Jacob was the most beautiful of all the Riesenberg babies, but one would NEVER know that from his HORRID newborn picture! Unfortunately he was born before we really started using a digital camera, so this is the ONLY newborn picture I have of him on the computer! Maybe I will break out the scanner and find a better picture to share!
Jacob's Birth Story:
Jacob Zaren Riesenberg was born on April 14, 1998 at 3:03 PM weighing in at 8 lb 12.5 oz (he would have weighed even more if he hadn't peed all over everyone and everything before being placed on the scale) and measuring 22 inches.
Jay and I headed down to the hospital on Monday, April 13th around 1 PM. I was having contractions 3-5 minutes apart and lasting at least 1 minute each. I kept thinking it wouldn't be long at all until we met our 5th child. After all, I had been at the midwives four days earlier and I was already 4 cm and 60% effaced. We spend the afternoon and early evening in the labor room hoping that nature would take its course. They started IV antibiotics since I carried group B strep and they hoped the treatment would keep the baby from being infected. I consented to an internal exam around 8 PM, I was convinced that I would be at least 6 cm by then, imagine how disappointed I was when Sara (one of our midwives) did the exam and there was absolutely NO CHANGE! 6 hours at the hospital with intense back labor and nothing. Jay and I spent the next 2 hours in the jacuzzi shower, the warm water was WONDERFUL, I almost forgot how bad my back was hurting! By the time we dried off and were sitting back in the bed, it was after 11 PM. We watched the news and the late night talk shows. By 2:30 AM, Jay dozed off and I sat there....contracting, exhausted, feeling defeated. At 4 AM, I asked Sara to check to see if I had dialated any more, I was still having horrible back labor. ABSOLUTELY NO CHANGE! I LOST IT! I sat there and SOBBED for almost an hour. At 6 AM I had collected myself somewhat and Sara and I walked the halls until almost 8 AM. Karen, the other midwife, showed up at 8 AM and after talking a while said she felt we needed to make a decision. Either go home and wait or start pitocin, wait for stronger contractions to return (the strength of the contractions by this point had backed off) and then she would break my water. Jay and I agreed. We had been at this for almost 24 hours. We were READY to meet our baby! We opted for induction with pitocin and hoped we were making the right choice!
At noon we started pitocin. Horrible contractions. At 2:15 PM, Karen checks me to find that I have finally started to make some progress. I am now 5 cm and 80% effaced. She ruptures the amniotic sac. At 2:40 PM (only about 25 minutes later), I tell her I feel the urge to PUSH! She checks and I am 9 1/2 cm and 100% effaced. She tells me I can push if I truly feel the URGE, but that the baby is still very high and that it might take a while. At 3:03 PM, after about 15 minutes of pushing, Jacob slid forth onto the bed and Karen immediately placed him in my arms. I had never felt so wonderful in all my life! Within minutes, Karen decided they needed to further assess his condition, because he aspirated so much fluid they needed to suction him and give him oxygen. His limbs were very blue so they took him to the NICU for further suctioning, oxygen and observation. Once again I sat helplessly by as they wheeled one of my babies from the delivery room off to the intensive care unit. Jay followed Jacob down to the NICU. Karen repaired a small internal tear that needed 1 stitch. I showered and by 4:30 PM had joined Jay down in the NICU. Jacob was having a difficult time maintaining his body temperature, was grunting rather than crying and his limbs were still very blue, signs we were told of a possible septic strep infection. He would need to be watched closely. After showing signs of active nursing and holding his body temperature, they allowed us to take him back to the room around 10 PM and we were finally able to spend some quiet time as a family.
They treated Jacob with antibiotics. They never did decide if he had group B strep or not. There was a fire in the lab the night they sent over his lab work. How strange is that?
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