The Birth Story of Wesley Roland

This youngest babe of mine is now six months old. Six months old. Not sure how that happened.
I've been sitting on the events of his birth for too long now, and there is no time like the present to share about his arrival.

Where to begin...

August was an insanely busy month for our family. We had two birthdays (mine and Bradley's) and then two full weekends of activities surrounding my brother AJ's wedding where he married his sweet fiance Jessica. Midway through August the braxton hicks came on full force. Except I could physically feel my body getting ready with each strong contraction and how it stressed me out! This was by far the most uncomfortable I have been in the end of a pregnancy. I couldn't sleep, it hurt to sit and it hurt to stand. I had all the special garments to get support where I needed it most (girdles of all kinds girls). Extra thick velcro adorned fabric on a hugely pregnant woman in August - it is as glorious as you can imagine. So I was thankful when we had some uncharacteristically cool days for August towards the end of the month. I just wanted to get through my brother's wedding and back home without a baby in my arms (the wedding was 2 hours north, without traffic, from where we live). Ten days before the wedding I had an episode where I was convinced my water had broken. I even had contractions along with this gush of what I thought was certainly amniotic fluid. I called Nathan home from work, I called my midwife, I called my parents down in 4 hours of traffic. All for a false alarm. I felt like the biggest nincompoop and was pretty mopey for a few days after that. I was so sure I was going to have a baby any minute and every minute closer to the wedding was that much more stress on me to keep that baby in!

The day I thought I'd be meeting my baby

I opted not to be checked at my final appointment prior to the wedding - both to not get my hopes up and not stress myself out if I was as far along as I suspected I was. We came up with a tentative plan based on my gestational diabetes and my history of larger babies that if I was progressed far enough at my next appointment on Sept. 1st, then we would plan to break my water the next day on September 2nd. The plan was for both my mom and my grandma to be there for the birth, something I was very excited about.

These are some of my favorite pictures of me at my brother's wedding where, thankfully, Wesley stayed put despite all the jokes that I was going to ruin the wedding with my water breaking or some other dramatic labor exit scene. We all had a grand time and I ignored my diet for the weekend and ate Chinese food, pizza and of course, wedding cake (which was the very best part).

{POP!}

Once we got home, nesting was in full swing. All the grocery shopping, clothes washing, bag packing that I'd put off until then was under way. We had one more event on the calendar before I planned to have a baby - an annual get together with friends from the east coast. This was going to happen the night of the 1st. We also had a house guest with us  - my dear grandma had come down to stay the rest of week leading up to the birth and for the weekend after to care for me. She is the one who actually did all the nesting. She also cleaned and kept the children entertained and let me nap. I was pretty spoiled.

My last bump picture

At my appointment on the first, Carolee checked me and I was a soft 3+ so all systems were go for us to move forward with an induction the next day by breaking my bag of waters. Since I had a sitter for my boys and was feeling good I went to the grocery store and got the rest of the ingredients and treats I knew we needed in the house for that night's guests as well as my post baby meals (since I'd be able to eat all the things soon). I made a couple different stops and with each stop I felt more and more uncomfortable. I was having regular contractions and feeling so much pressure. This was definitely labor. But I desperately wanted dinner guests that night so I didn't want it to be labor.
I casually called my mom to let her know what was going on. I knew she had obligations that night I didn't want her to miss and we had friends coming so clearly the baby wasn't coming, but "by the way mom, my contractions are 8 minutes apart and 1 minute long" just in case she was curious. Given my precipitous births prior to this I was clearly in denial that anything could be happening. My mom ended up calling me back a little while later and said she had grabbed her bag and was driving down. Just in case. I didn't tell her then how much relief that gave me.

I went home and told my grandma what was going on and got in the bathtub to see if I could slow things down. I mentioned I was having contractions to our friends who were already headed down from Seattle, but told them we weren't cancelling. The other couple who was joining us arrived just as I was getting out of the tub. Contractions had slowed enough that I didn't feel a baby was coming anytime soon, but I was definitely on edge and noticing a change in my body from what the day had started as.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner with our friends. Since both my mom and grandma were there, the people I needed to be at the birth with me I felt baby could come at any time and I would be ready. My brother Kenny and his wife Alyssa would be driving down first thing in the morning to be with the boys while my mom, grandma and Nathan and I went to welcome our little Wesley.

Shortly before bed that night when I went to the bathroom, I noticed a slimy gob of stuff on my toilet paper. I'd never experienced this with my other births, but I assumed it must be my mucous plug. The next morning the rest of it came out and I was certain that's what it was. That morning I tried to relax as much as I could. The plan was for Nathan to work in the morning and then come home and pick us up around noon to head to The Birth House. For some reason I was particularly moody throughout the morning. It took me a long time to get my thoughts together and feel like I was ready to go. Around 10:30 I started to have some fairly regular, increasing contractions, although they were nothing too serious yet. I knew even if I didn't have my water broken that day I would have been welcoming a baby that weekend.

Last pictures as a family of five!

When we arrived at The Birth House the sun was shining into the room where I had previously delivered two other babies into the world - Bradley and William. I was eager to begin the process but was definitely feeling the nervousness set in of what I would soon be facing. I had been so uncomfortable the last few weeks and a baby had to pass through all that discomfort! Carolee checked me prior to breaking my water and the contractions from the day before had done their job as I was now a very loose 4 and the bag was sitting in the perfect position. Still, the process of breaking the bag was very uncomfortable and just about made Nathan pass out (which probably kept me more relaxed laughing at him). My bag was broken around one in the afternoon.

