Baby Stanley arrived on August 16, 2017, at 12:51pm. He was 7lbs, 10oz, 21 ¼ inches, and his head was over 14cm. Stanley was almost two weeks late. His birth was hard on me, but he is so worth it. After about 42 weeks, the placenta can become weak and may fail to give baby needed nutrients, so I was advised to induce. I did not want to get induced, but it was for both the health of Stan and me. I went to the hospital on Monday, August 14th. It was a slow start and it took awhile to get to 3cm dilated; but then, I went from 3cm to 8cm in less than an hour on Tuesday. I thought for sure Stanley was going to make his entrance, but I dilated slowly from 8cm to 10cm. There were some scary moments where Stanley’s HR went too low, my blood pressure too high, and my pain went through the roof. But thankfully Patrick was by my side, keeping me calm.
Once I got to 10cm, I began to push. I always thought moms pushed the entire time in labor, but this is not the case. I pushed for 4.5 hours and Stanley was stubborn, unwilling to make his entrance. Apparently four hours is a long time to push. After 4.5 hours, Patrick and I had to decide: use a vacuum to suction Stanley out or get a caesarian section. I got emotional as I didn’t want to do either, but we decided on the vacuum. Because of the extra danger, there was a lot of doctors and nurses in the room and a full team outside the room ready to rush me off to surgery if needed. It took three separate contractions with the vacuum to get Stanley out, but he arrived. His HR had dropped and he was unresponsive, so the NICU specialists grabbed him as soon as he came out. All I could do was cry. At that time, I had no idea if he was a boy or girl, and all I wanted was to hold my baby. Thankfully, Stanley quickly recovered and he was in my arms. I still tear up thinking about that moment.
Stanley’s exit was rough, which meant the doctor had to spend over an hour stitching me up. I had to stay in the hospital because of my high blood pressure and fever. We ended up spending six days in the hospital. Patrick was such a trooper through it all! The day I was discharged from the hospital, I got five additional stitches. I went home and still had pain, so I went back in a few days later. I found out that some of my sutures came out. I needed more stitches so I had to go back to the hospital for surgery. It was a long few days, but I’m happy to report I am now walking and enjoying my time with Stanley pain free. My parents and sister came out to Portland and were lifesavers those first few days. My mom cooked us three meals a day and would take Stanley after his 7am feeding so Patrick and I could get in another hour or two of sleep.
Stanley is so little, happy, and a very good baby. Patrick and I are adjusting to life as parents and love it! My favorite time with Stanley is when I breastfeed him. I have realized though that I will have to be strategic in when I exercise based on when Stanley eats.
I went to the gym 18 days after Stanley's birth to try some light exercise (elliptical and strength work). It felt great to sweat again, but I did miss Stanley.
I plan to listen to my body and slowly progress my training. I hope to start running soon. I will start with run/walks (example: three minutes of running followed by two minutes of walking four to six times for a total of twenty to thirty minutes).
As an athlete, I often want to do more than my body will physically allow. I am trying to remain patient and remind myself that Tokyo 2020 is a long time away. I have no race schedule set yet. I plan to decide on my first race back after seeing how my first few months of training progress. Until then I will cherish these moments with Stanley.
This was the last time I ran. I can't wait to get back on the trails. I ran throughout most of my pregnancy and loved this support belt: the FitSplint
My love
He's so little ❤️
Family photo at 2 weeks
This is me saying goodbye to Stan before heading to the gym.
