Connor's Birth Story


As we all know I don't share a lot of personal information on my business page. I have been pretty MIA in 2020 as it really was the year of surprises. First a pandemic which had me working from home everyday (which I LOVE), to working two jobs and welcoming Mera (12). Another post about that coming soon! To finding out that at 37 and hubby almost 41 we were about to be parents again. With our youngest being 17 and a senior in high school to having an almost 2 year old grandson by the time our nugget was to arrive. There were many visits alone, masked up for safety.


At 37 I was considered ADVANCED maternal age. So basically old as heck!! The pregnancy went really well with no morning sickness or anything significant to speak of. Lots of ultrasounds due to my age so yippee lots of pictures of my little nugget. Well as good as he would give which I was never allowed to see his face. He wanted it to be a surprise. At my last appointment my blood pressure was really high. My wonderful Dr. at the Gundersen Clinic in Viroqua suggested that I get induced. We did bloodwork to check my proteins but I really wanted to not have him before Halloween. Everyone who knows me knows that Halloween is my favorite holiday!!! I live for scary movies!! My Dr. compromised with me and I was to come back in Thursday morning and to have my blood pressure checked. She told me to pack my stuff in case we decided to go ahead and induce for my safety. She wasn't going to let me go past Halloween so I went home and talked to my hubby. We decided that if it was still high that we would just induce and try to get released before Halloween :) . (Nothing ever goes as planned). I called all my peeps to set up what to do with our other kid and dog in case I had to get admitted.


Thursday morning, I go in see my wonderful Dr.! Blood pressure is high. Well poop. Called the hubby at work and let him know that we were gonna be having a baby and I was to get induced. Hubby came a few hours later after finishing up stuff at work. I was given a medication orally to help my body start to go into labor. I was 85% effaced but not dilated at all and still had my plug. My Dr. decided I should get my cervix opened manually with the help of a medical device inserted to help the process. Thursday was pretty boring just watching videos sitting in bed with the hubby. Contractions had started but not the ones that feel like you are being halved. Friday morning came and the Dr. came in and said that we were going to start the pitocin. We were allowed to eat breakfast at 7:30am since I was not allowed to eat after that until Connor made his debut. We ate and finally started the pitocin. Finally contractions started picking up and seemed like things were headed in the right direction. Well Connor said "no way Jose" and when the contractions picked up his heart rate would drop. He was not enjoying himself. So they backed it off. Knowing nothing was happening I sent my hubby home to take care of some stuff and get snacks. While gone we had stopped and started the pitocin back up. Here goes round 2 of pitocin. Things started to progress and as I was sitting in bed I thought I peed myself. The nurse said "Are you sure, your water could have broke". I said that I wasn't sure it felt like I peed a little and couldn't control it. So she stood me up to take me to the bathroom and it was running down my leg. (Freaking sweet that's not gross or anything". She states that she thinks it was my water. So I call the hubby to let him know and that he should come back soon just in case.


A few hours later, things start to get pretty real. The contractions start to come. I thought I was gonna be a tough guy and go with no drugs all natural. Let me tell you.... I am a huge wimp and it was literally the worst pain I have ever felt. Words cannot describe it. They had me try nitrous which was the worst feeling ever. My face was numb like a 16 year old kid huffing canned air. I decided that was no good and that I needed the epidural (Ladies don't try to be a hero just get the drugs you'll save yourself some pretty bad pain). They notify the anesthesiologist. While waiting for him to arrive I learn his name is Brian. My poor husband is asking me what he can do as I yell there isn't anything you can do just get Brian here. Only a man would take this long. For what seems like an eternity I continue to barf and cry about how I can't do it. Normal contractions come pretty close together and let down at the end. Mine never let down there was no break it was just almost one huge constant contraction. Then finally Brian arrives! Yippee! He has me sitting on the bed, feet dangling with my upper body draped over my hubby's shoulder like a newborn being burped. I tell my hubby he might want to move that I was about to throw up. He gets up the nurse steps in like a super fly ninja with the barf bag and ta-da she is there to catch the puke. My hubby would have been having a crappy rest of the day if I puked on him.


