Sarah's Pregnancy Diary
Posted
Tuesday, December 06, 2011 3:28 PM
December 13
I’d miscarried in August, so my doctor was checking my progesterone levels—when he noticed they were high enough to indicate a pregnancy. I bought a test on my way home, but my extended family was in the house when I arrived, so I snuck upstairs to take it. It was positive! Once everyone left, I told my husband, Tom, the news. We were both elated, but because of our miscarriage, we knew anything could happen.
December 25
Tom and I decided to announce my pregnancy to my family on Christmas day at my parents’ home. I wanted to tell them in a special way, so I involved my friend Bev. We planned it so Bev was taking a family photo of us, when instead of saying “Say ‘cheese!’” she yelled, “Say, ‘Sarah’s pregnant!’” At first my family thought it was a joke, but once it sunk in, they hugged and kissed us.
January 6
I can’t even begin to describe the butterflies I felt on the day of my first ultrasound! I wanted to hear my baby’s heartbeat and be assured that my little one was healthy. After a few seconds (which felt like forever!), the image appeared on the screen: a beautiful flicker and my baby’s heartbeat! We were beyond excited.
March 10
My sister-in-law purchased a 4-D ultrasound for us so we could learn our baby’s gender at 16 weeks. After trying unsuccessfully for 20 minutes to determine the gender, the technicians suggested I stand up and move around. Finally, they froze the screen and asked if I knew what I was seeing. “Is it a boy?” I asked. It was! I had tears in my eyes; I was so thrilled and excited!
August 16
At my last prenatal appointment, when I was 38 weeks and 6 days pregnant, my doctor predicted that my baby would be born within 36 hours. Later that night, my contractions were measuring three minutes apart, so Tom and I drove to the hospital. Once we got there, a midwife suggested I walk around to speed up the contractions. Walking did the trick! Almost immediately, my contractions became stronger. By 9:40 p.m., I was 6 centimeters dilated and 100 percent effaced. I was taken to Labor & Delivery—coincidentally, to the same room where I’d given birth to my daughter, Jaelyn, 2 years and 10 months ago!
My birth experience was very calm. The room was dimly lit, and I was laid on my side to make my contractions more efficient. Once I started pushing, my son was born within 19 minutes! Logan arrived at 2:59 a.m. and weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces, and was 19 inches long. He was perfect!
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