Jonathan's Story

I found out that I was pregnant on April 25, 2002. I had gone to my family practice doctor because of abdominal pains and my period was two weeks late. The pregnancy test came back positive, and we found out our baby was due on Christmas Eve. My husband and I decided to attempt a VBAC.

I had already had a child with someone else eleven years earlier. My first baby was born at 30 weeks by emergency C-section due to fetal distress. Needless to say, my husband and I were scared about this baby arriving early like my first one had.

I really had no problems during the pregnancy with the exception of my blood pressure fluctuating up and down, which caused me to be placed on bedrest several times during the course of this pregnancy. On November 6, when I was 33 weeks along, I started feeling pressure that came and went in my abdomen while I was cooking supper. An hour later, the pressure was stronger so I called my doctor's office, and was advised to go to Labor and Delivery.

On the way to the hospital, I started having contractions. The doctor ordered a shot to stop them, fortunately it worked. The doctor didn't want me having our baby until Thanksgiving week, which was another three weeks ahead, as they wanted the baby's lungs to be more mature.

I started going to the doctor every week at that point. My blood pressure spiked a couple more times after that, which caused me to be placed on bedrest several more times in the last six weeks of the pregnancy. My cervix was checked on December 6; I was 1 cm. dilated and it was thinning out.

On December 17, my 39th week, I went to the doctor for a check-up. I was 2 cm. dilated and my cervix had thinned out enough that the doctor gave me the option of being induced, which I took as I really didn't want to be in the hospital on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The induction was scheduled for two days later.

December 19th...I checked in the hospital at 5:30 a.m. My IV was placed and the Pitocin drip was started. Every once in a while, the amount of Pitocin was increased. I was having contractions, but they were not strong. At 11:30 a.m., the doctor on call broke my water after checking my cervix and said that I was 3 cm. dilated. Then the contractions REALLY got stronger! Within ten minutes, I was asking for an epidural because of the amount of pain I was in.

At 12:30 p.m., the epidural was given and I started having problems within 15 minutes. My baby's heart rate dropped. I was asked to lay on my left side for a few minutes to try and get the heart rate to go up. It didn't. I was then asked to lay on my right side, which didn't work either. The doctor then decided that I was going to the OR for an emergency C-Section. My husband and I started crying because we wanted a vaginal delivery and were scared for our child. My husband was not allowed to go back with me, so he was left with the difficult job of calling my parents and his parents, as they had not gotten to the hospital yet.

I remember being wheeled to the operating room bawling my eyes out because I was scared for everyone. The next thing I remember was waking up from the C-Section and seeing my husband and my mom. I immediately asked about our child and found out that Jonathan had been born at 1:44 p.m. and that he was healthy as can be.

To this day, I thank the Lord every day for our wonderful Christmas miracle. He is the best baby I could have asked for. I am going to cherish every moment that I have with my son.