Parker's Birth Story {01.24.15}

My name is Kaileigh and I write a little blog called The Osbott Spot which currently documents my life as a new mom!  I gave birth to our first baby, Parker Scott back in January and he has been lighting up our lives ever since.

At 35 weeks pregnant, I was not ready to deliver.  I had been feeling more uncomfortable, but I loved being pregnant.  So when I started getting pains across my lower stomach in the middle of the night, I assumed I had a UTI.  I didn’t sleep hardly at all that night, but went to work the next day anyways.

By 10 am I knew that I wasn’t going to last all day.  So I paged my midwife and she told me that I likely had a UTI and should come in.  I told my boss I would be back in an hour and a half.  The midwife did a cervical exam so she could decide which antibiotic to put me on and told me that I was 2cm dilated and 80% effaced.  Not what I was expecting!  She said I could deliver that weekend, or it could be 3 more weeks, but to prepare myself for having a baby by 38 weeks. 

As my blood pressure was high, she suggested that I not go back to work that day.  So I went home and sat in my nursery while my mom did baby laundry and organized my nursery.

I kept getting the stomach pains sporadically for the rest of the day.  But it wasn’t cramping, it was more like a sharp pain.  They got more frequent until about 9:00 when I downloaded a contraction timing app and started timing them.  They were about 6-8 minutes apart.  At this point they also started causing pain in my lower back which radiated around to my belly.  I still wasn’t convinced they were contractions, I thought my antibiotics just hadn’t kicked in yet.  I tried to sleep, but couldn’t and got up to watch a movie.  Contractions were about 5 minutes apart and 45 seconds to a minute long.

At about 3 am I went to the bathroom an there was a lot of mucusy blood.  I immediately paged my midwife.  While on the phone, my husband woke up and asked if I was ok.  I told him that he might want to get ready because we might be going to the hospital.  While waiting for my midwife to call, I quickly packed a bag because I hadn’t gotten around to that yet!  When my midwife called me, she told me it was probably my bloody show.  I was convinced it was way too much blood, she was convinced that it was normal.  By this time, contractions had spaced out a bit.  She told me to call back in an hour if they got worse, or to call her in the morning regardless.

I called her the next morning, still contracting, and she asked me to meet her at the hospital.  She wanted us to meet her at the hospital in the next city, which is where her office is, rather than the one that I was supposed to deliver in.  I found out later that it’s because at 35 weeks pregnant, that hospital could handle a preemie.  Had I gone to the hospital I planned to give birth in, they would have sent me to a hospital over an hour away.  So we headed out with the bags that I had quickly packed at 3am, totally expecting to be sent home once we got there.  She examined me, told me I was 4cm and that I was having a baby that day.

Because I was only 35 weeks, she had to share care with a doctor.  I was just happy that she was still permitted to be involved.  I was admitted and taken to a labor and delivery room.  I also had to have a fetal heartbeat monitor the entire time I was in labor, so I was confined to my bed.  My midwife asked if I wanted the epidural and told me that the anesthesiologist was available now, or I could wait for an hour.  I had hoped not to have an epidural, but told myself that if I felt I needed one I wouldn’t beat myself up for it.  Because I was confined to my bed anyways, hadn’t slept in 2 days and needed antibiotics for at least 4 hours before my water was broken (because my GBS swab results weren’t back yet), I decided to get the epidural.  The relief was instantaneous and I was very happy with my decision.

At that point, things got a bit boring.  I couldn’t feel anything so we were just waiting around.  My contractions spread out to 6 minutes apart.  At 4:00 my water could have been broken, but the doctor was busy and wouldn’t let my midwife do it.  This was so frustrating!  Finally at 5:30 she came in and broke my water.  We were told it still might be awhile but we should have a baby before the night was over.  My husband was told to go grab something to eat while he had time and the nurse and the midwife took turns getting something to eat as well.  Before Ryan was back, I texted him and asked him to hurry because I felt like things were really progressing.  Right as I sent the text he walked through the door.  He could tell I was feeling things again and went out into the hall to get the nurse, because of course at the time nobody was in the room with me.

The nurse came in and said I was 10cm.  My water had only been broken about 20 minutes before!  She had me do a test push and said I was definitely ready to go.  All of a sudden there were 2 midwives, a nurse, 2 pediatricians and the doctor in the room.  Luckily the doctor let my midwife deliver and she just observed.  The midwife and our amazing nurse Andrea coached me through everything and were so encouraging.  Ryan held my hand.  I could feel pressure when I needed to push but I wouldn’t say that it hurt.  I think I could feel exactly what I needed to feel.  At 6:40pm Parker made his way into the world.  He cried and they placed him on me for as long as they could.  Then the pediatrician checked him out.  He weighed 4lbs 3oz and was 17 inches long.  They gave him back to me for a few minutes on request of my midwife. 

Then he was taken away to the nursery.  We were at the hospital for 2 weeks with him while he learned how to eat.  Luckily he never needed a ventilator and was only on monitors for a few days.  At the time it felt like the longest 2 weeks of my life.  In hindsight, 2 weeks is nothing.

My birth experience is not what I expected at all.  Pretty much everything went the complete opposite of how I thought it would go, but it’s our story and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it.  Looking back, the whole experience seems unreal to me.  Until Parker was born I don’t think I fully grasped the fact that I was in labor!  Everything went perfectly and I think that Parker’s birth was the most beautiful and special moment of my life.

.............................................................................................

To share your birth story, please email me at mamaandmou@gmail.com

A Different Kind of Birth Video

I am so excited about today's post! A little back story - last June when me, Carolyn, Andrea & Dawn went to visit Katie Mango in Council Bluffs I was in a way introduced to Chelsey. Council Bluffs is 6 hours away and on the car ride home Dawn was telling us all about this beautiful video made of photos from the day her friend had her 4th baby. Of course she pulls it up and of course I am driving so for 12 straight minutes I hear my 3 girlfriends gushing over this amazing video that I can't see. Needless to say I watched it almost immediately after getting home and knew I just had to share it! Turns out when a busy mom of 1 and a busy mom of 4 {but really, what is my excuse?} try to get a guest post together it literally takes a year! But, the wait was worth it because today I get to share with you the story of how sweet little Cashten was born. So read about Chelsey and her boys and then seriously - watch the entire video because it's so great, I dare you not to tear up!!!

.........................................

Hello Mama & Mou readers!!!  I was first made aware of Kristin's blog from a mutual friend that had reached out to me after she had showed Kristin our family birth video on a car ride, and it must have been a long one if they even got around to watching a video that highlights my upper thighs :) 

My name is Chelsey Anderson, but I mostly go by mom. 

A little backstory, my husband and I were married in 2006 and also had our first son in 2006, yeah we were one of those couples!  Camden Michael was born on July 6th, 2006 on his due date.  

