Pregnancy and his birth

Adam and I found out I was pregnant in May of 2011. We found out just one week before he was to leave for Navy RTC (recruit training command). That is the Navy equivalent of boot camp. So off Adam went for 6 weeks to Great Lakes, Illinois. We were only able to converse through handwritten letters, and 2 phone calls, at times that were unknown to either of us. I was able to see him for a few days in July for his graduation from RTC. Then he was off to San Antonio for A School for another 8 weeks. At least then he was close enough that I could see him on the weekends he didn't have duty.

So for the first 16 weeks of knowing I was pregnant, I was off to doctors appointments and ultrasounds all on my own. I would send pictues to Adam during boot camp, including the 16 week ultrasound. During A School he would get to see me every few weeks and see how I was growing. He finally was home for good when I was about 6 months pregnant.

I started having Braxton hicks contractions at around 28 weeks or so. At 32 weeks, while we were at dinner, I noticed the contractions had become very regular. We ended up going to the hospital at 10:00 that night. I had to see a doctor who I was not familiar with. She pretty much told me I was being silly, there was nothing wrong and that I should just go home. I followed up with my doctor a few days later, who then told me that I was actually having preterm labor. I was already 2 cm dilated. He admitted me to the hospital to try and get the contractions to stop. They gave me a shot to help develop Cael's lungs, just in case I were to go into labor very early. I was in the hospital for 3 days, during which time they were able to get the contractions to slow down enough that they weren't concerned with early delivery. 

They sent me home on bed rest to make sure I didn't deliver before 34 weeks. They were trying to get to 34 weeks since the hospital I was delivering at could only take care of babies over 34 weeks. After 2 weeks on bed rest (34 weeks pregnant), I returned to work. I continued to have contractions all day every day, but they were no longer regular. I was visiting the doctor every week just to make sure I wasn't progressing any more. 

Around 35 weeks, I suddenly gained 6 pounds in 1 week. I was retaining fluid like none other. My ankles had disappeared, and when you pressed on my shin, it took several seconds for the skin to return to flat, instead of showing a finger dent. The doctor thought I might be preeclamptic since my blood pressure was a little high and i had protein in my urine. The next week though, the pressure hadn't increased beyond the limits of preeclampsia and there was no protein in my urine, so they decided I wasn't.

At my 37 week checkup, everything still looked okay.  The doctor told me he would induce me at 39 weeks, if I hadn't already delivered, to make sure I had Cael by the end of the year. (my due date was January 3. I was really hoping to have him in 2011 since I had already paid so much toward my insurance. I didn't want to pay my deductible again!) 

Friday, December 16, as I left work, my boss said, "Bye, see you Monday", to which I replied, "I hope not!". I was so tired of being pregnant! My feet were swollen, I had no ankles, and my face was so swollen, it looked like I had gained 100 lb!

At 1:30 AM, on December 17, I woke up, thinking I had peed myself! I went to the bathroom. And realized my water had broken. I woke Adam up, who was supposed to have drill for the Navy that weekend. He was supposed to leave at 6:00 AM to get to base. I told him my water had broken. His reply was "are you sure?". I said, "either that or I peed my pants!". We called the hospital and told them my water broke. When you call the hospital after hours, you have to wait for the on call doctor to call back. It took about 30 minutes for her to call back and tell me to come in. By that time, I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes, but they weren't painful.

When I got to the hospital, I found out the doctor on call was the same doctor who had told me nothing was going on and to go home at 32 weeks. I just kept hoping that I would be able to wait to deliver until after 7:00, since my normal doctor was on call on Saturday. I really really wanted my doctor to deliver my baby!

When I got to the hospital, I was 3 cm dilated. I wanted to make it as far as possible before getting an epideral. I walked around for an hour or so, when they finally told me I had to stay in my room so they could keep the regular monitors on me. The mobile ones kept loosing the hertbeat. I made it to 5 cm before the epideral. That was around 5 AM. I kept progressing well and made it past the 7:00 mark. I was so happy my doctor was going to be the one to deliver Cael! 

At about 9:00, it seemed I had stalled at about 8 cm. they were thinking about giving me pictin to help me progress the rest of the way, but at 11:00, they came back, and I was ready to push. I pushed for about an hour. The umbilical cord had gotten wrapped around Cael's head, and his heart rate was dipping with each contraction I had. So finally, the doctor decided it was time for him to come out. He had to use forceps pull him out. As soon as he was born, they cut the cord and swept him over the the side to make sure everything was ok.

I remember seeing Adam just standing there watching them. I had to remind him to grab the camera and take some pictures of our newborn son. He was just standing there awestruck at our little boy. he helped them give him his first bath while they finished up with me and took me off the epideral.

I honestly don't remember much that happened next until we were in the post partum room and I was able to hold Cael. It was so strange to hold such a tiny little baby. He was 7lb 6 oz and 20 inches of pure perfection. We spent the next 2 days just staring at him and holding him all day. I, of course was up several times trying to learn how to breastfeed, while Adam tried to ignore the crying baby who kept waking us up.

After 2 days, everything was fine and we were finally able to go home with our baby. For the next few weeks we would just be spending all out time admiring our amazing new addition to our little family.