The Birth of Grant/Part 1

Grrrr. This is a great and well written birth story, but I HATE these
serials. It's like being left at the top of the roller coaster!

Can't wait for the next (hopefully last) installment!

Larry

Joybelle writes:
: It's my shortest birth but my longest story! Baby #4 was due September 29,
: 2005. I figured I would be having an October baby as my other three babies
: went 41 and 1/2 weeks. I was planning a homebirth, and I was very excited
: about the prospect of having a fourth. My sisters were both also pregnant,
: and that was very exciting to all be in this together. My one sister was
: due in May, and my other sister was due the beginning of September.

: In June I decided to have an ultrasound. I had been worried that something
: just wasn't right, and I felt it was the best course of action. A friend
: did the first ultrasound and told me I needed to have an official ultrasound
: because she saw enlarged ventricles. I felt a bit stunned but optimistic.
: It was weird, though, having my feelings confirmed somewhat. I went on to
: have an ultrasound about two weeks later. The tech was very thorough, and I
: knew something wasn't right. I didn't find out the results that day,
: though. My doctor was on vacation and I had 10 days until she told me the
: results. I wasn't too worried or anxious, but I did still had the sense I
: was going to be told something wasn't the way it should be.

: Wednesday was the day of the appointment. I went with my sister, who also
: had an appointment with the same doctor, and my mom. My sister's
: appointment went well, and then it was my turn. It was very, very tough. I
: was told the baby I was carrying had a very low chance of survival because
: of the defects that were seen on this screening ultrasound. Dr. A told me
: she would refer me to a perinatologist to confirm the diagnosis. So, on
: Friday my husband and I had a Level 2 ultrasound and were then told we were
: dealing with "just spina bifida". Since the baby was in a breech position
: and also had spina bifida the doctor told us that day he recommended a
: c-section at 37 weeks. We did decide to have an amnio to determine if the
: baby had chromosomal abnormalities that would have been incompatible with
: life. If that were the case we would have chosen to have a homebirth and
: have our time with the baby because the baby wouldn't survive long after
: birth. The results came back showing baby was fine other than the spina
: bifida, and it was for sure a boy.

: There were many ups and downs. I was very unsure and unhappy about having a
: c-section. I felt if it was necessary, though, I would definitely be doing
: it. In August one of the perinatologists gave me hope. She said there was
: no reason to have a c-section and baby had plenty of time to turn. Looking
: at my history, she felt I had a good chance of vaginal delivery. I didn't
: want to have an induction, either, if I could help it. She said we would
: let baby come when ready unless problems presented. I left elated. In the
: following weeks, the baby turned, I developed gestational diabetes
: (supposedly. I still have my doubts on that one), and my amniotic fluid
: started to decrease. I lived life week by week it seemed. Baby stayed
: heads down, though, and did well on each biophysical profile. My diabetes
: was very well controlled, and my amniotic fluid increased with each visit.
: I felt really good.

: At 38 weeks we saw a perinatologist I wasn't all that impressed with, well,
: because he seemed kinda slow and not with it. The next week, though, we saw
: a wonderful doctor who was very encouraging. He laid my fears to rest about
: vaginal birth and felt the baby and I were looking good. I left figuring I
: would be returning the next week on September 30 to schedule an induction
: for October 5 or so.

: I need to mention that we had about a 2 hour drive to the hospital, and the
: hospital stay after the baby was born was expected to be about 10 to 14
: days.

: On Tuesday, September 27, I had some possible contractions, or at least some
: obvious Braxton-Hicks. I don't have noticeable BH, so I commented to my
: husband that maybe something was starting?? The next day it was the same
: thing. I had a couple of tightenings, but they weren't all that noticeable
: and were still very sporadic. I took an hour and half nap with my
: two-year-old while my four-year-old watched cartoons that afternoon, and
: that night I fell asleep on the couch watching Law and Order just after 9
: pm. At 10:30 pm I was woken up by my cell phone ringing, and it was a wrong
: number. I decided hubby and I should probably remove our sleeping selves
: from the couches and go to bed. He agreed, and I fell asleep as soon as my
: head hit the pillow.

