Ella Marie Pressley
My last post was meeting Dr. P- who would be doing our c section if our LO didn't flip. I had a feeling there wouldn't be any turning happening- now I was jut waiting to here when the c section would be scheduled for.
I was woken up on February 26th by Dr. P's office letting me know that our c section was scheduled for Thursday March 7th at 1:30pm (I believe-- I can't remember exactly)
I remember calling my mom and telling her "how in the world are they going to tell a pregnant lady that she can't eat or drink anything after midnight and not do the procedure until after noon! I remember my mom laughing at me. I remember calling Matt at work and telling him to put in his paperwork to take his vacation time. I was excited that my parents would know exactly when our LO would arrive and hopefully be able to make it down for her birth. I was excited that Matt would be home with me for an entire 11 days. Then the following 7 days my mom and dad would be here.
Little did I know that our daughter had other plans (oh how strange that is still to say "my daughter")
It was a normal Tuesday until about 4 PM when I started feeling sick (like I ate something that didn't agree with me).
I am in a March Moms group on Facebook so I posted there and asked if anyone had ever had a baby flip this late in the game. I thought maybe the discomfort and oddness I was feeling was our LO turning head down.
It was a constant "blah" feeling but I wasn't feeling my stomach getting hard or tightening so I didn't think it was contractions. maybe it was Braxton hicks contractions but I doubted it. I really hoped it was a head down baby!
I posted again in my group around 4:30-5 saying I was still feeling blah. It was shortly after this the Matt got home and I laid down on the couch while he started cooking. dinner. He was making chicken and the smell of it made me nauseated. I thought for sure I ate something that didn't agree with me or was coming down with the flu.
You know that feeling when you are sick and feel like you are going to throw up or have diarrhea. And the smell of food makes you sick. That is exactly how I was feeling!
I went back and forth from trying to lay down and relax to trying to go to the bathroom. Then I started getting hot. More reason to think I was sick. I wanted to lay on the cold bathroom floor. Then I would be hot.
It was around this time my friend Stacy called me and asked how I was doing. I told her how I was feeling and she told me to go get checked. I said there was no reason- I thought I was sick but I wasn't in labor, I wasn't having contractions. I got off the phone with her and went back and forth from laying down to the bathroom. She ended up calling me back and said she talked to her sister and she really thought I should go get checked.
It was about 6 or so and I decided to go get checked out. If I was coming down with something maybe they could help me. Or if the baby had turned or was turning then they could tell me.
I was very reluctant to go. I thought they would give me a laxative and tell me I just needed to poop but was constipated from pregnancy. And I would feel like a fool. Or they would
Monitor me and say "yep baby turned- but you aren't having any contractions - now go home and wait for labor- you won't need a c section" and I would be happy.
Being so close to my due date (39 weeks 5 days) we did put clothes in he hospital bag and take t with us (although in my mind I thought we would be coming home that night and wouldn't need it.)
Well- we got to the hospital and started the registration process. Why we pre-registered I have no idea because they still asked us a ton of questions. I say there through most of it with my eyes closed and breathing. At this point I still don't think I was having contraction I was just uncomfortable and was using what we learned in our Bradley class to help myself relax and breath. I remember them asking me numerous times if I was ok, and Matt telling them I was fine- I was just breathing and relaxing. I denied the wheel chair and walked back to our room and peed in a cup. It was difficult to pee. I changed into a gown and laid down.
They hooked me up to a monitor and
asked about contractions and I told them "no I don't think I'm having any."
They left the room and I asked Matt if he could see if I was having contractions on the monitor. He had no idea. At some point they checked me and I was 5 cms. They did an ultrasound and said the baby was still breech.
I asked if we would be having the baby tonight and they said yes. This really surprised me. I couldn't believe I was 5 cms and that we would be having our son or daughter that day. I assumed that it would still be awhile, since I had eaten lunch and they wouldnt want anything in my stomach. Still a chance maybe my parents could come! I told Matt to call my mom and dad. Then asked him to send a message to a few of my close friends and tell them to light the candles they were given at our baby shower and to say a pray for us.