I remember when we found out we were pregnant with him I was so so surprised that we were having a boy for two reasons. 1.  My husband and I both only had sisters and 2.  I was a girl so how was that even possible for me to have a boy....yes this thought actually did run through my head!  And I'm starting to think that God heard this thought and chuckled right along with me, as he decided to bless us with three additional sons after Camden!

Our second son Cayden Jeffrey was born on September 23rd 2008 and was three weeks early.

Our third son followed shortly after and was born on February 17th, 2010.  We named him Callen Johns and he too was born on his due date.

We settled in nicely as a family of five.  Things were crazy, awesome, loud and wonderful all wrapped in a ball! 

By this point we were asked a lot if we were going to try for "that girl". We had three little guys so fast so I really felt like I should be done, we were busy and our life was full but there was always a part of me that would get teary eyed thinking of never having another child. 

2013 rolled around and I was starting to feel really at peace with not having another baby. I remember even telling my mom one night, "You know mom, I think I am finally ok with being done DONE with having babies."  And this was a big thing for me to say out loud. The next few weeks I couldn't get over the flu and my gums started bleeding when I brushed my teeth.  Finally one day my sister came over with a pregnancy test and said I think you better take this.  I was in total denial but took the test.  I couldn't believe it when it came back positive within seconds....holy cow, we are PREGNANT!  I called Cory immediately at work and he couldn't believe it either!  At this point things went into overdrive.  At the time we were refinishing our basement so there was a big push to get everything done!  I can say wholeheartedly this was my most enjoyable pregnancy.  I had so many lovely family members, friends and the most wonderful midwife and nurse to help me along the way.  It was a joy to have the boys be older and enjoy every kick and hiccup with baby was in my belly!!  

At 20 weeks we found out our family would be complete with one more little boy!  Admittedly there was a moment in the office after our ultrasound that I had a moment to mourn never having a biological girl of our own, but I couldn't have been more grateful for another healthy baby boy growing inside my belly!

As our baby's birth approached I new my very dear friend would be in the room taking pictures.  This was the first time we also invited my sister, mom and Cory's mom in the birthing room. Knowing it was our last time I probably would have invited my favorite check out lady at target if I had had time on the way to the hospital, I was so excited!  But with all the excitement came a lot of expectations for that day.  I was trying to prepare myself that all of the people I wanted to be there may not make it, including my husband that had been traveling to North Dakota for work for most of the summer.  My reoccurring nightmare was that I would end up dragging three boys into the hospital and delivering in front of all of them....and having no one else make it! 

At my 36 week appointment I was shocked when my midwife told me that I was already dilated to a 2.  I went home and packed my bag!  The next week went fast and slow all at once.  I was trying to log every detail of being pregnant in my mind because I knew it was coming to an end and at the same time baby was sitting so SO low I was pretty sure an arm was going to pop out at any moment!  I delivered all of my other boys on Wednesdays and my sister and I were born on a Wednesday so it wasn't even on my radar that I could deliver on another day ;) 

On Monday September 30th I went to my 37 week appointment, my legs were shaved and I was ready for anything!  Chillon (my midwife) checked me and the look on her face....she said you are a 3-4 and I can feel his head.  Oh my!  This is getting real!  So I went home to see if anything would happen.  Contractions started, we went for a walk, took a bath and those contractions kept a coming.  I went back in to see her at the clinic and was now at a 5.  She gave me a hug and said see you in an hour at the hospital!  Cory got home from work, showered and we left the kids with my Dad Michael.  At the hospital things progressed and it was truly the easiest labor I have ever had.  Everyone that was planning on being there made it!  Can you believe it? I think the video speaks for itself and captures every detail.  I can not tell you how much of a keepsake this video is for our family and I can't make it through the first minute without crying.  Thank you again to Licia Marie Photography for capturing it all! 

We became of family of 6!  Here we are as a family when baby was 10 days old and again when he is 1!   Cashten Dean Anderson was born on September 30th, 2013.  Our family is complete!

Thank you Kristin for allowing me to share our family's story!

.........................................

If you would like to share your birth story, please email me at mamaandmou@gmail.com

Ellie's Birth Story {05.29.13}

Good morning friends! Happy Tuesday! I am so excited to be bringing back birth stories! You all know me and know by now that I am OBSESSED with hearing people's birth stories - I'm just in awe of what a different experience it is for every mama. Today's story comes from my pal Kristin from Love, Lipstick and Pearls! Her blog was one of the very first I started reading - she married her husband Matt 6 months before I got married and then Ellie 6 months after Kenley was born! So we have been on very similar life paths which has made it so fun to follow along with her, plus he's fun, gorgeous and has awesome fashion advice! Anyways, let's get down to business! 

..........................................................................................................

Hi everyone! My name is Kristen from Love, Lipstick and Pearls and I've been "friends" with Kristin since forever and I'm so happy to be guest posting with a post that is so close to my heart. I hope you enjoy our story.

The day I became a mother and Matt and I added to our family was so special and I could have written this post a hundred different ways and I still wouldn't be able to fully express in words how our day really was. How much fear, excitement, joy, and love was filled in each moment would be impossible to share. So I did my best and I hope you enjoy it.

Our little bunny had been Frank Breech since our Week 26 appointment and by the end of my pregnancy, I gave up all hope she would flip. I just felt that she had been in that position for too long for her to turn and that by the end she was just too big to even be able to. So a c-section was planned for the end of May on the 29th, just a day before my 39 week mark.

Once I knew a c/s was certain, I did my homework. I wanted to learn as much as I could so I knew what to expect, what questions to ask beforehand, and what options I would have. Thankfully, many friends and blog readers reached out to me and I was able to get a lot of one-on-one talk from ladies to prepare for the big day.

The weekend before we had tons of celebrations going on, but I was still able to get everything taken care of that needed to be done. My husband and I deep cleaned our home so it would be nice and pretty for our return, cleaned out our fridge and stocked up on non-perishable food, did all of the laundry, and packed our hospital bags (see what I used here).

The day before our c/s I had my pre-op appointment where I met with my doctor, had tests run to be sure I was ok for surgery, then I ran some last minute errands, and relaxed before Matt came home. Once he got home we hung out for a while and then went out for a nice sushi dinner. I thought I would have anxiety and not be able to sleep, and we were really excited, but somehow we conked out and I slept just fine. I did wake up a few times because I was thirsty, but that was a lost cause since I couldn't drink anything before surgery.

I had set my alarm for 6 am, but woke up at 530 wide awake, excited, and had to force myself to relax in bed until my alarm went off. It was baby day!! In a matter of mere hours I'd have my little girl in my arms to love and kiss for the rest of our lives. I prayed that morning that I would be brave and unafraid, that the procedure wouldn't have any complications, and that all the nurses and doctors had a good nights rest and were ready to rock and roll. Saying I was excited is an understatement.

