Forums > Labor & BirthPage 1 2by: Bridget&Lydia

Labor Story.. Needed URL

posted 20th Jan '09

My whole life changed in 5 and 1/2 hours!!

It's Friday night, cold outside and a little snowy. Jack went out with some guy friends for the first time in months, I was attempting to enjoy a lovely
lazy Friday night by myself... except for some horrible, horrible gas cramps. After not having any luck getting rid of these cramps I starting thinking
I was having Braxton Hicks Contractions (normal and expected). After having more then five in an hour, I called Ask-a-Nurse to find out the reason to
this madness my body was shooting for. Nurse said to come into the Birth Center ASAP... Calling Jack and interrupting his rare man-day, off to the
hospital we went..

(7:45 pm) Expecting to get told I should stop whining and just go home, we were not faced with what was next. The nurse looked at me and her appearance was
of concern. She said in a voice of disbelief that I was already four cm's dialated and my water had broke. WHAT??! I was not due for another fifteen weeks
or so, not now. I had no clue what to feel, what to say, what to do.

(8:00 pm) The nurse pulled off her gloves and stuck her head down the hall to get "help". What did she need help with? I began to sit up and attempt to get
my head into the drama and she quickly responded not to move. I was to remain in this bed while she and another nurse rolled me straight into our own room
in the MeritCare Family Birth Center.

(8:10 pm) Jack and I were confused and I was so lost and unprepared for the emotional baggage that was to come when the nurse told me that you are in
pre-term labor and they had no clue what was going to happen. What was my body doing to me? What was going to happen and how long was this going to take?
I could not stop thinking about what was wrong, what could be wrong and whether or not I did something that could have led to this.

(8:25 pm) After being reassured a million times that I did nothing, the nurse after giving me multiple shots, iv's drips and god knows what else in a
period that seemed like a blink ( i do not wish a catheter to anyone oh my word.... ). Then before we knew it, the OBGYN on Call (Dr. Hezog) was
sitting at our bedside. Now I was beginning to believe that this was real, this was not a nightmare. He went through what could be happening what
might be happening and what they were going to do about it. The DOC ordered medication to delay my contractions and hopefully stop dilation.
FINALLY, something that I could handle... the idea that there is a possibility that this could only be a bump in the road.

(9:00 pm) Dr Nelson (NEONATAL M.D.) comes into our room. He was very calm, but to the point. He went through a list that seemed to never end about
what could happen if baby was born now. All the possible nightmares that any parent could medically dread. I was numb, Jack in awe. I was hearing
him, but I could only listen to some of his words, as my contractions were still in force and my thoughts running wild.

(9:18 pm) Thankfully, after being checked a million times, no further dilation had occurred, but for some reasons, the contractions kept coming...
sooner and stronger. The nurse looked at me and asked a blunt question "can you handle the pain or do you want more medication?" about ready to
question her STUPID question... another nurse looked at our nurse and said "look at her, she is obviously in a lot of pain!" The nurse finally got
to the point "Do you want an epidural?" YESSSSS PLEASE.

(9:50 pm) After agreeing to an epi, our nurse did something that made the room look like a nightmare. She begin setting up for delivery. DELIVERY?!?
I thought the dialation was being controlled????? Near Jack is a epi table set up.. next to that a sterilzed table of a bunch of scissors, and only
the weapons of a medical ER, and the worse.........next to me is a baby incubator.

(10:05 pm) Epidural in, after TWO attempts. But finally, I am pain free. Now all I have to do is pray this medication is going to actually work with
the contractions.

(10:20 pm) BLEEDING. All the sudden. No one knows why. No one can figure out where it is coming from. It is not just a little bleeding.
There are clots, I can feel them. The blood comes out with each contraction. Nurse calls doctor. His response is the slap in the face, to stop
the medication that is meant to stop my dialation and contractions. He orders Pitocin (ENCOURAGES CONTRACTIONS AND DELIVERY.)

(10:45 pm) My dilation is still at about 6 cms, maybe 7 according to the nurse. No progress. No sleep.

(11:20 pm) Dilation still nowhere, according to nurse. OBGYN comes in, checks me himself. I'm NOT 6 cms... not 7...... I am already 8-9 cms.
Without even warning me, he breaks my water (I thought was already broke... nope, I had two sacs, only the smaller one was broke earlier.... WOW CONFUSION).

(11:50 pm) Baby is coming out, I can feel her guiding out. Jack and I haven't taken any Lamaze classes yet, we had no clue what we were about to go through.
The nurse props up my legs, and looks at Jack and instructs him on what to do, say, and hold. He is so calm, he is so strong, but looks as lost as me.

(12:15 am) OBGYN comes in. He looks me in the eyes and says "Listen only to me. Push when I tell you. Push only when I tell you. DO NOT force her out,
or you could damage her brain" AHHHHHHHHHHHH

(12:28 am) On my stomach is a pink skinned baby with dark hair and a little cone head. I am in shock, can I touch her? NO. Can I move, NO. What do I do?
I look at Jack and watch as he cuts her cord. I am still numb from shock. Jacks eyes turn red, and a tear rolls down his left cheek. His emotion is
exactly what I needed, I needed to remember I am still alive. I start balling my eyes out. All the sudden we hear a baby cry, and see HER legs kicking
all over the place. ITS A GIRL, SHE IS OKAY!!

She is ok. She is crying. She is moving. She is ok. Jack follows the five person NEONATAL team to the NICU while I lay in this bed and my mom walks
in to hold my hand. I am not alone, and she is ok.

So what happened? My cervix gave away. It gave no warning to anyone. I thought they were gas cramps... nope. The bleeding? OBGYN confirms that
there is a rupture in the placenta. My body knew the rupture was going to happen and sent me into preterm labor to give our baby, our daughter a
chance to live. My preterm labor saved her life!!

She is currently 1 pound 5 oz. She is 14 1/3 inches long, very long actually She is on breathing tubes and and is on all
sorts of different machines.. Her jaundice has already set in.. She is not able to feed so she is on a feeding tube.. I will update you all more later!

She is so beautiful!! She is our little miracle angel!!

Labor Story.. Needed URL

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