Welcome to the World, Andrew Clifford!
We are so pleased to announce the birth of our third son, Andrew Clifford Bradshaw! At this point, Andrew is two months old, and both he and I are doing just fine.
Andrew was born at 2:57 a.m. on January 16th, 2017. He weight in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long.
Andrew's labor and delivery were certainly the longest out of my three precious boys! I ended up having to be induced at 37 weeks due to preeclampsia, so my body wasn't ready for labor and delivery, resulting in a 35-hour labor. I have to say, I am so grateful to my doctor, Larry Leeman, my midwives at Dar A Luz Birth Center, my doula Anjelique at New Life Birth Services, and my L&D nurse Dana for all of the amazing care they gave Andrew, Justin, my mom, and I. Every single one of these people contributed to an amazing experience for us, and- even though I had to be induced rather than going into labor on my own- giving me the birth I had hoped to achieve.
So far, Christopher and Joshua are absolutely in love with Andrew, lavishing hugs and kisses and attention on him. If it were up to them, Andrew wouldn't ever have a need to cry. It has been so precious to see their reactions, and to watch Josh become a big brother. These three precious boys are more than I could have ever dreamed of having, and I'm looking forward to all of the adventures that we'll have together!
Despite having an amazing birth experience thanks to my wonderful support team, Andrew and I did face some health issues after his birth. Andrew had some trouble with Jaundice- a first for Justin and I, as our two older boys never had this issue- and he was struggling to gain weight and to grow. We made the decision to supplement breastfeeding with formula, and I'm happy to say that he has since been putting on weight and filling out just like any healthy baby should.
I have been faced with postpartum depression, once again. I had it terribly bad after Joshua's birth, but I'm happy to report that although I'm struggling with it again, it isn't nearly as bad this time. I'm working with my midwives to treat it, and so far, I'm doing well. My feelings of anxiety and of being overwhelmed are much more manageable, and it's certainly reassuring to know that I don't have to struggle alone. I would also encourage you to seek help if you're struggling with depression of any sort. This mental health issue is much more common than I think any of us believe, and is nothing to be ashamed of. Get the help you need, so that you can enjoy your life!
And, with that being shared, I'm gonna get off of here and go take care of my family. Until next post, y'all!