Benjamin Andrew arrived on April 6th at 7:56am, measuring 20 inches and weighing 7 pounds 5 ounces.
As a matter of background, we had a traumatic birth experience with our almost 20 month old who was born by emergency c-section. During my first pregnancy, I had what I consider to be inadequate prenatal care. The OBs didn't believe me that I was having contractions, and I had to pretend I couldn't talk through a contraction in order to finally be admitted to L&D. It turns out my water had broken....at some point....I don't know when as I was exhausted from days of contractions. Then my son's heart rate dropped to below 80 beats per minute and passed fresh meconium (my water had been clear then suddenly fresh meconium began falling out of me). They left me laboring for about 2 hours with his heartrate below 100 beats per minute. By the time, they decided to do an emergency c-section, his heartrate was below 60 beats per minute. The Ped present at his birth said that he thought my son wouldn't make it. His 1 minute APGAR was a 1, and he had a hole in his lung from struggling to breathe through lungs filled withmeconium. In addition, he had ingested meconium and his liver and kidney were inflammed and he spent 5 days in a NICU despite being born on hiss due date.
For Ben's birth, we decided to do a scheduled c-section aas I was terrified of having a similar experience. My pregnancy was very similar but I had much better prenatal care (seeing a civilian OB instead of a military doctor). The morning of the c/s, I arrived at the hospital and was hooked up to monitors. I was having contractions, but had been for weeks. The nurse had problems catching Ben's heartrate, but that was due to him trying to escape the monitor. He finally stopped moving enough for the monitor to get his heart rate. When my alarms started going off after I had 4 strong contractions in about 10 minutes, I thought it was just due to Ben moving off the monitor....the nurses came rushing in.....and it turned out Ben was going into distress due to my contractions. I got an oxygen mask and some Bretherine to stop my contractions and was hurried in for the c/s earlier than scheduled.
The OB didn't even wait for my DH to get into the room before he started operating. DH and I never heard Liam cry in the OR, so we were very nervous as the OB was about to pull Ben out. The OB warned us that Ben wouldn't cry until they got him all the way out of me and suctioned his airways. DH asked to watch as they cut my uterus open and pulled Ben out. He said that Ben's head and 1 shoulder came out, and he began crying immediately. I started crying and felt this enormous sense of relief to know that Ben was healthy enough to cry.
As they were cleaning Ben off though, there were 2 bloody spots on his head that didn't clean off. Suddenly, he was surrounded by nurses and DH and I were being told that he was going to be taken to the NICU. Both of our hearts just fell. At least though, I got to see Ben before he left (Liam was taken from the room to be resusitated then transported to another hospital so he was days old before I saw him). DH gave me a kiss and went off with Ben.....and the NICU immediately sent him to the well baby nursery.
We don't know why, but he basically had two areas where his skin didn't grow over his skull. He had an ultrasound and MRI and both showed Ben to be perfectly healthy. The area on his head has been healing in the meantime and at 10 days old, the smaller area is gone, and the larger area is much shallower and getting smaller everyday.
Breastfeeding is going well. He initially lost alot of weight, but at 7 days old was only 1 ounce below his birth weight.
: We had meant for him to sleep in a pack-n-play in our room, but our co-sleeping for now. Liam is adjusting to him slowly and generally doesn't show much interest in him, although his temper tantrums have increased. 
I am healing slowly physically and feeling overwhelmed about caring for two children under 20 months. I am in love with Ben though and realized I am totally addicted to having a newborn. 
Here are some photos:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
sleeping in the ring sling:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
Easter morning:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
As a matter of background, we had a traumatic birth experience with our almost 20 month old who was born by emergency c-section. During my first pregnancy, I had what I consider to be inadequate prenatal care. The OBs didn't believe me that I was having contractions, and I had to pretend I couldn't talk through a contraction in order to finally be admitted to L&D. It turns out my water had broken....at some point....I don't know when as I was exhausted from days of contractions. Then my son's heart rate dropped to below 80 beats per minute and passed fresh meconium (my water had been clear then suddenly fresh meconium began falling out of me). They left me laboring for about 2 hours with his heartrate below 100 beats per minute. By the time, they decided to do an emergency c-section, his heartrate was below 60 beats per minute. The Ped present at his birth said that he thought my son wouldn't make it. His 1 minute APGAR was a 1, and he had a hole in his lung from struggling to breathe through lungs filled withmeconium. In addition, he had ingested meconium and his liver and kidney were inflammed and he spent 5 days in a NICU despite being born on hiss due date.
For Ben's birth, we decided to do a scheduled c-section aas I was terrified of having a similar experience. My pregnancy was very similar but I had much better prenatal care (seeing a civilian OB instead of a military doctor). The morning of the c/s, I arrived at the hospital and was hooked up to monitors. I was having contractions, but had been for weeks. The nurse had problems catching Ben's heartrate, but that was due to him trying to escape the monitor. He finally stopped moving enough for the monitor to get his heart rate. When my alarms started going off after I had 4 strong contractions in about 10 minutes, I thought it was just due to Ben moving off the monitor....the nurses came rushing in.....and it turned out Ben was going into distress due to my contractions. I got an oxygen mask and some Bretherine to stop my contractions and was hurried in for the c/s earlier than scheduled.
The OB didn't even wait for my DH to get into the room before he started operating. DH and I never heard Liam cry in the OR, so we were very nervous as the OB was about to pull Ben out. The OB warned us that Ben wouldn't cry until they got him all the way out of me and suctioned his airways. DH asked to watch as they cut my uterus open and pulled Ben out. He said that Ben's head and 1 shoulder came out, and he began crying immediately. I started crying and felt this enormous sense of relief to know that Ben was healthy enough to cry.
As they were cleaning Ben off though, there were 2 bloody spots on his head that didn't clean off. Suddenly, he was surrounded by nurses and DH and I were being told that he was going to be taken to the NICU. Both of our hearts just fell. At least though, I got to see Ben before he left (Liam was taken from the room to be resusitated then transported to another hospital so he was days old before I saw him). DH gave me a kiss and went off with Ben.....and the NICU immediately sent him to the well baby nursery.
We don't know why, but he basically had two areas where his skin didn't grow over his skull. He had an ultrasound and MRI and both showed Ben to be perfectly healthy. The area on his head has been healing in the meantime and at 10 days old, the smaller area is gone, and the larger area is much shallower and getting smaller everyday. Breastfeeding is going well. He initially lost alot of weight, but at 7 days old was only 1 ounce below his birth weight.
: We had meant for him to sleep in a pack-n-play in our room, but our co-sleeping for now. Liam is adjusting to him slowly and generally doesn't show much interest in him, although his temper tantrums have increased. I am healing slowly physically and feeling overwhelmed about caring for two children under 20 months. I am in love with Ben though and realized I am totally addicted to having a newborn. Here are some photos:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
sleeping in the ring sling:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
Easter morning:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
, Benjamin!!!
