This is a continuance of Brennen’s Story: Part 1.
After receiving the news, Andrew and I were elated! We wanted to share our happiness with everyone we encountered. However, we decided to wait out the first 3 months before officially announcing my pregnancy.
During the first month of my pregnancy I continued going to the infertility clinic for exams and ultra-sounds. My first ultra-sound showed that only one of the embryos “stuck.” As much as we wanted to have twins (since we knew that we would never go thru IVF again), we were just happy to be pregnant. After a month of normal check-ups, I was released to my ob-gyn for the remainder of my pregnancy.
Once I got through my first trimester, we finally got to share our news with the world! What a great feeling it was too finally tell people I was pregnant.
I wish I could say that my entire pregnancy was easy and problem-free. I can say that the first 13 weeks of my pregnancy were amazing! I did not have any issues. I was happy, life was good. However, week 14 changed all of that.
When I was 14 weeks pregnant Andrew and I were at my company’s annual picnic. It was a cold and rainy day but we were having a good time despite the weather. Our good time came to a screeching halt when I headed to the bathroom and discovered I was spotting. Andrew and I immediately left and headed for home, both of us fearing the worst. A call to my ob-gyn did nothing to ease our fears as she told us that if I was having a miscarriage there was nothing they could do to stop it but she also said it was up to us if we wanted to proceed to the ER. Initially we tried to wait it out at home, but as the bleeding got heavier and I became more hysterical, we decided to head to the hospital. We waited for an eternity in the waiting room and then another eternity in a private room. Once I was finally taken for an ultra-sound, I waited alone for the technician to tell me my fate. Imagine my relief when she showed me that the baby was fine! After this incident, I was put on bed rest for a few days and given restrictions on physical activity for the remainder of my pregnancy. Despite reassurance from my doctor that the baby was okay, my outlook on my pregnancy was forever changed.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed being pregnant. I loved watching my stomach get bigger and bigger, knowing that the baby inside me was getting bigger too. I loved feeling the bubbles of the baby’s first movements which eventually led to ferocious kicks as time went on. I enjoyed reading and singing to the baby. But partly because of what happened during week 14 and partly because of our struggle to get pregnant, I lived every day in fear that something would happen.
Another highlight of my pregnancy, was finding out that we were having a boy! I had suspected it all along as only boy names were appealing to me. However, the same ultra-sound that showed we were having a boy also showed my doctor that the baby was not measuring properly. This red flag resulted in a second ultra-sound which only furthered my fears. At my next ob-gyn visit we were given the results. My doctor said the baby was healthy but that he was going to be short. Please forgive my response, but I said “You mean, he’s going to be a midget?” (Hey I was pregnant, so I can be excused for politically incorrect statements, right?) The doctor said he was just going to be shorter than the average person. Phew! Another sigh of relief! I mean Andrew and I aren’t exactly tall people, we weren’t expecting our child to be tall.
About a month before my due date, I began to dilate. At each sub-sequent doctor’s visit, I continued to dilate more and more and at each visit the doctor would say, “He will be here any day now.” Eventually my doctor scheduled me to be induced because she was concerned that once I went into labor, I would not make it to the hospital in time due to how dilated I was. In all honesty, it felt like it was very fitting for me to be induced. I mean my pregnancy was very planned, why not my labor and delivery too? On January 22, 2008 I was induced around 9am. Overall my labor and delivery was very smooth (not nearly as scary as all the stories people like to tell you). The only issue that arose was quickly resolved by ensuring I laid on my side as Brennen’s heart rate dropped if I was in any other position. I received an epidural about 1 hour before I gave birth and I pushed for 45 minutes. At 3:06pm on January 22, 2008, I heard the greatest sound I have ever heard – the cries of my son! Brennen Zachary had finally arrived and in my opinion je made the world a better place!
I was officially a Mom!
