Isaac Michael Otto's Birth Story

Monday morning August 31st I woke up to go to the bathroom and saw that I had lost my mucus plug. I was so excited but after doing some research found out that you could loose your plug up to a week to 2 weeks before going into labor. I still felt excited knowing that it could be any day. Throughout the day Monday I kept having different contractions that started at the bottom of my stomach and moved upward. They were a little more painful but I definitely knew they were something new and different than what I was feeling. It was my day off so I had my whole house to clean. Chad kept telling me to rest, rest, but all I could think about was, “What if I go into labor? My house will be dirty!” So I’d rest and then get up and do a little, rest and do a little more. Needless to say it took me ALL day to clean my house AND Chad helped a lot. Every time I stood up from resting I got a contraction.
Tuesday was pretty quiet. I had contractions off and on but they were nothing like they were on Monday. Still loosing a little more of my plug. I so needed a pillow to sit on because no matter how much padding there is in my chair it is not enough.
I remembered and took a pillow from home to work. But after work on Wednesday I felt as though the next day and a half that I had left to work/train were going to be long and very painful. I could not get comfortable at all on Wednesday sitting all day at my desk on a pillow. I took several breaks to get water and use the bathroom but I was sore and just really worn out. After I got home I sort of laid around and sat on the couch trying to get comfortable. I felt as though my how crotch area was raw. That night as I fell asleep on the couch I praying and remember telling God I thought I was done.
At around 3:00/3:30 Thursday morning Chad had already gone to work so I went to get in our bed until it’s time to go to work. I remember drinking something from the fridge and then going to the bathroom. I laid in bed a little while trying to go back to sleep and that’s when it happened. I think I went to roll over and felt a small amount of fluid leak out. It wasn’t this huge gush that you always hear but I could tell it was not normal. I knew I hadn’t pee’d on myself because I had just gone to the bathroom. I went to the bathroom to investigate and could tell on the way what I was going to find. I was like, “Did my water just break?” I was in shock and sort of just sat there thinking of what to do? What to do? Ghee! I was so excited!!!! While throwing things in my bag I called and called Chad and had no response. I bet I called him 6 or 7 times and got no answer. I called Nancy, my mother-in-law, and told her that my water had possibly broken and to get ready to come over. I called Chad again twice and got no answer so I finally left a voicemail. I started the shower and then he called back. You could tell he was excited/nervous and he said he would be home as soon as he could. I jumped in the shower and washed my hair. I knew they’d keep me and we’d possibly have the baby and I wanted to be all clean. I wanted to shave my legs but I knew Chad would never go for that.
He flew in the door and wanted to also investigate to make sure what I was seeing was really my water breaking. We flew out the door and Chad gunned it to the hospital. I was having contractions like 3 minutes apart and were a wee bit painful but I knew these weren’t the true hard labor contractions. I kept telling Chad to slow down that we had plenty of time plus it had started to rain. All he said was that if a cop were to pull us over there would be no way he’d give us a ticket. I kept thinking a police escort to the hospital would have been really cool. I remember him asking me, “So how long after your water breaks do we have?” I reassured him that everyone was different but that I felt we had plenty of time to get to the hospital safely.
Around 4:15 am we get to the hospital and check in at the desk. I asked the receptionist if they’d be really busy tomorrow since I had heard there was going to be a full moon. She said yes but that this rain would bring more in than the full moon would.
They took me to triage and tried to test the fluid to see if indeed my water had broken. They had a hard time trying to test it because I also had been passing blood. They said the test would be inconclusive if blood were present. Finally the nurse got her supervisor in to help with the testing and sure enough my water had broken. She did do an internal check and determined that I was only 1 centimeter dilated. At that time I was hooked up to a monitor so I could see my contractions as they began and ended. They were beginning to get really painful. I was so thankful to be having a C-Section and to not be able to feel any of that pain.
