Birth Story - Evan Alejandro

 {A recent photo of Evan courtesy of Sandra}

When I did my post a few weeks ago on Beckett's birth story, I mentioned I would be introducing a group of ladies I'm calling The Baby Mommas by having each of them tell you their own birth stories. This is the first of the amazing and varied stories from these lovely ladies.

Sandra, 31, lives with her husband and 10 month old son, Evan in Northwest, IN. She's an HR manager for a large company in Chicago. I love her birth story, especially her creative idea for finding out the gender. So without further adieu, here is the story of how Evan came to grace his family with his adorable face. 


My husband and I had been trying to conceive for five months. We were racing the clock since my mother was terminally ill with cancer and I wanted more then ever for her to meet my child. In November of 2009 we finally had a positive test! We were ecstatic to say the least! My mother passed away in January but she knew my little boy was on his way into the world. Although  we did not know the sex of our baby at the time she passed, she always referred to “him”.  Aside from my mothers passing, my pregnancy was a breeze. No morning sickness, no stretch marks, no complications. So when others asked me if I was having my baby naturally I said, “yes, of course – no c-section over here."

At my 20 week ultrasound the tech asked us if we wanted to know our baby’s gender.  We asked that she write the sex on the back of the ultrasound photo and place it in an envelope. We took our envelope straight to the bakery. Two hours later, we went and picked up our white and yellow decorated cake. Driving home from the bakery and holding the cake in my lap, I couldn’t believe our fate laid in the interior icing of this cake. When we arrived at our home, our family was waiting for us. We cut into our cake and there it was – icing the color of a blue Smurf!! We were having a boy!!

At 38 weeks, my doctor suggested that I take my maternity leave early since I had an hour commute to work every day. The thought of taking one week away from my time with my newborn baby didn’t sit right with me. I told her I would think about it. She politely told me I had no other option. I worked things out to where I’d be working form home until my due date and I was pretty excited about not having to get ready for work in the morning! I envisioned my house neatly organized (since I was nesting like crazy) and living in my leggings and yoga pants until our little bundle of joy arrived!

It was the 4^th of July and it was hot outside! I was exactly 16 days away from my due date. I remember literally rolling out of bed and getting ready to attend the cookouts that we were invited to. I had no desire to move, to be in the heat or to socialize – I did it for my husband who was looking forward to hanging out with friends. As I slipped on my silver flip flops, I recall looking down at my feet and thinking “can they get any bigger?”

At our first stop there was a in-ground pool and one of my friends asked if I was planning on getting in. Really? I passed. The day dragged on as I was a hot sweaty mother-to-be.  Finally, our last stop! We arrived at my husband’s aunt’s house who was hosting a huge Graduation/Fourth of July party. The entire family was there, all 85 of them! I quickly found a seat under the tent and relaxed. My husband, being the social butterfly that he is, started to enjoy himself. I spotted the cooler loaded with water across the yard and began to make my way. As I stood up, there it was – my water had broke! There was no mistake, my shorts were soaked and it could not be anything else. Ok, I had to think fast! If I announce this the entire family will escort me to the hospital and that is something I know I did not want!

“Honey, I think we should go” I told my husband. He looked at me puzzled and said “Let me just play a few songs form the iPod then we’ll leave.” Then Ricky chimed in, “Yeah, what the rush? It’s not like you're in labor!” A few minutes later I whispered in my husband’s ear, “When I say we have to go, it’s for a reason."  Once we made it to the car and I explained what happened I remembered my sister’s advice to take a shower before going to the hospital.  Straight home to the shower I went!  

Upon arriving at the hospital, I was checked in and set up in my birthing room and the waiting began. No pain, no contractions – nothing! We waited and waited for something and we got nothing. The nurses verified that my water had broken and started giving me Pitocin in my IV to start the contractions. Still we had nothing. We were going into our 24 hour wait and I was getting anxious and hungry! I wasn’t allowed to eat.

When my doctor arrived, we had been playing the waiting game for close to 36 hours. Then she dropped the bomb on me! “Looks like we are going to have to go the c-section route,” she said. What??? No!!! I am having this baby naturally (with and epidural of course)! Again, she politely told me I had no other option. Apparently if the baby is in the womb too long after the water breaks there is risk for infection.  She told me to be ready in about a half hour.  I had never been so physically scared in my entire life. I cried like the little baby I was about to have.

I was wheeled into the surgery room with my husband at my side and I was crying the entire time. The next thing I remember, I could not feel a thing from my waist down and I was super sleepy. Then I heard it – the sound of my newborn baby crying. Before even seeing him, I began crying some more. The doctor brought him to me and I asked if he was healthy. She said “a healthy baby boy." I took one look at him and feel in love.  Then I was asleep.

I stayed in the hospital for an entire week to recuperate. Honestly, the c-section was not bad at all. The recovery was slow and I was fragile but I felt no labor pain like I expected to.  Before I knew it, we were home with our baby boy Evan Alejandro. He was perfect and looking back so was my pregnancy. We are truly blessed to have such perfection added to our lives.