Life has been a lot different the past 7 weeks with the newest addition to our family. We've been taking it slow, and I've been enjoying my time off work with little man.
On January 24, 2020 (10 days before my due date) around 1am, I woke up feeling some stomach pain. I couldn't decide if I had an upset stomach or what was going on. Regardless, there was no way I was going back to sleep. I called my doctor on call after a few hours, and she essentially told me that I could come in to be checked, but if I hadn't progressed much since my appointment a few days before that they would just send me home. The pain came in waves, so I downloaded a contraction tracker and tried to start keeping track. They definitely weren't consistent so it was hard to say how many minutes were in between each. I never really felt my belly get hard, so I wasn't convinced I was in labor. I was up all night pushing through the pain trying to decide whether or not I should go to work in the morning. I texted my mom and sister once the morning came, and both encouraged me to go to my doctor just to be checked. I just didn't want to be that person that went in only to find out I had Braxton Hicks. The pain moved down into my thighs, and I decided I had to be in labor! My husband and I left for the doctor around 9am or so. At that point, I was in so much pain! Contractions were about 5 minutes apart, and the doctor let me know I was 5cm dilated and needed to head to the hospital! I was an emotional mess when we got to the hospital, but once I got my epidural I felt so much better! Around 2:50pm, Benjamin Thomson Gutschow made his quick arrival weighing 7lb 14 oz and 20.5 inches long! We are loving our time with Benny, and I hope to never forget the day he made me a Mama!
Having a new baby has had its challenging moments, but his sweet smile makes it all worth it!
I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more baby/mama content around here!
P.S. Thanks to my sweet friend Ashley at Third Floor North Photography for these beautiful photos!