At 37 weeks & 4 days, after several hours of contractions, my husband and I decide to go to the hospital. Of course we are expecting to be sent back home (again). We have arrangements for the older two siblings to go to a neighbors house, so they do not need to be awakened in the wee hours on a school night. My youngest daughter will be occupied by family members at the hospital. My sister is the closest family member to us, living about an hour from the hospital. She intends on being at the hospital for the delivery. However, we told her to stand by, in case this is another false alarm, and knowing that my previous labors lasted hours. Once we arrive at the hospital the nurse examins me and I was only a mere 2 centimeters I just know I am going home, however they advise me to first walk the halls for about an hour to see what progress is made. After walking the hall there is only a slight change (3cm) and again I prepare to go home. However, as my husband leaves the room to cater to our tired 17 month old by wheeling her around in the stroller in the hallways of the Birthing Center, the Dr. (not MY doctor but the doctor on call) comes in the room with an ultrasound machine. Apparently the nurse who did my exam the second time said that there was no body part engaged in the pelvic bone. Apparently my baby boy had changed positions during my walk. He was now transverse. Not only was I staying at the hospital but they said I would be delivering by Emergency C Section in half an hour. Many thoughts were swirling through me head. My worst fear was a c section. To have an emergency c section performed by this unknown Dr?? I need my husband. I need to get my sister here. She could not be in the room for the delivery after all. At least maybe she can get here in time to care for my daughter so my husband can be in the room with me. Where is my husband? The doctor said she would give me 45 minutes tops and then they were taking me back for the surgery. Why is she so rushed. I fumble for my cell phone to call my sister. No time to explain~ Colleen, how soon can you leave? Now? Good, please be careful. My husband is back in the room, he hears my conversation with my sister, however brief, and picks up on the excitement going on around me. Nurses are prepping me already. They give him a brief explanation of the urgency, the baby is sideways Transverse Baby and this being my fourth delivery they are concerned with the possibility of things starting to progress quickly or that the baby's movements will cause the water to break and a cord collapse. 44 minutes later. My sister is here. My parents are on their way. My husband is getting washed up and changed over into scrubs. They take me back and he promises he will see me soon. Why cant he come with me? I do not understand why they make them wait in the hall. I saw it on the baby stories on TV and wondered the same thing. I hold still for the spinal. They say this will be the worst of it then everything else will be fine. I will feel better. I feel nauseous. They say this is normal. Didn't I see them get sick on the baby stories, too? They bring my husband in. He sits down by me. He is staring into my eyes. I am trying to focus on him. Did the doctor just say something about breaking the water? I should see my baby any second. It seems like such a long minute. Maybe two. I am feeling tugging. I think to myself, this is fine, I remember this from the baby stories I had seen as well. This does not feel right though. I can FEEL it. Terrible throbbing in my ribs and a sickening tug in my gut. Is everything okay? Did I say this aloud? Nobody answers me. My husband says "everything is fine babe. We are about to meet our son." But wasn't he chanting this throughout the whole thing? Does he seeing anything? No he is still looking at me. I say, aloud this time "something is wrong, what is wrong?" Of course this question is for the doctor but the doctor is not responding. The nurse beside me answers but what is she talking about "babies are resilient." What is that supposed to mean? I feel sick again and they are hurting me. This can not be good for the baby. Is that the baby being shoved into my ribs? "somebody get another doctor in here!" Who said that? The person sounds panicked. That is the doctor apeaking?! "what is wrong?!" I scream. "Babies are resilient." I glance at my husband, we are both crying. He does not know what is going on either. We begin to pray as more people run into the room. The other Dr? There is no more struggle in my belly. I still feel the pressure. After a few more seconds my baby is out. I can not see him. There is a crowd around him. They run him over to another part of the room. My husband is torn, he does not want to let me go. He has to go. I need to know what is going on. As he turns his back I feel sick. My head is spinning. I whisper to the nurse that I do not feel well. She at first says it is normal. I feel so cold though. My chest is cold. I want to stay alert. I want to focus on what is going on with the baby. Why cant I focus? I glance back at the monitors. The blood pressure reads 66 systolic... Thats all I see before it gets fuzzy then the nurse's rapid movement catches my attention. They are pumping something into my IV. My husband is coming back. Together we hear a cry. We both cry too. "Thank you God! Thank you!" They bring him to me so I can finally set my eyes on him. Such a beautiful boy. 7 1bs 15 oz. Such a big boy. I kiss him and they take him away. I do not want him to leave my side. My husband must go with him. "do not leave his side" I say. They put me in a recovery room. My parents are here now. My mother comes in and together we speak to the nurse that is checking my vitals. She was in the room for the c section. She said she has never seen anything like it. The doctor could not get her hands on my son. My uterus was clamped down around him. He had tried to reach out but he had to be pushed back in so they could pull him out the "proper" way. This startled him and he panicked, moving away from the doctor's grasp and she was unable to get a hold of him again because of the awkward position. The other doctor was able to come in and pull him right out. By this time, however, there was little movement from my son. He was tangled in his umbilical cord. He was an Apgar 1 upon first assessment. He truly was "resilient" however because by ten minutes he was an Apgar 10. The Apgar score | BabyCenter
In the recovery room all I could think of was seeing him and holding him in my arms. They said they would bring him to me once I was in my room, in about an hour. Once in my room it seemed another hour went by before they finally brought him to my bedside. I cradled him in my arms. Elijah Owen looked like he was beaten. He was black and blue from his neck down. He had stayed strong and put up a fight. This would be his story for the next several weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment