Spencer Douglas

Spencer Douglas

January 3, 2012
6:05 pm
9 lbs. 13 ozs.
21 inches long

The Details:
December was a crazy month at our house. Because of blood pressure issues I was on modified bedrest and had a bunch of extra monitoring. At my 39 week appointment I asked when they would talk induction. Next thing I knew, an induction was scheduled for January 3rd.

The next week I attempted a few things to put me into labor such as walking/running a mile with my parents dog pulling me along (he is a powerful little Yorkie), playing Just Dance 3, bouncing on an exercise ball, walking the mall, running up and down stairs. Yeah, nothing was happening except for untimeable contractions that were getting old. I had been slowly dilating all month but it seemed my body just didn't want to go into labor.

January 3rd we reported to the hospital at 7:30 am for the induction. We thought we would have a baby by lunchtime, especially considering I was in labor with Tanner for about 8 hours and half of that was dilating to a 3. When the nurse checked me I was 4.5 cms and the baby was *apparently* engaged. The nurse was very nice, however things were going very slowly. During our conversation I learned she was a new labor and delivery nurse and I was her first "solo" delivery after two months of training. Yeah...to give you an idea of the slowness, I arrived at 7:30 and pitocin wasn't started until just before 9 (and I was the only person delivering that day).

Pitocin was started and things were moving along. For the duration of the morning, the nurse was very conservative in upping the pitocin...it seemed to take forever for her to increase the dose. Things did start getting mildly uncomfortable and at the prompting of the nurse I elected to get my epidural before the real pain started. The doctor came in to break my water, which based on my delivery with Tanner would be the key to a fast delivery. However, when the doctor checked me, Mr. Spencer was "ballotable" (or however you spell it) meaning he wasn't engaged and if she broke my water we risked cord prolapse (remember how the nurse told us early in the morning that he was engaged?...yeah not so much). Cord prolapse = Not good. So we just kept waiting. After all of this, the nurse had me lay down. I thought it had something to do with my blood pressure and the epidural so I laid down and didn't question. Silly me.

I laid in the bed for 2 1/2 hours and didn't make much progress. I finally asked if I could sit up hoping that gravity would help pull the guy down, because he still wasn't engaging. The nurse said yes.

I sat up. Shortly thereafter the doctor came and Mr. Spencer was finally engaged - go gravity! The doctor broke my water and said she wouldn't leave the hospital. (I think I was at a 6 or 7 at this point).

Within in the hour after my water was broken I fully dilated and was ready to push after "laboring down" to let Spencer descend a little further. At 5:50 pm the nurse came in and had me do a practice push. I was immediately told to stop pushing. They called the doctor and set everything up. I started pushing for real at 6:00 pm and after 4 pushes and 5 minutes, Spencer Douglas entered the world at 6:05pm.

Everyone is doing well. Tanner loves his little brother. Spencer is a pretty good little guy and doesn't make much fuss except when hungry or getting a diaper change. Because Spencer was so big he had to have blood sugars tested for a while and the doctor was a little concerned about jaundice. Luckily his numbers started going down before bili-lights were needed. I had some bleeding issues right after delivery which have left me pretty tired and weak - but am slowly getting back my strength.

We are so blessed everything went smoothly and are grateful to be a family of 4.

Tanner meeting his brother.

First Family of Four PictureGoing Home

***Funny side note. I woke up at about 4:30 am on the 3rd thinking I heard someone opening a wrapper in our living room/kitchen area. I woke up Lowell and asked him to check it out. He said he would. Next thing I know, I hear him unscrewing the top of one of the posts on our bed (we have a four-poster bed). I asked what he was doing and the reply was "For crying out loud stop talking." I was a little stunned because he never talks to me like that. Next thing I knew he was taking our bedpost to the living room as his "weapon" in case someone really was there. And for the record, there was no one in the living room. ;)