We took one last bump pic and met Matt's parents at the hospital. It was go time! We checked in, got the IV started (which totally pinched), and the doctors and nurses went over everything with me. There were only a few things I was nervous about, getting my spinal, being nauseous, and the pain after the good meds wore off. I almost lost my cool when the anesthesiologist went over her duties, she was super nice, but her words like "pinch" and "burning" were standing out too much for me, but I just thought to myself "if I lose it now, there's no going back" so I choked back my fear and tears. Once I was packed with fluids, deemed safe for surgery, and was ready for the spinal, I kissed my family and headed into the surgical room for the final steps.

For the spinal, Matt had to wait outside (he used that time to record a sweet message for little Eleanor) and the anesthesiologist walked me through each step as they were happening, it was a little pinch in my back, then instead of a burning sensation I just felt a luke warm feeling enter my body and then warm up my bottom, legs, and feet. I was expecting the burning to start soon so I asked if that was it and she laughed saying no one had ever asked her that before and we were all done. It was a total breeze! Getting my IV was worse! Ok, first fear tackled.

Once the spinal was administered I had to lay down pretty quickly, which my doctor and the nurses helped with, I instantly went numb and they checked me to see what I could feel- which was nothing! Every time they touched me, it tingled- almost tickled even! I remember thinking to myself that this would be easy and I didn't have to be afraid of anything.

At that time, Matt was able to join me in the room and he had me record a message for Ellie too and then stood by my side as the surgery progressed.Within minutes our little girl was delivered and the doctor held her upside down over the curtain so I could see her. She was beautiful. So many thoughts and feelings rushed to the surface, loving someone for so long without even knowing them and the amount of love you feel the minute they arrive is truly overwhelming. I just loved her. Words cannot express enough the moment of happiness in that moment and the moments after. Once I saw her, the nurses took over and got her all cleaned up. Matt went over there to see her and take pictures and was walking me through everything that was happening since I couldn't see her over the c/s curtain. Once she was ready, they held her next to my face and I got to kiss and really see her then. It was amazing.

"My cup runneth over" was in the back of my mind. You already love the baby inside you, but seeing and holding them for the first time is nothing I imagined, the love you feel is so great. I just kept telling her how much I loved her and how happy she made me. I cried a little bit, but I was mostly overjoyed so much that I didn't have time to cry. I wanted to see my child and not have a blurred vision of her through my tears.

Once I was all stitched up they transferred me to a bed and into the recovery room where I nursed Ellie for the full hour. She latched on right away and we had a great experience. It was such a huge moment and the bond we made was beautiful. Matt and I couldn't stop staring at her. We just kept talking about her and how she just belonged with us. Neither of us could remember our lives before her. It's so strange that she had only arrived an hour or so beforehand, but it was as if she had always been a part of us. After an hour, when I could move some toes on my right foot, I was moved into my hospital room.

There, we had our families come and visit and we got to show off Ellie. I couldn't move or feel my legs for several hours and felt no pain in my waist at all. In fact, I really just felt fantastic! I didn't feel like I had just given birth or had major surgery just that day. It was hard not being able to see everything up close that was going on with Ellie, like her first bath, being able to change her, or pick her up since I was stuck to the bed, but Matt was there and took lots of pictures and talked me through everything that he and she was doing.

Once everyone left, I stayed up the entire night just holding her. She is everything I could have imagined and truly made me the happiest I have ever been. All of my dreams came true when she arrived. I'm married to a wonderful man and now we have our own family. I have never felt so fulfilled and blessed in all my life. I cherish those moments I had her all alone to myself.

..........................................................................................................

If you'd like to share your birth story, email me at mamaandmou@gmail.com

Mason's Birth Story {07.18.12}

Happy Tuesday mamas!

Here's what you do:
1. Write a post about ANYTHING baby {or pregnancy} related.
2. Add my button to your post.
3. Link your post with the link-up tool found at the end of all of my posts.
EASY PEASY! 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Mama and Mou readers! My name is Elizabeth and I blog over at Chasin' Mason, a blog about the adventures in motherhood and daily life with a toddler. I am a true California girl. I was born and raised in Northern California, in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved down to Southern California after I graduated college in 2006. I met my husband in 2006 when we worked together at Barnes and Noble. He was a part time bookseller (he had a different full time job, this was just his job for extra money) and I was a Merchandise Manager. We began dating in 2008 secretly since we weren't technically supposed to be dating since I was his manager {oops!}. We got engaged in September 2009 at Angels Stadium (I thought we were celebrating my birthday! I had no idea!)...

 ...and got married in November 2010...

...and then had our amazing, sweet little boy in July 2012.

He is now two years old and is the light of our lives.

Now that you know a little bit about me... here's the story of how we met our sweet little man.

*****************

It all started on the night of Tuesday, July 17, 2012. I'd been on maternity leave for a week and a half and was starting to actually get bored. Who would have thought? I thought I would be so happy that I didn't have to work and got to hang out, watch tv, or do whatever I wanted everyday. Turns out, not as exciting as I thought (that had since changed since Mason was born as I had established my tv lineup everyday and of course, I had Mason to take care of). Plus I was starting to get big (or what I felt was big - everyone else said I was still so small) and uncomfortable. Pretty sure Mason had his foot up in my ribs, which made it really hard to sit with our discomfort. I was ready to meet my boy!

Anyway, the night of July 17th I really wanted In n Out for dinner. Seth (my husband) of course didn't object and picked it up on his way home from work. We ate dinner, everything was great, and we watched tv...but as we watched tv, I started to feel what felt like minor period cramps. I didn't really think anything of it and went to bed at 11pm. I woke up around 3am and it still hurt. I waited a few minutes and decided to wake Seth up. I told him what was happening and he told me to call my doctor. I was kinda hesitant because I felt bad because it was 3am...but hey, doctors are on call for a reason and I'm sure I'm not the first one to call and wake them up. Plus that's what they get paid the big bucks for, right? So I called the on call line, told the on call guy what my symptoms were, he paged the on call doctor (which actually happened to be my doctor - both good and bad for me), and my doctor called back. She asked me if I had taken any Tylenol. I said no. She told me to take some and see how I felt and call her back if I needed to. So by now it was like 3:15am. I took some Tylenol. Seth got up with me. We watched tv (which by the way, there is NOTHING on at 3am lol). And then... I started feeling contractions. I started timing them and Seth wrote down how long they were for and how far apart. They ended up being 5 min apart for an hour. By this time more time had gone by and it was 5am. I was getting uncomfortable. My doctor asked me if I wanted to go to the hospial. I love my doctor, but Do I want to go to the hospital? Aren't you the doctor? I called to ask YOU if YOU think I should go to the hospital. So, given the choice, I said yes. She said she would call and let the hospital know that we were on our way. So we put on some real clothes (well Seth did, I kept my sweatpants on lol), got our stuff together (our bags were packed but just the las minute stuff), and were on our way. By now it was 5:45am. I was secretly happy that all of this was happening in the early hours of the morning because the most direct way to the hospital is one specific freeway. A freeway which 1) happens to be the worst freeway for traffic (or at least one of the worst in my opinion), 2) happens to be the best way to get to the OC Fair that was also going on and 3) happens to be the best way to get to the beach. I was happy we were leaving so early and were going to beat the traffic....or so I thought. Turns out... there are already a lot of people on the freeway at 5:45am! But we didn't have a problem. We got to the hospital around 6:10-6:15am, checked in and they put us in what they call a "triage" room. When I think of triage, I think of someone who has extremely bad injuries (but maybe I just watch too much Grey's Anatomy!), which I didn't.

