Daniel's Birth

Daniel Jens Gottfredson

January 24, 12:28 AM

6 lbs. 13 oz.  21 inches

In my last post I was hoping for my baby to arrive sometime before Valentines Day. He definitely did. So here is how Daniel made his arrival...

The Sunday night after my 36 week appointment I had bad cramping all night. I couldn't sleep and ended up calling off work and going in to the clinic. At my appointment on Friday they had told me I was 80% and 1 cm dilated. I was checked again and everything looked the same except my BP was elevated. It was in the 140s/90s and so the PA told me to take it easy and check my BP  a few times a day and let them know if it was elevated. Well it remained elevated and I ended up starting my maternity leave. 12+ hour shifts on my feet weren't going to work wonders for my BP my doctor thought.

At my 37 week appointment we were able to make a game plan. I was 90% and 2 cm. He stripped my membranes and we decided that if my BP was still elevated we would talk about inducing the next week. This was on a Friday, and my next appointment was Wednesday. Over the next days I had lots of contractions but nothing that ever turned into the real thing.

My appointment was at 8:45 AM on Wednesday morning. Mike was supposed to be flying to California that afternoon for school, but we had decided it probably wasn't a good idea. :P My BP was still higher than 140/90 and for the first time there was protein in my urine. So after checking me and deciding I was 100% and "a tight 3" cm, he asked if I was ready to be induced. I was!

By 10:00 AM we were checking into L&D. An IV and pitocin were started and I tried to enjoy my time with Mike. The doctor broke my water at 12:40- weirdest feeling. My parents drove up from Alpine and arrived about noon and my in-laws came about 5 pm. Since the baby's head was so low and tight against my cervix they were surprised I wasn't progressing faster. They tried to put an internal monitor in to check contraction strength but couldn't get it past baby's head. Their attempt to put it in hurt and I opted for the epidural before they tried again. Contractions were hurting at this point and after the epidural was in, it just felt magical. :) Two tries later and they got the monitor in and were able to keep increasing the pitocin.

I was complete by 11 pm and was feeling ready to push. At this point I was very nauseated and was grateful I hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. When I started to push the baby's heart rate started to drop after each time. I felt super lightheaded and dizzy and horrible. They would give me the chance to recover and so I only pushed every other contraction. I was nervous listening to his heart rate drop and just wanted him out!  Luckily he was born about an hour after I started pushing. They gave him to me immediately after but then took him away because he wasn't crying. Well after checking him out, they decided he was okay. It still had made me nervous waiting for him to cry as the doctor stitched me up. With the delivery of my placenta the doctor found a big knot in the cord- he is a swimmer! That could account for the heart decelerations. I really like my doctor and was glad he was the one that delivered my baby!

meeting mom

 with Dr. Kirkman

so alert

 meeting dad

love all the grandparents taking phone pictures :)

It was so amazing to get to hold my baby. He was so perfect and so alert. He was taking it all in. It was such a surreal experience. Daniel Jens had been one of the final name options and it seemed to fit. Jens Gottfredson was Daniels ancestor. He was the first convert in Denmark and he immigrated to Utah.