Cole's Birth Story

Wow... Sometimes I look over at Cole and I am taken by surprise!  I should still be pregnant, but now I have a one month old, sleeping all warm and cozy in his cradle.   We had not anticipated to be having a baby 7 days before Christmas!  Everything was normal that weekend and I felt fine.  Brandon's work Christmas Party was that Saturday evening. The kids spent the night with my mom, and Brandon and I enjoyed sleeping late the next morning.  We picked up the kids Sunday afternoon and began our normal routine to prepare for a school week.  During the night, I remember dreaming that something was hurting a little more than usual but it wasn't enough to completely wake me.  Then at around 1:30 I felt a gush that woke me out of a dead sleep, and I thought my water had broke! I got up and went to the bathroom and found my pantie liner soaked with blood!  A rush of panic came over me and I called for Brandon. In a matter of minutes he had both kids loaded up and ready to go before I even got completely dressed. I climbed into the truck and remember thinking a million things on the 5 minute drive to Lane.  I was paranoid because I had not felt him move.  We checked into the hospital and ALL I wanted was to be hooked up to an ultrasound machine....I just wanted to know my baby was okay.  We were finally seen by a doctor after a million questions and he preformed an ultrasound. I remember feeling such a relief after just hearing his heartbeat.  He was okay!  I didn't even realize but I was having a few contractions, nothing major, and after he checked me, I was not dilated. Jack and Avie were still sitting in the truck waiting for Aunt Rhonda to pick them up, and I was so worried about them being left alone. I kept asking Brandon to check on them constantly!  I received a Brethine shot in my hip to stop contractions and they monitored me till morning.  By early morning my contractions were not stopping and the doctor decided to give me IV fluids for possible dehydration.  After 4 sticks and my vein blowing (whatever that means) from the nurse trying to start an IV, I felt a wave of heat over me and almost fainted. I asked her to stop, and that I needed a cool rag! She finally went and got another nurse, and she was able to start my IV.  Brandon went home to help Rhonda get the kids ready for school.  By 9:00 I was still having contractions and the doctor decided to give me a dose of magnesium sulfate, which makes you feel extremely HOT and weak.  I remember sweating a lot and the nurse went and got me a box fan! I was still not dilated and having a small amount of bleeding.  By noon, we are still waiting to see the doctor again and I can sense aggravation in Brandon.  I am still having contractions that are now causing me some pain and are about 5 minutes apart.  The doctor finally made it in, and wants me to continue to stay to be monitored,  but Brandon feels otherwise.  He decides that we are going to Womens!  I just wanted him to drive me there, but because I already had an IV, and for insurance purposes, I had to be transported by ambulance. Within the next hour, my contractions are becoming more painful and are coming every 3-5 minutes.  I am finally loaded up and have to ride by myself so Brandon can drive the truck just in case I am discharged to go home.  By now I'm in some serious pain, and I feel like a complete wimp because supposedly I am not dilated!  The poor old man riding in the back with me probably thought I was nuts!  My contractions were coming every 3 minutes, and every time I was grabbing onto the side of the bed, and I'm pretty sure my face looked like 50 shades of pain!  It was the worse ride ever!  Very bumpy!  We finally made it to Womans and as they are unloading me I feel a big contraction coming.  I yell to them "Stop!  Don't move!"  They actually listened and waited until the contraction passed.  Once I got into a room, things started to move pretty fast.  I was hooked up to all kinds of monitors and it was evident that I was having some pretty serious contractions!  She offered to give me some Stadol to help relieve the pain.  By this time I was squeezing Brandon's hand so hard I was hurting him! They went by Lanes medical records, which indicated that I was not dilated and decided to give me another dose of magnesium sulfate!  So again I am in extreme pain, sweating buckets, and my whole body feels like lead!  My doctor comes in to check me and I am        7 cm!  "What! But the doctor at Lane said I wasn't dilated!"  I yell.  "Well Honey, you having this baby today!" They rush in and start prepping me for delivery.  I receive all kinds of antibiotics and steroids to help the babies lungs.  I am dozing in and out from the medication and my contractions began to slow down.  After about two hours, I deliver Cole Frazier Mason in an operating room after two pushes, and my first vaginal delivery... I'm so glad I got to experience that. He was beautiful and perfect and had the sweetest faint cry when he came out.  I caressed his tiny hand and he was whisked to the NICU.  He weighed 3lbs  12oz. and 16 inches long.  He was a BIG boy for 9 weeks early!  After delivering the placenta, my doctor could see the dark spots caused by placental abruption, which causes premature labor.  His first photo was taken via Dr. Pernicero's cell phone, both of our phones were dead.

Despite everything that happened, we were so lucky that it turned out as good as it did.  God was amazing and had His hand on this family.  There are so many things that could have gone wrong that day, that did not. If you look up abrupted placenta or hear stories of other experiences its very scary, and some outcomes are losses.  I never once thought that he wasn't going to be okay.  The Holy Spirit was a big comforter that day and I am certain He was over Cole and I.