Finally the epidural is in and life is now manageable again. It was now time for round 3 of pitocin. My hubby and I decide we should probably try to nap. I was starving so there was no chance of a nap for me. As my poor hubby slept I could still feel the pressure from the contractions. This went on till 10pm when my Dr. came to check on me. I was only 8cm dilated. We had the discussion about what should be the next step. Connor's heart beat was still dropping with large contractions. We stopped the pitocin and gave another hour to see if my body would go the rest of the way on it's own. Finally my Dr. comes in we check I'm still only 9cm dilated. My Dr. and I talk and she tells me that it's completely up to me if I want to wait and see if my body decides to do everything on it's own or if we just say "he's not having a good time and who knows how he will react to me pushing or if we decide to have a c-section". I tell my Dr. that I feel at this point that I am too tired and that it seems like the baby really didn't like what was going on and who knows how long it would take when I finally got the rest of the way and was in full active labor. So c-section it is. As they are prepping my my hubby is moving our stuff to our recovery room as they give me a drug to stop nausea. That didn't work the barfing decided to make a comeback like some stone washed jeans from the 80's. The surgeon finally arrives and is telling me about the process as I puke away. All I can do is give an enthusiastic thumbs up. They prepare to wheel me away and tell my hubby they will come to get him in about 20-30 minutes. They wheel me away and take me to the procedure room where Brian is waiting with my spinal tap (hurray)! Then some more barfing which was the worst. I couldn't feel any of my limbs to turn myself over. Being on your back and puking is the worst I don't recommend it. So they full on suction that out of my throat and then for what seems like a 5 minute nap I wake up and hear a baby crying. I look and don't see my husband. Another what seems like 5 minutes go by and I wake up and see Connor to my left in a nurses arms and my hubby briefly. I wake up in recovery not knowing how long I was gone. Come to find out it was a few hours and it was slightly interesting. James waited 30 minutes in our room wondering when they were going to come and get him. Till all of a sudden he sees everyone running past our room. No one told him what was going on but it must have been scary since we were the only people on the entire maternity floor. He knew they were running to me. So I finally get wheeled to my room where he is waiting for me. He says "do you want to guess how big he is"? I reply well I was pretty big and round so around 8 pounds. My hubby laughs and says nope 12 pounds to which I reply "No way I saw his face it wasn't that big". My hubby then says nope he was 5 pounds and I was like "no way he was that small I was huge". Well turns out he was that small after all. 5 pound 5.2 oz. and 18 inches long. He was born at 12:58 on Halloween, during a full moon in a pandemic doesn't get much more fun then that right!


The nurses come in with Connor and I snuggle and pump. I was super impressed with my whopping 9ml! They take him so we can rest and feed him till the morning. 7am I get some coffee and they bring Connor back in. He didn't want to nurse. He was just so tiny. They feed him and let me sleep a little more. I send my hubby to take care of our dog and Mera. While he was gone my Dr. came to tell me that Connor wasn't processing sugars and wasn't eating and that he had to go to La Crosse because they couldn't care for him there and that she ordered an ambulance. I call James and because I am tough I had the Dr. tell him what was going on so I wouldn't cry. We have him come back to be with us. During this time we learn they sent a helicopter and it was already in the air and that we couldn't turn it around and wait for the ambulance. Meanwhile, my blood pressure is still high so I cannot go. They med-flighted him to La Crosse and my husband went in our car and stayed with him overnight. I was all alone, no hubby, no baby just sitting there with my thoughts. Sunday came and my husband came to be with me since Connor was in the good hands of the NICU. We learned that my insurance wouldn't cover transferring me to be with Connor since I was already at a hospital that could care for me. It didn't matter that my child and I were separated and in two different hospitals. I could tell my hubby was torn since he couldn't be with both of us and annoyed that they would keep a mom and newborn apart. Monday morning comes and I finally get released. We go pick up my blood pressure meds, go home I take a 30 minute nap, then a shower and head the 40 minutes to La Crosse to be with my sweet little man. I lived with him at the NICU for a week while my husband was at home tending to Mera and virtual school and our fur babies. Every night after school he would take Mera to my sisters who was so amazing taking and feeding her dinner every day. I met with lactation specialists who helped us figure out how to get Connor to eat. The NICU staff and nurses were absolutely amazing. I was the only live in mom for a week but they were all so helpful and accommodating. If you want to donate to a great organization I would totally recommend Children's Miracle Network. They donated 2 meals a day to all the families in the ward. I met a wonderful lady named Deb who helped us apply for supplemental insurance to help cover the cost of the helicopter. Finally on Friday 11/6 we get to bring him home. It was a crazy 2 weeks but I am thankful for the care that we received as well as the compassion that the NICU had for the situation.

I am grateful for the people who helped us during this time because it seems like this guy wanted the most dramatic entrance into this world that he could make. We are glad we have a healthy little baby buggy-boo!