Luke's Grand Entry

LUKE JACKSON BENNETT
AUGUST 11th, 2007
6:52 AM
8 lb 4 ounces
22 3/4 inches long
14 1/4 inch head

Just when I thought I was going past my due date, I was awakened at 2:45 AM Saturday morning in full fledged labor. In my mind, I was going to "labor" at home for a few hours and head to the hospital when my contractions got to be about 5 minutes apart. Well, they started at 5 minutes apart and by the time we left for the hospital at 3:30, they were 2 minutes apart.

I WAS going to do the "natural childbirth" thing for my last baby, but with contractions one after another, I just couldn't ever get comfortable. It was worse than my pitocin induction with Olivia. On top of the contractions being back to back, I was throwing up and then Luke passed meconium when my water broke and his heart rate on the monitor wasn't looking very good. I had to have an oxygen mask on my face. It was just one thing after another. I was a wreck. I labored like that for about 2 1/2 hours.

And then I got my epidural and things were great. I could relax and talk to Mark, my Mom, and the nurses. I don't regret it on bit!

Unfortunately, due the the meconium, Mark was not able to help with the delivery as the doctor had hoped. He needed suctioning before taking his first breath so he wouldn't inhale the meconium into his lungs.

My nurses and my doctor did a great job of keeping me calm, even though they had to tell me several times to stop watching the monitors and "just be the patient."

I pushed a few times and out he came, looking very blue and floppy. I don't think he was breathing. He looked so bad, I forgot to look right away to see what gender he was. The doctor held him upside down by his ankles so he wouldn't swallow. Mark quickly cut the cord and the doctor carried him to the warmer for the NICU nurses. He didn't cry for the longest time. His one minute Apgar was only 3 out of 10 (the lower the score, the worse the baby is). I could see the nurses resuscitating him. I knew exactly what they were doing. It's is amazing how well he responded. His Apgar score at 5 minutes was 9. As you can see in the picture at the top, he is nice and pink!