My Birth Story~Welcome Xander!

Okay, so I probably should have posted this (or something….anything…) by now, but I have been focusing on getting to know my little Magoo and recovering from my c-section. Right now my whole house is asleep and I have a few minutes to share the details of the birth of my son. For those who know me, you know that this pregnancy was not planned. It actually came at a very stressful time. It took awhile to get used to the idea of another baby in the house, but now as I watch my Xander sleeping, I realize that things happen exactly the way they’re meant to. He is only just over a week old, and already I cannot picture my world without him in it.

Xander was a scheduled C-section. (BOO!) I was VERY unhappy that I had to have yet another c-section, (this makes #3) but I knew that since Sophie is only a year old, there was no way they would even contemplate letting me attempt a VBAC. I just had to accept that I would have to have surgery yet again, even though it scares the crap out of me.

Xander’s birth was scheduled for January 14th. The night before, we did not sleep. We made last minute preparations, checked all of the bags, and we baked a TON of toffee-chocolate chip cookies for both my doctor and the nursing staff at the hospital. They were delicious, and everyone raved over them, by the way! The only nice thing about a scheduled delivery, in my opinion, is that you can shave your legs and put on make-up at your leisure. So of course, I did that. Not that it would end up mattering much, since the meds in the spinal caused me to itch so badly that I scratched the heck out of my face the whole time they were operating on me!

Anyway, we left to go to the hospital at around 5:00 AM. I was terrified and didn’t want to get out of the car. Dan literally had to drag me into the hospital entrance, and I just wanted to go home. They got me up to our room very quickly, had me change, and hooked me up to the IV, did my bloodwork, etc…. Then the anesthesiologist came in and talked to me, my doctor came in and said good morning and chatted for a few, and then it was time to go to the OR. They didn’t let Dan come, because they don’t allow support persons in the room while they administer the spinal block. I felt the panic welling up and I almost started crying…I HATE spinals. They make you feel like you can’t breathe! So while they were swabbing my back and prepping me for anesthesia, I had an A-HA moment…This would be my last baby. We opted to get a bilateral tubal ligation while I was opened up. I could either freak out like I did with Sophie’s delivery and be a wreck, or I could leave it to God, trust my doctor, and actually enjoy my delivery….Well, as much as one can enjoy surgery. I chose to enjoy  it. As they gave me the spinal, I said a little prayer and felt a calm come over me. I laid down on the operating table, and I started talking to my doctor, the nurses, and the anesthesiologist. We were laughing and joking, and when they brought Dan in, he was literally shocked to see me there on the table smiling. So for the next 20 or 30 minutes, we were all laughing and talking, and then I heard the suction of the fluids and I knew it wouldn’t be long before our son was born. Well, he ended up not wanting to come out, and they had to use forceps and do a lot of tugging and pulling (which I felt the effects of over the next few days)  and finally, I felt him being lifted out of me. The first thing my doctor said was “Well, he has hair!” I asked if he was still a boy, just so there were no surprises, and they lifted him up so I could see him. He was beautiful, and a carbon copy of his daddy. He had a full head of black hair, and was so tiny! (Keep in mind, I am used to looking at a 1 year old!) So Xander was born at 8:01 AM on January 14th, 2011. He weighed 6 lbs, 14 oz, and was 20.5 inches long. And although I was afraid the whole pregnancy, and even as I walked into the operating room, I will always be able to tell my son that when he was born, everyone was laughing and smiling. This day was one of the best days of my life.

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