The Birth of Braedyn

So contractions were 28 minutes apart. I was so exhausted that I kept falling asleep on the table. Dr. Bill didn't believe in stirrups, so my friend Niki and my mom held my legs in the birthing position. It was tiring for them as well, even more tiring for me, cause I recognized that at being 6'2" tall, that half my weight was carried in my legs; so I was struggling to keep my center of balance, and not let them take all my weight. This was caught on soon enough, and my doctor got out the stirrups.

I was told in birthing class that the maximum amount of hours most women on the table giving birth would be 2.5 hours, tops. No, that didn't help me at all, as I was watching the clock.

Started full labor at 8:26am, hard contractions, pushing, yelling, holding my breath. Yup, I was holding my breath. You know that feeling when you stub your toe on something hard? You normally say a loud cussing word, and hold your breath...that was me minus the cursing. Niki, my mom, my doctor and the nurses all realized I was turning this slight odd bluish color. So they focused in more so, and realized while I was pushing, I wasn't breathing. Taking a deep breath in and holding it. I was demanded to breathe. I couldn't...the pain was just so unbearable...I had...to...hold...my...breath.
Niki said if I didn't breathe she was going to bite me. Well who the heck bites you when your in labor? Niki is the one that bites a pregnant lady in labor! She bit my arm and drew blood. I screamed, why the hell did you do that for. She grinned and said, "you're breathing again, aren't you."
It hurt...I had some choice words for her, it made everyone laugh - funny for everyone else, but they weren't the ones sitting on that table, in major pain and to top it off, teeth marks on your arm. I still have a scar to this day! It did relieve some tension though!

Just passed 2.5 hours. Contractions still only 28 minutes a part. Unbelievable! I then thought back to the birth classes and thought of my instructor. Liar is all that came to mind! lol

Three hours went by...Dr. Bill felt for the baby, he was close. Sunnyside up, and stuck. I thought, huh, what? How does a baby get stuck up there? All that goo, shouldn't he slide right out? I mean really, how far are they coming, like maybe 12 inches at the most?

He wasn't in distress...so I kept pushing, and Dr. Bill kept rotating him. This went on for hours! I was given some oxygen at 11:30am for an asthma attack that I had on the table. That helped...I fell asleep for a little bit. My mom brought me a warm hospital blanket. I was slightly chilly.

My mom went for another blanket, and I woke up, and this wave of more pain came on so fast and furious. But my mom wasn't in the room, I panicked. My step- mother jumped in to help. My dad had arrived with Dorothy. My brother would have helped, but first off, he's a guy - my little brother, and he was behind the video camera. I will have to find that video and upload it, cause if you get a chance to see it, there's a spot on the video where he obviously saw too much. LOL. It was one of those, "oooh too much information." He didn't want to see all that...he was just trying to film the birth.

My mom came back in the room and literally bumped my step mom out of the way. They don't get along too well. (They have had to share wedding, graduations, special occasions, but come hell or high water, my mom wasn't going to share the birth of her first grandchild.) hehehehe

The last major push, out came his head, I could feel it, literally could, cause I reached down! Then his shoulders, and out he slid! He was here! He cried right away! They put him on my stomach - he was so little! 12:48pm. Braedyn had arrived. It only took 4 hours and 22 minutes for him to arrive after I started pushing. (So folks never believe the birthing class instructor!)

They whisked him away to do the stats. He was dis-colored. His skin cracked and bleeding. He was purplish. He was 4 pounds 12 ounces. He was tiny. But he was healthy!

Dr. Bill said that my placenta came out in 8 pieces. So when I had false contractions in November of 2001, I should have had him. He was over cooked. I knew I was pregnant sooner than what was detected. Doctors figured he would have been just over 6 pounds, had I delivered sooner. He was under weight, cause his food supply had been deteriorating.

I started to cry...I was emotionally spent, exhausted, and elated at the same time. (Wanna know something? - My step mom told me to suck it up, the nerve of her! Can you say RUDE?)

I had my son, he was beautiful. He was mine. He was my baby. Only mine. i was a single mom, so all I had to share him with was family and friends. My son Braedyn was born. The most beautiful little boy to walk the earth!