Birth Story Isom Boy #2

I'm going to give two versions of this story... Reader's Digest and Expanded Version.

Reader's Digest:

Richard Kolby Isom was born on July 31st, 2012 (his actual due date).

He weighs 7 lbs. 6 oz. and measured 20 in.

I ended up having ANOTHER emergency c-section.

For pictures of our little baby boy, scroll down to the bottom.

Expanded Version:

Before we even got pregnant this time around, I knew I wanted a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section).  So, when I did get pregnant, I looked into our options.  The nearest hospitals from us did not offer VBACs, so the only choice was the go to Salt Lake City two hours away.  Every month, I traveled the two hours to SLC, usually with John Wayne by my side, which was NOT an easy task.  I travelled monthly and near the end, weekly.  My doctors were supportive and optimistic.  They said I had a really good chance of getting my VBAC.

Fast forward to last week, I went into my doctor's appt.; they measured me, and I was 3 1/2 cm!  I'm sure it was due to the move the week before.  I didn't do a lot of heavy lifting, but the stress alone created a ton of Braxton-Hicks!   I had already gone through the early stages of labor.  Throughout the week, I went to Lagoon, walked several miles, and felt tons of pressure.  The following week's appointment (July 30th), I was measured and was dilated to a 4, and about 85 % effaced.  She also stripped my membranes.  After I reminded her I live two hours away, and I was nervous about going into labor before we got to the hospital, she told me to dink around the city for a few hours and if I had some consistent contractions, then to come back and she would strip my membranes again.

While I was walking around, I began having more contractions, so I did go back, she checked me again (now a 5) and did the stripping thing.  After that, the contractions started getting stronger and closer together, so I called T, told him to pick up John Wayne after work, and come down to SLC because we were probably gonna have a baby soon.  

After T got to the city, we got some food and went to T's brother's house.  We talked a lot about labor with DJ and Christine while John Wayne watched Thomas on their Netflix.  Around 11 pm, the contractions were getting pretty strong and closer together, so we decided to head on over to the hospital.  After we got there, I was almost a 6 and the contractions were coming hard!  It got to the point where I couldn't take it anymore.  I was 7 when they put in the epidural in.  Later, the anesthesiologist told me she was glad I had asked for one 'just in case I would need a something stronger later'.  

Once the epidural really started working, T and were both exhausted.  We started to bed down.  It seemed like the minute all the lights went out in the room, I had settled into a comfortable position and T had turned his chair into a somewhat suitable sleeping apparatus, I got a super strong contraction (I was still feeling them fairly strongly since I got my epidural kinda late in the game).  About 3 seconds later, my water broke, and boy did it break!  There was fluid EVERYWHERE, which leads me and the nurses I had been talking to about my last pregnancy that I once again, had too much fluid in there.

The doctor then checked me.  They noticed his head was tilted back; not ideal for a vaginal birth.  I was only an 8 by then, so they suggested to at least try to push once I was all the way, and then see from there (apparently, babies can change positions suddenly sometimes once they come down the birth canal).  

Once I was a ten and ready to go, I started pushing.  I pushed maybe about 4 or 5 full times, and the nurses were getting nervous.  The baby wasn't dropping like he should, and he face was STILL in the wrong position for getting past my pelvis.  Not only that, but his heart was dropping when I was having a contraction (normal) and after the contraction (abnormal). 

Finally, one of the many doctors coming in and out of my room told us the deal: either keep pushing, but the doctors were losing hope, or have the emergency c-section now and maybe save myself a little extra recovery time.  We chose the c-section.  I was real upset and disappointed about it, but I knew what needed to be done.

While they were prepping me for surgery, the nurses said it was pretty unlikely for me to have 2 c-sections both due to malpresention; it seemed too much of a coincidence.  They said I most likely have a weird shaped uterus or small pelvis or something like that.  This is something both T and I have to discuss with child number 3, because I REALLY don't want to do the whole 'go into full labor and end of having a c-section' thing all over again.  

This c-section went a lot smoother than the last one in many ways.  My labor was shorter, there were people with us during the entire ordeal, and even my recovery time has been less painful.  The one main aspect where it was worse was the actual surgery.  I got wheeled into the room with about 7 or 8 people waiting for me (this is a learning hospital, so every doctor had a student with them), last time just felt more intimate, there were only 3 doctors in there with T and I.  I was dying of thirst and they wouldn't let me have anything.  They made me wear this oxygen mask, and the curtain that goes between your  head and your body (to shelter you from what they're doing to your lower half) and everything was way to close to me I was experiencing some serious claustrophobia. 

After what felt like forever, they pulled our sweet boy out of me.  He looked real puffy, but he also perfect.  They then took him right to the nursery, where T got spend what felt like eternity with him while I laid there getting stitched up.  That part sucks too much!  

After that, we went back to our room and hung out with our new baby boy.  He looks a lot like T I think.  This baby has blonde hair and fair skin, while JW had more of a darker skin coloring (like me) and dark hair.  

Poor little guy has this rash all over his body, I think it's due to his sensitive skin; the doctors say it will go away in the next few weeks.

We finally decided on a name:

Richard Kolby Isom

*Richard because I have a brother and T's dad is named Richard.

*Kolby because of one of T's best friends.

We've had many visitors at the hospital and DJ even brought John Wayne to see his little brother.  I'm sure he understands this baby is going home with us, but he was gracious enough to hold him to ten seconds and give him a kiss.

It's funny how even now, I see some differences in this child?

He seems more needy than JW.  JW never wanted to be held just to be held.  This boy sometimes just wants to be held...Richie is also a breastfeeding rockstar!  The first time we tried, he latched on, and that was it!  I'm so grateful for I was stressed after the ordeal with JW.  

I forgot how little and adorable newborns are.  I'm super pumped to take care of this little boy and just bask in his newborn-ness!