Bennett's Birth

The c-section went as planned and Bennett Andrew Neal was born on June 7, 2011 at 9:19am. It was such a relief to hear him cry as he was pulled out! He was taken out of the room right away, before we even saw him, to be cleaned up. They also wrapped him from the waist down in a clear bag to keep the lesion sterile. After the c-section was over, I was taken to a recovery room. Bennett was wheeled in and Andrew and I were able to spend about 15 minutes with him in his isolet before he was transported to Riley. It was such a great feeling to see him! He was kicking and rooting around on the blanket. He seemed strong and hungry! We were so happy to finally meet him, and we both had a good feeling that he was going to be okay! He measured 7 pounds, 4 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long.


Andrew followed Bennett to Riley, and I stayed in the recovery room with family for about an hour before being moved to my after-delivery room. When I got settled into my after-delivery room, I received a call from the neurosurgeon to get permission to go ahead and start Bennett's surgery. She said the back-closure surgery would last about 2.5-3 hours. We were so nervous, but happy that they were going to get the surgery overwith right away. The surgery started around 12:30pm and I received updates each hour. Luckily, I was on pain medication which helped with my anxiety and caused me to be drowsy during the wait! The updates were that everything was going well, and then the final call that the surgery was a success was so exciting! Andrew and his family visited Bennett that afternoon, and I was able to visit with Christine that evening. It was wonderful news that he was doing perfectly after surgery, recovering so well! The neurosurgeon was also very impressed with his strength in his hips and knees. He has surprised us all with his strength!