What a wild ride this has been!! This pregnancy has been the fastest so far! The entire time I have felt that I was not as far along as I really was. We were trying to get pregnant for several months. During that time I started having problems getting strep throat. I had never had it before and out of nowhere got it every other month for six months in a row(3 cases)! I talked to my ear, nose, and throat doctor and he said that my tonsils needed to come out if I had strep throat three times in less than a year. So he scheduled me to have them taken out in September. I was glad to finally get them out after so many new problems, but still wanted to be pregnant. I knew if I was pregnant the surgery would have to wait not only until after the baby was born but also after baby was done nursing. So part of me really wanted to not be pregnant so I wouldn't have to deal with possibly getting strep a lot for the next up to 2 years or more. I just decided the best thing to do was to trust God's plan for our family. I chart my cycles so I knew on the day of the surgery that I wasn't pregnant even though I had to take a test at the surgery center. Well, let me just say that surgery was torture!! But that's a different story! My mom came to town to help take care of the boys during my surgery and recovery. She was a huge help as Matthew could only take off the day of surgery. I was still charting my cycles even through the surgery. So, I knew exactly when it happened. I was babysitting a friend's kids for a date night and couldn't wait until morning so I tested. It was positive!! My throat was still sore from surgery and hadn't even had my post surgery follow-up!!
Needless to say I was so excited! I couldn't wait to tell Matthew but I figured not a good time with extra company. So when their parents came to pick them up I had a plan. Since it was pizza/movie night I got the movie What to Expect When You're Expecting and put it in. And as Matthew grows out a goatee when I'm not pregnant I had my oldest son bring him his razor to get to shave it. Well, it took a bit for it to click. He saw Josiah with the razor and got scared (who wouldn't be scared seeing a three year old with a sharp object), but when I played the movie and he saw the title, he knew. He was shocked but so excited!! And since my mom was there we got to tell her in person!! Josiah told her that mommy had a baby in her tummy. She said the same thing she said for the other two pregnancies, "are you serious?" It was so much fun!
This pregnancy was so much different from the other two. I had no initial early symptoms like I did with Josiah and Titus. If I hadn't been charting I wouldn't have known right away. I was so happy that I didn't have any of the fatigue and nausea that I had with my first two pregnancies. Well, that was short lived. I wasn't as tired as I was the first two times, but I was more than usual. I wasn't nauseous, but for several weeks I threw up once every morning. Mostly when brushing my teeth as my gag reflex is very sensitive anyway and especially when pregnant.
I didn't exercise as much as I did during Titus' pregnancy, but after the first trimester exhaustion I did start back up. By the end of the pregnancy I was down to mostly walking. I carried Solomon much more lower and out front than his older brothers so that made for adjustments in my workouts as well as from my chiropractor!! (haha) I had only a little heartburn even though he sported a nice head of light red hair. I chalk it up to much better nutrition and being overall healthier this time around.
Now to the part you've all been waiting for, the labor and delivery details. I knew I would have Solomon pretty close to his due date as Josiah and Titus were born very close. I was just hoping it wouldn't be very long after his due date. On the day he was due, a Sunday, I was feeling so ready for him to come, but still pretty good, so I readied for church. The day didn't feel any different. I ate some sugar free chocolate in the afternoon between services. sometimes it doesn't digest well so I was preparing for the consequences of my splurge. Mostly I have a lot of gas(sorry, TMI). My first contraction hit during evening service at church about 6:30. I thought it was from gas as it hurts sometimes. I knew I would feel better in the morning as I normally do. After church we went right home since I was feeling so bad. We made supper and I ate it just fine. I had to stop for the contractions every so often, although nothing regular. I still thought they were gas pains. I think if I had skipped the chocolates I would have realized it was labor. The pains were very different from the older boys. Their labors were tightening all over my tummy easily timeable. Solomon's was very sharp in my lower abdomen and back(back labor anyone?) and when I tried timing it to verify whether it was labor or not it was all over the map. One would be seven minutes the next would be fifteen. Not at all a regular pattern. I texted my midwife just to ask about what I should do. I thoroughly confused her. She suggested I take a bath. It did not work which added to my thinking it wasn't labor as the bath I took with Titus' labor helped immensely. I got out of the tub and got my pjs on and tried to rest. Close to ten o'clock I realized it was labor as I finally started noticing the pains getting stronger and more frequent. That is when I asked the midwife to come. Pretty soon I was in so much pain and I knew the midwife wasn't going to make it so I asked my mom to call my friend who is also my childbirth instructor as well as a doula and has used the same midwife for all four of her births. She asked my mom if I was pushing and she said no. She hung up with my friend when I had another contraction. I was having to get on my hand and knees to get relief from the pain so I got on my hands and knees and cried as my mom was rubbing my back to help when felt my water break. I asked my mom and hubby to help me pull my pjs and panties down and told them he coming now!! I pushed and out his head came. Hubby cradled his head. I made sure to tell them not to pull on his head. I felt another contraction come to push and out more came. The last push and he was born!! Still on my hands and knees I checked the time which was 10:39. I still had the placenta inside and it was still attached to Solomon so I awkwardly turned around to sit on the space carpet so I could hold my baby. He did cry so I knew he was alright and just held him in awe and shock of everything. My friend came in a few minutes later shocked to see baby already here!! She helped me as I delivered the placenta and started nursing baby. She called the midwife who asked if I wanted her to come. I did want her to come to check over baby and make sure I was okay. I felt better having her come and check us over.
Things are going great so far. The first month was rough as he wouldn't sleep unless he was being held and upright. I struggled with some depression and the shock of his quick and sudden birth took a few weeks to wear off. Now he's a happy smiley twelve week old who sleeps much better and loves his brothers. God has really blessed our family and I am excited to see what God has in store for each one of my boys.
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