I went 8 days past my due date with Mason until there was any sign of labor. He was due February 6th. After going a week past my due date, the doctor scheduled an induction for February 17th but Mason decided he'd rather come on his own terms!
On Valentine's Day, Ryan and I were cleaning around the house and installing a shelf in Mason's room. I started to feel contractions around 2 pm and we were at the hospital by 5 pm.
I had Braxton Hicks the last couple of months of my pregnancy but I knew these felt different!
My birth plan consisted of: get the baby out safely and keep me as comfortable as possible :)
I really never thought it would go the way it did. I always skipped over the c-section parts of the books, boards and blogs I read but it ended up being my path with Mason.
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| Photo Ryan took while waiting to go to the room for surgery |
I knew I wanted an epidural as soon as I could have one. Little did I know that each epidural can be COMPLETELY different. The first one was great at first then it was only working on one side. When I complained about that one, the doctor said she would have to do a whole new needle to try to affect both sides. The second one was perfect! It lasted for hours on both sides then the doctor got stuck in a surgery and I felt everything for an hour and a half. By the time she got back to me to re-up the dose, she had to do a THIRD needle. She emphasized how rare that was and that's when I started to think c-section. I have never faced a medical challenge in my life but the way my body was handling the anesthesia was becoming a concern.
After 26 hours of labor, it was decided I had to have a c-section. I made no progress for the last 17 hours of labor, Mason wasn't as active as they wanted to see and his heart rate was fluctuating.
I was begging them at that point for a c-section but I also cried like a baby when it became the official decision. My experience wasn't at all what I thought it would be but once I heard that first cry from Mason, I was over it!
Our guy was as healthy as could be at 10+ pounds! Ryan claims he was an even 10 because right after this picture, he went to the bathroom :)
I had my eyes closed during the entire prep for surgery. I HATE hospitals, needles, etc! Ryan wasn't allowed in until I was completely prepped so I was pretty much on my own as the doctors prepped me and chatted about their weekend. I had to keep my mind on the end goal and stay calm.
Ryan is so cute when he talks about this time with Mason. I was obviously a little bit busy so they handed Mason to him within minutes of him being born. He spent the first 20 minutes of his life with his dad. Pretty unexpected for both of us but pretty sweet.
Ryan sang "Good Morning Little Yellow Bird" to him which is a song his family has sung to one another for years. It was a nice little distraction for me at that moment too. He now sings that song to him every morning and Mason lights up every time.
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| Rolling me back to the room |
Our sweet families waited patiently to meet our baby boy. Only the grandmas got to hold him that first night as the hospital was really emphasized skin to skin with mama.
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| Aunt Emmy, Nanaw and Aunt Amanda |
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| Nana holding Mason for this first time. |
Uncle K.C. came all the way from Columbus to visit in a snow storm. I was so exhausted, I feel asleep for part of his visit but my sweet brother hung out and spent some time with Ryan and Mason. K.C. is named after our dad, Kenneth Charles, and now Mason carries a little bit of his name too: Mason Kenneth Haas.
My amazing friend Abbi also came to meet Mason using her nurses pass on the snowy roads! She is also now expecting this Septemeber. It's so exciting to have all of these babies that will be close in age around us.
I have to brag on my husband. Although he was kind of stuck at the hospital with us (since he had torn his achilles a few weeks before and couldn't drive), he took off work and was by our sides the entire time. I couldn't really lift Mason out of his little hospital crib so Ryan would get up, velcro his boot on and change diapers or hand him to me when he was hungry. It was so nice having this time as a new little family but we were both really ready to go home after days and nights of constant doctors and nurses in and out of our room.
After four nights in the hospital, we got to go home on Wednesday, February 18th. We waited to be discharged in the room for a while that day and snapped pictures of our three day old.
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| A Haas for sure |
Ryan's dad and brother picked us up from the hospital that afternoon. When I got home, I took off my jacket and saw my IV still in my arm! Another awesome nurse friend, Danielle, came over to take it out so I didn't have to go back to the hospital. She also got some Mason time in :)
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| One week old Mason |
Once Mason was here, it made everything worth it.
