April 24, 2009 – Positive Pregnancy Test … Here we go again!
August 25, 2009 – It’s a BOY!

After a rather painful experience after having my first cesarean with Jack, I had decided that was not what I wanted. I spent the past 20 months of Jack’s life researching, bookmarking, reading, watching whatever information I could get on having a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). I also spent a great deal of time in prayer, knowing that I would soon be the mother of two, I wanted to make sure that I was on the same page as God was…or as best as I could be. I knew that He knew what I wanted, but I also didn’t know what His plan was for this birth. I prayed that not only would I have a great doctor to work with but that if His plan was different from what I wanted, that I would not be broken hearted.

32-40 week appointments roll around, check after check after check…N O T H I N G! No progress, “baby still high” “cervix high and closed”….

Dec 23 2009
40 week appointment went something like this…
Doctor R: “Hey, how’s it goin?”
Me: “Good, tired…Dr. I’m still pregnant. Hoping for some good news today.”
Doctor R: “Okay, well let’s check and see.”
Doctor R: “baby still high” “cervix high and closed”
Me: “What? Are you serious?”
Doctor R: “Yes, I am sorry.”
I knew right then what he was going to suggest….Repeat Cesarean. I thought, “Dear God, anything but that…I’ll give birth through my nose…anything but surgery!”
Doctor R turns to me and says, “I’m on call all day Christmas Day, I can offer you this…I’m probably going to kick myself in the butt for it, but here it is…I’ll stay over on the 26th and do a repeat cesarean that morning.”
Me: “Okay, is there anyway I can call you after I talk to my husband about this?”
Doctor R: “No problem, just call Kelly and she’ll set it up for you.”
Me: “Okay.”
He turns around to write a note to Kelly about scheduling surgery (Kelly is a surgery scheduler for Dr. R).
I sit there…half dressed and cry. Doctor R turns around gives me a big hug and says, “I’m so sorry.” I thanked him, got dressed and left.

I didn’t understand…regular contractions for 9+ weeks, pain in places I never knew I had…I thought it was all a good sign. I guess not. I got home and Kelly left a message…I called back and we set up surgery for 9am, Saturday December 26. Poor kid would be born the day after Christmas. Christmas Eve & Christmas Day came and went. We get up at 5:30am and head to the hospital. I don’t think I’d ever been so thirsty, after not eating/drinking since Midnight.
I didn’t start getting ready to be prepped for surgery till around 7am. Put on the gown. Give urine sample. Do some blood work. Get IV fluids (I was GBS+), cleanse incision site for surgery. Talk to anesthesiologist. See Doctor R. Clint gets dressed in Dr. McDreamy gear. I put on oh so fashionable hair cover up thinger and get wheeled back to the OR. The OR nurses (VERY nice ladies!) were laughing about someone getting their shoes stolen on Christmas Day. I started laughing when one of the nurses started crying she was laughing so hard. She said, “Okay time to be serious ladies..” LOL The OR was tiny, lots of instruments out on sterile trays and two rather large lights over the operating table. I climbed up on the table and readied myself for the worst part of it all. The spinal. *shudders* hate hate hate. The nurse gave me a pillow and said “Hug this.” I said, “Okay. Will you hold me up so I don’t fall, please. The last time, I was left to do this part on my own because the nurse was afraid I’d throw her across the room. I tried telling her I was in no position to throw anyone across a room, but she wasn’t coming near me.” She said, “I’m right here. Not going to let you fall.”
Spinal, first try:
Me: “I feel like I’m going to fall.”
Lisa (nurse): “I’ve got you.”
Me: “Thanks so much.”
Dr. Elwood (anesthesiologist): “You’re going to feel a burning sensation.”
Me: “Oouch!” I felt that one more time and after that it was a series of VERY painful shock waves down my spine to my left leg.
Dr. Elwood: “Sorry, but we’re going to have to try again, in a different spot.”
Me: “Shit!”
Dr. Elwood: “Going to feel a burning sensation….”
I felt it of course, along with other painful twinges and a sense that I was going to fall flat on my face. My belly at this point was putting pressure on my thighs. Pain. Pain. Pain.
Dr. Elwood: “Okay…going to try again. This time feeding spinal block medication through an epidural. If this doesn’t work, I’ll have to put you to sleep.”
Me: “Dear God, just put me under already!”
He sterilized my back for the billionth time and put plastic over it…or maybe it was more like a big piece of tape.
Finally…it worked. I didn’t really know it worked until after I’d laid down on the table and waited to feel numb. The numbness really never came. The only thing I felt was super cold. I lay on the table shivering, my entire body shaking. I talked to Dr. Elwood about what I was feeling and thought it was strange that I could still “feel” but not feel anything at the same time. Clint comes in and sits at my head. Dr. R comes in and says “Here we go…let’s have a baby!” I was absolutely elated that he showed up. It was very comforting to hear a familiar voice on the other end of the curtain. Dr. R and I talked through most of the surgery. I could feel Ben being pulled from within me. There was LOTS of pressure on my lungs. 10:41am…Ben was born! He cried beautifully and Dr. R told us to look to the left. Ben was beautiful. Pink. Beautiful. I cried. Clint asked if I was okay and I told him I was and to go be with Ben. After Ben was weighed and wrapped up, Clint brought Ben to see me. I cried some more. I gave him a kiss and he and Clint left for the nursery. I talked to Dr. Elwood about what they were doing and he said, “They have to clean out your uterus and put it back in.”
Me: “You mean it’s out?”
Dr. Elwood: “Yep.”
Me: “Cool!”
I asked Dr. R if he was going to use staples to close me up. He said he normally does because it’s quicker. He said, “I’ll do sutures if you want me to.” Me: “Yes, please.” I had also asked him about Ben being high ect. He said Ben was no where near my pelvic bone, boy was cramped up near my rib cage.
Shortly after I was all cleaned up and on the bed being wheeled back to recovery. I nursed Ben not long after and we went to the mother baby unit to spend time together and get rest.
I wanted a vaginal birth SO badly, but when it came down to it, I just couldn’t play games with “What if” and “Should I” anymore. I didn’t want to wait any longer and risk something happening to Ben. At decision making time, it was about him and not me. I am very blessed and thankful that God made it as enjoyable as surgery/recovery can be. I have a beautiful HEALTHY baby boy!

Ben is doing wonderfully, he eats well, has lots of diapers for mommy to change and is a great sleeper too.

Benjamin Wayne Armstrong
Born: Dec 26, 2009 10:41am
9 lbs 6 oz 21 inches long