Anson Call Barlow

Thursday April 29th: our little guy stopped moving for 6 hours and no matter how much I poked at him, I couldn't get him to move so I called the doctor and he told me to try eating some sugar and laying on my side. I did that and after a full hour, he finally started to move for me. Thank goodness!

Sunday May 2nd: Our little guy started doing something completely out of character, he started moving around like CRAZY at about 10:30 and did not stop until 1:30 in the morning. He was kicking my ribs, which he has done before, but he was so wired for some reason and I he has NEVER moved around like that. I was so relieved to be going to the doctor the next morning.

Monday May 3rd: I went to see my Dr. and when they checked my blood pressure, it was really high and it's been normal through my entire pregnancy. After talking about the two instances over the weekend and with the combination of my high blood pressure, they decided to do an N.S.T (non stress test) to monitor the baby's heart rate. After 20 minutes of watching his heart rate, the Dr. was not pleased with what he saw so he ordered an ultrasound. Our little guy passed the ultrasound testing with flying colors, but the Dr. was so so worried about the way his heart rate looked that he wanted to induce labor to get the baby here, because he thought the umbilical cord was either wrapped around his body or his neck. Talk about a SURPRISE!!! I had nothing with me and the Dr. told me that inducing labor would increase my chances for a c-section which I did NOT want. Initially I was very scared and in tears going up to the hospital, but my VERY EXCITED husband, my Mommy and my friend Audrey calmed me down and cheered me right up. I got into my gown and hooked up to an i.v. (OUCH), those needles are HUGE) and they started me on pitocin.

Taylor took a while to get there because he had to gather all of our stuff, so I was by myself and had a lot of time to think and decided that everything was going to be okay. When he got there, we hung out for a while and talked while waiting for contractions to start and our friends Mike and Bre came to visit, which was a nice distraction. Tanner came up a little later too; it was nice to have support of friends. At around 6, the Doctor came in to check if I had dilated at all and not only had I not dilated, but getting checked was that the worst pain in the world(it's supposed to be uncomfortable, but not like that). On top of that, our little guy's heart rate was dropping again once I started getting into active labor. So I had two options according to Dr. Allred: I could get a balloon catheter or have a c-section, because we needed to get Anson here. Dr. Allred was really concerned that I wouldn't be able to handle a balloon catheter, because the pain of inserting it would be much worse than being checked and being checked made me scream. The balloon catheter would have to stay up for 12 hours and then they'd see if it dilated my cervix at all and get me hooked back up to pitocin. There was a 50% chance that it would work (not very good odds in this case) and if it didn't, I would have to get a c-section anyway. So what is a girl to do? Have a good c-section experience where it isn't an emergency and they can take there time getting the baby out or have a balloon catheter, be uncomfortable all night, be started on pitocin again in the morning and still possibly end up getting a c-section and have it be an emergency?? After receiving a blessing from my wonderful husband and our friend Mike, both Taylor and I felt incredibly at peace about the c-section and altogether it would be a way better birthing experience for me despite how against it we had been previously. Our friend Bre who has had a c-section gave me some encouraging words and thank goodness she was there, because she made me feel even better. After giving the doctor a go, signing some paperwork and getting some blood work done, we were headed to the operating room within an hour. NO TURNING BACK NOW!

The c-section: Well, all modesty went out the window!! After getting the spinal block (again OUCH, they laid me out on the operating table and inserted a catheter(so I didn't wet myself) and everything but my chest region was hanging out for ten people to look at. They got the curtain all rigged up, strapped my arms down and brought Taylor in. They did a test poke, which I felt so they waited longer for the drugs to kick in and then started going to work. Apparently, my anxiety level was through the roof; at least that's what the anesthesiologist said, because I was would flip out anytime I felt pressure and he kept asking me if I wanted to be sedated, but I said no because I wanted to hear my baby cry. Taylor put his head down by mine and talked me all the way through saying very sweet, reassuring things to me (love that man). Then the docs called over "this will take your breath away," and it felt like a 500 pound man put all his weight on my chest, then my abdomen and then my bladder (believe me I was yelling and gasping for air). Then: Our Son started to cry, which was the most beautiful sound I had every heard, I started to sob both with joy and pain and Taylor and I shared a moment of tears of joy and then they sedated me. That's pretty much all I remember until they moved me to recovery. Also, the cord was not wrapped around him in any way, so they could only conclude that something was wrong with the placenta, because it looked aged...whatever that means!!

Recovery: Taylor got to go to the nursery and watch Anson get his first bath and hold him while my surgery was wrapped up. I'm so glad he got to have those first moments with our little one. Once in recovery the doctor came to check on me and I'm pretty sure I said something to him about the doctors assisting him singing "a spoon full of sugar" and then said I feel like I'm in my own personal version Alice in Wonderland...CRAZY! Well, we know the drugs worked! Recovery was interesting because I was so out of it, but Mike and Bre came to see us as well as my cousins Sabrina and Lindsey which was really nice. Bre was in the waiting room the whole time, ready to help in any way she could so we really appreciated her for that. Once I came out of my loopiness, I actually responded to holding our Anson for the first time (I had held him when I was still drugged and wasn't really aware of what was going on). He is the most perfect little child I've ever seen. A little side note: I had some morphine that night and it was HORRIBLE!!!!! It made me itch like crazy! Taylor concluded after this experience that I would be a very crappy drug addict, but I guess that's a good thing right? HAH! We spent 3 days in the hospital and despite a lot of discomfort, I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Also, having the doctors push on my uterus to make it contract after delivery was AWEFUL! It made me cry A LOT!

Let me just say that we have the greatest friends in the world! They brought food for Taylor, they were our support system during labor and going intomy c-section and they brought me a bunch of stuff from my house so that I could take a shower. We got many phone calls offering to lend a hand in any way and another friend of our arranged for the relief society to bring in meals for three days after we got home. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!!! The icing on the cake was that my Mommy came the next night after I delivered and will be here for a month!!!!

So without more ado, because that was a lot journaling, here are some pictures and vidoes of our little man!













He really is the most amazing Dad on the planet! I'm more in love with him than ever before!!