C-Section Birth Story

Happy Birthday Wyatt! I can’t believe that it has been one whole year since you entered this world on your own, kicking and screaming and making yourself known! To celebrate, I figured it is about time that I tell your birth story. Also, if I wait too much longer, I will forget it myself!

Repeat C-Section

Honestly, Wyatt’s birth story is very connected to Mia’s birth story because of the way her’s turned out. I ended up having a c-section after 20 hours of drug free labor, which put me on the path for a repeat c-section for Wyatt’s birth.

The problem was, I didn’t want a repeat c-section. I loved the labor experience I had with Mia. Working toward a goal with my husband. Allowing my body to do what it was supposed to do. I wasn’t even upset with how Mia’s birth ended other than the fact that it removed the chance for a natural birth for any of my future children. I was more scared of a c-section than labor.

VBAC Option

When I was pregnant with Wyatt, I did look into VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarian.) However, the closest hospital that would even attempt them was an hour and a half away, in a different state. I looked into it. I wanted a natural birth that bad, but I had already started seeing my doctor in town (who we liked) and Cody didn’t like the idea. We went back and forth about it for weeks, each of us quoting statistics at each other and arguing about it, but I finally backed down and decided we would stay at our hospital with our doctor.

It did turn out just fine, especially as sick as I was during my pregnancy. Not nausea sick, but I was on antibiotics every month it seemed like! Sinus infection, UTI, bronchitis, and other bacteria that showed up in a screening. I even coughed so hard at one point, I think I popped a rib out of place. So, it was nice having a doctor nice and close that we knew.

Nevertheless, I was still upset about the c-section. I wanted a labor and birth story so bad with my second baby. I felt like it wasn’t going to be special and it was just going to be clinical and sterile and so separate from me. Unlike Mia’s pregnancy, I didn’t read any birth stories because they just made me MAD. I felt so left out and cheated knowing I wasn’t going to get that. I really wanted to go into labor before the scheduled c-section date just so it didn’t feel so planned, but it wasn’t in the cards for me!

The Day Before

Birth Day

The morning of Wyatt’s scheduled c-section date was April 23, three days before I was 40 weeks (also my parent’s 30th anniversary). We had to be at the hospital at 6am. Cody’s parents came over to the house to take care of Mia and get her to daycare before they went to work.

We entered the hospital through the ER doors and checked in at the nurses desk. The nurses brought us back to a maternity room and I changed out of my clothes into a hospital gown. They strapped the fetal heart monitor and contraction counter on me and monitored me and the baby and started my IV. I was surprised that that contraction counter only picked up one contraction the whole hour it was on because I had been having contractions often over the previous week, but they were neither regular nor strong. Baby was pretty content that morning!

Getting a Spinal Tap

It was a lot of getting there early and waiting at that point. Cody and I watched some tv and talked until they wheeled me back into surgery at 8:00am. I sat up on the bed and leaned over onto a nurse so the anesthesiologist could administer my spinal tap. My forehead rested on hers and my arms were on her shoulders. I don’t remember what we talked about, but I know we weren’t paying attention to what everyone around us was saying.

The anesthesiologist cleaned my back where he was going to do the spinal. He first put some numbing agent in around my spine using a needle. They were just little pokes that I felt. When he put the spinal in, I didn’t feel that needle at all. Then I laid down.

It took a little while for the numbing to take effect, and during that time Cody got gowned up and was able to come back into the surgery room and sit by my head. Before I knew it, they were ready to get started, but I didn’t feel numb enough! I felt a lot more than I remembered from the first time around, but that was probably because I was so exhausted and wore out the first time that I didn’t notice. They checked to see how numb I was by tapping up and down my legs with a sharp object and said I was good, but I could still feel my feet for the most part and tell where the doctors were. I was definitely more than a little nervous!

Here Comes the Baby!

However, I guess the doctors knew best because I didn’t feel when they began to cut. I was looking up at Cody the whole time and holding his hand. He was exactly what I need at that point because I was terrified.

The anesthesiologist was also behind my head, but he was standing up and was telling us what was going on. He told me when I was going to start feeling pressure and they were going to deliver the baby. I felt them shoving on my stomach a bit and I was looking at Cody when the anesthesiologist said, “It’s a boy!” and we heard a cry.

Cody responded with “Really?” We didn’t know what to expect and Cody thought it was going to be a girl I think. 🙂 The anesthesiologist said, “Well, I’ll look again. Yes, it’s a boy!” Our doctor then peeked him over the sheet so we could see his screaming red face before they weighed him.

That is when I laughed and immediately started crying. Not beautiful tears of joy, but ugly body wracking sobs. I had a baby boy! He was here, the stress was over, and I got to see him! My nose got all stuffy, Cody had to wipe my eyes with tissues, and my mascara ran all over the place. He kept asking me if I was okay and rubbing my head. I don’t think he expected that reaction out of me! Heck, I didn’t expect that reaction out of me!

Wyatt David

Wyatt was born at 8:30am; he was 7 lbs and 5 oz and 19 inches long. The nurses asked me what his name was and in between all the sobs, I said Wyatt. Cody took pictures and was the first one of us to hold him. Cody brought Wyatt close to my face and they undid my arms so I could hug him and touch him.

I couldn’t get enough of Wyatt and I didn’t even notice them stitching me back up. It went way faster than I thought and both Wyatt and I left the operating room at the same time. The nurses brought me back to my room to get settled while Cody went with Wyatt to the nursery for a few more measurements and footprints. We were quickly back together and I got to breastfeed him right away. We kept visitors away for awhile, but told our parents right before noon that they could come and visit their new grandchild. Mia came in later that afternoon to meet her baby brother. We were now a family of four!