The Starfish Baby is Here: Carter Pavona Hundt
Sunday May 3rd, 2015: 41 Weeks Pregnant
Despite hoping to go into labor on my own and delivering vaginally, our Starfish Baby had other plans. Throughout the last couple of weeks of my pregnancy, we visited the doctor several times and were given the pleasure of having several ultrasounds. At each one, the baby was in a different place. This helped me think that maybe I would end up needing a C-Section after all. Also, each time we went to an appointment, I was checked over and was told, each time, that I had absolutely NO signs of labor... not a one. Again since I cannot really be induced for fear that my scar may dilate instead of my cervix, I was given another piece of evidence that a C-Section might be in my future. We had signed up for one, at a week overdue, just in case...
On Sunday May 3rd, I found myself 41 weeks pregnant, a week overdue, and preparing to leave for the hospital for my C-section. Here is a timeline of sorts leading up to our Starfish baby's birth and the first day of his life...
7:00 am- Nolan and Judah wake up and Josh and I say goodbye to them- this was one of the hardest things I've done in my 31 years. I have never been away from them for more than one night and here I was, knowing that I'd be away from them for at least three nights. Thankfully, we are so so blessed to have both our families nearby so I knew they would be in capable, loving hands while we were gone. Josh's family was there ready to spend a great day with the boys. Leading up to this day, I made a table in Microsoft word of exactly who would be with the boys at what times, on what days, which was color coded, by the way... and also wrote a short novel of their schedule and possible meal and snack ideas (would you have expected anything less?!).
I cried the whole way to the hospital.
8:00 am- arrive at Sparrow Hospital- our C-section was scheduled for 10am.
9:30 am- my parents arrive
9:45 am- we get word that I am the only scheduled birth that day and so we may even get to go a bit early!!!!!
9:50 am- we hear otherwise- there is a mom who is starting to deliver twins vaginally... This means that the one anesthesiologist available must be with her until delivery is over just in case she needs a C-Section. We laugh at the fact that even though Nolan and Judah aren't here, they are still finding a way to show us they are a priority. My C-section is postponed until further notice.
10:30am- still waiting- find out from my mom that someone Josh and I went to high school with is laboring in the room across from ours. Our moms saw each other in the waiting room. She's been there since 5 am and would go on to deliver a healthy baby girl a couple hours before my C-section.
12:30 pm- still waiting- we get word that Twin A is delivered vaginally and now we're just waiting on Baby B to arrive.
1:30 pm- Baby B has not arrived yet- Mom still trying to push him out vaginally... We are still waiting.
1:45ish pm- Baby B comes out- We are finally up next... Almost four hours late.
2:00 pm- go back to surgery
2:46pm- CARTER PAVONA HUNDT IS BORN!!!! He weighed a whopping 10lbs, 2oz and was 21.5 inches long. As he was being pulled out, the doctor said, "oh, we've got a big one!"
We heard him cry and doctors showed him to me before getting him cleaned up... While they were doing that, Josh and I could tell something was wrong because the nurses kept talking about his lungs and his breathing. It was clear he was okay; he was crying and moving and everything, but things weren't perfect.
**As a sidebar, Josh is not great during and after the actual surgery; he is constantly worried about me and once a baby comes out, he it totally consumed with making sure the baby is alright. He must've asked all the people in the room 50 times if Nolan and Judah were alright when they were born; he was constantly pacing back and forth between both boys asking.**
When Carter was born, especially since we knew there was something going on with his breathing, he kept asking over and over what was going on and if Carter was okay. The nurse and nurse practitioner that were with him kept telling Josh he was just fine, but that there was some fluid in his lungs. Apparently this is quite common with C-Section babies in particular since they don't get the push through the birth canal that helps to squeeze the fluid out... it's called transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN).
Time went by and I still wasn't given Carter to hold. As I was stretched out on the table, I could look to my left and see him in the place where he go weighed and everything, but that's not the same as being able to HOLD your new baby. Tears were streaming down my face as I felt alone, a bit left out, helpless and clueless as to what was happening.
Josh kept coming to check on me and I just kept telling him to stay over with Carter so that one of his parents was near him.
Even though this was difficult and definitely scary, God always has a way of putting little blessings scattered in hard moments...