 when we got checked in to the triage room

the million dollar view

A nurse came in, talked to us, checked me (3cm) and then left us for a little while. She came back, asked about my contractions (on a scale of 1 to 10, I said I was having a 5-6 pain out of 10). She said they typically don't admit people until they are at 4cm and asked if I wanted to try walking. I definitely didn't but didn't want to be sent home so I said if I had to, I would. By now it was like 7am and the change in the shifts of the nurses were happening so the night nurse said she would update the day nurse and they would see what they wanted to do. The day nurse came back and said they would admit me (yay!). So we moved from triage to labor and delivery. (I later learned that since my doctor was on call the night before, she was off that day. I guess they have some sort of app on their phones that let's them check on their patients (cool but kinda creepy) and she was yelling at the phone wondering why they had me in triage for so long when she knew I was in labor). So by 9am we were finally "checked in" to the hospital and were on our way to having a baby!

contractions on the computer screen

Now I understand they need to ask you a lot (A LOT) of questions before they can admit you, but one stood out to me as kinda stupid....why are you here? Really? Why am I here? I'm having a baby! (I asked the nurse if anyone says anything different and she said just slight variations - I'm in labor...my water broke...etc). She asked what my pain level was and I said 7 (now that might have been a littttttle more than most people would say but hey, it was painful to me!). I asked when I could get my epidural and she said after I had an IV of fluids. By this time I had started to feel a little sick and she said that was normal. She gave me a bucket, just in case, which was teeny tiny! I'm like umm, that's not going to work if I throw up, so she got me a bigger bowl. Still not your ideal bowl size, but definitely bigger. The nurse left the room and Seth was distracted by something (the view or his phone or something) and then... BLAH! (TMI...sorry so graphic). Poor Seth definitely saw more than he wanted to. Not the most fun or proudest moment of my life, but hey, he did this to me, he can see the results, right? LOL. The nurse came back, I told her I got sick, and she cleaned up. Poor nurses get such a bad job. I felt so bad. A different nurse came in after that and gave me my IV. She had a hard time finding a good vein to use so she tried one on my left wrist and what happened? She blew my vein. I'm sorry, what? You did what? Now this has never happened to me before so I was thinking this is bad. Apparently it's not really that bad, but it hurt. And later (like a couple days after I got home from the hospital) turned a lovely shade of black and blue. It honestly looked like someone grabbed my arm and squeezed. So, she looked and looked on my other arm and she couldn't find anything, so luckily for me, a different doctor came to check on us and she asked for help. It hurt, but at least he knew what he was doing. It ended up having to be on the top of my right hand though. Not the ideal spot, but it worked. Some time in all of this, they also broke my water.

After what felt like FOREVER, the anesthesiologist came in and I was getting my epidural! YAY! I was pretty scared but the contractions were hurting A LOT (to me) so I was ready. They said it wouldn't hurt any more than my IV (great, that hurt....). I had to sit up and hug a pillow and not move while the doctor did his thing. He cleaned my back, and then... you get the idea, I will spare you the details. It hurt a little, but not NEARLY as much as I imagined. I was terrified of the thought of a needle in my spine.  So many things could go wrong and I was so happy when it was over.

They had me lay down and that's what the magic happened. I started to not feel anything! It was bliss.  HEAVEN. The nurse asked if I felt anything and I said no and she said that was good because I just had a big contraction. So by now it was 10am and I was at 4cm (they don't give you an epidural before that) and we just had to wait... so we took a nap. And woke up at noon. The nurse came back in to check me and I was at ... 9 cm!!!! What?! 9 cm? That was fast! If I take another nap, when I wake up, will Mason be here? (just kidding!) Now I just had to wait to get to 10 cm.

The next few hours are a bit of a blur so the timing is just an estimate.

At noon we informed the family that I was at 9 cm. Seth's dad was at the fair and left to come to the hospital. And Seth's mom left work. Little did we know, but my poor in-law's were way too early and had to wait in the waiting room for what I'm sure felt like forever. I left bad. I don't know how much time went by but I was finally at 10 cm. Probably around 1pm or 1:30pm? The nurse asked me how I was doing and I said I just felt a little pressure. She said that was good and they were just gonna let me sit. Let Mason do some work and let him move down as much as possible. So at 2pm or 2:30pm-ish they checked me again and she said she could feel his head. What?! Isn't that bad?? Where is the doctor?! The nurse called to have the doctor paged and told me we would try to push. Wait?! Where's the DOCTOR??? So we did. She asked if I wanted a mirror and I said NO WAY. Gross. Poor Seth held my one leg and the nurse held the other. I think he saw more than he wanted to. I will spare you the details. He didn't plan on looking (I told him not to also) but when the nurse yells "I can see the head!" you can't help but look. She asked if I wanted to know what color hair he had and I was shocked he had hair! The old wives tale is that if you have heart burn, the baby has lots of hair and if not, no hair. And I had no heart burn. But he had hair! Brown hair! Lots of brown hair! I pushed a little more (which was actually a lot harder than I thought it would be since in the short span of one contraction (like 1 min) you have to hold your breath and push for 10 sec and hold your breath and push for 10 sec... AND hold your breath and push for 10 sec. 3 times!! So tiring. THANKFULLY I didn't have to push that much. I seriously feel for those people in labor for hours. I don't know how they do it.)

And the doctor was no where to be found. So the nurse called again. I guess the doctor (not my doctor since she was off, but a doctor in the same practice) had actually been at the hospital earlier in the day at noon doing a c-section but nobody told her my progress, so when she was done, she went back to the office. The office is just down the street but she said she needed 5 min to finish some stuff and then she would head back. So we waited. We waited because I had an epidral and couldn't feel anything. Then I pushed again (just for fun...so the nurse said. I didn't think it was so fun). Then we waited because if I pushed again, she thought she would be delivering the baby.

The doctor finally came... maybe at 3:15pm? and after a few pushes...

He was here!

