Benson's original delivery date was announced as August 29th. However, during an ultrasound at 28 weeks, it was discovered that Benson was in a breech position (meaning he was head up - which is the opposite of how baby's are normally born). We actually tried a lot of little exercises and even a couple of wives tale tricks to encouraging him to flip on his own. If you ever have a breech baby, these are a couple of the things that we heard would work. For the record, we only tried the handstands in the pool, pelvic tilts, walking, and the flashlight and none of them worked. Here's a list of things other women have sworn work:
- Handstands in a Swimming Pool
- Putting Ice Packs at the Top of the Uterus (baby will move their head away from the cold)
- Shining a Flashlight in the womb (the baby will move away from the light)
- Walking with one foot on the sidewalk and one foot in the gutter.
- Just lots of Walking
- Pelvic Tilt Exercises
- Laying on the floor with your hips lifted at a 45 degree angle (normally on a couch)
- Getting on all fours and trying to manually turn the baby yourself.
- Acupuncture on the mother's baby toe
- Chiropractics
We checked into the Parker Adventist Hospital Wednesday morning at 5:30. Upon arriving, the nursing staff showed us the room we were expected to stay in for the duration of our hospital time. Nurse, Doctor, and Anesthesiologist each came into the room to discuss the procedure and confirm our consent to the risks associated with the surgery. Once all of the paperwork had been completed and no further questions were had, they left us alone in the room for a few minutes as we lay tired and anxious for the coming delivery. Matt put on his hospital-issued scrubs and tried to look as much like a doctor as he could. At 7:30, the nurse came and invited the two of us to follow towards the operating room. Matt was left to wait just outside the OR as Lisa was admitted to the room where they began preparations for the surgery. A nurse then escorted Matt into the room at 7:57 and at 8:07 a.m., Little Benson Matthew Ririe was born.
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| Lisa and Matt, just before entering the Operating Room. |
He was quickly moved over to the corner of the room where he was cleaned, weighed, measured, and swaddled before he was handed over to Matt - a new Dad. Benson's official birth weight and length are 7 lbs. 6 oz. and 20 inches. What a thrill to hold this beautiful little boy for the first time! For nine months we had waited ... wondering who this little guy would be. And now, for the first time ever, holding a little boy that we would call our son was such a sacred and humbling moment. Some pictures were taken with Matt and Benson before they were ushered over to introduce the little guy to his new Mom.
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| Benson Matthew Ririe is born! Here's a Collage of the Operating Room. |
As a result of the surgery, Lisa was still not in a position to hold little Benson. However, she did get to spend a few minutes cheek to cheek with him as Matt held them close to each other. After some time, Matt and Benson were moved into a recovery room and Lisa joined them a few minutes later after the surgery was completed. Here she was able to hold him and love him for her first time and she too was overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude for a healthy baby boy.
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| In the Recovery Room. The top right picture demonstrates just how much Benson loves baths! |
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| Emily Smith, Dr. Furr, Our Hospital, Room, and Benson |
Well that summarizes the quick journey. It should be said that the operation went as well as could be hoped for. We had an incredibly talented OB, Wayne C. Furr, M.D., who performed the C-Section (pictured with Benson above). Prior to his beginning of the first incision, one of the head nurses requested everyone's attention and informed them that he (Dr. Furr) and another doctor from his practice (Dr. Lane) were two of the best doctors that they would see perform one of these operations. Hearing this was very comforting and confirmed our total trust in him. Then, during the surgery, Dr. Furr lightened the situation for everyone when he saw the baby for the first time, exclaiming, "Man! That is an ugly face! ... Oh, That's the Butt!" Hearing him joke a little bit really relaxed Lisa and we were grateful to have his expertise. Later, we learned that the umbilical cord had actually been wrapped around our little guy twice! - Thankfully, we didn't attempt version.
We were also blessed with an incredible nursing staff. Each nurse that was assigned to us was so kind, thoughtful, and willing to do all that they could to make Lisa's stay a little easier. We had a few favorites for sure who would come and look after us. It actually took us three days to finally decide on a name for our little guy, so at the beginning of each shift, the new nurse would peek her head in and ask if we had given him a name yet. We were happy to have such a great group of people looking after Benson and Lisa. Were there to be any complications, we would have felt confident in their abilities.
Finally, we want to thank all of our family and friends that came by the hospital to visit. We have loved sharing this little guy with those that have reached out and hope to one day share him with everyone of our good family members and friends. In the short time that we have had him in our family, our family has seen an increase in love, understanding, and unity. We have drawn closer to our Heavenly Father and gained a greater appreciation for the inspired Plan of Salvation that He has given to allow each of us this mortal experience. We know that families can be eternal and that a return into God's presence is possible. It is our greatest hope that we will be able to raise up this son to understand these truths and the path by which they may be accomplished.
We know Benson will grow quickly over the next few months and so we will try to be good about updating his progress here. So consider this the beginning of a new journey and feel free to join us on it!