One little blessing was the nurse anesthetist... he was a godsend of calm and kindness. He continued to reassure me how normal this was and that Carter was going to be fine and he got Kleenex to wipe my tears away. He also kept whispering to Josh that everything was going to be okay.
They finally put Carter on me to do skin-to-skin. They told me before giving him to me that it would be short and that he would have to go straight to the nursery to keep an eye on his breathing for a while, but again that everything was going to be just fine.
They took him to the nursery, I asked Josh to go with him, and then I was alone.
I was thankful Carter was here and that he was going to be alright, but now I was separated from all three of my children.
Another blessing from that day was the fact that my parents were there: my parents, one of which was a respiratory therapist and one who is a neonatal intensive care unit nurse. Josh took them to the nursery with him and hearing from both my parents that things were going to be okay and this was a minor thing helped so much! They were able to come and be with me also so that I wasn't alone the whole time.
Again, the kindness of nurses prevailed. The nurse who took care of me in labor and delivery stayed by my side for the next few hours as I was in the recovery room and Josh spent most of the time with Carter. She never left the room.
The last big blessing of those first few hours of Carter's life was the fact that one of my best friends, a mother baby nurse, had switched on to that day and was assigned in the nursery. When my nurse called down there to check on Carter and Corey was who answered, I could not have been more thankful. She was the perfect person to be with Carter if I couldn't be.
5:30 pm- I am out of recovery and being taken to my room- My kind nurse took me straight to the nursery first and wheeled me in so that I could hold Carter. Corey told me he was doing great. He was breathing really well on his own as long as he was left alone. If they kind of messed with him or tried to disturb him, his breathing would speed up a lot more so he still needed to work on that before he could permanently be with me. She told me she would bring him to me soon.
6:30 pm- Corey brought Carter to be with me until she was going to go home for the night- That hourish was time was amazing and Josh, Carter, and I could be together.
7:30 pm- Carter back to nursery :(
8:00 pm- Josh's family comes to visit- They were able to spend time with us, update me on what a great day Nolan and Judah had at home, and were able to see Carter (even though no one was supposed to hold him yet... didn't want to get him riled up!)
9:00 pm- Carter comes back to us :)
Eleven hours after I was supposed to have my C-Section, I was finally able to really get acquainted with the newest member of our family.
After spending a brief time in the nursery during the night so that they could monitor him while we slept for a little bit, Carter stayed with us... for good. <3
Despite hoping to go into labor on my own and delivering vaginally, our Starfish Baby had other plans. Throughout the last couple of weeks of my pregnancy, we visited the doctor several times and were given the pleasure of having several ultrasounds. At each one, the baby was in a different place. This helped me think that maybe I would end up needing a C-Section after all. Also, each time we went to an appointment, I was checked over and was told, each time, that I had absolutely NO signs of labor... not a one. Again since I cannot really be induced for fear that my scar may dilate instead of my cervix, I was given another piece of evidence that a C-Section might be in my future. We had signed up for one, at a week overdue, just in case...
On Sunday May 3rd, I found myself 41 weeks pregnant, a week overdue, and preparing to leave for the hospital for my C-section. Here is a timeline of sorts leading up to our Starfish baby's birth and the first day of his life...
7:00 am- Nolan and Judah wake up and Josh and I say goodbye to them- this was one of the hardest things I've done in my 31 years. I have never been away from them for more than one night and here I was, knowing that I'd be away from them for at least three nights. Thankfully, we are so so blessed to have both our families nearby so I knew they would be in capable, loving hands while we were gone. Josh's family was there ready to spend a great day with the boys. Leading up to this day, I made a table in Microsoft word of exactly who would be with the boys at what times, on what days, which was color coded, by the way... and also wrote a short novel of their schedule and possible meal and snack ideas (would you have expected anything less?!).
I cried the whole way to the hospital.
8:00 am- arrive at Sparrow Hospital- our C-section was scheduled for 10am.
 |
| Last picture of me pregnant with Starfish Baby |
 |
| Josh ready to go! |
9:30 am- my parents arrive
9:45 am- we get word that I am the only scheduled birth that day and so we may even get to go a bit early!!!!!