Mason Noah Birenaum

July 18, 2012

7 lbs. 8 oz. 19 inches

3:36 pm

I feel like the doctor was there for like 10 min (clearly longer) and then was just GONE! I guess that's all that was necessary. In and out and get paid BIG BUCKS. Maybe I should have been an OB/GYN? Haha. So Mason got cleaned up, they finished up with me, and then I got to hold him! My baby! I can't believe he's HERE and he's MINE! So surreal. And so amazing.

So after the "golden hour" where it was just the 3 of us, we went up to the mother/baby unit and everyone else got to meet him! I can't believe that you can only know someone for one minute and already have SO MUCH LOVE. I was in awe of him, in awe of what me and my husband created. Our boy, our Mason.

blog // instagram // pinterest // facebook // bloglovin

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you'd like to submit a birth story or guest post, please email me at mamaandmou@gmail.com

Noah's Birth Story {04.17.13}

It's Tuesday and it's time for....

Here's what you do:
1. Write a post about ANYTHING baby {or pregnancy} related.
2. Add my button to your post.
3. Link your post with the link-up tool found at the end of all of my posts.
EASY PEASY! 

Hello everyone! I'm Leanne and I blog over at Refrigerator Memories. I was born and raised in Ohio and am currently living in Arizona (hoping to move home soon!). We welcomed our third little miracle after three years of infertility in April 2013. After 42 weeks and several false alarms, it was a crazy birth that not even the most creative could come up with but in the end, I still birthed an amazing little boy in the comfort of our own home!

I have to say... any dream or vision I had of having a quiet, easy birth in which I looked absolutely gorgeous went out the window and didn't even cross my mind until after the fact and I could look back and think "Crap! My hair's a mess and I was not supposed to be screaming like that!".

On Tuesday April 16, at 41weeks and 6days, my midwife came to the house to try and get labored started. She had already stripped my membranes and I was sitting at 6, yes 6cm but still not in labor! But after trying three shots of Pitocin shots and "laboring" all day, I was exhausted. I was also feeling a little upset that I used Pitocin, defeated that it didn't work, angry that it had come to this point, and pressured to have this baby because my mother in law was here and leaving the next morning. Not to mention that my stomach was now feeling upset and nauseous.

I went to bed that night feeling a slight sense of relief that I would get a full night's rest and could wake up in the morning feeling a little less pressure to "make" the baby come. HAH! Little did I know what I was in store for!

Shortly after falling asleep (maybe 11pm?), I started having contractions again. I figured they would end up like every other time. Just be annoying enough to not get great sleep and then taper off by morning. But these were persistent and getting stronger. By about 2am I just couldn't take it any longer. I had to focus and laying in bed trying to be quiet was just not an option anymore. I knew Gabe had to be up around 4 to take his mother to the airport so I wanted to let him sleep.

I went out into the living room where I started timing and laboring/moaning through each contraction. I was most comfortable standing bent over the arm of the couch and swaying back and forth during contractions. But I was so exhausted and tired after not having slept in over 36 hours at this point that I just couldn't keep standing. I sat on the couch and tried to sleep between contractions which were 5-7 minutes apart. I so badly wanted to wake Gabe up but he had about a 3 hour round trip drive coming up and I knew he needed the sleep. I was still in denial that this was actual labor!

Some time around 4am I went back to the bedroom to wake up Gabe. As I stood hunched over the edge of the bed during another contraction, I was secretly hating him for being able to sleep peacefully and pain-free. I woke him up and told him what was going on. His first suggestion was to call the midwife. I wanted to wait some more but I was in so much pain that I couldn't even put up a fight. Diane, the midwife, let us know that she would stay up now and to call if the contractions got any closer together. Gabe didn't want to leave me but it was too late to call a shuttle service so reluctantly, he left me to keep laboring and we prayed the baby would stay in long enough for him to make it back home.

The next 2 1/2 hours were a big blur of pain and contractions. I was still not sure if I was really in labor (if it was during the daytime, I think I would have said it was labor) because we had already had 3 false alarms during the night. I had to moan through each contraction and the closer together and more painful they got, the louder I was moaning. I prayed each time to just get through this one and make it to the next one.

I kept timing the contractions and labored some more in the living room hoping my moaning wouldn't wake up the kids. While out there, I texted just two words to our birth photographer hoping she would get the message and come. "In labor" was all it said. I got in the shower hoping that would help but after some time, my body was shaking so bad I had to get out. I didn't even get dressed and just threw on my robe. Gabe called and I was desperate to have him home. He still had an hour's drive left.

While on the phone, I got nauseous and threw up. That was the point where I knew it was serious and I had to call the midwife (my denial ended here!). The only thing I said was "My contractions are 3-5 minutes apart and I just threw up." And all she said was "I'm on my way." and hung up. This was where I started to panic; praying someone would get here on time. Labor is no joke. But laboring on my own is something I wouldn't ever want to do again.

The pain was so intense it was hard to stay calm and breathe. I called Gabe again desperately hoping he was almost home. I didn't even want to talk to him, I just needed to not feel alone. I was in the bedroom not knowing what to do anymore when Gabe walked in. The poor guy also had no clue what to do. Thankfully, the midwife showed up right behind him. She checked me and let us know that I was a loose nine. "What?!" was all I could say. I was both relieved and shocked. I couldn't believe I was finally going to have the baby!

Diane, her assistant, and Gabe all went to work setting up the birth pool and getting supplies ready while I laid on the bed laboring and trying to rest in between contractions. The kids woke up at this point, increasing the chaos that was happening. They were excited to hear the baby was coming and they would get to stay home from school.

I got in the birth pool and my contractions started spacing out a bit. Diane let me know that's normal for a fully dilated woman. She asked me to try pushing a little. I did and let me tell you... it was even more painful and definitely not a relief like some women describe it! I was trying to get through the contractions and let them bring the baby down for a while. But I was getting impatient so I started pushing. And pushing and pushing! I couldn't believe how much pushing I was doing and still no baby. I remember asking screaming "Where is this baby?! I want it out!" Yeah, I was such a peach to be around...

With each push, the midwife, her assistant, and Gabe were offering words of support and encouragement about how good I was doing, how the baby was moving down, and I was almost done. The poor dears... I yelled back "No I'm not! Stop saying that!" Yes, I really did. Just keeping it real here.

During all my pushing, Diane occasionally checked me. Twice, she found a small cervical lip that she helped to move out of the way. We thought my water had broken because she couldn't feel a bulging of my water bag but it turned out that it still had not broken.

I was getting increasingly upset and feeling more and more like a failure. I needed a break. So I stopped pushing and moaned through the contractions and actually managed to fall asleep between them. After about 30 minutes, I got a burst of energy/desperation and started pushing with all my might. It hurt like hell and I just wanted it all to be over. I'm pretty sure I also yelled at the baby "Where are you? Get out!"

