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Anthony Birth Story

The Birth Story of Anthony Carl



Tuesday, June 26th, 36 weeks 6 days gestation

10:00 PM: I believe I'm beginning to feel the twinges of mild contractions. Being my first pregnancy, it was hard to decipher if what I was feeling were contractions or braxton hicks, or just...well, pain from a tiny pregnant body reaching its breaking point. My heart fluttered at the thought of possibly being in the early stages of labor.

Wednesday, June 27th, exactly 37 weeks gestation

1:00AM: Sam gets home from work and comes upstairs to bed. I tell him I'm fairly certain I've been having contractions for 3 hours now. We giggle with hopeful excitement and settle into bed unable to do anything but lay there with anticipation.

1:30 AM I call Labor and Delivery over at the Navy Hospital on base. The contractions were unmistakably picking up in intensity, though still very much bearable. They tell me to time them for two hours and if they continue to become more intense and get to be about 5-7 minutes apart consistently to call again and come in. Sam grabs a bedside alarm clock and we settle back into bed. Over the next two hours I am continuously whacking Sam in the arm telling him I had another contraction and asking him what time it was. I jot down the times between the contractions and approximate length of each one on a little piece of paper.

3:30 AM: I'm beginning to feel pretty ill now and contractions have been a little more painful and anywhere from 4-6 minutes apart. I decided to call and tell them I was coming in. I was crossing my fingers these contractions were doing something. I was crossing my fingers I wouldn't be told to return home to continue to labor there if indeed this was all really happening and wasn't false labor. I was so giddy with excitement! Not knowing the timetable of how things would go, I felt the need to rush and get there and be surrounded by people who knew what was going on far better than I did.

3:50 AM: After getting into some decent clothing, fixing my hair, dabbing on some makeup (Hahaha! Yes, between contractions and vomiting I put makeup on.), we grabbed our bags and did one last check to make sure everything we wanted was packed. We hopped into the car and drove the 7 minutes to the hospital on base, puke bucket on my lap.

4:00 AM: After a quick meet and greet at the reception desk, I'm being ushered to a room. I was more than happy to put on one of their ugly gowns. A nurse and her trainee were in and out of the room questioning me about contractions and pain level and timing. A fetal monitoring belt was place over my rock hard belly and my precious little one's heartbeat fills the room. I'm then told to just lay back and relax and we'll soon see evidence of my contractions on the screen and spit out on paper. The doctor on call will be right in. Relax? Yeah right. I'm so nauseous I can't even talk without gagging.

4:50 AM: Doctor comes in, asks questions and checks me. Begin terrible pain....NOW. I'm at 1 1/2 centimeters. Bums, not much at all. Regardless they're going to keep me and let me continue to labor there since it's very early in the morning and I guess they've got nothing better to do than entertain a pregnant gal. Nice! I know now that I typically would have been sent home being only at 1 1/2, but I guess I must have looked like a scared, nervous little lamb who needed to be watched over.

5:00 AM - 6:05 AM: I was unhooked from the fetal monitor and Sammy and I begin to walk the halls of the hospital in hopes of moving things along. All I can say is thank the Lord it was early in the morning and no one was there. I continuously had to stop due to a contraction or a bout of vomiting. This would have made for a pretty sight for some had it been during the day. We walked for what seemed like an eternity, even though it was only an hour.

6:05 AM - 11:00 AM: We finish walking our hour and return back to the room. Nurses were zipping in and out doing I don't remember what. We began to fill out a mess of papers pertaining to being admitted, insurance, permissions, etc. You would think this was boring. Not true. It was surprisingly made entertaining when every now and again I'd have to lean over and throw up or stop altogether for a bit as I got another contraction. Not to mention the near illegible handwriting from me due to being so nervous and feeling so ill I was shaking.

I asked if there was something I can be given to calm my vomiting. I was wasting all my energy reserves upchucking. I don't remember what I was given, but that IV was liquid gold to me. I couldn't imagine continuing on with how ill I was.

