An active little baby!

Throughout my whole pregnancy, my babe was transverse or side ways.

Working as a maternity nurse, I knew that there was a high chance of needing a c-section if he didn’t turn head down by a certain date. I didn’t have a birth plan but my husband and I did discuss pain management techniques.

At my 28 week appointment, my babe was determined to be head down!! (Cue happy dance!!)... except he was now posterior or sunny side up. 

My last day of work was suppose to be September 17 (due date was September 21). However, this sweet little boy decided to make his own plans. At my 38 week appointment, babe was no longer posterior. My OB told me it would be at least another week since my cervix was still closed. 

Two days later, on a Sunday, I woke up at 8am not feeling great.

I took a warm bath and decided to crawl back into bed. I felt nauseous and tired with stomach tightening similar to period cramps. I slept until 11am when my husband woke me for lunch. I texted my mother-in-law who confirmed what I had been thinking… early labour! 

Knowing that I was scheduled to work a 12 hour day shift the next day, my husband and I went grocery shopping. At this point, the cramps were 7-8 minutes apart, lasting 15-45 seconds. 

We continued on our day, made BLTs for dinner (one last pregnancy craving). Around 7:30pm, the cramping was 3-5mins apart. We decided that it would be safest for us to go to the hospital (we live about 30mins from the hospital where I was going to deliver; also where I work).

When we arrived, I was a whopping 2cm dilated.

So defeated and discouraged… the staff chose to monitor babes heart rate for 20mins and then the plan was to send me back home in early labour. 

Six minutes into the 20 minutes of monitoring, my waters broke, at 9:45pm. At 10pm, I was 4cm dilated. Things quickly picked up. At 1am, I was 7cm and experiencing wicked back labour. It was quickly determined that my little man flipped back to sunny side up. Because of the amount of pain, I began unintentionally pushing against a closed cervix. At 1:40am, I got an epidural. 

Ares Roland arrived on September 10 2018 at 8:05am, after 11 hours of active labour and 25mins of pushing, weighing 6lbs 13oz measuring 19 3/4 inches. 

After a short adventure to the NICU, we were sent home the next day. We have been enjoying this wild adventure with our sweet boy ever since! 

- Stephanie Kershaw (click here for her Instagram).