Family of Four (Leo's Birth Story)

Y’all are just as surprised as me. I didn’t think I would be sitting here writing out this birth story when our second baby boy was due the day before Thanksgiving. But he is here and how he arrived is quite the story! Enjoy Leo’s birth story!

On October 7 I found myself at the chiropractor for the third time getting a pre-natal adjustment. He was simply re-aligning my hips, stretching out my back with a cat/cow stretch and also, stretching my hamstrings. They were such minor adjustments but created such relief in my lower back. However, after this adjustment I started feeling some braxton hicks contractions. During that evening I even downloaded a contraction timer and sat next to Fabian timing out each contraction praying that they would go away. I had consistent contractions about 5-6 minutes apart but after 2 hours they eventually went away.

At my OB appointment the following week on Oct 15, I had mentioned that evening of intense braxton hicks contractions and how I had downloaded a timer. My OB said, “you don’t need a timer. The next time it happens empty your bladder, drink 32oz of water, and sit or lay down. If they don’t go away over the next hour or two get yourself to the hospital.” At this appointment we also mentioned to her that Fabian was about to leave to Mexico for a week. I wanted her to check me and make sure I wasn’t progressing too much and Fabian and I agreed that if there was a chance for early labor that he wouldn’t go to Mexico. She checked me and I was dilated to a loose 1 cm, 50% thinned out, and the baby was still sitting pretty high at a -3. Fabian and I kinda looked at one another waiting for her to tell us what to do about this Mexico trip and she just said, “I can’t tell you whether or not you should go to Mexico.” Fabian left for Mexico that afternoon.

On Monday, October 21 at 11am I took Jax with me back to the chiropractor for an adjustment. On this day the only adjustment I had was to my hips. They were severely mis-aligned and it was causing some pinching on my left side in my lower back. I mentioned to the Dr that the last time he adjusted my hips I had some very evident braxton hicks contractions for a couple hours. I asked him if getting my hips adjusted could trigger early labor and he said it couldn’t trigger it but it’s aligning the birth canal so movement from the baby is most likely something that I would feel.

I waited to see the chiropractor until I knew Fabian would be home, because honestly I expected some contractions just like last time. As soon as I left the chiropractic office and got Jax and I into the car, I started feeling contractions. They weren’t very consistent but they were noticeable for sure. Jax and I continued to run a couple errands, he insisted that we go to the car wash. I figured the car might as well be clean if baby brother was about to show up. My mama’s intuition was starting to kick in and I just kept thinking, “this baby is moving down.” I thought I might as well indulge in one more meal of my favorite pregnancy craving, ancho honey wings from Wingstop. As Jax and I finished up lunch, the contractions were still there. At this time Fabian had boarded the plane in Mexico to come back to us in Fort Worth. He was arriving at 4:50pm.

During Jax’s naptime I tried to lay down and take a nap but I just laid there counting contractions. The pressure was real y’all! Since they weren’t going away I did what my OB told me to do, I emptied my bladder and started sipping down 32oz of water. Y’all the contractions got worse. I called my mom crying just letting her know what was going on. I had flashbacks to the day my water broke with Jax, I had called my mom that day too, crying letting her know that I just could not do it anymore. This time this phone call had tears but tears of worry, knowing that I still wasn’t full term and also, my husband was currently on an airplane. I wiped my tears told my mom to pray and that I would keep her posted.

I found my barely packed hospital bag and started throwing things in it that I thought I needed. I found Jax’s backpack and started packing for him. I figured Fabian already had luggage with him so if for someone reason our baby was really coming we would all be set. I ran around the house leaving piles of panic and clutter everywhere. Despite feeling these contractions Jax and I headed to the airport to pick up Fabian. On the drive to the airport I was watching the clock and my contractions were 5 minutes apart lasting about 45 seconds. We parked at Terminal B at 5:15pm waiting to hear from Fabian. 30 minutes later and Fabian called remembering that he had to go through customs. He was waiting to be called and I was waiting still contracting. 20 minutes later I sent a text to him saying, “ can you tell them your wife is in labor so you can cut the line?” He sent a text back that said, “I tried.”

It should also be noted that Jax thought we were getting on an airplane and was in and out of tears in the car confused as to why he was at the airport if he wasn’t getting on a plane. Jax and I continued to wait, I continued to contract and also, now had to pee. I got Jax out and we walked into the airport looking for the restroom. It was a very slow walk and thankfully Jax stayed next to me the whole time. We waited another 30 minutes at the baggage claim where Fabian was supposed to be, I snapped a photo to remember that moment. The moment where I knew our time as a family of three was really coming to an end and Fabian had no clue and probably thought I was joking.

