As you already know, my daughter Luna was born this past
September. I want to share my pregnancy and her birth story. I hadn’t created
this blog yet when Benjamin was born, so I’m also going to share my experiences
with him by comparing the two. J
I found out on New Year’s day (January 1st) 2015
that I was pregnant. I took two tests four hours apart to make sure. I ran into
the bedroom and told Gerson, he jumped out of bed and gave me a hug. We were so
happy, we couldn’t stop smiling and looking at the two positive tests. When
Benjamin woke up we went into his room together and I said, “Benjamin guess
what? You are going to be a big brother!” He clapped his hands and said, “Yay!”
I don’t think he actually understood what we said, but it was a great way to begin
2015.
When I saw that positive on the pregnancy test I immediately
had a feeling that the very tiny baby growing inside of me was a girl. When I
got that feeling, I knew that it was right because I had been right about
Benjamin as well. When I heard Benjamin’s heartbeat for the first time at my 12
week appointment, I knew he was a boy. Gerson and I had already picked the name
Luna for our first girl, so I started calling her Luna from the moment I knew I
was pregnant. Also, when we discussed boy names – just in case – we couldn’t
agree on any. I felt that was another clue that we were having a girl.
The doctor was an hour behind schedule during my 8 week
appointment. So to make up for making us wait so long, she gave us a free
ultrasound! (8 week ultrasounds are not standard in my doctor’s office.) We got
to see Luna’s heartbeat on the screen and watch her tiny body wiggle a little
bit. It was so amazing to see my baby even though I wasn’t showing yet.
I was very sick for the first six months of my pregnancy
with Benjamin. I threw up at least once a day, and constantly felt ill and
weak. I was worried that the same thing would happen during my pregnancy with
Luna; especially because I would be student teaching for the first three and a
half months. I was very lucky that I had a much easier first and second
trimester with Luna than I did with Benjamin. I still had stomach discomfort,
but I was able to endure it while I taught 7th graders and I only
had to ask my mentor teacher to take over once while I ran to the bathroom. Old
wives’ tales say that the fact I was carrying a girl explained my easier
pregnancy. I also believe that I had divine help, because I had divine help
with Benjamin as well. When I was pregnant with Benjamin I had an 8 am class
that I was never late to, even on mornings where I was really sick, I somehow
made it out the door and arrived to class on time (I had never done that with
previous 8 am classes).
We bought Benjamin a T-shirt that said, “Big Brother” and
posted a picture of him wearing it to announce my pregnancy. After my 20 week
ultrasound confirmed that Luna was a girl we bought Benjamin some pink
balloons. He loved playing with them. Around this time Benjamin had learned to
point to my belly and say, “Baby.”
At 21 weeks I felt Benjamin kick for the first time, and at
16 weeks I felt Luna! I asked my doctor if what I felt was real or if it was a
phantom kick or something else. He said that yes I really did feel Luna, that
it is common to feel baby’s movement earlier in second pregnancies than in
first. Benjamin was a lot more active. After that first kick, he moved ALL THE
TIME. He would go crazy when Gerson would put his hand on my belly, and during
my third trimester he would move all over from 1-3 am almost every night; which
would keep me awake. Luna was quite different. She moved enough that I knew she
was still alive, but she never kept me up at night nor would she move just
because Gerson placed his hand on my belly. She would, however, kick the Fetal
Doppler at every appointment while they were trying to listen to her heartbeat.
And during my ultrasound she would kick at the sensor and the screen would go
crazy trying to find her again. She did not like to be bothered, but now that
she is here, she loves being bothered. These two different experiences with
their movements verified to me that babies truly have their own personalities
long before birth; there is a soul inside those bodies inside the womb.
In June (6 months pregnant), Gerson, Benjamin, and I visited
Gerson’s family in California for a week. My mother and sisters-in-law threw me
a surprise baby shower! I was pleasantly surprised at how many people from
their ward and neighborhood came. Most of them I had never met, and yet they
came to support my family. I was incredibly grateful for their presence and the
beautiful clothes and blankets they gave us. Most of Luna’s clothes are from my
California baby shower. J
As my due date got closer I became concerned about how
things would go at the hospital because my experience with Benjamin was not
that great. I had contractions for 40 hours before the hospital would admit me;
and even after giving me Pitocin it was still another 20 hours before Benjamin
was born. I expressed my concerns to my doctor and she said that they are much
more sympathetic towards second time moms and that won’t happen again. (In case
you’ve noticed that my doctor keeps changing genders, it’s because the office I
go to likes women to see all the doctors in the office if possible, that way we
have a higher chance of knowing whoever is on call at the hospital when we give
birth.)
At my 39 week appointment my doctor said that I and Luna
were where we should be, that I could be induced that week if I would like to.
Up until that moment I absolutely did not want to get induced unless medically
necessary, but the thought came to my mind, “They can’t send you home if you
get induced.” Gerson and I did some quick “silent communicating” and said yes
we would like that. We picked the upcoming Friday (5 days before my due date)
and were told that the hospital would call the day before to tell us what time
to come in.
Gerson was a little nervous about me getting induced, so we
researched it over the next couple days and by the time the hospital called on
Thursday felt comfortable and even anticipated it. We worked things out with my
mom to care for Benjamin while we were in the hospital – which he loved; three
day two night stay at Grandma’s? Best weekend of his life. On Friday September
4, 2015 Luna Mae was born six hours after I was induced. If was so wonderful. I
slept through most of my labor, and actually had energy to push.
Luna was placed on my chest right away (that didn’t happen
with Benjamin because there were complications and he needed to be checked
out). I got to snuggle with her and feed her for two hours before they moved me
and her. The nice thing about the Timpanogos Hospital is that they do all of
the washing and testing right there in the delivery room, Luna didn’t leave my
sight until her hearing test much later.
My parents brought Benjamin by that night. Benjamin did not
want to go near her, instead he wanted to run around the room and turn on and
off all the lights and open the doors and press buttons. When they left
Benjamin did say, “Bye Baby.” On their second visit Benjamin climbed up on my
bed and looked at Luna.
On Sunday September 7th Luna and I were
discharged. We put Benjamin and Luna in their car seats in the back seat, and
as we drove away a feeling of completeness came over us. I told Gerson that
taking Luna home made our family feel more complete, and he said that he was
thinking the same thing. I am so grateful she came to our family. I look at
both of my kids as miracles, and often have moments of being in awe that I am
the mother of such beautiful souls. They really are my pride and joy, and I
love them so much.
