Nathaniel Reid Brubaker

Yes, I do realize that my baby will be 6 months old on Thursday. It's about time that I document his birth story!

I was induced with Ellie, and I really wanted to go into labor on my own this time. Not that I had anything but a wonderful experience with Ellie, but I just wanted to do it on my own this time, so that was the plan throughout most of my pregnancy. But as November 29, his due date, got closer, I started to get nervous. I was in school, and my teachers hadn't been very accommodating with making up clinical hours. (But that is a story for another day) So an induction was in the back of my mind, but I kept thinking, "there is never a convenient time to have a baby," so I continued to plan on going into labor on my own.

I was almost 39 weeks along when Sam and I went in for one of my check ups. The doctor asked me if I knew how to tell I was actually in labor, how long to wait at home before coming in, where to go once I got to the hospital, etc. He left the room for a minute, and Sam said that maybe we should schedule an induction for the day after Thanksgiving. When the doctor came back in we told him that was what we wanted to do, but we could always cancel it if I decided I didn't want to go that route.

I was still wishy-washy on the whole induction thing, but for some reason I felt like we needed to do it.

I was up most of the night before Thanksgiving with contractions, but nothing strong enough or close enough together to head into the hospital. The same with Thanksgiving day, and the night after Thanksgiving. When I called the Labor and Delivery Unit at 5:30 that morning to make sure they had room for me, they told me to head on over. So we did.

The nurse got me all hooked up to monitors and put my IV in, and the doctor came in and broke my water. I was excited! And I thought for sure this labor would be shorter than the last.

I was progressing slowly, but I wasn't worried because that happened last time, too. I got my epidural, and Sam and I watched the hospital-required videos. Baby's monitors had looked perfect all day.

Around 1pm, the monitors changed. It was scarier for me this time because I knew what the monitors meant! With each contraction, baby's heart rate dropped into the 50's. But he would quickly get back up into the normal range after each contraction, so it wasn't a huge worry.

At this point, I had reached a "tight 6" and hadn't really progressed. The baby was still at a -3 station, and didn't seem to be coming down any farther.

The nurses gave me oxygen, switched my position over and over, and the little guy still wouldn't come down.

This went on for 6 or 7 hours. I was still at a 6, and baby was still at a -3. The doctor came in, and said from the way the monitors looked and my lack of progression, he thought the baby was tangled up in the cord. He told me that because baby's heart rate was coming up quickly after contractions he was doing fine and could stand more labor if I wanted to go that route, but it sounded like I may need a c-section.

I cried while they got me prepped for the c-section. It was not the birth experience I had in mind. But my anesthesiologist was fantastic, my doctor was amazing, and it was going to be ok. I couldn't have done it without Sam. He talked to me and kept me calm throughout the surgery, even though the anesthesia made me shake and feel nauseous. When they saw the baby, the doctor told me he was wrapped up in the cord "like he was wearing a seat belt." The cord had been around his neck and wrapped around his little body.

Finally, at 9:22 pm, I heard my little boy cry. I was so happy he was healthy! They showed him to me, took him to the nursery to measure and bathe him, and then I got to hold him.

We named him Nathaniel Reid Brubaker - Nathaniel meaning "gift from God," and Reid so he could have the same middle name as his dad. He weighed 6 lb. 10 oz., and measured 21.5 inches (I think that was a mistake).

Holding my little boy for the first time.

Family picture, minus Ellie!

I look back now and think that it was inspiration that I was induced. I honestly don't think we would have had the same outcome if I had waited to go into labor on my own with this pregnancy. Nathan was really tangled up in the cord, and who knows if waiting a few days would have gotten him more tangled?

All I know is that I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows better than I do what is best for me and all of His children. And I am grateful for our little Nathaniel!