Birth Story

I hope I can remember everything!  It started on Thursday (33w6d) when after I was told that I was not sick enough to deliver but too sick to go home (and probably wouldn't be having him until the following week earliest), my BP readings started to spike in the afternoon and evening.  The bottom number was consistently in the 100s so my nurse said she had to call my doctor.  I didn't even think twice about it because the top number was hovering in the 140s, which it had been for weeks (and I was told we needed readings in the 160/100 range to deliver)!

Next thing I know, my nurse comes back in my room and says "call your husband, you're having this baby tonight."  Uh, WHAT?!  At this point, I'm stunned and upset.  How did it all of sudden go from you won't be having this baby any time soon to we need to deliver immediately?  No one was giving me answers, I hadn't spoken with a doctor, and I was getting really upset.  I couldn't understand why this was all so immediate- my numbers with Ella were MUCH worse, and even with her they waited until the next morning...why couldn't we wait until morning?  I wanted *my* OB to deliver me, not some random on call OB.

My dad rushed over to our house to stay with Ella, and my mom and Gary rushed to the hospital to be with me.  I finally got to meet with the on call OB, Dr. Hargrove, who I really really liked thankfully.  She explained very thoroughly why they had to section me that night, and it made sense and calmed me down (even though now I don't really remember what she said!). 

I was happy to find out that I didn't have to be on mag for the c/s (less happy that I would have to be on it immediately afterwards).  It was all very fast.  They wheeled me up, did the spinal, put up the sheet and started cutting!

The biggest differences between this time and last is that this time, I wasn't on mag so I wasn't out of it like I was last time.  The other difference is that I felt CRAZY tugging and pulling this time.  I did feel a bit of tugging last time, but this time, oh my gosh, I actually said, "is he stuck or something?"  It didn't hurt, but it was slightly uncomfortable, and I couldn't believe I could feel it as much as I did.  It turns out he WAS stuck!

At 10:03 p.m. on December 1, 2011, my adorable baby boy was born.  He weighed 4 pounds 5 ounces and was 18 inches long.  Ella (one day earlier) weighed 4 pounds 6 ounces and was 17.25 inches!

Preemies always take longer to cry so it seemed like FOREVER until I heard his cute little cry.  After that, the nurses said, "this one is FEISTY!"  I thought, "oh no, another one!"

I only got to see him for a split second as they wheeled him in the incubator to the NICU.  Gary went with him, and I was wheeled into recovery.  I was put on mag (boo), and I vomited FIVE times since I had eaten a huge dinner at 6:30 (there are very good reasons you are not allowed to eat before surgery!).  After surgery, I saw even more why they needed to section me, as my BP results were high and were not going down.

Despite my pressures, my mag experience this time was MUCH better.  I felt loopy and tired, but honestly, it wasn't that bad.  I was on half the dose I was last time, which I'm sure helped, but last time I felt like I was going to die.  This time, it was unpleasant and annoying, but I could deal with it.

Because when you are on mag, you are not allowed to get out of bed, they wheeled me into one of the 5th floor labor and delivery rooms until I was off mag.  I don't remember much except that I could barely keep my eyes open on Friday.  I just wanted to sleep.  Oh, and get continuous pain meds (while on mag, they give you intravenous pain meds instead of percocet) because I was NOT going to make the same mistake I made with Ella and refuse pain meds and be miserable.

My nurse was the greatest and was so sweet and accommodating.  The only thing I wasn't so fond of was that she made me start pumping within 6 hours of giving birth (apparently there is some rule about starting within 6 hours??).  With Ella, I didn't start pumping until at least the next day (maybe later).  However, so far it's been easy (even though I'm only getting little drops at this point) so I'll just keep up with it at the hospital...we'll see what happens at home. ;)

So all day Friday was pretty easy (besides the mag side effects), pain free (but it was the first day with Ella too), and all I was really doing was pumping and sleeping.  I wasn't allowed any fluids (can you imagine?!  After just having a baby!), and I wasn't hungry at all so that may have explained my yucky headache all day, although you'd think all the drugs would make it go away!

My Friday night nurse told me that they would be shutting off the mag at 11 p.m. (it has to be on for 24 hours), and I would be moving to the NICU floor.  Um, is there some reason why we can't do this in the morning?  Why I have to move floors in the middle of the night while exhausted, alone (Gary was at home with Ella) and scared to death of pain?

I was not happy, and I was super scared because this is where the real pain started last time- when I started moving around.  I had an awful few days recovering from Ella because the pain was so bad.  And this time I was alone!  I was terrified to be in a room all by myself, with NO catheter and no one to help me with anything.  Nonetheless, they pulled out the catheter (painless), moved me to the wheel chair (easy), wheeled me upstairs and got me situated in my new bed (no pain)!  I was shocked!  The worst part was coming off the mag because I was really loopy, extremely weak, and my arms and legs felt ridiculously heavy.

I thought that must have been a fluke, and the real pain would start once I had to go to the bathroom, but at 4 a.m., I called the nurse, she helped me to the bathroom, and it was easy peasy!  Taking your meds on time every 4 hours makes a WORLD of difference!

My only concern now is that my BP continues to be very high.  Many times higher than it was before I delivered!  The doctor said they may have to put my on BP medication.

Anyway, I finally got to meet baby boy on Saturday morning.  He is so cute!  I think he looks a lot like Ella.  The NICU nurse said he is really easy.  She said he likes the pacifier (boo).