Diane checked me and we found out at that point that my water still had not broken. She was surprised because she had never felt it before and thought it had broken by itself some time before that. We thought that was holding the baby back so the next time I pushed, she broke my water. She was also trying to help stretch my perineum to help me out but it felt weird and was more pain on top of what I was already feeling so I yelled at her to stop. Looking back, I'm embarrassed for yelling at them so much. They were cool about it though and I'm sure I'm not the only woman in labor who's yelled at them.

I pushed some more and again lost my energy so I said I was taking another break. A contraction came and I rolled to my left side and started moaning through it. That's when almost instantly I felt what is known as the "ring of fire" and a head between my legs. I reached both hands out and grabbed with all my might the closest things to me which happened to be the assistant's and Gabe's hands. My moan turned into a full out roar. I remember thinking/saying "Oh my God! It burns! It hurts!" Followed by more roaring. I'm talking about a roar so loud I'm surprised the neighbors didn't call the cops.

Diane told me to open my legs because the baby was coming. I rolled over and gave a big push, looked down and there it was... the head. I was FINALLY at the end! Our oldest, Alena was excitedly squealing "There's the baby!" over and over. Another push and I could see his face. In that moment, I forgot everything and could only focus on that sweet face. One more big push and the rest of the body was out. Immediately, a million and one emotions overtook me and I didn't know whether to cry or laugh. I'm almost sure I did an odd mixture of the two. I was quite the hot mess. Christian came back into the room after having walked out bored just five minutes before that.

I distinctly remember and will never forget the feeling of pushing the baby out. The pain of getting the head out, the very odd sensation of feeling every body part after that slide out, and the joy of holding him for the first time.

I was holding him and he gave out one little cry and then just laid there on my chest quiet and alert while we let the cord stop pulsing. I never even thought to check if it was a boy or girl until Alena asked us. I looked and to my complete surprise it was a boy! Christian was happy to have a brother and Alena cried "I wanted a sister!"

With the next contraction my placenta came out (another weird feeling). We cut the cord and Gabe took him to dry off. The midwife helped me get up and climb into bed. I was still having contractions and was surprised at how painful they were! I felt lied to because everyone always said you forget the pain or it goes away as soon as the baby is out but that's not true. At this point with the older kids my epidural hadn't worn off yet so I never experienced the after pains.

Gabe brought Noah back so I could try and nurse him. He wasn't interested so the midwife weighed him. Gabe guessed 7lbs 4oz, I guessed 7lbs 2oz. He was 7lbs 3oz; right in the middle.

I was dead tired and on the verge of falling into a deep sleep. There was no happy birth high, no energy, nothing. I had been up for two days straight and wanted nothing more than to sleep and rest. Gabe brought me the baby and a sandwich of which I only managed a couple of bites. Our first nursing session was done lying down and with me falling asleep in the middle of it. Both the baby and I had been through quite an experience and we spent the rest of the day in bed asleep.

It's still a little unreal to look back on how it happened that day. I must have pictured the labor and birth a thousand different ways and nothing went how I thought it would! Still, I'm proud of myself for doing it the way we wanted. 100% natural, at home, and a perfect baby.

...................................................

If you are interested in sharing a birth story or guest post, please contact me at mamaandmou@gmail.com

be sure to visit my friend:

Baby Talk :: Embryo Adoption

Happy Tuesday mamas! Thank you all SO much for your sweet words yesterday. Your words of encouragement filled my heart and just further confirm that I made the right choice and am doing the right thing.

Since it's Tuesday, it's time for....

Here's what you do:
1. Write a post about ANYTHING baby {or pregnancy} related.
2. Add my button to your post.
3. Link your post with the link-up tool found at the end of all of my posts.
EASY PEASY! 

Today I have Sara from Making Babies the Bennett Way taking over my blog to share her story with Embryo Adoption. I have to admit, before Sara emailed me, I had no idea this even existed! I'd heard of adoption and sperm donation and surrogates, but never embryo adoption. Needless to say, when I read Sara's story my mouth hit the floor. I have so many friends who have struggled or are currently struggling with infertility so to read this incredible story of all this wonderful couple went through to have their baby girl is really heartwarming and encouraging. I hope you all enjoy it!

---------------------------------------------------- 

I always knew I wanted to be a mother.  I wanted to experience pregnancy, feel my baby move in my tummy, see my belly grow a little more each week and then after 40 weeks see my beautiful child.  I always wondered what my son or daughter would look like, would have my dark brown eyes and hair, would they have my nose or would they look more like their father, my husband?  I think these are things we all think about and when you’re pregnant you think about them even more.  You hope and pray for a healthy pregnancy without any complications and a healthy baby with ten fingers and ten toes.  I had dreams of being pregnant and couldn’t wait for it to happen!

Little did I know how much my life was going to change, at the young age of 22.  It was the winter of 2002, my mom, sister and I had taken a girls trip to visit family in Florida.  Towards the end of the trip I was having horrible abdominal pain.  I didn’t think too much about it but when it didn’t go away after a few days I started to wonder if I needed to be seen.  It also didn’t help that during a conversation with my cousin she said I should really go in because it could be my appendix and if I didn’t get it checked out it could burst and could cause even more problems.  So I left work and went to the ER.  After sitting in the waiting room for 12 hours, yes 12 hours, I finally saw a doctor who ran a few tests, did a couple scans and then told me I had a large mass on my ovary.  I was told the pain I was experiencing was stemming from the mass twisting and turning and therefore cutting the blood flow to my ovary off.  He wanted to do emergency surgery.  I said no.  I had just sat in an ER waiting room for 12 hours and now you’re telling me I need to have emergency surgery, I don’t think so.  My family and boyfriend didn’t know I was even at the hospital the only person that did was my cousin.  I refused surgery, said I wanted a second opinion and went home. 

The following day I was able to make an appointment with a specialist who agreed that the mass was large but didn’t feel like emergency surgery was necessary.  He was comfortable monitoring it and trying a couple of things to see if we could get the mass to shrink.  After 3 months with no changes we made the decision to have it removed.  My surgery was scheduled for February 10, 2003.  They removed the mass which was the size of a large grapefruit and I had a short stay in the hospital.  One week later at my post-op appointment my mother and I were given the news that the mass they removed was not a simple mass but a tumor and I had ovarian cancer.  We were told I needed to have a second surgery to remove my left ovary and tube because while the tumor was attached to both ovaries the majority of it was on my left ovary.  Therefore, one month later on March 11, 2003 I had my second surgery to remove my left ovary and tube and do an exploratory surgery to make sure the cancer hadn’t spread anywhere else.  Following my second surgery I had doctor appointments every couple months to make sure the cancer didn’t return.  Because we were so aggressive with the surgeries I didn’t have to go through any chemo or radiation treatments.  Every appointment thereafter went great.

