Owen's Birth Story

  For those of you who are interested in how Owen made it into this world, here is the scoop!  During the first few days of April, I started feeling contractions.  I was almost 32 weeks, and suspected that this wasn't normal.  So, with that in mind, I headed to the Labor and Delivery floor at the hospital.  They hooked me up to the monitors which revealed that I was getting regular contractions (every few minutes).  After 6 hours, a shot, and a couple pills, the contractions halted enough for the doctor to send me home.  Due to the fact that I was getting contractions so early, I was put on a pill to stop the contractions every time they started and complete bedrest with "only trips to the bathroom."  I must admit that I had a moment when I sort of "freaked out" about the amount of help I would need with childcare, cleaning, and cooking.  Even though I have seen time and time again how God miraculously provides, I doubted Him for a moment (or two...).  He soon showed me how well He provides!  We were provided with nearly 6 weeks of meals, all the childcare we needed, and enough help with housework to keep my house in order for the 6 weeks I was on bedrest.  Troy and I are so very thankful for the tangible way Christ's love was shown to us through His people!

At 37 weeks pregnant, a day or two before Owen was born.

  Six weeks after being put on bedrest, I had a checkup with my doctor.  I had been uncontrollably itching for the last 5-6 weeks and complained about it for the third time.  I told him Benadryl did not work.  Scratching the itches, mainly on my legs, ankles, feet, arms, and back didn't help either.  In fact, I was itching my skin raw!  The doctor FINALLY decided to look at my file only to discover that the Liver Panel blood test I did six weeks before was "Slightly elevated."  I asked how high the numbers were and the doctor repeated that they were "slighted elevated."  I then asked what the exact numbers were.  I had the same problem with the previous pregnancy and I knew where my liver enzymes were supposed to be.  The doctor reluctantly showed me the numbers.  Perhaps this was because he made the mistake of not telling me before that they were high!  Liver Enzymes are supposed to be 30-40 at the most.  At the time of the blood test, my enzymes were up to 115!  He then decided that I had something called "Cholestasis" and brushed it off as the body just not getting rid of bile as fast due to pregnancy.  I already knew of this condition and knew that it was certainly more serious than that!  He opted for another Liver Panel blood test. 

The doctor called me a couple days later (on Friday, May 13th) and told me he needed to deliver the baby because my liver enzymes had gone up to 146.  I was not suprised.  He was going to schedule a C-section for that evening or the next day.  I decided the day before to stop taking the pill that was preventing me from going into labor.  Even with taking the pill, my contractions were becoming stronger and more regular.  So, by 1pm on Friday, May 13th, I was going into labor.  Of course, feeling contractions off and on for six weeks, I second-guessed myself and didn't think I needed go in yet.  By 4:30, we were packing up the car to head to the hospital.  By the time I got hooked up to the monitors at the hospital, I was dilated to 6 and my contractions were coming ever 2-3 minutes.  It happened VERY fast.  As I lay there in the hospital bed, the medical staff hurried to prep me for the c-section.  I very much regretted waiting that long to go into Labor and Delivery.  I was in pain, but I breathed through the contractions knowing that I would soon see my baby boy!  On Friday, May 13th at 8:30 on the dot, Owen was born.  He was unresponsive at first.  The medical staff in the operating room didn't tell Troy and I this, but we knew because we didn't hear him cry and I could hear the respiratory therapist slapping Owen's back vigorously to try and get the fluid out.  The said they got 10 (I'm assuming "CCs") of fluid out of his lungs, and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we heard his cry!  Owen was born at a healthy 7lbs and 19 inches long.  I got to hold him a few hours later after being in the recovery room.  Even the third time around, there is nothing like finally getting to hold the child God grew inside your womb!  What a precious gift!