As previously mentioned, I wanted to write about the whole process of getting Bailey here so I would remember. Skip this if you don’t want to be bored!
Monday my doctor stripped my membranes after the whole possibility of a c-section thing happened (the ups and downs day). Tuesday I was having a lot of contractions that hurt, but they were by no means consistent and close. I kind of thought that it was just because of getting my membranes stripped the day before and I was having cramping from all of that. My friend Marrya said we should go for a walk that night if I wanted to. I called her at 9:30, and by 10:30 we were walking as fast as we could around the block a couple time, so total 1/2 an hour. She is due in November, so she’s pretty pregnant too, but I think we were booking it pretty good! I went over to her house afterwards and we watched an episode of Fringe–it was pretty good, but as soon as I sat down to watch it, my contractions started to be 13 minutes apart for the next hour, and they hurt, but not as bad as I would think they should before thinking it was serious. I started to feel really sick, so went home at midnight and threw up, then went to bed. At this point the contractions were 10 minutes apart, and starting to hurt worse. I tried to sleep, but by 12:30, they were getting 6-7 minutes apart, and I was doing the whole kicking my legs, trying not to hold my breath type of thing through them. I kept praying that I would know when to go in. Devon came into the bed with me, and so when I had a contraction and had to stop talking to him, and the next one was so bad, I knew that it was time, even though it was really hard to believe!
I woke Dillon up on the couch downstairs, we called Marrya to come over and stay with the kids until Sheila could come over. Luckily, the hospital is only 5 minutes away–Dillon still drove 15 over the speed limit:).
We get to the hospital and I can’t even walk in, so Dillon ran and got a wheelchair for me, and they take me to labor and delivery to see if I’m really in labor. I was having a lot of contractions, and then some smaller ones in between, so they felt so constant. The nurses hooked me up and said yah, I was in labor, and oh boy, did the baby NOT like the contractions at all. They hooked me up to oxygen and made me lie on my left side until the whole crew of doctors and surgeons and the anesthesiologist show up. The nurses had pretty much told me that I would have to have a c-section, but of course the doctor would decide that. Does anyone else shake like CRAZY during labor? I could NOT stop shaking for anything, and the crew could not get there fast enough. I kept thinking how pointless to be in so much pain when I’d be having a c-section.
My doctor shows up and says yes, it would be safest for the baby to have a c-section, but at least we tried the whole trial of labor thing. I admit, I was bummed because I’d rather just have had a c-section on Monday without having to go into labor, but at least I know we tried and I wouldn’t wonder forever if I could have done a VBAC.
They couldn’t give me anything for the pain until I signed a bunch of papers. So everyone is talking to me and I could not get drugs fast enough, I swear, it was so hard to sign all those papers while in so much pain. The contractions were a minute apart, if that, just one on top of the other and I kept praying it’d be my last one–I feel like such a wus even typing this all! I was a 4 when I checked in, and I wish they’d have checked me before the c-section just so I know how far I made it in those last 2 hours:).
Finally, they gave me the spinal block at about 3:30 and prepped me for surgery. They put a big blue sheet just below your chest so you can’t see anything, and it’s really close. I also had oxygen the whole time. They make you spread your arms out straight to the sides like you are flying or something. Dillon had to wait during that time before he could come in so they could make sure I was really all numb. It was really hard to sit through the spinal block giving because of the contractions, but ahhh, relief…then you get sick from that, chest tightness, tugging, pulling, really weird. C-sections are just a whole ‘nother experience. I could see the reflection of what they were doing in the lights above my head, so I had to try not to look at that, cause that’s just weird! Did you know they actually take your uterus OUT to sew it all up? I heard them say they were going to ‘drop it back inside’ and that just was crazy! I remember with Devon my right shoulder hurting really bad after he was out, and they said it was blood running into my chest. Well, it happened again this time, so it’s really hard to hold the baby for the first time, but the lady anesthesiologist told me that there is a ligament or something attached to your uterus to your right shoulder, and when they take it out, that’s what hurts. So once they put it back in, it takes about 10 minutes for your shoulder to stop hurting. Crazy huh!
Anyways, it only took them about 25 minutes to get her out–there is just a lot of tugging and pulling, and then, you hear the beautiful cry of a newborn, they pulled the blue curtain thing down just far enough for me to see, Dillon took off to film her–he had been holding my hand up by my head the whole time. He totally wanted to watch, but he thought I would feel lonely on the other side of everything going on:). She was just beautiful and it is just the most amazing feeling to see your newborn for the first time. It makes me tear up now just thinking about it.
Dillon filmed her with our video camera, which I have no idea how to transfer those recordings onto our computer, but I should really figure that out!
They take longer to sew you up then to get them out. I guess I lost a ton of blood, and they were thinking about doing a blood transfusion, because my heart rate went crazy for about 2 hours afterwards, and my blood pressure was really really low, so the anesthesiologist had to keep giving me something in my IV to keep me from passing out. Still today, I cannot take a shower without feeling like I’m going to pass out, so I’m still a bit of a weakling from that. They finally gave me something for all the shaking after the surgery was done, and that was great. I guess me shaking so bad was keeping my blood pressure up though, so it was a good thing in the end.
I was so happy that Bailey was so healthy. One of the nurses was looking at the printouts from when I was hooked to the machines during labor, and they tell you after the fact that she was doing so poorly, that we were really lucky to have come in when we did. The doctor said they were really worried about Bailey as well, but told me after everything was fine. I’m sure they just don’t want you to freak out!
The nurses were wonderful, my doctor was great, her pediatrician is great, the anesthesiologist was really cool and kept telling me how beautiful she was while I couldn’t see her after she was born. I am so thankful that I delivered there and that there are doctors who know what they are doing!
I’m slowly getting better–still in a lot of pain during some points during the day. Bailey is snoozing away right now–I probably should be as well, but have been wanting to catch up on a couple things blogging! If you made it through this, you are amazing:).
I love to hear birth stories! I’m so glad everything went well and yes, I shake like crazy in labor, too. It’s so weird. Like I have uncontrollable shivers. Aaaah, the joys! I hope you are recovering quickly and know that you’ve been in my thoughts and prayers. Love you!
I love hearing labor stories. All these posts about Bailey are so cute. I’m glad to hear everything is going great and your boys are being such good big brothers.
I did make it through all of that and I loved your labor story! I’m glad all is well (shaking sounded crazy). Take care of yourself. Kiss little Bailey for all of us!
It sounds like you did great Christie! I remember shaking really bad with both my girls right after they were born. In fact, I didn’t hold Makayla for very long, because it was like uncontrollable spasms. Then they took her away from me and she was all hooked up so I was mad that I didn’t hold her longer. I’m very proud of you and glad that everything went okay. She’s adorable. Congratulations!!
Yup, I shook like crazy during all 3 of my kids labor. For me it starts during transition. Even after the epidural kicked in, I still shook like crazy, up till the actual delivery part. With Amanda the nurse probably thought I was crazy cause she kept telling me to stop shaking, but I couldn’t. I’m glad you went in when you did too! I hope you have a quick recovery. Bailey is a gorgeous baby!