Beckett's Birth Story

Baby Beckett arrived surprisingly on his due date: 10/24/2013. He was born at 5:58am. His birth story is very different from the other three boys.

From the very beginning this baby has measured big. I had a couple "extra" sonograms through out the pregnancy to make sure that there was just one baby and to check and make sure there was no extra fluid. The findings were always the same... one big fat baby (and I'm taking like over 97th percentile). We thought for sure this baby was coming early.

The end of September, baby was estimated 7lb 14oz. I know that sonograms can only estimate size and there was no way to be sure that baby would be that big. I trusted my body would grow a baby that I could and would birth.

Friday, Oct 18th (Parker's 6th birthday) I had an appointment. My uterus was measuring 43 weeks (when I was 39) and so they sent me downstairs for a sono to check size/fluid since their sono tech was booked all afternoon. The sonographer downstairs told me baby now estimated 9lb 14oz. Holy big baby.

First thing Monday morning I got a call from Dr Berry's office that she wanted to see me STAT. She wanted to talk about the baby and get a game plan set. She checked my cervix (2-3cm) and checked my pelvis. She felt like things would be okay and I could go ahead with my VBAC-. I asked if I should keep my weekly appointment for Weds and she said sure.

Wednesday (the 23rd) I had been scheduled for an NST. sono, and appointment with Dr. Berry. We asked Mary if she could watch the boys so Brian could go with me. She rocks and said yes. At that appointment we found out he now estimated 10lb 2oz.

To make a long story short... I had been feeling weird about this delivery for a while. I would talk to a friend of mine all the time about all my anxieties (Yes, I'm sure I drove her nuts). There were no grounds for these feelings. But, they wouldn't go away. I prayed a lot about what to do. I felt prompted to prepare for a csection. Would I try to VBAC with an epidural just in case I ended in csection? Would I plan a csection? Would I try to push it all out of my mind and just try to VBAC like with Carter and Anderson? I didn't know what to do. I pondered and prayed, and prayed and pondered. Every time I would think about a csection- I felt peace. I would feel panicky when I thought about VBACing. This is totally NOT expected coming from me. I love everything to do with birth. I have a special place in my heart for natural, beautiful births. I love making women feel empowered and I loved feeling empowered. I didn't want this birth to be anything different.

At that appointment Weds I told Dr Berry where I was at and what I was thinking. She was amazingly supportive. She wanted to do what I wanted. We talked about the options (which I had been going through over and over in my head). She checked my cervix and I was 3/4cm. I said that when I thought about a csection- I felt peace. It's not what I wanted, but I felt it in my gut that I should go this route to get the baby here.

We planned a csection for Friday 10/25 at 7:30am.

We got home from that appointment, ate lunch with Mary and talked about the appointment and where we were going from there. On the way home from watching the boys, she got in a car accident. :( She was okay but I told her not to worry about coming to watch the boys if I went into labor beforehand.. I wanted her to heal. Brian called his mom and she came up Weds night (just in case).

On Thurs 10/24 I woke up at 1:30a with super intense contractions. I went to the bathroom-had  bloody show (never had that- even in labor) and I thought my water may have broken (later we found out it didn't). We called the Dr and went to the hospital. Chris- my doula met us there. I was only a 5 when I got there (at 3:24am) but I told triage that Dr Berry said to come ASAP if I had any signs of labor and the csection would happen. It took forever to get the bloodwork results (while I was trapped on the monitor in the little triage room). 2 hours later still waiting for the results- they checked me and I was 7cm. The Dr (Dr George was on call and I  had never even met her) made sure I wanted the c-section still. I said I had already come to terms with it, and yes. Finally the anesthesiologist said "let's go" (still were waiting for the blood results)... and at 5:30a I was wheeled back for the spinal/section.

 

BECKETT  RUSTER  STEFFEN 

was born at 5:58am weighing in at 9lb 4oz.

He was 20.5inches long. He had the cord around his neck.

He was nice and healthy and Brian got to do skin to skin in the OR.

 As soon as I was in recovery- I nursed and had skin to skin with him.

It  was  a  beautiful  birth!

Looking back I can say for CERTAIN that I AM and WAS EMPOWERED.  I listened to my gut and I did what I thought I had to do. I have a beautiful healthy baby boy. I am healing.

The boys came up that afternoon to meet "the new baby" and they were ALL thrilled that he was a boy. :)

And, I have to admit, I am too.