A Birth Story

This is going to be a very personal post. I'd like to write about Brandon's birth because I don't ever want to forget any moment or detail of that day.

I thought I would be really nervous on the day of Brandon's birth. I had been fretting for several weeks already - worried about undergoing major surgery. I knew there were risks associated with c-sections but I wasn't really sure what those risks entailed. I spent my entire pregnancy preparing for a vaginal birth and had no idea what to expect from a c-section.

Jamie and I had gone out for dinner the night before. I wanted to celebrate the eve of Brandon's birth. We happened to get a wonderful waitress who was so supportive and happy for us once she found out why we were there. She said "Tomorrow is going to be the best day of your life and I'm so happy for you". Those words suddenly put me at ease because I knew she was right. It didn't matter how our baby would enter the world, it only mattered that he would be with us in a few short hours.

The morning of November 10th was beautiful. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky - it was a perfect day to be born. I stayed calm and accepted phone calls from family wishing me well. I had eaten a big breakfast at 6am and little did I know that it would be my last meal for the next 26 hours.

Our operation was scheduled for 12 noon so we loaded our bags into the car and headed to the hospital around 11:30am. Once we got to Labour and Delivery we were told there were no beds available and we were asked to wait in the waiting room. By 2:30pm I had begun to think the operation wouldn't happen that day. That we would be sent home and asked to come back the following day. For some reason, this idea didn't bother me. I felt ready to go home when all of a sudden a petite, older nurse entered the waiting room and said "Fontaine? Let's go have a baby". Her name was Omana and she was the sweetest nurse anyone could hope for. I didn't really feel nervous but I found her presence very reassuring. She took us into the same room where I had my ECV procedure just weeks before. I changed into a hospital gown and laid down on the bed. I was hooked up to the fetal monitor - the last time I would hear my baby's heartbeat on the Doppler.

Jamie and I were suddenly given a ton of paperwork to fill out. I don't even remember what the papers said - all waivers I imagine. The anaesthesiologist stopped by to discuss the spinal I would receive and then the surgeon came in to talk about the risks associated with c-sections. His name was Dr. Brian Hauk and he had a very calm manner about him. He was the chief OB and he was known for preforming very safe and fast sections. I had a million questions I wanted to ask him but somehow I forgot them all and simply asked when the operation was going to take place. He said he didn't know, just that it would be soon.

Almost as soon as he left a nurse came in with scrubs and told Jamie to put them on. He looked so cute in his "surgeon wear" that I wish I had been able to take a picture. I was told it was time and we were led out of our room and down the hall a short distance. Jamie was asked to wait in a separate area and I was walked into the OR. What a scary sight! The room was cold and there must have been 8 or 9 people in there - all running around and looking very busy. I sat on the operating table where the spinal was administered by a resident. I thought it would hurt but it didn't hurt at all. As soon as she was done, people really started to move. I lost feeling in my legs almost instantly and they had me lie down right away. I could feel that people were working on me (I'm not sure what they were doing exactly) but the feeling was only that of pressure, nothing else.

Jamie was brought into the room and he sat beside me. A sheet went up at my chest and we couldn't see anything. I was sort of dazed at this point. I don't remember being excited or scared. All of sudden the surgeon was there and the resident started telling me I would feel a tugging sensation and a lot of movement. It all happened so fast. I heard the resident say "There's a foot. There's an arm. There's the shoulder and there's the head!" (Jamie was brave and actually stood up to see over the sheet and witness the birth of his son). And then there was a cry as Brandon took his first breath. It was music to my ears.

There was more tugging and pulling at my abdomen but I didn't notice because Jamie got up and came back with our son. He was so beautiful! He had stopped crying was looking around. I could only see his profile but I could touch him and it was amazing.

Shortly afterward, I felt exhausted and nauseated. The resident put something in my IV to stop the nausea and then it was over. I was lifted onto another bed and wheeled out of the room. The surgeon said something but I can't remember what it was.

From the OR I was put into recovery where our doula, Julie, was allowed to join us. I was fussed over and checked while I tried to nurse Brandon for the first time. A doctor came in to check him over and she told us he was healthy. Brandon weighed 7.7 lbs, was 20.6 inches long and his official birth time was 16:46.

From that point on, everything is a blur. I was moved to Post Partum and fussed over some more. I remember being tired and not able to sleep. I remember feeling happy that the surgery was behind me. I remember the excitement on Jamie's face - I'd never seen him so happy before.

Babies are born every minute of every day all around the world. Every one of those babies has their own birth story - and this one was Brandon's.

I find it odd that I delivered a baby and never once felt a contraction or felt what it was like to push. So, in a way, I feel like his was not an ordinary birth but then again I also believe that he's no ordinary baby. He's just my miracle - that's all.