Saturday, April 16, 2011

Bishop's Birth Story

I had had real, consistent, painful contractions since Sunday night.




BUT.



They were only in the evening and middle of the night. During the day, they were pretty much gone.



Wednesday, I had an OB appt and we settled on an induction date of Friday, April 15th.



I figured I would take Britton out for something special after MDO on Thursday to commemorate his last day as an only child.



That night, I didn't feel as many contractions as I did the previous nights. I stayed up late playing on the computer and the contractions started about midnight. I didn't start timing them until about 1:30am.



They were strong and getting stronger with each passing one. They literally took my breath away and I could not walk. Talking through then was hard, too. I woke Lewis and told him that this might be it. We had talked about calling his parents to come over to stay with Britton if we ended up going to the hospital in the middle of the night.



I decided to call my OB's answering service and the on-call doctor told me to get into a warm bath and see if the contractions subsided. And if that didn't work, to drink some water. The bath felt really good, but didn't do anything. Neither did the water.



I woke Lewis up again and we decided that since we didn't really know if this was the "real deal" or not, I would drive myself to the hospital and call him later to update him on whether I was being admitted or not.



I had 2 contractions while driving and one while walking into the ER. They hurt bad.



The orderly took me to L&D in a wheelchair and the nurses put me in the triage area where they checked my cervix and monitored my contractions and the baby's heartbeat. I was 2.5 cm (which at my appt earlier that day, I was at 2cm). I was having contractions an average of 6 minutes apart.



The monitored me for 1 hour and then checked me again. I was still at 2.5cm, so she told me to walk around for 1 hour and then come back and get checked again.



So I walked. And walked. And walked.



And each contraction almost brought me to tears and to my knees.



After an hour, I went back, and she told me that she talked to the on-call doc and if there was not progress, I was to be sent home. I told her I could NOT imagine being sent home with the pain I was enduring. So she said, why don't you walk another hour and TEHn I'll check you?



As much as I hated to do it, I did. I did NOT want to go home with all this pain!



So I walked some more. In pain. Oh my Lord, how those contractions hurt!



After another hour, I went back to the triage area and they were in the middle of a shift change. My "original" nurse had gone home. UGH. I was pissed. So the "new" nurse assigned to me checked me and I was 3cm. All that pain and walking for .5 progress. UGH.



She said they were going to monitor me for an(other) hour and then when my REAL OB (not the on-call one) came by to do her rounds, they would get her opinion. Since I was basically in early labor and my induction was the next morning, she and I were both hoping my OB would just let me stay and get the show on the road.



My OB FINALLY arrived and agreed to admit me. YAY! It was a little after 8am at this point.



I called Lewis to tell him. We had already decided Britton would go to my inlaw's and MDO that day. And since Lewis works at the hospital I was delivering at, he was on his way over as well. I called my mom and let her know she and my dad needed to get on the road.



After I got settled into a room, things moved quickly. My OB did finall ycome in to see me and check me and I was at 4cm.



I had no qualms about asking for an epidural and was soon obliged. HEAVEN.



I rested and napped on and off and by 12:45pm, I was at 9cm, but the baby was high up. Holy Cow. It had taken me forever to progress with Britton, and this time it was flying by. We were all hopeful that Bishop would be here by 3:30 at the latest.



I was checked again at 2 and I was still at a 9 and baby was STILL high. Checked again at 3:30 and more of the same. Uh Oh. Not looking good. We tried shifting positons so I could get the baby to drop and get that last centimeter.



My OB came in at 4:20pm, checked me and there had been no progress. In reality, my body had taken a step back. My previously thinned cerivx had swollen severely and was now thick again. It had basically taken me 4 weeks to thin it out, and it took all of four hours to get it back to an inch thick.



My OB told me my options, which included a c-section. Or I could wait another hour and see what happened, but she was not hopeful.



Since I trust her implicitly, I tearfully agreed to the c-section. I was not happy to be faced with that decision, especially since I had so easily (IMO) dilated to a 9 so quickly.



They wheeled me into an OR and had Lewis wait outside until the called him in. I had never been in an OR before. It is very sterile. Very shiny. Very bright.



I had to transfer over to the operating table. The nurses did help me, but just imagine how hard it was to do when you've had a epidural AND you are 9 mo pregnant. Not fun.



I finally got on the table and was FLAT on my back. It was not comfortable AT ALL. I had all the baby weight on my lungs, or at least it felt like it. I told them I couldn't breathe but they kept telling me my breathing was fine. I kept telling them to hurry, but they kept telling me they wanted to do everything right. After talking to Lewis about it, he told me it all went very quickly, but in my crazy panicked state, it felt like FOREVER.



The finally got everything set up and more drugs in me. Then they put the end of the knife against me and asked if I could feel it. And I could. So they waited a bit longer and asked me again. And I could STILL feel it. This was doing nothing for my panic, by the way.



Finally, I guess they tested it and I didn't say anything so they started. All I felt was pressure. Even when they stretched me and pushed on me to pull Bishop out, it was no big deal. I heard him cry several times, they showed him to me and then started stitching me up. I didn't feel anything, but I was SO SO SO tired. I know I fell asleep on the table. I had been up for about 36 hours at this point, not counting the imtermittent naps from that morning that were not really very restful.  I don't know if I was tired because of lack of sleep or the drugs. I know Lewis and I took some pictures with Bishop while I laid there. I felt the pressure of the staples being put in and I remember then scooping me up and putting me back on the hospital bed.



They wheeled me to a recovery area. I don't remember getting there, and I don't know how long I was in there until I woke up. When I did wake up, they brought me Bishop and I attempted to feed him. Attempted is a good word. I really hate breastfeeding but wanted to try for Bishop's sake. That lasted all of about 1 full day. He is now fully on formula and doing well. I will stick out my tongue at anyone who judges me for that decision.




I was then wheeled to my room and there awaited me Lewis, my parents, my inlaws, and Britton. I really can't remember if anyone else was there.



Bishop's stats are as follows:



He weighed 9lbs and 10.25 oz.

He is 22 inches long.

His head measured 14.5 inches and his chest measured 14 inches.



After the c-section, I was told there was NO way I could have birthed him vaginally without major damage to me or to him.



Recovery is still going. I don't have the "down there" swelling that I had with Britton, but I do have an incision to deal with. Getting up/into/out of bed is very difficult and painful. I was on a clear liquid diet up until Saturday late morning. Pain medicine is my friend.

I am so glad he is finally here.  Britton loves on him when he sees him.  And Britton looks SO big in comparison. 

As much as I am terrified to go home, I am also anxious to get back to my home and settle into a new routine as a mom of two.  I will have lots of help the next two weeks and for that I am extremely thankful.

2 comments:

Tiffany said...

elisa. i have no words to describe how happy i am for you and your amazingly beautiful family. bishop is so handsome, and britton is already an amazing big brother.

and if anyone says anything about formula feeding, i will kick them in the shins. go on, girl.

Carrie Ann said...

Congrats my friend. I'm so happy for you guys on your newest, adorable addition :)