For those who just want the summation, here it is...
Name: Bowen David Virkler
Birth Date/Time: April 25th, 2015 at 4:57pm
Weight: 7lbs, 3oz
Height: 20in
Head Circ: 13.5in
APGAR: 8/9, 9/9
And for those that want the nitty, gritty details...
The past three boys were all delivered in the hospital, through insurance plans. We didn't really have a choice. This time around, since the main hospital Joel operates out of is orthopedic-specific, the insurance let us choose from a few different places, including a birthing center. I am usually intimidated in the hospital, and delivering at one where I wasn't familiar with anybody made me nervous. But I wasn't liking the fact that the birthing center had a 6hr minimum stay and 12hr maximum stay, post-birth... I kind of enjoy a brief respite from my children ;) But I decided to opt with the Women's Birth and Wellness Center, because I figured we'd be paying a lot more than a 5-star hotel cost for my hospital "vacation" anyways. If there were any complications, the WBWC is associated with UNC, and they would take me to their women's hospital.
I know every pregnancy/labor/delivery is different, but I tend to get into this mindset that if they have all had previous similarities (ie, my time from first contraction to birth has never been longer then 6 hrs), that it would be the case all the time.
Not true.
Thursday evening, I started feeling unwell. I ended up having chills, bowel movements and random back contractions all night long, until early morning. Then they stopped. So I didn't get any sleep. At my OB visit Friday, I was told I was 1cm dilated (which I can be for a month), only about halfway effaced. Friday night, around 9:30pm, they started up again, short (only about 30 seconds), but painful and every 10 to 15 minutes. I called the midwife in the morning, and she said to eat a piece of fruit (I was not hungry and my bowels were empty by this point) just in case and go to bed and try to rest. I wanted to go and walk, but it was in the 50s and rainy that morning. Laying down didn't help, though it was more peaceful, as I had a sheet of verses that I kept reading through and applying to heart. This time they lasted until 3pm Saturday, so with those 18 hours, I went longer then all three of my previous labors/ROMs combined, and the only result was frustration, exhaustion (I wasn't able to sleep now for two straight nights) and uncertainty. So I started texting my friends, asking for prayer. Again, all of these contractions were back labor, because I've learned that I'm one of those rare breeds with the specific waist and pelvic type to have the pleasure of experiencing posterior labors and at times deliveries.
Shortly after 3pm (3:07pm to be exact) they started coming every 2 minutes. We called the birthing center again, after Joel started getting nervous because my last two labors had only lasted about a couple hours once contractions got started. They told us to come on in, and they would have a room waiting for us. We left shortly before 4pm, after Joel had packed up some clothes, and a neighbor friend from our church came over to watch the boys. Thankfully, I only had 4 contractions during that 30 minute drive, because they were not fun to experience in a car (and I would've probably delivered early!). We arrived at the birthing center at 4:20pm. After arriving, I had a couple of contractions, while we unpacked our stuff and got acquainted with our room and turned on my instrumental hymn music. They measured me and I was 8cm dilated. A couple of contractions later, I felt the need to push. They said I was only at 9cm, but with my uterus, one more contraction could probably bring me to a 10. With the next contraction, my water broke, and the contraction after that he fell out. I was on my hands and knees on the bed, trying to get undressed and bracing myself to not push until after they filled the tub, so I could experience the water birth so many people rave about. But we didn't make it. All of a sudden, he was just in between my legs-- thankfully, I was on the bed so he had a soft landing! :)
They gave the Bowen to me, still with all the vernix and stuff on him, and once the cord was done pulsing, gave me a shot of pit and had me deliver the placenta. Then they wiped him off, clamped it, cut it and changed the bloody sheets on the bed while I was still on it, so that I could just relax with my baby- such talent! Then the midwife and nurse left the room for an hour or two. We were wondering if they were even going to do the measurements, and if they had done an APGAR, but after those couple of hours, thhey came back in, and performed his measurements. Besides the first hour of pushing on my uterus, and a 3 hr checkup, they didn't return until we were discharged at 6hrs. It was still tempting to stay and relax for 12 hours there, but I figured it would be easier for us (and our sweet sitter Donna) for us to leave at 11pm, vs 5am!
People are saying he looks like Callum and Joel. Thoughts?
Nana and her newest grandson! I've been so blessed to have my mom out here this month. And this time, instead of staying for a month, but only getting to be with her grandbaby for 3 days, he arrived 3 days after she got here!
Our midwife, Allison
The boys absolutely adore him... so thankful and blessed!
(Daddy, you cant kiss him, your beard might scratch his face!)
3 comments:
I think he looks like Joel too. :D So sweet! and the beard comment is adorable. ;) Gisella always goes in really slow for kisses from daddy because of his scruff. haha :)
Yay! So excited to read this post. Congratulations on another beautiful boy! And cute name too.:) Can't wait to see him in person soon!
Congratulations. Your boy's names are sweet & go together very well!
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