The nurse said she’d go and call Dr. Wingo to see what he wanted to do. She returns at 5:00 and says that he wants to go ahead and do the C-Section at 7:30. I had Chad take one of my last pregnancy pictures and then I tried to slap on my makeup. They moved me up to prep for surgery and then it became real. I started to get nervous because of the spinal. That was the worst thing of the whole C-Section process with Lucas. I could not feel anything below my neck plus I was so sick and out of it afterwards that I could not enjoy holding and seeing Lucas for the first time.
I was finally able to call Mom but she didn’t answer on either phones. I finally got in touch with her at 6:30 and told her the news. She tried to make it but with the rain it made it difficult. I think she made it at 7:15 after they had took me.
Time for the spinal and I remember praying it wouldn’t be bad. After they finally got it positioned I was moved to the operating table and I could actually feel my chest. The block only went up to my ribs. Oh, that was a true blessing! I started to feel a little sick so I told the anesthesiologist and he gave me something that stopped it in less than a minute. Within seconds at 7:44 am I could hear our sweet miracle crying. All I could see were Chad’s eyes sparkling as he looked for the gender. Dr. Wingo had told me when he walked in the operating room that although Chad had requested he tell me the gender, Dr. Wingo said he would tell us both at the same time. You can tell in the pictures that Dr. Wingo is covering the privates in order for it to be a surprise. He lifted the baby over the drape and all I saw were testicles! Yeaaaaaa! It was a boy! I knew I was right. The next thing I couldn’t wait for was to see his face. He was beautiful and had cute chubby cheeks. I was also dying to see how much he weighed because I was sooo big. The scale read 8 lbs and 1 ounce and he was 18 and ¼ inches long. One pound less then Lucas and Lucas was 21 and ½ inches long.
They moved me to recovery and took Isaac to the nursery. For about 4 hours I was in recovery and had to wait until I could wiggle my feet. I don’t remember doing this with Lucas but I tried and tried to move my feet. I just couldn’t do it. It’s the weirdest feeling ever!
While I was waiting Mom, Lisa and Dad all walked in not knowing what the gender was. That was so much fun telling them what the baby was and how much he weighed. What an exciting time in my life!
I was finally able to wiggle and feel my feet so it was time to be moved into my new room. On the way we saw Charles and Jamie and they followed us to the room. I remember feeling no pain or anything at that time. I didn’t even feel as though I had had a baby. I still don’t feel as though I’ve had a baby. It’s so bitter sweet but each day the swelling goes away and I’m feeling more like a non-pregnant woman. The whole pregnancy and labor was so much more easier than Lucas’ ever was. I was up cooking dinner the day I got home from the hospital. Don’t get me wrong, I was sore for days but not really in any pain I could not handle. Baptist Hospital and their nurses/services were WONDERFUL and maybe one day I’ll be able to go and have my 3rd one! We’ll see.
Baby Isaac is a very good baby. The only time he cried in the hospital was when he was born. The nurses said he never cried for his bath and he never even cried when he was circumcised! I figured he would be super good at the hospital but once I got home he would start crying and be a different baby. Nope. He’s been good ever since. The first 3 nights he slept for 6 hours straight! I could not believe it. It was a little scary. Now it’s between 3 and 4 hours at night and 3 during the day. He sleeps all the time and you’d never know he was even here. Sometimes I forget he is here.
We started out nursing but had latch issues. My milk even came in on day 3. He’d latch on but then come off. He’d get fussy and move from side to side. I did keep trying but he seemed to take a pumped bottle instead a lot easier. I felt he was much happier eating and a happy baby makes a happy mommy. So I’m pumping and he’s taking a bottle. I don’t care. As long as he’s getting breast milk I don’t care. Lucas was the same way and then one day I tried the breast again and he latched on and became a pro. I’m sure Isaac will do the same.
It still is hard to believe that it’s all over and he’s here. You sort of go through a morning process of no longer being pregnant. You miss all the looks, comments and compliments and now just feel fat. But as of today I’ve lost all the weight I gained plus some. I still miss being pregnant but sort of glad I’m getting my body back.