Nathan Jefferson Davolt

First, my apologies for not updating this sooner. For the first several days following Nathan's arrival, I was so overcome with love and emotion that I couldn't look at pictures of him without bursting into tears, even though he was still in the room with us (I think Jeff thought I was going crazy for a few days). Over the last week, I've drafted this blog in my head several times and as each day passes, self-editing left me unsure of where to begin. Second, let me apologize for the length in advance, as I know this will likely be the longest post I will ever write. I've tried to break it up into sections so read what you choose. Pictures will be included near the end, so feel free to skip there if you like. Therefore, as is sung in the classic film, The Sound of Music, "Let's start at the very beginning; a very good place to start".

The Date: June 2, 2011

Believe it or not, throughout the entire pregnancy, I had a feeling that our little one would arrive early and I had my eye on this week in particular. Throughout the months, and especially during my period of bed rest, I would look at (or obsess over) the June calendar and could only focus on the first week. If you read my previous post at 37 weeks, it's almost eerie that I was clearly believing my pregnancy to be nearly done. One reason that I had my eye on this week was because my own mother's birthday was June 4th and I thought it would be really special if my little guy could share her birthday. I even expressed as much to Dr. Williams when she said he would have to come early. While I would be considered full term, I knew it was best for Nathan's health to stay until his due date.

So, early on Thursday, June 2nd I made my way to the hospital for a second growth ultrasound appointment at 8am. This was my seventh ultrasound of the pregnancy and I had become fairly accustomed to the procedure (arrive half an hour early, drink too much water for a pregnant lady, refrain from peeing on the table when the tech pushes on uterus to get the right view). Before leaving the house, Jeff and I had a "what if" conversation and talked about how I would get in touch with him should Dr. William's want to induce. We both brushed the idea off and headed out the door. The ultrasound showed, again, that baby was healthy, estimated about 7 pounds, fluid levels were good and the placenta looked fine as well. For the first time, we were able to see a little hair on his head, which was neat. I texted Jeff afterward and he asked the color of his hair. Of course, the ultrasound is black and white, so I had no idea.

I had an hour to kill before my NST at the doctor's office, so I picked up a chai tea and sat reading, "A Tale of Two Cities", a book which I've avoided for years and while I made good progress in the week prior to my delivery, admittedly have not touched since.

By 9:45 I was strapped into the NST and enjoying the rhythmic sound of little man's heartbeat. While my contractions had been quiet over the previous several weeks, I had started to notice some becoming more uncomfortable a few days earlier, particularly in the evening. Sure enough, in just twenty minutes on the NST, I had three significant contractions. Dr. Williams was concerned about a "late deceleration" of Nathan's heartbeat after one of them. I was moved into an exam room and after a quick check, Dr. Williams dropped the news: she wanted me to deliver that day. Needless to say, I was speechless as she explained that she was willing to continue the pregnancy if all evidence (ultrasound, NST, cervical exam, consultation with a high risk specialist) showed baby was 100%. The late decel, however, left her confidence under 100%. While I knew we were close to delivery, and as stated had daydreamed about the week, I was overwhelmed by this revelation. Dr. Williams said we could be greedy and hold out until Saturday (mom's birthday) but it may not be best for baby.

I left her office in a daze; after all, I was only 37 weeks, 5 days. When I called Jeff, I think he was as shocked as I was but asked if I needed him right away or if he could finish the school day. Though I knew an induction would take time, I knew I wanted him by my side. Next, I called my dad and wandered slowly across the hospital to L & D.

Labor & Delivery: The Induction

This was now my third trip to L & D during this pregnancy, so I felt familiar with the initial procedures, helping to calm my nerves. A nurse by the name of Megan came to admit me, attach me to the fetal monitors and insert the IV. My April visit to L & D taught me that the IV insertion was terribly painful, but Megan must have had superior skills, because it didn't hurt nearly as much. Dr. Williams wanted to start my induction with Pitocin, a synthetic form of oxytocin, the hormone that jump starts labor. Typically, inductions start with a cervical ripener prior to Pitocin, but Dr. Williams wanted to be sure Nathan could endure the contractions without the decelerations and Pitocin could be turned off should problems arise. Jeff arrived, and we settled in for a quiet afternoon. Every half an hour, the Pitocin was increased, but I remained oblivious to the contractions that patterned across the monitor. For the first four hours, we chatted and napped, and made a few phone calls to immediate family. I literally thought labor was going to be just that easy.

Several hours later, Dr. Williams came by to check my progress. While she was happy that I was contracting regularly and Nathan showed no signs of distress, I had not made any progress toward delivery. Thus, Dr. Williams broke my bag of waters. From the point on, the contractions were no joke! It was impossible to relax even between contractions in anticipation of the next one. Though Jeff was slightly distracted by the NBA finals game, he did his best to comfort and encourage me. At one point I told him I was done and wanted out (like that was an option). I knew going in I was open to an epidural and it didn't take long before I was asking for it. But I had still made little progress, at only 2 cm and the nurses encouraged me to get up and walk around. As Jeff and I began our slow march up and down the halls of L & D, I did feel some relief from the pain. Just about half an hour later, my night nurse Tina informed us that Nathan was not tolerating these stronger contractions and I needed to return to bed. She had me lay on my side, put on an oxygen mask and turned off the Pitocin. The contractions continued on their own. Though the monitor showed they were not as strong as they had been (as Jeff pointed out), the pain was just as unbearable (as I pointed out). Another half an hour later, Tina returned and turned the Pitocin onto a lower dosage, then waited to watch the next series of contractions. Sure enough, Nathan had several late decelerations in a row and she said she would need to call Dr. Williams.

