DL's birth story

Tomorrow is DL’s 5th birthday, so it’s time for his birth story. Check out RX’s birthday story from January HERE.

It’s ironic that DL’s birth story begins in January. RX had to have a tonsillectomy a few days after his 4th birthday. While we were in preop, the nurse told me that if there was any chance I was pregnant, I wouldn’t be able to go back to the operating room. I don’t think I have ever brushed someone off so quickly. There was no way I wasn’t taking my baby back for surgery.

While we were waiting for the surgery to be over, Hubby and I looked at each other. It was like one of those made-for-TV ‘ah ha’ moments and we both said ‘are we pregnant?’ Sure enough, the next morning 2 pregnancy tests confirmed the nurse’s suspicion. We were pregnant with DL!

RX after surgery

The next morning...

We weren’t trying to get pregnant, but we weren’t not trying either wink.

With 2 miscarriages in just as many years, we approached this pregnancy with a great deal of caution. High-risk doctor’s appointments were scheduled for just about every week. During the following 8 months, I had more vaginal ultrasounds and cervical checks than I care to talk about. Thankfully, DL was bound and determined to be born at term and completely healthy.

Thanks to my wonderful friend Melinda for a beautiful maternity shoot.

Around 35 weeks, I decided to put myself on bed rest. Taking the train to work every day was really starting to wear me down, and forget about driving to work… I could barely fit behind the wheel!

4 days before his arrival. I was always at risk of toppling forward.

September 7, 2016

I woke up and I decided I couldn’t be pregnant anymore. I was only 36 weeks and 4 days but I was beginning to dilate (per my last appointment) and contractions were more frequent and painful. I was in pain ALL DAY! After googling ways to progress labor, I found a can of pineapples in my pantry and took the whole thing down in a matter of minutes. I'm not sure that was the trick, but when Hubby got home from work, I told him it was time to go. We're so grateful for our awesome neighbors that took RX overnight without even batting an eye.

Of course, once we arrived at the hospital, DL got white coat syndrome and the contractions started subsiding. I was livid! The doctors started to say they were going to send me home, but I was not leaving that hospital without a baby OUTSIDE my body! Having contractions all day at home made me exhausted. That fact coupled with my incessant begging, they decided to put me on the surgery schedule.

Not so routine...

So typically the next steps are routine. The anesthesiologist came in to give me my epidural. Once he was finished, my blood pressure bottomed out. At that point, all I remember was them ushering Hubby out and a million people running in. What was supposed to be a routine C-section turned into an emergency one.

After laying on the surgery table for what felt like an eternity, shivering and shaking, DL was born at 11:52 pm. Hubby said he didn’t immediately cry, but as soon as he did I fell asleep and I was apparently snoring in the operating room.

Every baby in Atlanta was born at Northside that night

I was in a makeshift recovery room for 4 hours WITHOUT my baby! I was upset that I couldn’t get those first few moments of skin-to-skin contact, but he had to be examined in the NICU for a couple of hours. Northside made up for the makeshift room by giving me a suite in the breast care center. I felt like royalty and I deserved it!

Mommy and me

RX was so proud of his big brother

DL completed our family. He came into the world on his own terms and nothing has changed. He teaches me to live in the moment and is my rainbow after the storm. I can’t believe my baby is 5. I’m so blessed to be his mom! Happy Birthday, Big Boy. We love you!