Tuesday, September 27, 2011

My Birth Story Part 2


A cesarean section scheduled for 5pm!! It had been my life long dream to have an unmedicated vaginal birth.It had been my dream to have a wonderful pregnancy, enjoying the little kicks, hiccups, and indigestion that accompanied 40 weeks of pregnancy. Instead as you know I've had a very very hard pregnancy. It was nothing that I had ever imagined.

I once took a birthing class from a wonderful nurse that I worked with for years and she told a story of planning a trip to France, you research it, you plan for it for a year etc. When the plain lands they come on the loud speaker and say welcome to China. She would go on to say, it doesn't matter what you planned for essentially it's not what you planned but your still on vacation. (she told the story much more eloquently than that.

The point is, none of this is what I had planned for, but the end result was a healthy baby.

He was born at 5:17pm, he came out crying and breathing great. He was cleaned up by the NICU team and brought over to me to do skin to skin contact (that was very important to me) They then took him to the NICU to observe him. He was on room air the entire time. They started an IV for antibiotics since I was GBS unknown. He spent 2 nights in the NICU and was released to my room.

He spent 1 night with Cory and I and then was admitted to Kerr's Cottage to have billi lights. He then was discharged home with me on that Friday.

My birth story part 1


On the morning of Monday, August 1, 2011 my water broke around 8am. I was shocked and out of sorts, I started barking commands at my parents, get me a towel, get me a maxi pad, get me sterile gloves... I called triage and talked to Kelly the charge nurse and she told me my Doctor was on for the day, what a relief!!

My little guy was breech so all I could think about was my baby having a prolapsed cord (the cord comes into the vagina and eventually cuts off life to the baby) Thank goodness my parents were so calm and understanding. Eventually my mom and I made it to the hospital where I waddled in with soaked towels between my legs. I started taking my clothes off immediately with the door wide open so I could be put on the monitor to check to make sure he was ok, I completely was out of sorts!!

Kelly put me on the monitor and the soothing sound of my sweet baby's heartbeat filled the triage room. From that point on I was calm and relaxed. Kim took over and got me triaged, My doctor ordered a "vaginal pooling" they took some of my water and tested it to see if his lungs were mature.If they were mature then we would deliver him that day, if not we would wait.

In the mean time Danielle and Bethany got there. I received a dose of betamethasone (a shot of steroids to mature his lungs) Contractions started as well. His little bum was sitting in my pelvis so with each contraction I was very uncomfortable with back pressure.

I was moved into a labor room to wait. My older sister Mindy showed up by then. She had stopped and picked me up a toothbrush, deodorant, and some preemie clothes. I hadn't packed a bag yet because I was according to the doctors only 33 weeks and 5 days. According to my last menstrual cycle I was 34 weeks 2 days. Either way he was going to be born premature.

As luck would have it my friend, the nurse I was hoping to deliver me Sharon was on that day and didn't have an assignment yet. She got my IV started and began antibiotics since I hadn't been GBS tested yet. She was great because she called St.Josephs continuously for me to check to see if his lung results were back yet.

The anesthesiologist I was hoping for was on that day as well as the scrub tech I had wanted. It seemed as if everyone was in place for the delivery of my sweet boy! 

Cory showed up around 10am, he had just gotten to work when my water broke. He works in Gila Bend, so he turned around and headed back to town. He was typical Cory, cool, calm and collected. He was making calls and keeping all our family in Oklahoma updated.

3:30 rolled around and the results were in, his lungs WERE mature, we were given the green light for a cesarean section, we decided it would be at 5pm.