At this point my boyfriend, Ryan, and I had only been dating for a few months.  I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to our relationship but I hoped he would stick around and he did.  On April 1, 2004 (yes, April fool’s day) Ryan proposed.  We were married on May 20, 2006.  We always knew we wanted to have kids and we also knew it could be somewhat difficult based on the fact that I only had one ovary.  My doctors had always been very upfront with us about the fact that we could have some issues but nobody could really say what was going to happen.  After we got married I stopped taking my birth control pill.  It wasn’t like we were actively trying to get pregnant but at the same time we weren’t doing anything to stop it from happening.  If it happened, it happened but nothing happened.

In the summer of 2008 my doctor moved to a new clinic which meant I was going to be transferred to a new doctor.  My new doctor reviewed my history, surgical and pathology reports and decided she wanted to start fresh.  She ordered a CT scan, CA125 (blood test) and did an exam.  My CA125 was elevated and there were masses on my right ovary.  My worst fear came true, my cancer had returned.  My doctor recommended I have surgery to remove the masses before we attempted to get pregnant.  This was especially important because we didn’t know how long the masses had been there.  We stressed with her our desire to have children and I asked that she do all she could to save my ovary and tube.  She said her goal was to remove the masses and save my ovary so the decision was made to have laparoscopic surgery.

The masses were removed in June 2008. 

Once I recovered from surgery my oncologist gave us a referral to a reproductive endocrinologist (RE).  Since I had not been on birth control since 2006 she was concerned there might be something else going on therefore she wanted us to meet with the specialist.  We went through a battery of tests and were put on our first fertility medication – clomid.  Clomid was the start of our journey and ultimately our “gateway drug.”  I say “gateway drug” because once you start on this type of journey you seem to advance to other treatments options fairly quickly and since you are so focused on having a baby you will do anything. 

Unfortunately clomid didn’t help us and since my cancer had returned our journey to parenthood was suddenly accelerated.  Instead of trying any other concoction of fertility drugs or other procedures we moved onto in vitro fertilization (IVF).  We went through 2 rounds of IVF, both of which included transferring 1 or 2 embryos 3-5 days after the retrieval and subsequent frozen embryo transfer (FET).  Therefore, we had attempted to become pregnant 3 times with our own embryos.  All of this was done in about 16 month’s time.  It’s safe to say my tummy was beginning to look like a pin cushion from all the injections I had to do during this time.  I had bruises from some of the injections and others caused a small red circle around the injection site and some just itched – all of which is completely normal. 

During the fertility treatments I continued to see my oncologist on a regular basis to keep an eye on my remaining ovary and to make sure the cancer didn’t return again but unfortunately it did.  In November 2009 we were faced with a difficult decision we had two options.  One, we could move forward with another IVF cycle but instead of doing a transfer 3-5 days after the egg retrieval we would freeze everything for future frozen embryos transfer or have yet another surgery.  Since the cancer had returned yet again I had more tumors on my remaining ovary.  The risk in doing another round of IVF was all about the retrieval process.  If the doctors hit or punctured any of the tumors while they were retrieving the eggs the fluid in the tumors would then be in my abdomen which meant the cancer could very quickly and easily spread to other areas.  We made the decision to have another surgery and remove my remaining ovary and tube, meaning I didn’t have any ovaries or tubes left.  All I had was a healthy uterus.  It was a difficult decision but in the end it came down to the fact that yes, I wanted to experience pregnancy but even more than that I wanted to be a mother and be around to watch my child grow up.  When you think of it that way the decision was pretty easy.  I wanted to be a mother and be healthy so on December 22, 2009 I had yet another surgery.

After surgery we decided to take some time off for my body to completely heal.  Heal from surgery, heal from 2 cycles of IVF and four failed pregnancy attempts and reflect on everything we had been through in the last two years.  We still had some frozen embryos left and we knew at some point once I was healed we would do another frozen embryo transfer with our remaining embryos.  My doctor wanted us to wait at least 6 months after surgery but we wanted a little longer because one of my best friends was getting married in England so we thought a little vacation to take a break from all the fertility treatments would be good for both of us. 

Therefore, we did another transfer with our remaining embryos in October of 2010.  Unfortunately it was unsuccessful and to make matters worse we had used all our remaining embryos.  I think this was by far the hardest failed cycle to deal with because it meant I was not going to have a child with my genes.  I couldn’t get any more eggs because I didn’t have ovaries.  I had to come to terms with the fact that my future child was not going to be genetically related to me.  I felt like a failure, my body failed me and at that moment I was trying to deal with the fact that I was never going to be able to experience pregnancy.  I needed time to process everything and figure out how to move forward. 

After our failed cycle we started talking about adoption.  We met with a few different adoption agencies in the Twin Cities but we were not too thrilled with the information we received.  It didn’t feel like it was a good option for us or the right option for us.  Then one Sunday morning while I was on the computer I thought I’d Google “embryo adoption” because I figured hey if you can adopt a child why wouldn’t you be able to adopt embryos.  I wasn’t sure what I was going to get for results but was beyond happy with what appeared.  Embryos adoption was a new option for us and even though in the medical field it was concerned to be a very new option it was an option none the less.  The rest of that Sunday I was glued to the computer.  I was looking at every website, reading anything and everything I could about embryo adoption and my hope for possibly being able to carry a child and experience pregnancy was quickly coming back to me.

Before we moved forward with the process of actually adopting the embryos we brought some information to our fertility specialist to get his take on the process.  We had gotten to know our specialist fairly well because of our story and how much we went through under his care.  We trusted him and we knew he would give us his honest opinion about whether or not this was a good and realistic option for us.  We printed off a few documents from the two companies we were looking at so we could give him everything at our next appointment.  To say we were excited when he thought it was a very realistic option for us would be an understatement, we were overjoyed. 

Shortly thereafter we started the process of adopting embryos through the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) in Knoxville, TN.  In addition to starting the process with NEDC we were also put on a waitlist to adopt embryos with a local company, ReproTech, Ltd.  You may be asking why we would start the process with NEDC in Knoxville, TN when we were on a waitlist for embryos in MN.  There’s a perfectly good reason for this.  When we were put on the waitlist at ReproTech we were told we were number 49 on the list and we expect to wait at least 3 years before hearing from them.  We figured if we had a successful pregnancy with embryos adopted from NEDC we could always decline the embryos from ReproTech but at least we would have two options versus one. 

We completed the preliminary application via NEDC’s website and were approved to move forward with submitting our formal application shortly thereafter.  NEDC’s formal application process is very formal.  Not only did we need to meet their minimum criteria, which are:

• Couples must be married for a minimum of 3 years.
• Wife must be 45 years old or younger.
• The combined age of applicant couple must not exceed 100 years.
• The wife must not smoke during the application process, embryo transfer preparation and procedure process, or during pregnancy.
• Preference will be given to couples with no biological children.
• At least one partner of the adopting couple must be a legal citizen of the United States.
• Couples must undergo and pass a home study.

