Lincoln Micheal Carvalho's birth story!

Things have been quite hectic around here. Lincoln has been born! I decided to go ahead and write out his birth story instead of just announcing it on here. I took pictures on Tuesday (the 13th) to do my last pregnancy update. I needed to catch up because I didn't have ones for 39, 40 and was about to hit 41.

So, Tuesday I woke up with bad stomach/lower back cramps but they weren't going away and coming back so I thought nothing of it. It was painful but I was about to go to the doctor anyway. I let Rj (who was at work) know I was having a pain. I dropped Brayden off at my mom's house and I went to my last doctor's appointment. Since I was going to be 41 weeks the next day I had to be put on monitors to make sure Lincoln wasn't stressed in any way. I was on the monitor about 30 minutes. It showed that he wasn't in any stress. The monitor did show I was having small contractions. They checked me. I was 2-3cm and 50% effaced. They scheduled me for an induction at 6:30am.

I let my mom and Rj know everything is okay then, headed to my mom's. While I was at my mom's I started getting actual but unevenly timed contractions. They kept coming but really weren't getting more intense and were still off in time. I had a WIC appointment at 2:45. By this point Rj was coming home from work early because he "just had a feeling". I really didn't feel like I could handle driving so my mom took us to our appointment. They asked me when my baby was due. I replied "6 days ago but I seem to be having contractions now." The ladies behind the desk were like "Oh my god, give her the vouchers and get her out of here. Poor girl!" Haha. So, then, we went to the store to get milk, etc then, my mom took us home. Kristy (my sister) was staying the night since we had to be at the hospital at 6:30am for the induction.

Rj got home and I was laying in bed. I started timing the contractions again because they were more intense. Sure enough, it was every 3 minutes. I called my doctor. They told me to come to their office (it's RIGHT by the hospital). We got there and they checked me I was 4cm and now 90% effaced. They told us to go somewhere, eat then, go to the hospital. We ate at Waffle House. It was really good but I hardly had an appetite.

We got to the hospital around 5:30pm. They immediately hooked up the IV, etc and gave me the epidural. It gave me a lot of relief for about two and a half hours. Then, it was back just like before. After that point was a whirlwind, really. I don't know many actual times after that. Before he was born I got two more doses of the epidural. The nurses were checking my vitals, moving the monitors on my stomach constantly because they kept losing his heartbeat on the monitors. I kept having to turn from side to side. Every time I got checked I was 8cm. Hour after hour kept going by then, Lincoln's heartbeat was too low. I had to wear an oxygen mask. I was scared at that point I would end up in a c-section. Starting around 2am I was getting A TON of pressure. I felt like I needed to push but I wasn't dilated enough.

Finally, around 3:30 it was time to push. Tricia (the midwife) determined Lincoln was "sunny side up" (head facing the wrong way). Dr. Mixson showed up after a few minutes because he wanted to be present in case I needed a -section. At the earlier appointment he estimated Lincoln at 9 pounds. He asked if I wanted an elective c-section and I said no. Brayden was 8'12. I wasn't concerned. I knew if I needed a c-section because something was going wrong I would get an emergency one. I would never elect for one. So, I pushed for 25-30 minutes. It wasn't the most pleasant process. It seriously stung more than anything else. Though this time I feel like my pushes were much more efficient than with Brayden. I pushed 2 hours with him and a fourth of that time with Lincoln. As soon as he came out my mom came in and held him. Then, a few minutes later Rj's family came in to see him.

So, he was born 2 1/2 hours before I was supposed to be induced, exactly as I wanted. I wanted him to come on his own. We had a TON of visitors, flowers, and great nurses while we stayed there. The bed was terrible and hospital food sucks but those were the only negatives.

Lincoln was born at 3:59am on November 14th (41 weeks). He is 21 1/4 inches long and a whopping 10 pounds 4 1/2 ounces!