nancyophoto: 127/365 Xavier's birth story

Xavier James Hanks. Born 11-1-11 at 3:33 pm weighing 8 lbs. 1oz.

The Hanks Family. Brianna, Xavier, and Kenneth.

Last month I photographed my first grandchild, Julianna's birth story. This month, I got to photograph my second grandchild's birth story...how priveleged I feel to have been in attendance of both births. Here is the story of Xavier's birth.

Brianna's labor started at 6:00 am on October 31 (Xavier's due date). Her contractions were strong and only 4 minutes apart when she went to the hospital at 8:00 am, only to be sent home to wait out her "early labor". We waited at Brianna and Ken's apartment for the afternoon and had dinner, all the while Brianna labored and the contractions came stronger. At about 7:00 pm we headed back to the hospital. Only to be told she hadn't progressed any, and they suggested she walk the hallways of the birth center to see if that would help.

Ken supports Brianna as she walks laps at the hospital.

During a contraction, she needed to stop and hold onto something to get through the pain.

After walking for an hour, the hospital again sent Brianna home to labor. The nurses told her she had an "uncooperative uterus"...meaning...yes, you're having a lot of contractions, and yes, they're strong, but they ain't doing what they're supposed to be doing. Brianna was frustrated, but home we went. Brianna's contractions were gaining in strength and still coming every 3 to 4 minutes and she was in quite a bit of pain. She tried to sleep, but the contractions were too strong. Ken would push his fist into her back with every contraction, trying to counteract her painful back labor. Brianna would moan with her pain, and their dog Juniper would whine and pace with her every contraction. Finally at 3:00 am on November 1, Brianna could not endure the pain any longer and we headed back to the hospital. This time they let her stay. Finally.

3 am with very strong contractions, Brianna asked for some pain relief. She was told she needed to wait till the doctor finished a c-section and administered another epidural. So, wait, she did.

And she waited some more...her husband Ken holding her hand.

Brianna labored till almost 9 am having painful contractions that lasted sometimes as long as five minutes. Again, I was watching one of my daughters endure the pain of childbirth. There is a bond that is forged between mother and daughter when she's giving birth. It is a solidarity that is born among mothers everywhere...where you can look in each others eyes and think, "I too, know your pain". Brianna, like Jessica last month, thanked me for bringing her into this world while in the midst of their pain. I was touched by their gratitude....all I could say was, "It was my pleasure, honey."

With her pain gone after the epidural, Brianna was finally getting relief. She became chatty, excited about meeting her son.

Both Ken and Brianna had been up for over 24 hours now. He was exhausted, yet he stayed by her side thoughout it all, comforting her, calming her.

About 11 am the epidural began to wear off. Brianna was beginning to feel pain again. She asked for more medication, but they were hesitant to give her too much, worried it might slow down the delivery.

At about 11:30 am, it was time for Brianna to begin pushing. (No photos for awhile as I held Brianna's legs and encouraged her through her pushing.) She had told her doctor she wanted to do a slow push if possible to minimize any possible tearing. Brianna was ready to go and pushed long and hard on her first push. By about her third push, however, the baby began to go in distress, his heartbeat dippinig dangerously low. The labor nurse tried her in different pushing positions, until they found one that the baby could tolerate.

The doctor came in to visit with Brianna and told her that with the baby's heart dipping during contractions, they were going to have to have her push him out as quickly as possible. Brianna agreed...she'd do her best. The baby had had a bowel movement in the womb, and his head was a bit twisted in the birth canal. Brianna continued to push for three hours, but was unable to make any progress.

The baby went into distress again with each push. Brianna was given oxygen to try and help the baby and was moved to yet another position to try and get him out. With this push, the baby went into major distress and after the contraction he didn't recover. The doctor and several nurses rushed in...telling Brianna, no more pushing. The baby needed to come out right away. Ken and Brianna had the option of having the baby vacuumed out (which had a one in 300 chance of serious injury to the baby), or a c-section. They chose the c-section and were whisked to the operating room.

Ken's mother, Elizabeth, and I were both in the labor room with Ken and Brianna. We stood arm and arm, tears rolling down our cheeks as they prepared Brianna for surgery...both of us eyeing the fetal heart monitor. Brianna asked me to grab a rosary from her bag. I handed it to her, and she pushed it back at me, asking me to pray. So, out into the waiting room I went as Brianna was wheeled away. I knelt by a chair next to a vending machine in the corner of the waiting room and said a rosary for the health of my grandson and my daughter. And...God listened...and he granted.

Two hours later, Brianna and Xavier were in the recovery room. Xavier had come out crying his lungs out...healthy, pink, and perfect. For me I felt relief, joy, exhaustion, gratitude to God for another safe delivery for one of my daughters.