Braden Thomas Bowen

Braden Thomas Bowen joined our family last Wednesday, October 1.

He weighed in at 8 pounds 1 ounce and was 21 inches long.  

Here is his birth story...

I started having contractions last Monday (9/29) bright and early in the morning.  Once they started, they kept coming.  Luckily my maternity leave had started, so I was able to be home for the day and rest.  I tried to walk as much as I could, knowing that it would only help, but it was difficult due to my sciatic nerve bothering me.  I continued to have contractions throughout the night.  

At 3:00 Tuesday morning (9/30), I had enough and woke Brad up.  We both took showers and headed to the hospital.  Once we got there we found out I was only dilated 2cm and my cervix was still thinned only 50%.  After walking around the hospital for an hour and drinking water, I had not made any progress, so they sent me home.  I had a doctor's appointment that morning, so I kept it just to see if they would say anything different.  I am glad I went because I had made progress in only a few hours.  I was almost 3cm and my cervix was 80% thinned.

After not sleeping since Sunday night, I came home and slept as much as I could.  I continued to have contractions throughout the day, and they were getting stronger!  I went back to the doctor Tuesday afternoon before they closed just to see if we had made any progress...we had!!  I was 4cm and 90% thinned.  The midwife I saw told me it was time, and sent me to the hospital.  

Once we got to the hospital and settled into a room, they broke my water.  I was 5cm when they did so.  I thought my contractions were rough throughout Monday night into Tuesday, boy was I wrong.  They were 10 times stronger after they broke my water.  When breaking my water, they found out that Braden had pooped, so we were told NICU would be in when I delivered to make sure all went well with him.

After a couple hours of laboring, they gave me pitocin.  Immediately after that, I was given Heaven on Earth...EPIDURAL!!!  Thank you Jesus!!!  Finally after hours of contractions, that I could not feel, it was time to push at 3:00am Wednesday.  Two hours later, Braden was here!!

He was taken to NICU, due to him breathing faster than they liked.  He had a c-pap machine to help with his breathing, along with a feeding tube.

Brad and I were not able to hold him right when he was born, due to having to go to NICU, but we have loved on him so much since then.  Believe it or not, this is the only picture I have of the three of us together!

While he was in the NICU, the nurses gave him a bath.

After he was all fresh and clean, he was able to come to our room for the remainder of our stay in the hospital.

Things have been going well since we got home.  We are doing our best to adjust to this new life!!