Elizabeth's birth story.

[OogaBooga]

She's here.
Elizabeth Rose
November 26, 3.35am.
8 pounds 13 ounces, 20 inches

Here's my birth story...

I had contractions throughout the week last week, and all day Friday.  In fact Friday night I was testing them to see if they were real by trying to slow them down.  They slowed and I went to bed.  Saturday morning around 4am I woke up feeling like I had just ran a marathon.  I couldn't catch my breath.  So I got up and headed to the living room to sit on the couch, hoping I'd be able to catch my breath and get some sleep. 

My contractions were strong and 4 minutes apart.  I realized I had no clean pants and if I had to go to the hospital I'd have nothing to wear so I got up and started doing laundry.  In between loads I sat and watch t.v.  The contractions began coming 2 minutes apart and painful.  So painful that I was in tears with several of them. 

So I woke up Robert and we got the kids dressed and headed to the hospital. 

I was certain that I'd be at least 3 cm, but I wasn't even a complete 1 when I got to the hospital.  My nurses called Dr. S. and she had them go ahead and start an I.V.  After some fluids my contractions spaced out to about 6-7 minutes apart.  I had dilated to 3 though and so they decided to keep me.

When I got to 4 cm. I got stuck there for 6 hours.  Dr. S. said that if I didn't progress soon she'd section me. 
The next time she checked me I was 6.  Then that's where I stayed until around 1am.  When I moved to barely 7.  The baby's heart rate was showing decels so around 2:30am she decided that it was enough, and I agreed.  We were headed for a c-section. 

The anesthesiologist was worried that she'd give me too much epidural and spinal block because of a BP drop I had with Chloe so she was very skiddish on the pain med.  She kept poking me to see how far up I was able to feel pain, and I was able to feel the pokes around my waste, then a little higher and higher until she felt like I had enough. 

Dr. S. began the section.  I could feel the scalpel, but not pain going across my belly, then at one point I actually felt the cut in one of the deeper layers in my abdomen.  I told them I could feel it, but the anest. didn't believe it was actual stinging pain, she was thinking it was pressure pain. I argued and told her No! it's cutting.  I can feel her cutting.  I could hear Dr. S saying something to the anest. about giving me more relief then I began to feel better. 

Elizabeth was really big and high up.  I felt like my belly was open up to my chest!  They were pushing and pulling and I could feel it all.  Finally she was born.  I was in a world of pain at this point.  They began delivering placenta and closing me up and I could feel everything.  I remember wanting to thrash and screaming that I couldn't do this! 

Robert said I saw Elizabeth but I don't remember that at all.  The next thing I remember is dreaming some very colorful dream and hearing voices.  I could tell that I was being wheeled away, and then I woke up in the recovery room. 

I was back there for what seemed like an eternity.  In the past I've always been able to go to my room whenever I could move my toes, so I started moving my toes as soon as I thought of it.  But still, I was stuck in there.  Robert was by my side trying to calm me down because I kept asking for my baby.  I kept asking what happened, and he just said he'd tell me later, that I needed to focus on feeling better. 

The nurses tried to get the nursery to bring the baby back to recovery so I could see her, but they said she needed to raise her body temp first.

The nurses that had dealt with me all night and were so kind were trying to draw blood from my arm, and couldn't.  I huffed at them and was rude to them, and I feel really bad now.  I was so irritated about being away from my baby.

Finally they moved me to my room.  Shortly after they brought in my baby.  There were 4 nurses in my room and I just kept wishing they'd go away.  They thought it was a good time to tell me all about newborn care.  I asked them if they could do this later and let me just be with my baby.  They still just wouldn't leave.  At one point Robert asked me to calm down, because all of this was probally routine. 

Finally they left.  Elizabeth was sound assleep.  I couldn't wake her up for anything.  It was 6am, and the nurse came to take her away to be examined by a doctor.  I just looked at her and shook my head no.  I told her I just got her and she can't take her away. 

They agreed to let me have her, and they would come and get her in an hour.  I agreed to this, and then I fell asleep with her on my chest.  My husband was there so I wasn't worried about dropping her, but when he left I had to put her in the bassinet.  I was too out of it to be trusted to not drop her. 

We didn't go home until Wednesday.  Even then they though they were going to have to move Elizabeth to the childrens ward for more photo therapy, but they read the wrong results and her billi ruben had gone down not up, so we were cleared to leave. 

As painful as everything was I'm so glad she's here.  Hopefully we'll both turn the corner soon and feel better.  It's been really painful and traumatic for us both.  Her face and right upper arm were bruised and scratched very badly.  I'm more sore with this section than I have been with the other 2.  It has to get better from here.