It was around this time I think that I was feeling more uncomfortable and was trying to lift my butt up off the bed to try and get more comfortable. I don't remember what was happening in the room because my eyes were closed most of the time. Someone came in and said my scheduled c section doctor was on call and that they called him. And luckily I remembered right then that I didn't mention my regular doctor (who planned to scrub in). I remember the woman saying something about me being with such and such practice and why hadn't I called that doctor and her saying she was going to call her now.
An anestialogist came in at some point to explain the c section and prep to me and I remember him asking if I had any dental work done. I told him I had three implants and rods in my mouth and he wanted to see. As I opened my mouth I remember letting out a slow groan/moan like we learned in our Bradley class. He asked if I was having a contraction and I shrugged. I figured at this point it probably was a contraction- but not what I expected it to feel like. Someone checked me again and before I know it there is a million and 3 people in the room and I hear someone say "she's a 9 we gotta go NOW." And I was rushed out of the room.
(I later learned that I went from 5 centimeters dilated to 9 centimeters dilated in less than a half hour)
I saw Dr. H and Dr. P. We got into the OR and someone explained to me that I was progressing really really fast and they may have to put me to sleep bc there won't be time for a spinal. Luckily I had spoken with the c section doctor about my wishes (the previous day when I met him to schedule) and he said no, she wants to be awake for this we need to get the spinal done now. And told me if I felt any sort of pressure at all I needed to tell them. I worried bc I thought "I just went through active labor and transition and didn't know- don't tell me to say if there is 'pressure' I obviously have no idea what I am feeling." I leaned against the nurse as she held me and explained to stay still as they did the spinal. I remember grabbing her waist and her saying it was ok.
I remember asking where Matt was and they said they had to finish prepping and they would get him.
When he came in the anestialogist asked if we had a camera and wanted to take pictures. Matt had no idea where the camera was, he had no idea where my purse was, he was obviously shaken up. I said "I want pictures" and someone told me they won't go through your purse. And I said I don't care- I want pictures- get my camera. The anestialogist told them to go get it and they brought my purse in and he took some pictures during the procedure.
It one point I remember the nurses talking about eating and I was the slightest bit annoyed that they were talking and wanted them to shut up. I almost asked the nurse that was in charge of my oxygen to ask them to shut up but instead I asked what the doctors were doing. And Dr. P explained what part of the procedure he was on.
Blur blur blur and then I said "I want Matt to tell me what it is. And they joked that they would have to tell Dr H to keep her mouth shut.
Blur blur blur and Matt announced to me it was a girl :) I remember Matt leaving my head and going over to wear our daughter was and I remember listening to her cry and smiling.
Matt got to cut the cord. Well trim it down as they suctioned the baby. Then he was able to hold her. Had we had him change into his button up before leaving the house he could have done skin to skin but "I wasn't in labor" so we just packed it in the bag which was left in the car.
They delayed doing a lot of the newborn procedures and as soon as I was stitched up I was able to hold our little girl, Ella Marie. Before that Matt held her close to my head and cried and stared at her. This also is a blur to me-- I remember my teeth chattering and me shaking and asking for a warm blanket.
We went eventually went to recovery and I was able to breast feed. Not being able to breast feed because my body didn't know I had a baby (due to surgery) was one of my biggest concerns.
Everything after this is sort of a blur to me. I wish I could go back and be a fly on the wall and watch how everything went down.
Ella Marie's Stats
February 26, 2013 9:08 pm
7 pounds 4 ounces
20.5 inches long
Looking back at the events of the day I can see some signs of labor--- I was so irritated with the registration process and remember thinking how ridiculous it was that I was in pain and they were asking all these questions. I remember how we were told contractions hurt when you are laying down and strapped to a bed and can't move. (But at that point I honestly didn't care- I don't think I would have thought to get up and move if someone didn't tell me to- but then again I was still in denial that I was in labor) Everything just seemed to come naturally to me. I didn't have to think "breath". I didn't have to think "relax". I did tell Matt (probably rather sternly) to rub me. And touch me as I felt "pain" in my lower nether regions.
I wasn't as scared during the c section as I thought I would be. I completely forgot to tell them to flip the mirror down so I could watch our baby enter the world.
At some point they informed me that Ella had the cord wrapped around her neck three times. And that I was built to have babies- and not to wait at home next time. (I think this may have been during when they were stitching me. )
Matt may have some more things to add- so I will have him write up his version of the beginning of our family of three soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment