James-Birth Story or Why I think every woman should give birth in a hospital numb from the neck down!
I really do not think that way. I really admire women who home birth and go all natural! I unfortunately, as you will see, do not have that option, but I am getting ahead of myself.
Let me preface this by saying this is not for men, children, or women who have not had children or are currently expecting their first child.
I need to start my story at 26 weeks. I was home with husband after. Busy Sunday we went to church, did some cooking and cleaning. We were trying to make room in 1bedroom shoebox (apartment), about 450 square feet. As we went to lay down that night I was experiencing some off and on abdominal pain. After clocking them for about an hour I called my OB who told me to go to the hospital to get checked out.
(Many of you may be thinking why we were so concerned. Well, besides being first time parents, I had experienced two previous miscarriages. We were not taking any chances with this baby!)
I was put in a bed in labor and delivery, and hooked up to the monitors. The nurse also checked to see if I was dilating. Fortunately I was not dilated, but I was starting to efface. I was given a shot of Turbutaline to stop my contractions. It helped and a couple hours later we were on our way home. Little did we know how many times we would be repeating this.
I honestly have no idea how many times we went to the hospital, or how many shots I was given, but I do remember one night in particular. I was about 30 weeks along and we went in because my
contractions were so close together I could not catch a break. The nurse checked me, and I was
almost 100% effaced and starting to dilate. By the way my cervix does come down as it dilates. This
night a nurse asked me what kind of pain medication I was planning on using in the delivery room. I
had told her none, I wanted a natural childbirth. She suggested an epidural, because of the amount of pain I experienced when I was being checked. My immediate thought was no way. My husband who had seen me in a lot of pain over the last month sweetly said maybe it was something I should consider.
I was still considering it at my 38 week appointment when my doctor checked me and said I was 100% effaced, -1, and 2 cm dialed. He then said something that surprised, and scared, and excited me. He said "Let's induce this week." I am fairly certain after having contractions everyday for the past 12 weeks I would have let him open me up right there and get him out, but most women in that
situation probably would have. He said we needed him out because he was getting too big. I was very afraid by those words, but more relieved at the thought it would all be over soon. I went to the front desk and they were able to get me in the next morning.
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| Very very tired |
Tuesday, March 3, I waddled into the hospital at 6:30 am. They started my IV, and I almost passed out while the nurse was taking blood (no idea why, never happened before). At 8 am my doctor came to see me. He checked my progress 3.5 cm dilated, and he broke my water, to speed things along.
By lunch time I sent my parents, my in-laws, and my husband to get some food because we knew it would be a while. While they were gone my nurse came to check my progress I was a whole 4 cm. I was disappointed! At 4:30ish when the nurse checked me again I was 4.5 cm dilated, so at this point
I said go ahead and give me the epidural. It was put in place and they gave me this amazing button to
press for a bolo :) The anesthesiologist told me to wait 15 minutes and press it, then I could press it as much as I wanted in 15 minute intervals. At the 15 minute mark I pressed it. I honestly do not
remember how I felt at that point all I know is for about the next 10-15 minutes the anesthesiologist,
a couple of nurses, and my family were all standing around my bed. Apparently the bolo made my blood pressure drop. It seemed to recover fairly quickly, and I was asked to not press it again unless I really needed it.
By about midnight my poor family had found, a couple of chairs, a couch, and even the floor to curl
up on. When the nurse came to check me I was 7cm, at least I had made some progress, but I was exhausted. I tried to get some sleep.
Shortly after my family got back from breakfast the nurse said I was about 9.5 cm and to call her if I felt the need to push. It was only about 20 minutes and I was ready. Everyone cleared out of the room except my sweet husband who was helping hold my legs and telling me he loved me. I was only about 2 or 3 pushes in when I noticed bright red blood on my nurses glove. I thought it was strange, but figured she knew what she was doing. (Let me pause right here and say if you are ever concerned about anything call your doctor,if he does not help get a second opinion.) I continued to push for a whole hour before he was crowning enough worthy of calling my poor doctor who had spent the night at the hospital waiting for me to deliver.
When he comes in so do several others. I pushed for another half an hour while two baby nurses waited, a tech stood near my doctor waiting to hand him anything he needed, my nurse was holding one leg, another nurse holding the other, and another nurse who was pressing down on the top of my stomach to help him make progress with my pushes. (Part of the problem is he was coming out slightly crooked, his head and shoulders where turned slightly) I am only a couple of pushes away from him being out when a nurse says "Can't you do anything to help her?" to which my doctor replies "No, it is too late." (This is not something you want to hear while in labor) A few more pushes and the doctor lays a purple baby on my belly. All I can think is how big he looks. I am so overwhelmed by the whole situation that I do not even realize that he is not breathing.
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| 8 lbs 3 oz |
As soon as he is laid down the nurse hits the call button and requests for the NICU doctor and the anesthesiologist to come quickly. They both come in the room not a minute later, but by that time James is
screaming breathing on his own. My doctor has pressed on my stomach forcing my to deliver my placenta. I am still very out of it an unaware of what is going on. The NICU doctor begins to explain what I can expect from him and the baby nurses over the next few days, while the anesthesiologist is giving me morphine and another numbing medication. He is also telling me all the possible side effects.
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| 10 days old |
After about ten to fifteen minutes the room has calmed some. The only people left are the tech, my nurse, my doctor, and another nurse who was assisting my doctor. It is at this point I learned what has happened. It gets quiet and my doctor begins with the fact I will only be able to have c-sections from now on because of a Phase 4/ 4th Degree tear (also know as a vaginal c-section). I am not going to explain these if you are curious you may look them up, but let me warn you it is not pretty and mine was worse. It took my doctor at least an hour to literally put me back together. (I was later informed that if he had not worked as quickly as he did I would have had to have a blood transfusion as well). He also had to put two stitches where there was no numbing medication (Ouch!). Over the next few days I would discover just how bad it was and painful. I was basically given any pain medication I asked for. I lived on painkillers, ice packs, and iron pills. It would take three months for me to heal enough to where there is no pain, but I still have some issues today.
Something we have recently started doing is making our own butter. We crunched some numbers and figured out it was cheaper for us to buy heavy (whipping) cream, and make our own. It takes a little time, but it is so worth it,and really easier than you would think.You can do it in either a blender or in stand mixer (you could also do it with a hand mixer, but I would recommend having plenty of help around for when you hand gets tired). I do mine in the stand mixer.
