Birth Stories

Most of you have heard these stories before. However, since I am trying to keep up with some information that the boys might actually be interested in through our blog, it is time I tell their birth stories. If this just isn't for you...move right along...I understand.

Carter Reed
Length of Labor: 35 hours and 55 minutes
Born January 9, 2006 1:25pm
Official Due Date: January 4th
10 lbs. (9 lbs. and 15 oz. after your first poopie!)
21.5 inches long
Who was there? Daddy, Nah-Nah Jan, our Doula Sharon Orr, and Midwife Sher
I had pro-dromal labor (contractions that don't progress) for three days up until "real" labor began. The night I really went into labor, your Daddy and I had watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (which was awful by the way) before going to bed. Labor started at 2:00am on the 8th of January. I laid in bed laboring, until I finally woke your Daddy up at 6:00am to tell him this was finally "it", even though I knew I wasn't quite ready to leave the house yet. I was so excited I couldn't wait to tell him! I labored at home until 4:00pm the following day before going to the birthing center. To pass the time, I sat on the birth ball and watched TV and Daddy and I played Boggle and some other games. At 4:00pm we left for the birthing center. We stopped at Quizno's Subs on the way to buy some sandwiches to eat after you were born, I figured I would be really hungry after you were born. Your Daddy took a long time in the sub shop and I had some bad contractions in the car. If anyone saw me they would have thought I was making funny faces at them! I specifically told your Dad NOT to get onions because I was afraid that would bother me while I was in labor, but he did anyways and he was super stinky! When we arrived at the Birthing Center, Sher told me that I was already 4cm progressed and that you should be born by midnight! Unfortunately, after laboring at the birthing center until 1:00am on the 9th, I had only progressed to 6cm, and you weren't moving into my pelvis at all. I was growing increasingly ill and I couldn't stop vomiting. The pain was unbearable, it felt like someone was splitting my bottom into two with an ax, sorry but there is no other way to describe it. I tried laboring in different positions...on the ball, on the bed, in the tub, but I wasn't able to find any relief. They tried to give my some fluids but I was too dehydrated for them to start an IV. After administering some pain medication that did not help, Sher made the call that I had to go to the hospital. Daddy drove me in our car to UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, Orange County, NC. Once I was admitted, the nurses started pitocin to help me progress pass 6cm and started an epidural to help me manage the pain. The epidural did not work, and the exhaustion was really starting to take a hold of me. I had to lay in bed and feel every contraction. Around 5:00am they broke my water hoping to get things moving. At 10:00am the doctors came in and told me that they would give me two more hours to see what my body would do, but that a cesarean was probably inevitable. Sher wanted to respect my wishes to have a natural birth, so she insisted we wait a few more hours. However, I never progressed passed 8cm, and you never moved into my pelvis, you were coming down at the wrong angle. At 12:00pm the decision was made to prepare for a cesarean. I was very upset, but I just wanted you out safely. You were finally born at 1:25 pm that afternoon. You cried right away much to our relief. You were very tired and fell asleep after our long ordeal. The nurses couldn't believe you weighed a whopping 10 pounds. Your Daddy, Nah-Nah and Sharon all got to hold you before I did because I was unconscious for a while because I had hemorrhaged during the operation. Tthey wanted to give me a transfusion, but I had declined. We stayed at the hospital for three days before finally getting to bring you home. It was such a wonderful day!!!

Camden (Anderson)
Length of Labor: 10 hours 42 minutes
Born November 29, 2008 9:42am
Official Due Date: November 30th
8 lbs. 3 oz.
21.5 inches long (Just like Carter!)
Who was there? Daddy, our Doula Sharon Orr, and our Midwife Maureen (She is by far my FAVORITE midwife at the birthing center, I was so super elated to have her at your birth!)
I was very ready to have you come out even though I hadn't even reached your official due date quite yet. On Wednesday the 28th of November, I flirted with the idea of drinking some castor oil mixed with some grape juice, I was desperate to finally meet you! After only tasting the yucky concoction, I went to bed. I was awoken around 11:00pm with what I was sure were Braxton Hicks contractions. I couldn't sleep through them so I decided to do some laundry. If I wasn't going to sleep, I might as well be productive! I realized that after standing up and walking around the contractions slowed down, which was weird. So, around 1:30am I laid on our guest bed to get the contractions to start again. Boy did they start...and around 2:00am I felt and heard a "POP". I was so excited that my water had broken, this meant I was most likely in for a quick labor and delivery with you. I woke your Daddy up, called your Grammie to come and stay with Carter and I took a quick shower. We arrived at the Birthing Center (after Daddy drove 90+ miles an hour-he'd always wanted to do that) around 3:30am where Maureen greeted us. She measured me at 5+cm (I was so happy about being 5 already) and then she "disappeared" upstairs for a while and let me labor quietly and peacefully for a few hours at the birthing center before going to the hospital. I was so appreciative that she let me do that. Since I was considered "high risk" because of my previous cesarean, I was not supposed to labor and deliver at the birthing center, much to my chagrin. We left for the hospital around 5:30am. Our doula, Sharon, was already there. When Maureen checked me again, I was already 7 cm, and moving right along. I was experiencing painful contractions, but I was able to talk and actually laugh in between them. It was great! Around 7:30am, I didn't think things were so funny anymore, and I didn't want to be touched or talk. I just wanted to stand up and close my eyes. Laying down was too painful. Around 9:00am Maureen made me lay down so she could check me, she could tell by the sounds I was making that I was close to 10cm. To all of our surprise, I was already 10 and ready to push!!! Everything progressed so quickly I never even had time to think about any pain relief, it was great. However, once I started to push and you moved down into my birth canal, I couldn't bear the pain. Your Daddy had to leave the room because he couldn't stand to see me hurt to badly. When you were almost out, they made sure he was back in the room. I was squeezing the rails on the bed so hard that your Daddy said the bed was bending and flexing and he thought I was actually going to break it. Sharon stood by my side quietly and sponged my head with cold water. Maureen asked me to breathe slowly and stop pushing when you crowned so I wouldn't tear, but it hurt to bad to even think about stopping. I took a deep breathe, and with all my might, I pushed as hard as I could and at 9:42am out you popped! Maureen had to catch you. She laid you on my chest as soon as you came into this world, it was such an awesome moment. You were so cute laying there and looking up at me. You made these cute little "kitten" like noises, but you didn't cry. Sharon cut your cord because Daddy didn't want to. They cleaned you off, weighed you and wrapped you all up before giving you back to me. Because I had had a successful VBAC (Vaginal Birth after Cesarean) and we were there with the midwife I was able to go home that day. I chose to spend the night there to have a chance to "heal" a little. Nah-Nah Jan came in the day you were born and took over for Grammie. We left the hospital around lunch time on the 30th. We stopped at Quizno's Subs for lunch and I went in! It was so different from my cesarean recovery. We even stopped at the bank with our day old baby before heading on home. Nah-Nah, Grammie and your big brother Carter were waiting at home to greet us. We finally had you home and our family was complete.