The Story of Benjamin's Birth
Benjamin was our little surprise baby! After fertility problems with both the girls, we were a bit careless, never dreaming I would get pregnant so soon! We all laughed when Brianna's Sunday School teacher told us that she had requested prayer for a baby brother. But the laugh was on us when I discovered two weeks later that our third child was on the way. I think I knew right away that he would be a boy! Here is his birth story as "remembered by Benj!"
Being the smart kid that I am, I waited until there was a warm spell right in the middle of January before I made my journey into the world. Mommy had some Braxton Hicks contractions for a couple weeks before I was born, but nothing that got her too excited. Until Jan. 15 when the contractions, although not at all painful, continued for about 16 hours. Around 3 pm they stopped completely. Mommy cried, so to cheer her up, Daddy took her out for supper, and then Mommy decided to try something she'd never tried before ~ castor oil! I was not too impressed. It didn't do a whole lot for starting labour right away, so Mommy and Daddy went to bed.
Around 1 am Mommy got up to go pee. She had no sonner crawled back under the covers when WHAMO! Contraction! So she got up, walked into the living room and Whamo! Contraction # 2. This was a 'hold onto the wall, pant, pant, blow' kind of contraction! Around 1:30 am Mommy woke up Daddy and said, "This is it. We'd better get the girls up and to the sitter's." Daddy said that Mommy better be sure, he didnt' want to wake everyone up for nothing. (After all Mommy had had lots of false labour and it was still 10 days early.) Mommy was sure. So by the time they dropped off my sisters at some friends and got all the way across the city to the hospital it was 3:30 am.
The hospital was hopping. Mommy was doing her Lamaze breathing exercises to help her maintain some kind of sanity! She was bleeding heavily (just started on the way!) and was already 5 cm dilated. Mommy said no to demerol but tried the laughing gas. That didn't do a thing so Mommy said "forget it." The nurse checked Mommy again, ran into the hall, and soon there was another nurse and all kinds of carts rolling in.
The nurses said that Dr. Sinha might not make it because she was at another hospital delivering another baby! Around 6 am Mommy was 10 cm and wanting to push but her waters had not broken yet. The nurses were standing around commenting on how tough the sac must be. Mommy yelled at them, "Just break it then!" So they did and Mommy pushed with all her might. As I crowned, the nurse urged Mommy to reach down and feel my head, but somehow that freaked her out to feel a head THERE! She screamed at the nurses, "GET IT OUT!" At 6:15 am I was born. Daddy cried, and Mommy just kept looking to make sure I really was a boy! I am! Everyone was so happy to hear me cry.... Mommy says I didn't cry as loud as the girls did. I guess that shows who has the big mouth eh! He!He! Then the Dr. came in....in time to stitch up a little tear for Mommy. She said I have Daddy's dimple in the chin! Mommy hadn't even noticed that yet....She was too busy making sure I was really a boy!
I weighed 7 lbs, 11 oz. My apgar score was 9/10 and Mommy's labour was 5 hours and 15 minutes total. Thank you Godfor such an easy and quick arrival. I just wanted out of there before she took anymore castor oil....... |
