The Terry Tales: Max's Birth Story

My pregnancy with this sweet baby was fantastic. In the first trimester I threw

up maybe a handful of times, the second trimester I felt energized, and in the

third I felt great up until the last few weeks when I started getting really big. The

only thing that wasn't so fun was the lack of sleep due to uncomfortableness, but

considering all that could have gone wrong I really can't complain.

The easiness of Max's pregnancy definitely carried over into his labor and

delivery. Throughout this pregnancy, I was going to school, being a mommy to

Penny, and had other various trials so I feel like Heavenly Father really blessed me

with a tender mercy of an easy pregnancy and birth.

I had to learn patience this time around because I was determined that I

wouldn't do anything to speed things along like I had with Penny. Remember the

caster oil story? Yeah, that was not happening again. Talk about embarrassing.

At an appointment I had in the beginning of June, Dr. Lind told me he would

induce me on June 20th, five days before my due date, June 25th. At first I was all

for it, but then as time went by I felt really uneasy about being induced. With that

uneasiness came a determination that I would stick it through as long as possible

because I really wanted to experience going into labor on my own, the natural way. This became very important to me, and gave me the willpower to maintain my sanity until baby boy arrived.

Towards the end of my pregnancy I was getting extremely uncomfortable

and it was getting hard to meet all of Penny's needs because physically I just

couldn't keep up. Dr. Lind had a trip to Africa planned and told me he was leaving but assured me he would be back before I went into labor. He would be back in the office by the 15th. Since my due date was the 25th I assumed it would be fine, but I did have Penny at 38 weeks so there was a big possibility I would have the baby before my due date. My sister-in-law, Jenny, who also is a patient of Dr. Lind's, had an appointment scheduled with him on the 15th, and while she was at our house received a call from his office telling her that he had gotten stuck in Africa and wouldn't be returning until later into the the next week. This of course caused great panic in me because when I had Penny my OB/GYN was out of town and his forcep-episiotomy-happy partner delivered me and it was not at all what I

wanted. I really wanted MY doctor. So even though I was extremely

uncomfortable, could hardly get anything done, and wasn't sleeping, I mentally was

willing myself to keep that baby inside until Dr. Lind got back.

However, the night of June 15th I started having some serious contractions that were about every 2-3 minutes apart. I had a false alarm with Penny and got sent home from the hospital and really didn't want that to happen again. So, we were sure wait a couple of hours before going into the hospital. While we were waiting it out, John-Charles and I decided to start watching the new Sherlock Holmes movie and had to turn it off early because my contractions were so intense and so regular. We were both convinced this was the night our little guy would be making his debut. At 12:30 a.m. we packed up the car and headed to the hospital.

Both of use were starving so we made a stop by McDonald's, since this would be our last meal for awhile. When we arrived at American Fork Hospital, they put us in the observation room to track my progress over an hour. When the nurse came back after an hour of long, hard contractions and told me I hadn't progressed at all I honestly wanted to kick her. How dare she insult me

with that news! I knew I was in labor. She sent us home with some Percocet and told us it probably wouldn't be too much longer until we were back

at the hospital again. The walk-of-shame out of the hospital was humiliating,

especially since we passed the same security guard that we had passed on the

way in.

Saturday passed, Sunday passed, and by Monday I just given up the thought that I

would be going into labor anytime. Each day John-Charles and I would look at

each other and say "Is today the day?" It was exciting because it felt like the night

before Christmas as we both anticipated when he would come. Yet at the same

time it was frustrating because I was getting so uncomfortable and everyone kept

calling me everyday for updates about how I was feeling. When I had to keep

telling them "Oh, nothing. Just the same old news. He's just content as can be in

there." I began to believe that I might be pregnant forever.

Currently, John-Charles is doing his ESL practicum at Springville Junior High and is also taking a Dinosaur class for his major. So Mondays and Wednesdays he is gone all day. Tuesday night, the 19th, I was gearing up mentally for the hard day that Wednesday would be because he would be gone all day and I would have to meet all of Penny's needs by myself. That probably sounds silly but I was so physically tired that I couldn't honestly see myself getting through the next day. As I sat up in my makeshift bed I had made on couch because my bed was so uncomfortable to me at this point in my pregnancy, I was just filled with dread for the next day. Going through one more day pregnant seemed nearly impossible to me.