: End of Part 1


: --
: Joy

: Rose 1-99
: Iris 2-01
: Spencer 3-03
: Grant 9-05

It's my shortest birth but my longest story! Baby #4 was due September 29,
2005. I figured I would be having an October baby as my other three babies
went 41 and 1/2 weeks. I was planning a homebirth, and I was very excited
about the prospect of having a fourth. My sisters were both also pregnant,
and that was very exciting to all be in this together. My one sister was
due in May, and my other sister was due the beginning of September.

In June I decided to have an ultrasound. I had been worried that something
just wasn't right, and I felt it was the best course of action. A friend
did the first ultrasound and told me I needed to have an official ultrasound
because she saw enlarged ventricles. I felt a bit stunned but optimistic.
It was weird, though, having my feelings confirmed somewhat. I went on to
have an ultrasound about two weeks later. The tech was very thorough, and I
knew something wasn't right. I didn't find out the results that day,
though. My doctor was on vacation and I had 10 days until she told me the
results. I wasn't too worried or anxious, but I did still had the sense I
was going to be told something wasn't the way it should be.

Wednesday was the day of the appointment. I went with my sister, who also
had an appointment with the same doctor, and my mom. My sister's
appointment went well, and then it was my turn. It was very, very tough. I
was told the baby I was carrying had a very low chance of survival because
of the defects that were seen on this screening ultrasound. Dr. A told me
she would refer me to a perinatologist to confirm the diagnosis. So, on
Friday my husband and I had a Level 2 ultrasound and were then told we were
dealing with "just spina bifida". Since the baby was in a breech position
and also had spina bifida the doctor told us that day he recommended a
c-section at 37 weeks. We did decide to have an amnio to determine if the
baby had chromosomal abnormalities that would have been incompatible with
life. If that were the case we would have chosen to have a homebirth and
have our time with the baby because the baby wouldn't survive long after
birth. The results came back showing baby was fine other than the spina
bifida, and it was for sure a boy.

There were many ups and downs. I was very unsure and unhappy about having a
c-section. I felt if it was necessary, though, I would definitely be doing
it. In August one of the perinatologists gave me hope. She said there was
no reason to have a c-section and baby had plenty of time to turn. Looking
at my history, she felt I had a good chance of vaginal delivery. I didn't
want to have an induction, either, if I could help it. She said we would
let baby come when ready unless problems presented. I left elated. In the
following weeks, the baby turned, I developed gestational diabetes
(supposedly. I still have my doubts on that one), and my amniotic fluid
started to decrease. I lived life week by week it seemed. Baby stayed
heads down, though, and did well on each biophysical profile. My diabetes
was very well controlled, and my amniotic fluid increased with each visit.
I felt really good.

At 38 weeks we saw a perinatologist I wasn't all that impressed with, well,
because he seemed kinda slow and not with it. The next week, though, we saw
a wonderful doctor who was very encouraging. He laid my fears to rest about
vaginal birth and felt the baby and I were looking good. I left figuring I
would be returning the next week on September 30 to schedule an induction
for October 5 or so.

I need to mention that we had about a 2 hour drive to the hospital, and the
hospital stay after the baby was born was expected to be about 10 to 14
days.

On Tuesday, September 27, I had some possible contractions, or at least some
obvious Braxton-Hicks. I don't have noticeable BH, so I commented to my
husband that maybe something was starting?? The next day it was the same
thing. I had a couple of tightenings, but they weren't all that noticeable
and were still very sporadic. I took an hour and half nap with my
two-year-old while my four-year-old watched cartoons that afternoon, and
that night I fell asleep on the couch watching Law and Order just after 9
pm. At 10:30 pm I was woken up by my cell phone ringing, and it was a wrong
number. I decided hubby and I should probably remove our sleeping selves
from the couches and go to bed. He agreed, and I fell asleep as soon as my
head hit the pillow.

End of Part 1


--
Joy

Rose 1-99
Iris 2-01
Spencer 3-03
Grant 9-05