doc. It was decided I would come in at 4am instead of 6am in case I had another long labor. I made this agreement on the condition that if I had him early enough and baby and I were both doing fine we could go home after my doctors 6hr minimum required monitoring time. I went home and tried to make it through the rest of the day with a smile on my face for the birthday boy. Thursday I was awake by 3am and unable to fall back to sleep but still I did everything I needed to get done, did laundry, cleaned the house, washed the dog, cleaned out the fridge, finished grocery shopping fielded all the questions and comments about baby, and made the decision not to share I was being induced so I wouldn't have to field all the comments or opinions on it. I had a good talk with my back up back up doula Thursday night after dropping off the kids, and tried to go to sleep since we had to be up at 2am...... ( Part 2 soon...induction)