At the same time I was stressing about the next day, I was experiencing A LOT of pressure everywhere in my body and couldn't relax. I would fall asleep for about

45 minutes and then wake up because I just felt like my body would burst. I made lots of trips to the bathroom that night. At 5:30 a.m. I got up and went the bathroom once again and was just starting to drift back into sleep when I felt a gush of fluid come out of me. In my mind I was thinking, "Wait a second, I just went the bathroom. That isn't pee is it? Did I just wet the bed?" and then more fluid gushed out and I sat up realizing that my water had just broken! In a hushed yell, so that I wouldn’t wake up Penny, I said, "John-Charles! John-Charles! (at this point he aroused from his sleep) my water broke!" He sat up like a bolt of lighting and excitedly said, "Really?!" I quickly stood up and more water splashed on the floor. Within 10 minutes we were out of the door. I was so excited my water broke! My mom's water broke when she was pregnant with me at the library. I always thought that was pretty cool. Having my water break was something I really wanted to happen because A) usually it's a good story and B) there is no second-guessing that you're really going into labor. Once that water breaks you know there is a baby that will soon be following.

As I hurried to get ready to go, I felt so much relief we were having this baby, and I wouldn't have to go through Wednesday all by myself. Also, it was early in the morning, and that meant that sweet Penny wouldn't wake up in a panic in the middle of the night wondering where we were (which had happened Friday the 15^th with the false alarm. She woken up right after we left, and had been up the whole time we were gone. Poor Grandpa tried to console her but she just cried the whole time). My mind was at peace and I felt so happy I could burst. I had prayed that my water would break and that I would go into labor in the morning.

At this point I wasn't having any contractions at all. We were in such a hurry to get to the hospital that I didn't think to put a pad or toilet paper in tocatch the water, so as I walked I kept feeling little gushes trickle out. Since my water broke we were admitted right away into a labor and delivery room, which by the way, were gorgeous and huge. At 6 a.m. my water broke, by 6:30 we were

in a L/D room, and by 7:30 a.m. I had my epidural. I still wasn't

having regular contractions so they started me on pitocin to get things going.

Dr. Lind had gotten back on the 19th and wasn't on call to deliver that day. So his

partner Dr. Jones came into talk to me and introduce himself since he would be

delivering me that day. He seemed really great and although I really wanted Dr. Lind, I was okay with it all. Surprisingly, a short while after he had come into see me, my nurse, Mary Ellen, informed me that Dr. Lind would in fact be coming in special to deliver me! I was so excited! I felt so at peace and so blessed. So many of the things I had hoped and for were coming to fruition.

John-Charles laid on the couch trying to catch some Zzz's and I tried to do the same but I was just so excited that it made it hard to sleep. At around 11:45 a.m. I

started feeling some serious pressure and discomfort, even with the epidural. The nurse checked me and I was an 8. Lyssa, my sister-in-law, was coming to take pictures of the labor and delivery, and so we called to let her know it was going to be soon. I tried to relax and sleep, but it was difficult. By 12:15 p.m. I was experiencing even more discomfort and pressure and another nurse came in and said, "Let me check you again. I'm thinking we are getting really close. Something for sure is going on down there. " So, she checked me and I was a 10! They called Dr. Lind, got everything set up, and by 12:45 p.m. Dr. Lind was in the room. At 12:51 I started pushing. Quickly, as the baby was descending, Dr. Lind could see that the baby was face up. Dr. Lind had to turn him by his ears to be facedown. By 12:59 p.m. little Maximus Alexander was here! He was 7 lbs 10 oz and 21 inches long.

Seeing your baby for the first time is the most magical, spiritual experience. Both John-Charles and I were filled with emotion as we witnessed this sweet little baby come into the world. There is nothing like it. He was beautiful, healthy and had no problems.

One of the first things I noticed is that he has John-Charles's feet. :) They were able to give himto me right away and I got to help clean him off while he lay on my stomach.

With Penny I didn't get to see her for about 10 minutes after her birth because

she had swallowed meconium and they had to suck it out of her lungs. The way

everything was panning out seemed liked a dream, almost to good to be true.

Right away I was able to try to nurse him. He was a champ and latched on. He

definitely has a good suck. Side note--Penny is a joy and light in my life beyond

anything I had ever hoped or dreamed was possible. However, as an infant she

was extremely colicy and was not a good nurser. Until she was 9 months-old I

pumped about every 3-4 hours so that I could at least give her breastmilk.

Thanks to my sister's hospital-grade pump that was possible, but boy was it a

pain. I was really hoping that this sweet baby boy would be a good nurser, and he

is! However, he would get really tired after a few minutes and we soon

discovered he was tongue-tied. Dr. Glade came in and did a little surgery (clipped