Tanner's Birth Story

We found out in July that we were expecting our third child. We were excited and yet a tad bit overwhelmed at the prospect of having three children. Things were progressing fine until week nine of my pregnancy when I started passing out while driving or walking through the store. My OB put me on bed rest and restricted activity for three weeks. The bed rest seemed to help, and I was back up and taking kids to preschool and just being a pregnant mommy. At week 20 we had the ultrasound and found out we were having a boy. We have a girl and a boy so it was no big deal either way. I went through the rest of pregnancy with all the major aches and pains and being put on and off of bed rest for multiple problems. When I finally made it to week 37 I was taken off bed rest for good.

At my 38 week appointment, my doctor told me if I was dilating or effacing he would schedule me for an induction because my husband's job was pretty erratic. Well, I went in and NOTHING was happening so I went home pretty upset. Went back at my 39 week appt and still nothing. I was just one cm dilated and 30 percent effaced. I was due on April 10, 1999, and went in for my next appointment on April 6, 1999 -- the doctor took one look at my belly and immediately began measuring..my little baby had crawled up instead of dropping down, and my doctor told me there was pretty much no chance of my son coming anytime soon. I was pretty bummed out, but when my doctor did the internal and I was still at one cm and 30 percent, I almost lost it. I was complaining to him that I didn't want to go too far past my due date because of my other kids and needing help and I really wanted to KNOW when this baby was going to come if at all possible - so the doctor scheduled me for an induction on April 13, 1999. I went home pretty happy with myself for finally getting an induction scheduled and went about my night.

The next day was Wednesday, and I was so exhausted that when I got up to go to the bathroom I didn't really pay any attention to what was happening. I got back in bed and fell asleep for a few more hours. When I finally got up and used the bathroom again I noticed a tinge of pinkish mucous on the toilet paper. Having NEVER lost my plug with my other two pregnancies I wasn't exactly sure whether this was my plug or not. I took my daughter to preschool and came home, went to the bathroom again (you know us pregnant women!) and had more tinged mucous, this time more and a little redder. I continued through the day with some smaller contractions but nothing major. I went to pick my daughter up from preschool and came home and had a few killer contractions so my husband suggested I call my OB. The doctor told me chances are it was just because of the internal but I could come in and get checked if I would feel better. I arranged for a babysitter and had my mom go with me to the doctor since I figured if it was a false alarm -- no use in having my husband sit there for nothing. I got to the doctor's office at about 2:45 and on the way back to an examing room I said "Something better be happening because I am NOT going home," to which he replied "Oh where are you going to the mall?" The smart aleck!! When he checked me -- wooohoo I was at 3 cm and 60 percent effaced. I guess he finally decided to take pity on me and called the hospital to tell them I was on my way over for an induction. I was so excited and scared!!!

I got to Labor and Delivery at about 3:45 and they took all my information and checked me in. They got everything ready for the induction and it took until about 4:45 to get the pitocin started. The contractions were a tad stronger, but nothing I couldn't handle, so I sat and talked to my mom who was going to be there to watch the birth. I called my husband at work and was told he couldn't leave until he fixed some problems with the computer network. I started to panic thinking I couldn't do it without him but figured he would be there soon. At about 5:30 the OB resident came in and popped my water. I thought it would hurt, but it didn't. I then expected the contractions to hurt, but they didn't either.

Around 6 PM my OB came in to see how I was doing and checked me. I was at a 4 and 95 percent effaced, and he was pretty happy with the progress so he upped the pitocin, asked me how I was handling the contractions (which were not bad at all), and said he would be back in awhile. Well not 10 minutes after he left, the contractions were KILLING me. They were coming every two minutes and lasting about 80 to 90 seconds. I thought I would die. I was SCREAMING for my epidural but since it was a stormy night and the barometric pressure was falling the Labor and Delivery floor was full and the anesthesiologist had a few emergency c-sections ahead of me...so I had to deal with the contractions for almost two hours. Finally the guy came to give my my epidural and I could have kissed him...it felt wonderful. At 7pm my husband showed up and at 8pm they checked me and I was at 7cm...only 3 more to go!! WOOOHOOO!!! At about 9:30 that night I was starting to really feel the pressure of contractions so I called for the epidural to be topped off a little bit...the nurse came in and I was at 9 cm so I only got a 1/4 of a dose. They called my doctor (who lives about 15 minutes from the hospital) and he got there at 9:45, just as I hit a 10. He was getting dressed in his "protective gear" and the nurse told me to push a little bit...but I was sooo numb from the topped off epidural I couldn't even feel my legs. The nurse and my husband had to hold my legs. The doc got into position and told me to go ahead and push. I could feel the pushing but not my legs; it was really cool. I pushed three times with each contraction for three contractions and out came Tanner Jaxon. He was born at 10:12 PM and was 7 pounds 4.8 ounces and 20 inches long. His apgars were 9 and 9 and he came out just perfect. NO conehead or anything. We stayed in the hospital until Friday morning and then came home. He is a great baby, and his big brother and big sister love him dearly!!!