Carolee told us that the next bit was up to me. I could hang out there and wait for labor to set in or I could go for a walk. The idea of a walk was lovely but as soon as I stood up I knew I was going no where. I immediately went to the toilet where I spent the next good while as the contractions ramped up quickly and I started to work through them. I was experiencing some serious back labor as well and I felt Nathan couldn't push hard enough on my lower back and hips with counter pressure. I asked that Carolee get the tub filled as soon as possible. I was envisioning another water birth like I'd had with William. The relief I knew the warm water in the tub would bring was all I wanted.

As I got in the tub I did find relief for a short while. That relief didn't last long however. It seemed there was no position I could get comfortable in. The minute hand on the clock ticked on and for every minute I knew I was getting closer to meeting my baby it wasn't close enough for my liking. My grandma was a wonderful source of encouragement in this. She had been a nurse for so many years and although retired now, the words I'm sure she spoke to so many of her patients over the years were in my ear - "you're doing great!" "you are strong" "it will be all right". I let her comfort me for a good while.

Pretty soon I needed Nathan in the tub all the way with me. I just could not get on top of these contractions. I felt the desire to push long before the urge. I even tried pushing at one point but that just brought more pain. Carolee could see this struggle in me. She saw my desire to just have this baby here already and the frustration at knowing my body was making me wait. It was probably 15 minutes after that first push with pain for not being ready that my body went into that urge to push that took over and it just happened. I went with it. I did not feel the relief I was expecting in pushing, but I felt that at least it was working this time.

Such an amazing support team!

Soon enough though I didn't feel I could stay in the tub any longer. I had been sitting in a kneeling squat for too long and my legs couldn't bear me up. I'd glance over at the bed between contractions just wishing my head could be on that pillow and I could sleep for a little bit. I was afraid to move for fear of bringing on more contractions. Finally, Carolee and my grandma convinced me that moving to the bed would help me and I allowed them to help me over between contractions. I didn't have very long to push on the bed before I could see Wesley's head. But it didn't feel right. Everything still hurt so terribly bad. Once I knew his head was out I expected it to be a quick exit for the rest of his body, but it wasn't. He wasn't budging and it just hurt much. Carolee and the rest of the room was teling me to "push, push, push!" and oh how I was pushing. I kept saying, "I am, I am!" At one point I yelled, "Just pull him out already!!" I gave it everything I had left in me to get him out and finally out he came. I held my baby and just started to sob. Wesley Roland arrived on September 2nd, 2017 at 4:32pm weighing 9 lbs 2 oz and 21 inches long.

So much seemed righted with him in my arms. Arms which had been empty for a baby for too long. He looked like a mix between William and Steven with curly hair on his head (a first for any of my boys) and had the funniest little red spot on his nose from where he'd probably been rubbing inside of me.

I soon was told why our sweet Wesley took so long to make his exit. He had followed two of his brothers before him in keeping hands by his face, and he came out with not one, but two arms up. He became quite stuck at one point. Thankfully all was well and there were no complications. I was given a shot of pitocin to get my afterbirth to release quickly (this was done as a precaution given slight hemorrhaging after William's birth and major after my miscarriage with Shiloh).

Great- Grandma Brake with Wesley

Grandma Lori with Wesley

I grew that inside me! 

Sweet Carolee talking Wesley down while he screams his head off

Bliss

He is such an amazing Daddy

Wesley took to the breast quite naturally and nursed vigorously for a couple of hours straight. I geared myself up for some soreness to come because of it, but was in such a blissful state that I didn't mind at all. Because of the precipitous birth (total of 3.5 hours), Wesley took a bit longer than usual to get his breathing to a normal state as he had a pretty high respiration rate at first. We took our time getting ready to leave and go home, but we were ready to head home around 8.

On the way home we picked up some Vic's pizza, something I'd been wanting for a long while, and then headed home to meet the family who was waiting. I was quite tired, but so glad to be home. Our boys were very eager to meet their littlest brother and William couldn't wait to hold him.

We spent the rest of the weekend with family and close friends coming to visit and greet our newest Bundle. The next few weeks were filled with adjusting to life with our sweet Wesley boy. We couldn't be happier with the joy that he has brought to our family. 

Papa Pat meeting Wesley

Aunt Jessica

Uncle AJ

Nathan and his parents - Papa Johnson & Grandma "Nana"

Cousin Matthew meeting Wesley

3rd time doing pregnancies and babies together - closest in age yet!

I am so thankful for yet another beautiful, healthy son. God truly has blessed me beyond what I could ever have hoped for in this life.

My midwives, Carolee & Constance, were so encouraging, yet again, through a difficult and exhausting pregnancy. With the strenuous diet and all the emotions I carried over into it from my previous pregnancy loss, I never once felt bad asking them a question I had probably asked before or should well know the answer to the 4th time around. They didn't give up on me!

Carolee on a normal day at the office - isn't she gorgeous?!

And oh how thankful I was that my grandmother could be at the birth of her great-grandson. Such a blessing and privilege to have her her for the birth and caring for me in the days afterward.

And I am so thankful to my husband, who is steady and cares for me well. This 4th time in I hardly had to communicate to him what I needed in labor - he just did it. Maybe he'll be even better in another go around?...

I jest...mostly...we might be that crazy at some point?