Labor & Delivery: The C-Section

Dr. Williams confirmed what Nurse Tina had guessed: we would need to proceed with a Caesarean section. Although Jeff had spent the entire pregnancy telling me how he did not want a c-section, in that moment, he became as giddy as I've ever seen him! All smiles, he said he was excited by the fact that the c-section provided a clear end point for this process. Since my abruption, I've been generally open to the section, but in that moment, I was scared and nervous about major abdominal surgery. There was a whirlwind of nurses and doctors in and out of the room, introducing themselves and explaining their role in the procedure. I could hardly believe how quickly it was happening (a fact, again, that Jeff enjoyed). Jeff was dressed in scrubs and we kissed good-bye before Tina and I walked to the operating room.

I was shaking as I sat on the table waiting for the spinal block, but Tina chatted with me reassuringly while another nurse brought a heated blanket for me. I explained to her that I had learned about "the shot in the back" when I was in pre-school and that was when I first decided I could never have children. While I have become used to shots as I have grown, I still don't enjoy them and sure enough nearly jumped off the table when it was given. As the nurses helped me lay down, I kept wiggling my feet, waiting for the anesthesia to kick in, (irrationally) afraid the surgery would start before I was numbed. As long as I could move my feet, I hoped that someone would see and wait.

Meeting Mom & Dad

Preparations continued and Jeff was seated by my head. In short time, Dr. Williams asked if I was ready to meet my baby and the blue curtain was dropped enough to see this little thing held over my head. At 10:19pm, Nathan Jefferson Davolt was born! The feeling was so surreal, to see this little person with long limbs and know that he used to be inside of me. Jeff headed over to the table where he was being cleaned and returned shortly with our little one all bundled up for me to meet him. I couldn't believe how tiny he was, although Dr. Williams thought he was pretty long for a 37 week baby. Right away, I could see that little Nathan had his dad's chin, a fact which I had guessed from the ultrasound pictures. And he did have a little hair, mostly dark with wispy blonde hairs mixed in. Nathan was measured at 20.5 inches and weighed 7 pounds even. Below is his very first picture, in which he seems to be doing what boys do!



While Jeff snuggled with our little guy, Dr. Williams went about completing the surgery. She said my placenta was pretty sorry looking. It was pale and weak and would not have likely lasted until my due date. She could not identify any obvious tears and it was sent to a lab for additional follow up tests. Dr. Williams also said that while Nathan was dropping during labor, his head was turned ever so slightly to the side and was preventing my body from dilating. Prior to rolling me back to our recovery room, Nathan was unbundled and placed on my chest for our first skin-to-skin interaction.

Recovery & Reflection

For all the scary stories about c-sections, I was surprised at how different my experience has been. Emotionally, it meant the world to me that Jeff was able to snuggle Nathan for the entire time I was in surgery. It was overwhelming to have him on my chest as would happen with a vaginal delivery. For the first few days, the incision hurt when I would try to move too much or stand. Some Ibuprofen and Tylenol as needed were enough to soothe the pain. Jeff was a great partner during these first days (and ever since), changing diapers and handing Nathan to me if I needed help. Each day, I was able to move around more easily and even walked out of the hospital on discharge day. I know the c-section was best for both Nathan and I. Nathan is generally pretty healthy. He had a tongue tie at birth that we had resolved prior to leaving the hospital. Our focus has really been on his weight, which dropped 9% after birth (down to 6 lbs, 5 oz). We have had daily visits to the pediatrician's office for weigh ins. Fortunately, he has gained back 3 oz this week and we won't see the pediatrician until his two week appointment on Thursday, June 16. To help facilitate his growth, I met with a lactation consultant yesterday to learn more about his feeding needs and strategies for success.

The Name: Nathan Jefferson Davolt

Naturally, we've had a lot of people ask about the name we chose. When we learned we were having a boy, we were initially stuck because we seemed to have completely different ideas about boy names. We spent the next few months brainstorming names and came up with a few we could agree on. The name, Nathan, however was the only name we both really liked, so seemed the natural choice. For his middle name, we considered many family names. Ultimately, we looked to Jeff's family as an example. The men in his family seem to pass along a name from one generation to the next. Jeff's great-grandfather Jesse Orustus, gave his name to Jeff's grandpa Jesse Arnold, who gave his middle name to his son, David Arnold, who gave his name to his son, Jeffery David. Therefore, we began to consider Nathan Jeffery. Ultimately, we liked the name variation of Jefferson, which means "son of Jeffery". So, Nathan Jefferson Davolt it is!

All packed and ready to head home!

The First Week at Home

We elected to stay in the hospital another day, more for my own emotional sanity than physical health. I was feeling nervous about coming home, more so because of his weight loss and feeding concerns. The first afternoon we were home was stressful for myself and probably Nathan too. I was overwhelmed by the pressure to help him gain weight. As a result, the first afternoon left me in tears and a late night for us both. My dad came to town for the week, helping take care of chores around the house while Jeff went back to work. Of course, we miss Jeff during the day, but the school year is ending soon and we'll have a summer to enjoy as a family. Taking care of Nathan feels more natural than I expected, although the late nights are a challenge.