In honor of tomorrow, Caleb’s 4th birthday, I want to share his birth story with you guys and tell you what CLICKED for me with my weight loss…
Some foundation for my story Caleb’s Dad and I were never really together, so I was a single mom from the get go. It was tough, I won’t lie! I ended up moving in with my sister and her family (which at times was really defeating but I knew it was the best option for me and my unborn child). Now looking back, I am very thankful for my sister and her husband for helping us out. While there, I was able to save a lot of money and provide stuff for my son before he was even born. Plus, I was never alone… which that was a good thing then.
I was sick with Hyper Emsis (what Princess Kate had, only 1-5% of pregnant people get it) and was in and out of the hospital because I was dehydrated. I hated being pregnant! Everything I ate came right back up…. Everything! Then 3 months before my due date, I started having really bad contractions and I was rushed from work to the hospital to find out that I was in labor and I was dilated to a 3. The doctor gave me medication to stop my labor and put me on bed rest until Caleb’s due date. I worked as a contract labor in the Oil and Gas Industry and if I didn’t go to work, I didn’t get paid. I was scared to death of what I was going to do to provide (thank goodness I lived with my sister). I was very lucky and my company found “work” for me to do at home for the full 3 months!
At my 36 week checkup, the doctor said it would be fine for me to stop my medication and let Caleb come! I was THRILLED!!! My baby would be born any day now… Well, he is stubborn just like his mother and made me wait another 4 weeks before making his appearance. He wanted to come 2 months ago and the doctor stopped him, now that the doctor is saying it is okay for him to come, he decided to just sit there and not move! That little butthead!
Fast forward 4 weeks to September 20, 2009 (my due date)!!! My sister and I went to Wal-Mart to get some groceries before the Cowboys played that afternoon. While at Wal-Mart, I started to have really bad contractions and had to sit down and wait for her to finish. We got back home and I started to time my contractions during the game… My mom kept calling saying “Jordan just go to the hospital” and I kept replying “I will after the Cowboy win!” Haha… See stubborn! I always said I wasn’t going to go to the hospital unless my water broke, I really wanted to experience that because both of my sisters did. Finally, the game ended (and I believe they lost that one, ugh) and I agreed to let my Mom take me to the hospital even though my water was still intact.
We sat at the hospital and they monitored me, I was still only a 3. Since it was a Sunday and I had my induction scheduled for that upcoming Wednesday, the nurse in charge sent me home and told me she highly doubts I will go into labor myself and to not come back unless my water breaks or its time for my induction. She was actually really rude about it all.
We went home; I went to bed and decided that I would NOT get out of bed for the next 3 days! I wake up Monday morning and have a HUGE urge to pee… you know like all pregnant women do… so I got up and here a tearing noise and then WOOSH!!!! My water broke… all over my sister’s hall way, with my 4 year old niece and her best friend at the end to witness it all! Her friend said “I think you Aunt just peed on the floor!” My sister was outside mowing with headphones in so I had to waddle to a window and bang on it until I got her attention.
My mom got me to the hospital in rush hour traffic on a Monday morning, in record time! And get this… the nurse who told me to go home just hours before all this, was still there and NOT happy to see me back! She told me that my water did NOT break and that I just peed on myself. Luckily my doctor was at the hospital and he came to check me in and break my water since the nurse said it didn’t break. Well, he started the process and then stopped because my water DID break!!! I loved the look on that nurses face, it was priceless!!! When my water did break, green stuff had leaked out with it (Caleb had a bowel movement inside of me and would have meconium aspiration syndrome).
9 hours later, I pushed 5 times and delivered a 9 pound 4 ounce 21.5 inch long baby boy! I held him for a brief 2-3 minutes before the NICU took him from me and left the room. I didn’t see him again for a few hours and I didn’t get to hold him again until after he was a day old. It killed me! After a week in the NICU, he was cleared to go home!!!
I rambled… sorry! Here is where weight loss tied into it all…
My best friend at the time was on her weight loss journey and killing the scale. My sister was on her weight loss journey and looked better than ever. And here I was… fatter than ever! I was ashamed and disgusted with myself. I would get down on the floor to play with Caleb and I would quickly get tired. His car seat was HEAVY for me to carry everywhere with him in it. I remember looking at him one day and thinking, he deserves a better mom than I am for him. Makes me sad to even think I ever thought that…
That day, I decided I was going to change my life. I never ever ever wanted him to struggle with his weight. I never wanted him to be made fun of being of his weight. I wanted him to learn to make good healthy choices from early on. I wanted him to have all the tools I didn’t have. I buckled down, started the gym, found a trainer and well… the rest is history!
I did all this being a single mom. I made it to the gym (most times twice a day). I bought healthy groceries. I ran 5K’s. And let me repeat… I did this all while being a single mom!!!! People give me excuses all the time why they can’t workout or why they can’t afford to eat healthy… I never ever have sympathy for them. I was a single mom of an infant and did it, you can to! You have dig deep and find out what matters most to you! You have to make changes in your life and switch around your priorities. Trust me; if there is a will, there is a way!!!
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