Benjamin was born on his due date since I went in for an induction. Part of me felt bad for having an induction instead of just waiting for my body to decide on when to go into labor, but with my husbands schedule and the fact that we don't live near family it was much easier to schedule my induction on my due date since my parents arrived on Thursday September 26 and my husband didn't start his next quarter of the masters program until Monday September 30. So being induced would give me the longest amount of time with my parents around for help after having the baby and would allow my husband to be there without having to worry about missing class or not being able to make the birth.
On Friday September 27 I woke up early and called the hospital to make sure they could accommodate my induction and was told to make my way in. When I arrived the shift change was happening but the night nurse was nice enough to take me back to my room and get me all set up, the only thing that wasn't that great was when she tried to put in my iv she missed my vein which wasn't pleasant. My new nurse, Kelly, came in shortly after the failed iv attempted and was able to place my iv easily and prepared to get things ready for my induction. After verifying the plan for my induction with my doctor Kelly came back in giving me an oral medication to try and start contractions. This medicine was given to me around 8:30 and then we just waited to see if the medicine would do anything and for my doctor to come to the hospital to break my water. While we waited I finished knitting a hat for a baby boy that I had failed to complete. (I had one girl hat and then the boy hat since we didn't know if Baby Brave was a boy or a girl). My doctor arrived at the hospital around 10:30 and came to break my water (I wanted to avoid pitocin if I could and wanted to see if breaking my water would kickstart labor). The oral medication did nothing as far as starting labor because I was still 3cm dilated, which I had been the day before at the doctors office. My doctor broke my water at 10:39 and left to head back to his office. Within 5-10 minutes of breaking my water I started feeling contractions. They asked that I not sit in bed to help my labor progress so after quickly finishing the baby hat I got up out of bed and paced back and forth in my room. At 11:30 I felt a shift in my contractions and was in significant pain during my contractions and feeling a lot of pressure. I was talking to my husband saying these contractions felt like they did before Ellie arrived but I couldn't believe that I was that far progressed since it hadn't even been an hour since my water had been broken. At this point my nurse came in to check on me and I told her what I was feeling. She suggested that I lay down so she could check me just to see if I was making progress and she said I was 7-8cm and she was going to call my doctor to come back to the hospital. For the next 20 or 30 minutes I just lay there breathing through my contractions trying to remind myself that the pain was temporary and would be over soon. My doctor arrived and told me I could push when ever I felt the urge. Pushing was a new experience for me since with Ellie she just kind of flew out I swear, and the ring of fire was intense and extremely painful. It is the strangest feeling being in so much pain and knowing that the only way to end the pain is to continue pushing into the pain. After a few pushes Baby Brave made his entrance into the world at 12:02pm. He had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck twice, thankfully he had a long cord according to my doctor and was not caused any distress by his cord being around his neck. I had been in so much pain and was so relieved that the pain was gone that my doctor and my nurse had to repeatedly tell me to open my eyes to see my son. My doctor handed me my baby and we spent the next hour and half just cuddling, doing skin to skin and nursing. Those first few moments after birth are so surreal.
After spending several hours cuddling and getting to know our new little guy Chris headed home to be with Will, James, and Ellie to try and keep their day/night as normal as possible. I spent some quiet alone time with Benjamin just soaking up the newborn cuddles and relaxing as much as I could. It was enjoyable to spend the quiet time with him, Benjamin unlike my other was born during the day, and I feel like it made those first few hours together a little more enjoyable since I wasn't exhausted or ready to go to sleep.
Later in the day my parents, Grambie and Geep to the kids, stopped by to visit Benjamin for the first time.
For how big Benjamin was a birth, he still looks so tiny next to my dad's hand
After my parents left Benjamin and I spent the rest of the evening relaxing together, cuddling and watching a little tv (American Housewife) before heading to bed. For our first night together we slept decently well Benjamin actually slept a 4-5 hour stretch, being born is exhausting!