We had to attend virtual “Live Chats” that were all about embryo adoption and the process, have background checks and a home study done among other things.  We had to submit our last 3 years of tax returns so they could determine whether or not we were financially stable.  We also had to have personal references submitted and only one could be a relative.  We had a big decision to make and we didn’t take it lightly.  Once we completed the above mentioned steps and we’re formally accepted by NEDC we moved onto our next set of requirements. 

After we were formally accepted by NEDC we needed Bethany Christian Services to accept our request and application for adoption and a home study.  Once again we had to fill out a bunch of forms and then wait for approval.  The approval process took longer than we anticipated because they requested all of my medical records because of the cancer.  We were also told the initial process took longer because this was when they were really going to be “approving” us.  The second part of the process which involved interviews with a social worker, both jointly and separately, as well as a home visit would be the “easy” part.  Thankfully they were right, after the initial process was done the interviews, questionnaires and home visit all went very fast.

The last thing we had to do before we knew whether or not we were accepted by NEDC was travel to Knoxville, TN for our first consultation.  Our trip was scheduled for mid-July 2011.  During the trip we met with the doctor and staff, toured the facility and I had a physical and a mock transfer.  The consultation went great and we were approved to move forward with picking embryos.  We decided we wanted the adoption to be anonymous and within 48 hours of making this decision we had our embryos.  Now all we had to do was get our meds and make another trip to Knoxville for our first frozen embryo transfer with our adopted embryos.  This took place in September 2011 and words can’t even begin to explain how happy we were when we finally got our first BFP.  For those unfamiliar with infertility acronyms BFP stands for Big Fat Positive meaning I was pregnant. 

September 2011 - Great Smoky Mountains, TN

However, that excitement was shortly lived because during a routine ultrasound in October we found out I had had a miscarriage.  To say we were devastated would be an understatement and to make matters worse we learned this information within days of my 30th birthday.  As I’m sure you can imagine I was in absolutely no mood to celebrate my birthday.  Because to top it off I had to wait a few days between finding out I had miscarried and my D&C.  With each failed cycle I have myself a day or two to get over it but this time it wasn’t that easy, I needed more time. 

We got through the holiday seasons and decided in January 2012 to have another go so to speak.  I was ready to try again and had heard that your chances of getting pregnant after a D&C were higher because your uterus was “cleaned out” and fresh.  So mid-January we once again packed our bags and headed back to Knoxville for another transfer with our adopted embryos.  Unfortunately, this cycle was unsuccessful.  Once again I felt defeated and we thought now would be a good time to take a break.  We had been focused on having a baby for so many years we needed to get back to us. 

However, God seemed to have other plans for us.  Shortly after we found out the transfer was unsuccessful we were contact by ReproTech.  As a reminder, we were put on their waitlist in February 2011 and told we shouldn’t expect to hear from them for about three years.  Now here we were about one year later and we were being contacted by them, it was our turn.  This process moved very quickly because ReproTech didn’t have any requirements, we didn’t have to have a home study done we didn’t need to interview with them.  We were told if we passed up this opportunity we would be put on a second waitlist that included people who had been contacted once before but were not interested in embryos at that time.  We were also told if we were put on this list we shouldn’t expect to hear anything from them for 7 years! 

We quickly said yes we were interested in adopting embryos through them and once again just like that we were moving on.  Within a week or two we received a package that contained 5 packets of information about the embryos available for us to choose from.  However we couldn’t sit back and take our time with this decision because the exact same packet was sent to another couple.  We had 10 days to choose which embryos we wanted and whoever returned the form first got their first choice.  We felt like it was a race against time.  We wanted to make sure we got the embryos we wanted.  We picked our first and second choice within 24 hours of receiving the packet and sent our form back.  Then we waited and we were so happy when we found out we got our first choice! 

Now that we had our embryos selected we needed to take possession of them which meant there were forms to be signed and notarized and we needed to find a new fertility doctor in the Twin Cities.  But that wasn’t going to be as easy as you’d think because not all doctors will perform transfers with adopted embryos.  Thankfully, we did this research when we were first put on their waitlist in 2011 to be sure we wouldn’t have any trouble finding a doctor that would agree to do the transfer.  By March of 2012 we paid the fee and took “possession” of the 5 embryos we adopted.  In April the doctor appointments started up again, as did the shots.  One of which my husband had to administer for me because it went right into my hip.  At one point we had to do this twice a day and let me tell you after a couple days your hips start to feel the shots and it can at times be very uncomfortable. 

At the end of May 2012 the transfer was performed.

We had two embryos transferred and then we began the dreaded TWW (two week wait).  Once our 2 weeks were up I had one blood test that said I was pregnant and a second blood test 48 hours later to confirm I was in fact pregnant and that my HCG level was rising appropriately.  Over the next couple of months my doctors continued to monitor me and adjusted my meds as necessary.  Then towards the end of June we had our confirmation of pregnancy ultrasound.  We were so nervous going into this appointment.  We were trying to stay as positive and optimistic as we could but there were always those thoughts in the back of my mind.  You always hear people say hope for the best but prepare for the worst and that’s exactly what I was doing going into this appointment.  But it didn’t take long for the ultrasound tech and doctor to show us baby Bennett’s heart beat for the first time.  We were elated, we couldn’t believe what we were seeing and we kept starring at the little flickering heart beat on the screen.  Our hearts melted and we were in love.

We told our families on Father’s day and then waited until I was through our first trimester before we shared our exciting news with our extended family and friends.  The pregnancy went very well and I loved every minute of it!  Especially once we announced it to our family and friends all of which who were so unbelievably supportive during our journey.  They were just as excited, if not more, as we were.  They were there to support us from the minute we started to share our struggles, they were with us when I suffered my miscarriage and they celebrated the pregnancy and baby Bennett with us from the moment they learned I was expecting until the moment she made her entrance! 

Madelyn Marie - Day of Transfer & 1 Year Later!

If you or anyone you know is going through fertility treatments and would like to talk to someone who has been through it, my husband and I are more than willing to talk to you.  If you want more information about embryo adoption or donation I’d highly recommend starting with NEDC or ReproTech we had good experience with both.  We’re more than willing to talk about our experience with both companies in further detail too if you’re interested.  And, if you’re still reading this novel of a blog post I’d like to say thank you.  Thank you for taking the time to read my story, I hope you were able to learn a little bit more about infertility and embryo adoption.  Finally, if you’re interested in knowing how baby Bennett, aka Madelyn, is doing hop on over to my blog – www.thebennettway.blogspot.com.

------------------------------------------------------

To submit a guest post, please email me at mamaandmou@gmail.com