As I said in my last post, I had been worried through my whole pregnancy about being too small. Usually it is a compliment when people say you look small when you are pregnant, but for some reason I always got worried when anyone said that because I think I knew deep down that something wasn't completely right. I went to the in for my 36 week doctor's appointment on Thursday December 1st. I was supposed to see a different doctor, but he was out doing a C-section, so I saw Dr. Ollerton, which I was happy about because he delivered Jessica and I had been wanting to see and meet him, but he was always busy. Interesting enough, I think this was an answer to prayer. Every time I had gone to my previous doctor, I would bring up the concern that I wasn't very big and he just said it was because I was tall and carrying deep inside, which probably were both true. Dr. Bean is a great guy and I trust him, but Dr. Ollerton decided that maybe we should do an ultrasound. The baby was only measuring about 4 lbs. when he should have been around 6 lbs. So I was in need of making an appointment with the Maternal Fetal Medicine people to take a deeper look inside of me. I called Kevin crying because I was concerned. Kevin felt bad that he couldn't be at the appointment with me and that he missed the ultrasound enough already, but to hear that news he felt even more bad. The doctor said it was just a precaution and that I should be concerned, so I tried not to.
The next day, Friday December 2, I worked from home in the morning and then went to the ultrasound appointment with Kev. Just to be sure I tried to clean the house a little bit and get things in order before leaving, but little did I know the news I would receive. We went in and got an ultrasound. Everything looked great. There was a positive outlook in the room. The placenta was great, the blood flow was great, the umbilical cord was great, but when they measured the abdomen...it was way small. The baby hadn't been growing since my last ultrasound at week 31 and they had him measuring at 3 1/2 lbs.
The doctor and ultrasound specialist came in to speak with Kevin and I after discussing the results and told me to go ahead and get a room upstairs in Labor and Delivery because I was going to have to be on bed rest to be monitor and I was probably having a baby that weekend. My emotions were running high already and the tears began to flow again. Was I ready for this? Ready or not though...the baby was coming.
I was on bed rest for two days. Come Sunday, I was so ready to be gone because I felt fine, but the baby had to be monitored. To make matters worse, when the two elderly couples came to bring me the sacrament on Sunday, one of the ladies said, "So congratulations on having a baby." She thought by looking at me that I already had a baby because I wasn't very big. That is when I knew for sure this baby needed to come out of me, so that he could be better nourished.
That Sunday night, December 4, at around 6:00 p.m. Dr. Lamoureaux came into my room and said I was dilated to a 1 and he wanted to break my water. He said I had been waiting long enough and it was time for the baby to come.
I called my mom and both my family and Kevin's family came over to support. While I was having contractions, our families were in the room, including boyfriends, which was kind of weird, but I am glad everyone felt welcome. Once the pains got worse, everyone could tell I wasn't talking much. The baby's heart would drop occasionally with the labor pains and so they put me on oxygen. That is when the family left and I just had Kevin in the room with me. What a stud of a husband I have. He was so amazing. He held my hand and made me laugh through my contractions. He even asked politely if he could switch that hand that I was holding because his wedding ring was digging into his finger. Haha. What a sweetheart.
So I was having contractions pretty bad and was told that I had to hold still for 5 minutes when getting the epidural, so I decided I had gone through enough pain and got an epidural, which was so not painful. I think them trying to find a vein in my hand for the I.V. and having to poke me a million times was more painful. As soon as the medicine kicked in, I was feeling warm and cozy and the pain was gone. I love epidurals.
Usually when you are having your first baby labor takes a little longer. On top of that, when you have to be induced, labor takes awhile. But our little guy decided he wanted to come pretty quick and I had little Kayden Parker Spencer at 1:30 a.m. Monday, December 5, 2012. He was 3 lbs. 15 oz. and 16.5 in. long. What a perfect little boy!
I can't thank my family, friends, doctors, nurses, and everyone who has helped get him here safe and for the love and support we have felt from everyone.
My amazing supportive sisters.
I had to have oxygen after a little scare from Kayden when his heart rate was dropping with contractions.
Proud daddy holds Kayden for the first time. That smile is priceless.