Finally Fabian was out of customs and was at Terminal D, that’s right… Jax and I were at the wrong terminal!!! We slowly walked back to the car, drove around the airport again to find Fabian. He got in the car and I was pretty quiet. About 10 minutes into the drive back I told Fabian, “we’re going to the hospital right now.” I know Fabian could tell I was in some sort of pain but I think it’s hard for the guys to really understand. I shared with him how I didn’t want to go to the hospital only to have them send me back home but also, the contractions hurt and were not going away. Fabian said, “shouldn’t I be driving then?” I told him, “it’s too late now.”

As I drove us to the hospital I kept breathing and tried my hardest to keep calm. I just knew in my heart that it was baby time. We made our way to L&D triage at 7:07pm and I asked the nurses to be checked. Fabian and Jax waited for me to come back into the room after changing into a gown. I did not see Jax being with us in my mind when I thought about the arrival of his baby brother. After checking all my vitals and asking me all the questions it was time to get checked… which can all the mamas agree is so extremely painful! The nurse looked at me and said, “so, you’re at a 4.” I immediately started crying not because I wasn’t excited to be going into labor but it wasn’t time yet. I kept telling Fabian, “he’s not supposed to be here this early.” It was then that they asked for my due date, which was Nov 26. I was only 34 weeks and 6 days along. In my mind I thought I was 36 weeks, I was using my c-section appointment as my due date instead of my actual due date which was a week later. They informed me that any baby born before 35 weeks was automatically admitted into the NICU. Queue the tears again… I asked if we could wait a couple hours for the clock to turn passed midnight for the c-section to happen. He was 2 hours shy of being 35 weeks, maybe there was a loophole? Nope, no loophole the baby was coming out and his arrival was going to be something totally different than what I thought it would be.

The on call Dr came into the room to talk about the plan that my OB and I had agreed upon. From the beginning we agreed that unless I was having a baby 6lbs or under we could attempt a VBAC but anything over 6lbs would be a c-section. They quickly did an ultrasound to confirm that he was head down and also to get a read on how big he was. Unfortunately they couldn’t see how big he was. The c-section was going to go ahead as planned. From that point everything started moving really fast.

My mom came to the hospital pick up Jax and we started texting our families letting them know that, SURPRISE we were having our baby. The room was full of all the emotions, one minute I was really excited, the next I was feeling unprepared, and the next I was joking about how my nails weren’t supposed to be the muddy brown color that I current had on and how I was supposed to get my hair colored before he was born. I joked my way into the operating room at 10pm and they told me, your baby will be out in 30 minutes!

At 10:31pm on October 21, 2019 Leo Nathaniel Vera was born. He weighed 6lbs and 2oz and was 19 inches long. As I laid on the operating table hearing his little cries, Fabian went over to see the nurses weigh him and clean him off and snapped a few photos of him. That’s the first way that I saw my baby, an iphone photo. As his cries slowly disappeared I just kept calm, praying in my head for peace and for more faith than fear. I didn’t want to ask questions, I didn’t really want to know what was happening. Fabian later informed me that NICU had come in and put Leo into an incubator and they were hooking him up with oxygen and all these wires. As they finished closing me up I heard someone say, “look to your left mama, there’s your baby.” Y’all I didn’t want to look. I remember telling Fabian that I didn’t want to see him like that. He urged me to look and my heart just broke. Our little baby was full of wires and being wheeled away from me.

Once I was in the recovery room I realized that we had no clothes that would fit a baby this small. Jax was born at 9lbs 2oz, I was not prepared for a premie. I asked Fabian for his debit card and 10 minutes after my c-section was placing a Target order for premie onesies. While still in the recovery room the NICU Dr came in to let us know everything that was going on with our Leo. Because he was born pre-maturely his lungs were under developed, he was put on oxygen to help regulate his breathing. We were told of the risks of having a premie and that he would probably need to be in the NICU for a minimum of a week. It was a lot to take in after just having him. Thinking about not having my baby with me flooded me with the fear of not bonding with him.

As they wheeled us to our overnight recovery room we were taken through the NICU to see Leo. It’s hard for me to even write about this moment because it was really really really emotional for me. Thankfully Fabian captured a photo that pretty much sums up everything that I was feeling in that moment. I was in such disbelief that I was looking at our precious baby boy full of wires, hooked up to oxygen, and in the care of someone else other than me or Fabian. I didn’t want to look at him or even touch his little body but I knew once again, God brought him into this world and into our family in His perfect timing. As I touched his little body Fabian began to pray over him and over us. And just like that we were wheeled away to spend our first night in the hospital. From the airport to the hospital and 3 hours later, we were a family of four!