9:50 am- we hear otherwise- there is a mom who is starting to deliver twins vaginally... This means that the one anesthesiologist available must be with her until delivery is over just in case she needs a C-Section. We laugh at the fact that even though Nolan and Judah aren't here, they are still finding a way to show us they are a priority. My C-section is postponed until further notice.
10:30am- still waiting- find out from my mom that someone Josh and I went to high school with is laboring in the room across from ours. Our moms saw each other in the waiting room. She's been there since 5 am and would go on to deliver a healthy baby girl a couple hours before my C-section.
12:30 pm- still waiting- we get word that Twin A is delivered vaginally and now we're just waiting on Baby B to arrive.
1:30 pm- Baby B has not arrived yet- Mom still trying to push him out vaginally... We are still waiting.
1:45ish pm- Baby B comes out- We are finally up next... Almost four hours late.
2:00 pm- go back to surgery
2:46pm- CARTER PAVONA HUNDT IS BORN!!!! He weighed a whopping 10lbs, 2oz and was 21.5 inches long. As he was being pulled out, the doctor said, "oh, we've got a big one!"
 |
| CARTER PAVONA HUNDT |
**As a sidebar, Josh is not great during and after the actual surgery; he is constantly worried about me and once a baby comes out, he it totally consumed with making sure the baby is alright. He must've asked all the people in the room 50 times if Nolan and Judah were alright when they were born; he was constantly pacing back and forth between both boys asking.**
When Carter was born, especially since we knew there was something going on with his breathing, he kept asking over and over what was going on and if Carter was okay. The nurse and nurse practitioner that were with him kept telling Josh he was just fine, but that there was some fluid in his lungs. Apparently this is quite common with C-Section babies in particular since they don't get the push through the birth canal that helps to squeeze the fluid out... it's called transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN).
Time went by and I still wasn't given Carter to hold. As I was stretched out on the table, I could look to my left and see him in the place where he go weighed and everything, but that's not the same as being able to HOLD your new baby. Tears were streaming down my face as I felt alone, a bit left out, helpless and clueless as to what was happening.
Josh kept coming to check on me and I just kept telling him to stay over with Carter so that one of his parents was near him.
Even though this was difficult and definitely scary, God always has a way of putting little blessings scattered in hard moments...
One little blessing was the nurse anesthetist... he was a godsend of calm and kindness. He continued to reassure me how normal this was and that Carter was going to be fine and he got Kleenex to wipe my tears away. He also kept whispering to Josh that everything was going to be okay.
They finally put Carter on me to do skin-to-skin. They told me before giving him to me that it would be short and that he would have to go straight to the nursery to keep an eye on his breathing for a while, but again that everything was going to be just fine.
 |
| Finally able to hold Carter |
I was thankful Carter was here and that he was going to be alright, but now I was separated from all three of my children.
Another blessing from that day was the fact that my parents were there: my parents, one of which was a respiratory therapist and one who is a neonatal intensive care unit nurse. Josh took them to the nursery with him and hearing from both my parents that things were going to be okay and this was a minor thing helped so much! They were able to come and be with me also so that I wasn't alone the whole time.
Again, the kindness of nurses prevailed. The nurse who took care of me in labor and delivery stayed by my side for the next few hours as I was in the recovery room and Josh spent most of the time with Carter. She never left the room.
The last big blessing of those first few hours of Carter's life was the fact that one of my best friends, a mother baby nurse, had switched on to that day and was assigned in the nursery. When my nurse called down there to check on Carter and Corey was who answered, I could not have been more thankful. She was the perfect person to be with Carter if I couldn't be.
 |
| Josh holding Carter in the nursery while I was in recovery |
6:30 pm- Corey brought Carter to be with me until she was going to go home for the night- That hourish was time was amazing and Josh, Carter, and I could be together.
7:30 pm- Carter back to nursery :(
8:00 pm- Josh's family comes to visit- They were able to spend time with us, update me on what a great day Nolan and Judah had at home, and were able to see Carter (even though no one was supposed to hold him yet... didn't want to get him riled up!)
9:00 pm- Carter comes back to us :)
Eleven hours after I was supposed to have my C-Section, I was finally able to really get acquainted with the newest member of our family.
After spending a brief time in the nursery during the night so that they could monitor him while we slept for a little bit, Carter stayed with us... for good. <3
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