Introducing Joseph Arthur Jr.

Joseph Arthur Neaton Jr.

Born 12-26-2010

10:36 am

7 lbs. 1 oz.

18 3/4 in. long

Our little boy has arrived...almost 3 weeks ago already.

I have had relatively uneventful pregnancies, but both the girls were born after being induced. So, going into labor naturally was different but good.

I had been having contractions off and on the whole week before little Joseph was born. Totally annoying and frustrating, but made it much easier to realize when I was really in labor. 

We had Christmas gatherings with both sides...on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...both with me having contractions off and on again. We left my mom's on Christmas Day around 6:00 pm and I told everyone I was planning on having a baby the next day...joking, wishful thinking...a little of both.

I had no more contractions on the way home or for the couple of hours before bed time. Joe asked when he was going to bed if I thought tonight was the night. I told him no.

I was wrong. Contractions started around 11:00 pm Christmas night and were about 10 to 15 minutes apart and didn't seem like a big deal to start with. I was able to breath through them and actually was trying to sleep...that didn't work well...I would just fall asleep and have another contraction that would wake me up. 

I finally got out of bed around 1:00 am (12/26/10), took a shower and went downstairs to watch some t.v. The rest of the early morning was spent watching t.v. and tracking my contractions online. The were getting closer, longer and more painful, so I finally woke Joe up around 4:15 am. I called the hospital and Joe called his mom to come stay with the girls. We got to the hospital around 5:15 am.

With both the girls being inductions, we just showed up at the hospital and were put right in a birthing room. I didn't think about it being different this time until we got there. They put us in a triage room to make sure I was really in labor, to time contractions and check my cervix. I was totally bummed, when the nurse told me I was only 3 cm dilated and if nothing changed in the next hour they would send me home. I knew I was in labor and that today was the day and there was no way I wanted to go home...so we went walking and climbed a whole bunch of steps and walked some more.

And by 7:00 am, I was dilated to 4 cm and contractions were about 6 to 7 minutes apart. They let me stay and the nurse called my midwife (who was not on call, but was so sweet to come in on her weekend off anyways). Over the next hour or so, my contractions got closer and more painful. I had been have back labor the entire time, but it was getting a whole lot worse. It was like having 2 contractions at the same time...I would feel each contraction in both my lower back and my lower abdomen.  My midwife broke my water at around 8:30 am. I was dilated to 5 cm and was looking forward to speeding up labor...my back was killing me.

With all 3 deliveries, I had planned on having a waterbirth or at least laboring in the tub for quite awhile. Each time it has not worked out, including this time. My children have all had issues with umbilical cords wrapped and dropping heart rates when I contract. Thus leaving me hooked up to monitors and on the bed. With both the girls, at that point I opted for an epidural...but not this time. There really wasn't time for it when we had got situated and ready to get into the tub.

I was all hooked up to the monitors and laboring on the bed by about 9:45 am. Contractions were close and I was real close to being fully dilated. And I swear you forget how painful labor is until you are in the ends of it again. You would think with pregnancies so close together, it's not something I would have forgotten...Praise the Lord for forgetfulness! At this point, I was ready to have this baby...to see his sweet little face, but I think more just to end the horrible back pain.

I was fully dilated and ready to push by 10:15 am. Contractions hurt, were right on top of each other and I could not seem to catch my breath. This was by far my most painful labor...I think more just because of the back labor. I had some back labor with Charlie, but with an epidural I didn't deal with it during delivery and was able to just concentrate on pushing.

I pushed through a few contractions and rested through a few and pushed through a few more. Our little baby boy was delivered at 10:36 am. In the end, it turned out the cord was wrapped around his neck...thus explaining the dropping heart rates. And he delivered face up, rather than face down...thus explaining my horrible back labor.

I would say all in all a painful delivery...but is there any other kind, it is suppose to be painful after all. But, I have already decided I can do it again and we will do it again. Neither of us feel like this was our last baby to deliver.

The little guy came out nameless and remained that way for a good part of the day. Joe and I had went around and around on his name for hours, for days, for weeks. In the end, I just gave in and Joe named our precious new son. Our little man now named after his wonderful daddy.

These first few weeks have been going well. He is eating like a champ and at a weight check when he was just 8 days old, he was already 12 oz. over birth weight. I weighed him again this morning...19 days old...and he has gained 2 lbs already. I may just have a chubby baby after all (neither of the girls ever were).

He has been sort of crabby the last couple of days and seems stuffed-up off and on. I'm thinking a diet change is in the future for me...I'm thinking I need to cut the coffee and the dairy (both the girls did not tolerate dairy well at all while nursing).

God bless!