Dear Ayden: A Birth Story

Dear Ayden,

My wonderful, intelligent “preemie” baby boy, you are four years old today! That’s one – two – three – FOUR. Time sure does fly when you are having fun! While you have your moments, for the most part you are a well behaved little boy. Just remember to listen to mommy a little more often. Okay? Thank you, Monkey!

Do you remember the day you were born? I do. Like it was yesterday. You gave mommy a run for her money when I was pregnant with you! Premature labor began at 32 weeks. Three trips to Labor and Delivery. Bed rest for weeks. Yes, you were just as hard headed then as you are now! Ha ha ha. My water finally broke when I was 36 weeks and 3 days pregnant with you. The fourth trip to Labor and Delivery, and this time you meant business. The doctors couldn’t send me home on bed rest THIS time.

I was admitted and hooked up to every wire imaginable. I was “comfortable” and opted not to have an epidural right away. I was nervous about the epidural because of my experience while I was in labor with your brother and the epidural headache I developed after he was born. BIG MISTAKE. Within 30 minutes, I was in unbearable pain and when I requested the epidural, I was told there was now a “wait”. UGH.

I bared the pain and an hour and a half later, I was finally given an epidural. WHEW. I was finally able to rest a little. Since I was not dilating on my own they decided to start Pitocin. WORST. STUFF. EVER. So needless to say that much needed rest I wanted, wasn’t going to happen.

I labored on for 16 HOURS. I started to worry. At the highest dose of Pitocin they could give me and I didn’t dilate anymore than I was when I was admitted. Not to mention, I was only in labor with your brother for 12 hours. Everyone kept telling me, delivery will be quicker this time around! Boy oh boy, were they wrong.

During the 16th and 17th hour, 2 doctors and 3 nurse checked my cervix. Really? Did it take that many people to see how far I had dilated? Well, they were just as concerned as I was, and during the first examination the nurse felt something “was’t right”. So she called in a team to try and verify what she had encountered.

The head Physician of Labor and Delivery determined that you had a second amniotic sac that hadn’t ruptured. It was preventing you from birthing. She ruptured the additional amniotic sac, and within an hour you were born. ONE HOUR. I really wished they had figured that out when I arrived. Something could have gone horribly wrong, but I am blessed they figured it out before any problems developed, and before they rushed me into a C-Section.

Of course you were perfectly perfect. Ten finger and tens toes, and aside from battling jaundice for two weeks you were completely healthy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONKEY! Mommy loves you!

XOXO,