Birth Story of Alexander Michael Johnson

Alexander Michael Johnson
July 1st 1998

In June of 1997 I miscarried at 12 weeks. I was Devastated. I ended up with hemorrhaging on July 5th and had an Emergency D&C, after that loss I just HAD to have a baby, not to replace the one I lost but something just said NOW! The doctors put me on some Prozac to help with the Resulting precautions and warned me not to get pregnant. My Husband David and I were pretty careful until a late night in October. Well you can guess the rest. I suspected I was pregnant right away and quit taking the Prozac. I started throwing up at 3weeks along and let me tell you, I was never so glad to spend most of my day in the Potty. I took the Nausea as a good sign because I had experienced none with my miscarried pregnancy.

We delayed telling our folks for a while because we didn't want to make a big deal of it until we KNEW for SURE that there would be complications. Now because of my previous miscarriage my doctor was very sweet and thorough. My very first "Confirmation" appointment he did an Ultra sound to find a heart beat. I was so happy to see that little heart fluttering away. And I have my baby on video from very early on like 5-6 weeks. I have a history of Hypertension so the doctor watched me closely. I had several more ultrasounds so I have my baby like 6 times on video even before he was born. At 5 1/2 months my BP started to really shoot up and the doctor wanted me to go into the hospital for some REAL bed rest. Now at this time I had a 5-yr. old little girl named Kaila. (Her birth story is here some where) So there was NO way I could stay in the hospital with my husband working 14 hr shifts to help pay for this baby. So the doctors gave me strict orders at home and for months I wasn't to get up even to go to childbirth classes.

So I cheated just a little. My doctor was monitoring my BP quite regularly so I just made my appointments with him on Wednesday nights right before childbirth classes at the same hospital. They set up a nice area where we could be really comfortable and even lay about. So I was getting ready. My daughter was born at a Military hospital when I was just 18. I Really didn't get much say in things and I had the works. IV, PIT, In bed, internal monitoring, stirrups for pushing, your know everything you don't want. Even so my daughter turned out great and it wasn't really too bad, but this time I KNEW I had all these options and by GOD I was going to use them. Our hospital had a nice new Birthing Area complete with hot tubs, birthing balls and Pushing chair, showers, Rocking chair etc.. You know every thing you want, Not to mention a really great staff of nurses and doctors. I had such plans how this was going to be that way and such, I really wanted to try out that hot tub and the birthing ball.

Well at 36 weeks that all started to change just a bit. On our way home from class one night I was driving my mother in laws car for the very first time and all of a sudden a Deer jumped right smack into the side of our car with me going 55 mph. I slammed on the brakes to miss it and ended up slamming into the steering wheel. Contractions and fear set in immediately. And my husband called 911 because he was afraid to move me.

Well to make that part of the story short I was monitored and released about 6 hours later because the contractions had slowed a bit and I was to follow up with my doc in the morning. Well when I went to the doctors in the morning they did a monitor strip and another ultrasound. They found that not only was my baby Frank breech but the contractions I had started the previous evening had helped the baby move down into a birthing position (the butt was engaged) talk about uncomfortable. The doctor warned me that going into labor breech could be dangerous especially with hypertension so if that should happen to tell the nurses when I called in not when I got to the hospital and we would try and external version at 38 weeks.

The version was uncomfortable to say the least and the doctor kept saying "sorry" when he hurt me. I told him that sorry doesn't mean anything if you intent to keep right on hurting a person. He laughed and saved the Apologies for the end. We though he might have turned the baby to a transverse position but couldn't get any further. So we would give the baby another week to turn and go from there.

You know, I seriously expected that baby to turn and I tried all the little "tricks" to help the baby along. Like laying upside-down, putting something cold on the top of your belly, music at the bottom, even pushing at the darn thing.

One day short of 39 weeks I went in for yet another final deciding ultrasound. And guess what, the little bugger was still breech. And my BP was way way up, dangerously so. The next thing I knew the doctor turns to my Mother in law and says "You will be a grandma tomorrow morning, have her here by 6am for the c-section." I was still very shocked.

