Birth Story for #3

9 months

39 weeks pregnant, almost 10 months, 1 week early.

My other 2 came at 39 weeks as well. 

         My alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. on Friday morning to get Kellyn ready for school. I hit snooze and felt a slight pain in my back. When my alarm went off again I hit snooze again and felt the same slight pain in back again. When my alarm went off a 3rd time I did not hit snooze and felt the same slight pain yet again. I thought that was a little odd and got up to shower. This mysterious pain was coming every 8 minutes. I suspected it was the start of labor so I did a load of laundry and told Max that I was indeed in the early stages of labor. I showered and put my make up on and ate breakfast. The pain was getting closer together and by 7:30 a.m. the contractions were 5 minutes apart. I didn't want to alarm the kids or get them too excited in case I labored all day and didn't even have the baby until the next day. But I was uncomfortable enough and concerned enough to text my mom to ask her to come watch Rhett. Max took Kellyn to school then went on to his office in Flower Mound then to see a patient in Highland Village. My mom got to my house at 8:30 a.m. She was going to take Rhett to her house, but the contractions were getting stronger and I didn't want to be left alone. By 9:00 a.m. I called Max and told him to come home. I texted him, "Please don't go to Highland Village." He was clearly not understanding how serious I was about being in full on labor because he negotiated a time with me and said he would be home by 11:00 a.m. My mom took Rhett to Target to get Kellyn some basketball shorts for her game that night. I called Max back at 9:45 a.m. and told him to come home. He said he was in Highland Village waiting for the James Avery store to open so he could put a charm on my bracelet for Baby #3. "That's so sweet. But get home I need you to take me to the hospital!" My mom and Rhett got back about 10:00 and were prepared to take me to the hospital. My contractions were now 4 minutes apart and lasting for 30 seconds. I couldn't talk through them any longer. Max finally came home at 10:30 and said he needed to pack a bag and take a shower. "Seriously! You didn't have a bag packed and you are going to make me wait for you to take a shower! Hurry up!!" Before we left I insisted on getting one last pic of me pregnant. It wasn't easy. My mom had to take it quick while I smiled between contractions. It was a beautiful day! 74 degrees and gorgeous. 

We got to the hospital at 11:00 a.m. The nurse checked me and I was already at 7 cm dialated! Max and I just looked at each other and couldn't believe it. Just Tuesday I was not dialated, the baby was high, and my cervix was thick. I've never made it to a 7 before without an epidural. I usually get it by the time I am 5 cm dialated then take nap. However, I've also never been so far along during the day before. I labored all night with Kellyn and had her at 7:00 in the morning and I had Rhett at 3:00 in the morning. This was the middle of the work day!

The nurse asked if I wanted an epidural and I said, "No, I'm trying to go all natural to save money for us to all go to the dentist." She thought that was funny, but when you are self-employed with no maternity coverage and have to pay cash for everything it doesn't seem worth it to pay $750 for no pain for a few hours when it costs the same amount for a family of 4 to go to the dentist. I had made up my mind months ago to not have an epidural because Max was working so hard on the weekends to provide for us. I felt that I could suffer through child birth as my sacrifice to our family. Once I told everyone I was planning on no epidural it was brought to my attention that I needed a birth plan. I didn't have a birth plan. I didn't know anything about natural child birth so my friend, Jennifer, who likes to have her babies at the birthing center, offered to be my doula and help me through it. She gave me some great tips and advice and was always encouraging me and believing in me that I could do it when others did not. She and my doctor both told me it was as simple as mind over matter. It was a mental test and if I made my mind up to do it I would. Sadly, Jennifer was not at the birth. She was on vacation in Utah and wasn't getting back until the next day. I really didn't think I would have this baby in January. I just knew he would have a February birthday like his dad, grandfather, and great grandfather so I told her I would wait until she got back. But I was wrong. I missed February by 12 hours. 

I had to be on penicilin through my IV. This was awful. My hand started to burn and the bottom of my arm and fingers went numb. I began to get drowsy and my eyes would close and I would almost fall asleep between contractions. It was a really weird feeling. I told Max something was wrong with me. I thought I was losing a lot of blood or something. It was sucking the life out of me. The nurse told me this was normal with penicillin. However, I was told later that it was probably an allergic reaction. 

At about 11:30 a.m. my doctor came in to check me! He wasn't supposed to be there. He was supposed to have left for a ski trip in Colorado on Thursday, but there was a terrible snow storm there and his flight was delayed then it was just cancelled. He was actually sitting on the plane Friday morning ready to go when they had to de-board the plane. He literally came straight from the airport to the hospital. The on call doctor could no longer be on call because his wife had a baby on Tuesday the 28th and they just found out that their baby had a heart defect and was going to have 3 surgeries. If Dr. Montanaro's flight hadn't been cancelled they didn't know who was going to deliver me. But by the grace of God he was there! Once he got there I was 8 cm! He said the baby was still high, but then he broke my waters and things progressed very quickly. This is when things got bad, but it didn't last that long. Honestly if I had been in labor all day I would have given in and had the epidural, but I was only in intense pain for 1 hour. Max was an awesome coach! He reminded how to breathe and to relax during the contractions. It was hard, but doable especially because he was there to help me through it. 

About 30 minutes after he broke my waters I was 9 cm. Then I felt the baby drop and really horrible contractions. I told Max to call the nurse. He said,"Are you sure he dropped? Your stomach doesn't look any different." "Yes! call the nurse. My body is starting to push and I can't stop it!!" She came in and called for the doctor. They all began to rush and the doctor said, "Yep there is the baby." Once he got his gloves on and I was yelling in pain he said, "The head is the worst part." And it was! It was the ring of fire like everyone says. I pushed maybe 2 times and he was out at 12:38 p.m. We had only been at the hospital for an hour and a half! Everyone told me the 3rd came fast and they were right!

I was so proud of Max for remembering to take pictures of the clock and scale just like he did with the other 2. 

Bryan Boaz "Bo" Dixon

8 lbs. 9 oz. 21 inches

01/31/14 at 12:38 p.m.

This was my biggest baby. 

Kellyn and Rhett were both 8 lbs 4 oz. 21 inches

Max snapped this picture just minutes after Bo was born. I love it because it shows just how fast he was born. I wasn't even sweating! I thought for sure I was sweating during labor, but it all happened so fast I didn't even have time to work up a sweat. What a miracle and a blessing. I can now say that I did it! I had all natural childbirth and lived to tell about it! I accomplished something millions of other women have done before me. I could definitely see God's hand through all of this. The fact that he came on Friday so we had the weekend to be in the hospital and not the middle of the school and work week, the fact that it was a warm and beautiful day and a snow storm, the fact that I went into labor during the day and not in the middle of the night while my 2 young children slept, and finally the fact that it all progressed so quickly that I didn't have time to think about not getting the epidural. Not to mention the fact that Bo is healthy! He didn't have the cord wrapped around his neck and he wasn't breach or any thing else. God is so good! It reminds me of the song Rhett is always singing, "My God is so big so strong and so mighty. There's nothing my God cannot do!"

My mom picked Kellyn up from school at 1:00 then came to the hospital. They came in the delivery room at around 1:30. We told them his name first and let them tell my mom and everyone else. Of course my mom cried because his first name is Bryan after my grandfather, her father. His middle name is Boaz because it goes with all the Ruth's in our family, Kristy Ruth, Kellyn Ruth, Carol Ruth, and Doris Ruth. But we will call him Bo because it rhymes with my dad's name, Joe. :)  I think it will be cute to have a Bo and a Joe.

This picture says it all. My heart is full and my family is whole.

Next read about Our stay in a "baby friendly" hospital