The doctor comes in and checks me. I was at 2 centimeters. I decided I'd rather remain in the room and bounce on a ball to help things out rather then continue walking and potentially running into people who were now beginning to filter in. They told me to do whatever felt right. I bounced up and down on the ball while Sam and I watched The Price Is Right on the TV they had in there. Still cracks me up when I think about that. Somewhere among all the bouncing we decide it was now a good time to make some phone calls and let people know we are in L&D for good. Also thrown in there somewhere was another check by the doctor. I was at 4 and ecstatic to have made more progress! That bouncing ball worked!

11:00 AM - 6:35 PM: I'm hooked up once again with the monitor on my belly keeping track of contractions and baby's heartbeat. It's amazing to see the contractions on the screen and on paper right when you're feeling them. It validates that what you are feeling and the intensity of it all is REAL and unmistakable for what it is...your body doing something absolutely spectacular to prepare for your baby's arrival into this world! Sam got a kick out of watching the contractions unfold on the screen.....I on the other hand wanted to kick Sam. He'd look up at me and exclaim, "You're having another contraction!" Like I needed him to tell me that. If looks could kill.... ;)

I'm checked again and at 5 centimeters. I asked to have an epidural then. Sam asked the anesthesiologist if he could watch. The two men sat behind me chumming it up like they were long lost pals. First the spot on my back was prepped and numbed. So far so good I thought. Then all of a sudden I hear the anesthesiologist say, "Whoops, bent the needle." Supposedly my scoliosis was to blame for the mishap. But all is well that ends well. Sam got an educational show and I got sweet, sweet, pain relief.

My water was broken to keep things moving along. After, I was finally able to fall into a pain free, restful sleep. Sometime during my snooze my mom, sister, and my friend Melissa showed up. I awoke to everyone's excited, smiling faces gazing back at me. We chatted and I updated them on the happenings of the morning. I received an oil foot rub that I'm sure was spectacular....if only I could have felt it. At least it helped with the swelling in my feet, ankles, and calfs. I was still shaking uncontrollably all over with nerves and anticipation...and at that point as well as a side effect of the epidural.

6:35 PM: In walks the doctor and checks me one last time. I was at 10 centimeters and ready. It was baby time! WAIT! WHAT? It's time? Oh God, am I really ready for this? My mind raced with a million thoughts as the nurses likewise raced around to prepare. It was all very surreal... I watched as everyone and everything just fell into place, like a well orchestrated dance. It took all of 5 minutes to get set up. I looked over at Sam anchored at my side smiling, telling me how I'm doing a great job. My mother was ready with the camera. My sister was off to the side watching the show of dancing nurses. Melissa was cheering me on. One of the nurses was counting out loud for me. 3 pushes and a mere 8 minutes later.....

6:48 PM: It's a boy! It's a boy! We hadn't known the sex during the pregnancy, but deep down I knew my baby bump was a boy. Welcome to the world Mr. Anthony Carl Hauck!!! I stared in disbelief at the precious Angel that came out of me....I marveled at the little wonder that my husband and I made. The doctor placed Anthony on my chest, but God placed him in my heart. My glorious journey through motherhood began at that moment.


Anthony Carl Hauck
Named after his late Grandfather Anthony Carl
Born Wednesday, June 27th 2007
At 6:48 PM
Weighing 6 pounds .o4 ounces
At 18 inches long
Duration of labor from 1st contraction to birth: approximately 21 hours

June 27th, 2007
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Hooked up to the fetal monitor.

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Papa = happy, Mama = not so happy. I'm between pushes. 6:45 PM

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Melissa looking on. Welcome to the World Anthony Carl! 6:49 PM 1 minute old

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A very unhappy baby being cleaned up.

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Grandma

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Aunt Sarah

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Brand new Mama soaking it all in

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Papa in awe

June 28th, 2007

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Anthony 1 day old

 My labor and delivery experience was wonderful. I had done much reading and research on how things would be, but until you're in it you can only do so much to prepare yourself. For it being my first time, I feel I did my absolute best with the knowledge I had and I'm extremely satisfied with how things went and the care I received. The doctor and nurses were kind and caring and they listened to what I wanted and when I wanted it. I wouldn't have changed a thing.


This is my song for Anthony. All I wish for you is to live a simple kind of life. Love you little man.