Isaac's Birth Story

On Monday November 14th we had our very last doctor's appointment at 39 weeks and 4 days. Isaac was still not here but I was 3-4 centimeters dilated and 75-80% effaced. We scheduled an induction for the following Monday, November 21st at 5:00am. All that week we were on pins and needle knowing that Isaac could come any day. At first I was convinced that he would come before the next Monday and we would not need to be induced but as we inched toward the end of the week, I knew that Monday would probably be the day. I was still off work all that week and Noah was busily preparing schoolwork in advance knowing he would be taking the next two weeks off. On Isaac's due date on November 17th we went with Mom to Decatur to watch her direct the Decatur All-City Honor Choir. We were glad Isaac held off just a little bit longer to go and see the concert. On Sunday we went to church as normal knowing we were just 24 hours away from having our baby. Noah's family came into town that Saturday for Thanksgiving holiday and we spent several hours with them at Mrs. McQueen's house that Sunday.

On Monday November 21st I hadn't slept much the previous night. We went to bed at about midnight after making sure we had all the last minute items put away in our hospital bags. I woke up that morning at about 1:30am with some pretty intense pain and I was scared that I was going to go into labor after I had been counting on our induction. They pain went away after drinking some juice though and I feel back asleep. At 4:00am that morning the alarms went off and we woke up. We showered, dressed, took one last photograph and headed out the door.

We arrived at the hospital just about ten minutes after 5:00am. There was one couple already in the waiting room and one woman signing in at the hospital desk ahead of us. We went to the other side of the desk and signed in, filled out the forms, and paid our hospital co-pay. We went back into the waiting room and more and more couples began coming in and signing in. I noticed that everyone else had packed some pretty massive hospital bags and my little green and white bag was very small in comparison. There was an animated owl movie playing on the television. I had brought a tall glass of juice into the hospital with me and I sipped on that as we waited to be called back. Two other women were called back before we were and the waiting room was getting very, very crowded. Then my name was called. Noah was told to wait there and she would come and get him soon.

As the nurse lead me back to the labor and delivery room, she told me congratulations because I was getting the very last labor and delivery room. She said that everyone was scheduled for an induction that day and she didn't know where they were going to put everyone else. I felt so extremely blessed that Noah and I had arrived when we had and not a second later! When we entered the room, I went back to the bathroom and changed into the hospital gown and got in bed. She asked tons and tons of questions and typed them into the computer. She also did a check and I was the same as I had been last Monday on November 14th. Noah came on back and we waited.

We were in the labor and delivery room at about 5:30am and by about 6:00am we were by ourselves and we turned on the television to find the news. Mom and Emily arrived not too much later and we all watched the news and then Good Morning America. Mom left to go to an assembly at about 7:00am.

They had me on a pitocin drip and the paid was really not very bad. The doctor came in at about 8:30am and did a check and broke my water. They increased the pitocin drip to where I received a full bag at a very quick rate. At this point I wasn't in too much pain and didn't want to ask for the epidural too early but I went ahead and asked for it then just to be safe. It was a good thing I did because after this, everything happened so fast. I went from feeling fine to feeling horrible very quickly. We were waiting on the anatheseologist and everything felt very chaotic. The pitocin made the contractions very painful and my arm very cold. When the anetheseolist arrived I was ready for the epidural and wasn't even scared anymore. They told me I would feel pressure or a prick or a bee sting here and there but I didn't care, none of the needle pricks or pressure was nearly as bad as the contraction pain. It didn't take too long for the epidural to start making me feel better and my legs quickly became very numb. My right leg reacted much more strongly to the epidural than my left leg and I could not move my right leg at all.

Everything calmed down after that. Emily and Mom came back in. We watched The View on the television and I was feeling much better. Not long after that Patti and Gwin arrived. We were all talking and I started feeling bad again. I was feeling an increasing amount of pain on my left side. The nurse came back in and everyone left so she could do another check. While she was checking, she told me I was 100% effaced and was ready to push. She called back the doctor and on the next contractions she told me to push three times. She had turned on the baby warmer and all I could think is that if she had done that there would be a baby to put in there soon.

It was quite a shock to the system. I didn't know we were that far along and I wasn't mentally ready for the delivery yet. I hadn't expected it to happen that fast. The whole morning had passed in a blur. I had read so much about how you should bring books, movies, ipods, and such to pass the long hours of delivery but hours felt like minutes to me that morning.

As I was pushing, she became concerned because the baby's heart rate was dropping when I pushed. The doctor came back and checked over everything and because his heart rate was dropping when I was pushing, they wanted him our as quickly as possible. At first I was worried they would give me a c-section and I felt bad because we had come so far and were soo close. They could already see his head and told me he had a full head of hair but they didn't want a c-secion. The doctor got out the vacuum to use. I pushed a few more times and then he was here.

David Isaac Hoppe-McQueen was born at 11:55am. He weighed 8 pounds and 2 ounces. He was 20.5 inches long.

As soon as he was out, they put a blanket on my chest and gave him to me. I would like to say it was an overwhelming feeling, but honestly I was so dazed, I didn't feel anything at all except extreme chaos and confusion. Noah was deliriously happy and Isaac was screaming so loudly (which he hasn't done again yet).

Noah and the nurses took him over to the baby warmer to clean him up and measure him. The doctor continued to work on me and deliver the after birth and give me my stitches. Because they wanted him out so quickly, they gave me an episiotomy.

They put a hat on his head and wrapped him in a blanket and the doctor and nurses left. Mom, Emily, Rush, Patti, and Gwin came back in and everyone took turns holding him. Mom needed to leave to go back to school and the rest of us waited in the delivery room for an additional hour before it was time to head up to the well baby floor.

Noah had to help the nurse put me in the wheel chair because I still could not move my right leg after the epidural. After I got situated in the wheel chair, they handed Isaac back to me and the nurse wheeled us up the the well-baby floor. When I got into my room, they took Isaac to the nursery with Noah to receive his first bath. When they brought him back, he had on a diaper, a shirt, and a hat, and was wrapped in a blanket.

The first two weeks of Isaac's life were very overwhelming but he was an absolutely wonderful baby. I am so thankful for such a supportive family who love Isaac so much and for Noah who is the absolute best husband and father. He took very good care of us!