Baby Bronner is here!

Bronner made his appearance into the world on Monday November 10, 2008 at 1647! He is perfect at 7lbs 15 oz and 21 inches long. I was induced for my cholestatis at 38 weeks and 2 days and labor went great. I labored to 6-7cm without an epidural and then my sweet anesthesia friend put in a great epidural! Almost a little too good. I had to have the rate turned down before starting to push because I was so numb. So I started labor at 0715 when my doctor broke my water and then Katie started pitocin. We labored along and finally I was starting to get uncomfortable. Then I got on the birthing ball for all of 10mins and was ready for my epidural. After that we waited for my doctor to come and recheck me but 2 hours later I was anxious to know what was happening so Katie rechecked me and we were ready to push! I was really nauseous and kept throwing up ... surprise surprise. So we waited about an hour before starting to push, also while waiting for the epidural to wear off some so I could feel. Well the nausea never went away and I threw up and pushed for about an hour. I still could not feel anything, I mean not even my toes were moving. But I had made great progress and he had a small crown so Amy and Katie asked if I was ready to ask my doctor to assess the progress. I readily agreed as I was so over throwing up. When she came into the room I was asking if she would put forceps on to get the nausea over with. She wanted to see the progress for herself and when she realized that he was crowing she gladly applied the forceps and little Bronner was born! The most amazing experience! The bath nurses were busy and I wanted to feed so we conveniently called them 30 mins after he was born! I was able to do skin to skin and breastfeed for the 1st hour of his life and then the bath nurses came to check him out. What a great plus to working where you have your baby, you get a little special treatment. The grandmothers and my grandmother came in the room to check him out then the rest of the family followed. They were all able to watch his bath and we have some great video! We were soon moved to our room to recover and family and friends visited for the next two days. Wednesday morning poor little man had his circumcision and then we were able to come home. His bilirubin level was on the high side of normal at 9.5 and we were advised to call and check with the pediatrician and see what they wanted to do since he had already been released prior to the lab work coming back. Well they said to watch the yellowing of his skin overnight and then call back if he was getting worse. Well this morning, Thursday, he was definitely yellow to his belly button. We called and he went in to see the ped this afternoon. His bili level had gone up to 17 so we decided to go on and start the bili lights instead of waiting another day. He is now sun tanning all the time unless eating. So no fun snuggling for mom and dad and mimi. Just a lot of looking. The home health RN will come by the house each day and recheck his bili levels so hopefully in the next 2-4 days he will be off the treatment. Other than this little set back we are all doing wonderfully. A special thanks to Katie for taking care of me on her day off and Amy for coming in early to photograph the experience. Pictures to come soon but my little man needs to eat!