When we left the office we went to the Mall. (Against doctors orders to rest) well I had to have something for the baby to come home in.) I went home and told Dave what the doctor said and told him in no uncertain terms that YES he HAD to be in the Operating Room. He wasn't so sure. We made arrangements for our daughter to stay with grandpa and come to the hospital after the delivery. Went to bed scared as hell and got up bright and early on July 1st 1998, ready to have a baby.

We went to the hospital and were there by 6 am. They took us back and sent Dave to get in scrubs and me to get in a gown. Can you believe they didn't give me a nursing gown? What did they think I was there of an appendectomy? Well anyway I finally get the RIGHT gown and get into my bed. A really nice nurse comes into start my IV and go over all the pre-op stuff with me. I answer all the questions calmly and rationally and Dave stands there holding my hand. As soon as the nurse left I started bawling to Dave.

I was SOOOOO scared of that big needle that would soon be going into my back and more than a little scared about the operation and the baby being ok. You know how when you're in labor you really don't have time to think about things you just kinda go on auto? Well if you are having a c-section that is even half way scheduled you have time to worry. And did I worry and cry.

The nurse came in and asked what was wrong and Dave told he I was scared. The nurse gave me a big hug and told me it would be all right. She calmed me down and introduced me to the guy that would be doing my spinal. I kinda looked at him weird and when he told me how everything would work he told me not to worry that he'd be right there making sure I'm ok the whole time.

We went into the operating room and they had me curl up in a ball with that same nice nurse holding on to me and encouraging me the whole time. It did hurt a whole lot but I didn't get paralyzed or die from the pain like I had imagined and it started to work pretty quickly. Soon I couldn't feel anything below my breast and the doctor was coming in with Dave.

They put him near my head and on my side of the sterile blue drape. They had actually already made the first cut before they told be they were starting. I lay there and waited and the nurses talked to me and told me how brave I was being and that everything would be ok. Dave started to turn just a bit green and they got him a stool. Both of my arms were strapped out to my sides to protect my IV, BP cuff and the sterile field but I wasn't as wigged out about had as I thought I'd be.

Soon I heard the Doctor saying "Ok, I'm going to try to break up this breech" and then there was a little tugging. Not even pressure just a little tug at my belly. Soon the nurses and the anesthesiologist lifted my head and lowered the blue drape so I could see the baby being born. I saw his little feet and legs and butt, quickly followed by the head. The Doctor looked at me and Grinned, "It's a BOY".

My husband was SOOOOOOO excited he just laughed and smiled at me and gave me a quick kiss. They laid me down and right away I had to throw up. It wasn't the blood or anything, that was fine, the doc said it was a reaction to the spinal block meds and they put something into my IV right away that stopped it.

By this time they had moved the baby to the warmer which was just above my head to the left so if I turned a little I could see him. My Alex. The Pediatrician checked him out and he was crying up a storm. They wrapped him up and un-strapped my right arm. Then Dave brought me my baby. My baby boy. The little thing I had been missing for more than a year. I couldn't believe it. My husband kissed me on the forehead and with tears in his eyes he said "Thank you." I couldn't hold it in anymore and soon I was crying for joy too.

Dave took the baby to the Nursery for his bath and Weight and I got stitched up. Soon I was in recovery a little drowsy from the meds. Within an hour I was in a private room with my baby on the way. They helped me get him latched on and I breast fed him for a few minutes. Then I had to lie on my back in case of a spinal headache so I just held him and looked at him in wonder.

We went home 3 days later on the Fourth of July and no other Celebration would have been big enough (My daughter tied, we came home Christmas day with her)

So even though my delivery didn't turn out the way I had planned I really had a good delivery. My baby was healthy, Every one was great to me, I wasn't in any pain, I could look forward to Peeing without a fire under me the next day, and I had all the people I loved around me. Over all a very happy ending.