Mac's Birth Story

Before

 

This easily was the largest I ever was with any of my babies.
After

 

I love this picture. I am in pain and really uncomfortable (story to come) but all I can see here is BLISS.

Maclan Young Hayes
8 lb 11 oz 20 inches

 

It happens every time. You walk into a hospital with a giant tummy, and within hours they hand you your heart. How is it that you can fall so totally in love in a moment? It's happened to me time and again, and it's amazing each time.

We decided to pull the trigger and have an election c-section two days before my due-date after a scan and vaginal exam determined labor wasn't immediately imminent. It was a tough choice, but there were a handful of heavy factors and I was 95% sure it was best answer.

We were asked to be at the hospital at 3pm. Due to the fact I was arriving for surgery, I wasn't able to eat after 6am. I spent the day with my mom and the girls nesting. I cleared out a closet and worked on getting my bedside ready for the co-sleeper. Despite not being able to eat, the day passed fairly quickly. Wy came home from school around noon. The teacher found him trying to vomit. He seemed fine as soon as he got home. I think his nerves got the better of him.

I wasn't super nervous most of the day, but my mind was busy getting last minute stuff together. Mr. Workin' arrived home around 1pm and installed the car seat base, which required some rearranging. Ella got promoted to the third row. She was thrilled...Fara was jealous.

It was cold on February 8th, the high was 14 degrees. The walk from the car to the hospital entrance was one of the longer walks I have ever taken. The combo of being cold and nervous was weighing on my pace. This was the only trip to hospital I have ever had when I arrived with a bag in hand. When I was in labor with the other babes, Mr. Workin' dropped me at the emergency room door and brought the bags in later, after the baby was born in some cases.

When we arrived, the nurses had a room already assigned and we spent some time settling in. The kiddos had made me art for the hospital stay, so I was sure to hang it right away. Jen, my nurse came in and did some paperwork, ran a strip and started an IV. I was slightly annoyed about comments about my veins rolling and me being dehydrated. Duh! You didn't let me eat or drink after 6am.

Brock, the nurse anesthetist and Courtney, the baby's nurse came in and introduced themselves. I loved my team. We giggled over silly stuff, totally helping with my nerves. Brock asked about my blood sugar which was in the low 70s. He ordered me some apple juice, which made him a rock star in my eyes. Then came the waiting. Dr. K was finishing up a case on another floor, and Jen said we wouldn't go to the OR until "we saw the whites of her eyes".

There were about four minutes during the waiting where I thought my heart would beat out of my chest. I considered bolting. Isn't that funny? It is to me...I gave thought to actually running out of the hospital. Mr. Workin' was talking and talking trying to keep me engaged. Dr. K came in followed by the entire team for my case. We all walked to the OR together. It reminded me a bit of the scene on Monster's Inc. when Sully and Mike are walking into the "door room", or when the shuttle team is walking out to get on the shuttle pre-launch.

TO BE CONTINUED....