It’s Birth story week. If you’re new here, Holden was born in 2005. My water broke in the late night early morning between Tuesday the 10th as well as Wednesday the 11th as well as it would be almost 44 hours later before our infant boy would be born. This is the very first time I’m telling this story.
I had desired a 5/5/5 birthday for my pregnancy since it sounded cool. My husband, Alec, stayed house from work on the 4th as well as we tried all the stuff: sex, meaty “prego pizza”, as well as a stationary scooter “ride” to simulate a tractor rumbling with the country. I likewise tried spicy food, an intense foot massage, chocolate as well as jumping jacks.
Ingenting.
By the time my bean’s due date rolled around on the 8th, I already felt like we were late.
Things begin moving, slowly.
I went to bed on the 10th believing as well as wondering if tonight would be the night, as I had done each night for a week. In terms of nesting behavior, I hadn’t noticed exactly how hectic I had been baking, shopping, cleaning, as well as assembling furniture. That night, Alec woke up around 2:30am complaining of something in his eye, so I got as much as look for Visine. When I peed, I believed I felt an additional trickle of fluid, however I couldn’t be sure. I shifted setting this method as well as that up until I excitedly persuaded myself that my water had sprung a leak.
We phoned the OB on phone call for my method (Dr. M. responded ”“ who the heck was she?) as well as she suggested we go to the hospital to be inspected out. She assured us that if there were no contractions, I would most likely be sent home. grab the packed bag. This is happening, maybe!
Upon arriving at the hospital, Alec discovered some quite great street auto parking as well as I ambled in leaking little amounts of fluid with every step. It was interesting for sure, however likewise rather odd.
Preeclampsia, huh?
In pregnancy triage, the personnel inspected my vital signs. utilizing a monitor, the intake nurses determined I was already having contractions that I couldn’t feel. Woohoo! This was gonna be easy. They likewise noticed that my blood pressure was method as well high, indicating preeclampsia that had not yet been diagnosed. I didn’t recognize what that word would mean for my health and wellness as well as safety, I was just a bit disappointed.
I was particularly bummed since I pride myself on easy-to-find veins as well as low blood pressure (I utilized to contend coworkers in the public blood-pressure-cuffs to see who might be the lowest. We’d method stressing each other out. Yeah, that seems weird to me too).
So, what I didn’t understand at the time was this: preeclampsia is one of the few conditions in today’s contemporary medicine that can still kill a mom during childbirth. I’m glad I didn’t know. I presumed it was an inconvenience however that we’d be back to the birth plan in no time.
My sister, Meggan, was my doula. She shown up in the typical part of the morning with the yoga/birth sphere from house as well as stayed with me as well as Alec for the duration of my long labor. Together, they were able to trade off when one needed a break or a snack from whole Foods. She likewise kept me entertained, distracted, as well as focused as needed.
To battle the preeclampsia, nurses hooked me as much as constant fetal monitoring, an IV drip of magnesium to prevent maternal seizures, as well as pitocin to keep contractions going. The pitocin as well as the magnesium work at odds, so I was a science experiment to discover the right proportions of potions to keep labor moving ahead safely. With all the wires as well as tubes, I was likewise needed to stay in bed with a catheter as well as foley bag. Bye bye, birth sphere as well as “no pitocin” birth plan.
Once the genuine labor set in, I no longer believed it was simple as well as I was awesome. Bring on the epidural please. What’s one more chemical in my customized bloodstream anyway?
We had many many hours to work on pain administration since the labor was extremely long. My very first anesthesiologist didn’t do it right, the pain kept coming. My second anesthesiologist didn’t do it right, he temporarily paralyzed me below my neck. My third anesthesiologist (pictured below) had the magic touch. I don’t understand his name however I keep in mind a few key details: his other half was expecting a baby; he was little as well as Asian; as well as he not only believed me when I stated that redheads are more sensitive to pain, however he had checked out the exact same research study as well as told me why (we have dryer skin as well as it tears more easily). Välsigna honom.
I likewise keep in mind that we watched about a boy on the laptop. See the significant speakers below? exactly how huge was our bag?
The physicians altered shifts many times throughout my labor, as well as each one would inspect me out briefly as well as suggest that I get a C-section. She would then modification her mind since my infant was still registering a extremely strong heartbeat as well as Meggan was a extremely strong advocate for me.
Counting from when my water broke, it was forty hours of laboring bullshit with nothing however ice chips for food before I was provided the go-ahead to push. I was exhausted in a whole new way. The nurses provided me hits off the oxygen storage tank to keep my spirits as well as energy up. Every so often, I would beg for ice chips up until they told me I had reached my quota.
And then came four hours of pushing. four fucking hours. They went something like this: rest, beg for ice and/or oxygen, wait on a contraction, push my hardest while Alec, Meggan, as well as the nursing personnel took turns pulling my legs back froggy style.
After 3:45 of this nonsense, the physician speculated that my baby’s head was tilted as well as that she should do a C-section after all. NOOOOO! If you were going to cut the infant out of me, couldn’t we have done that yesterday or the day before?!! She said, “well we might try the vacuum extraction when or twice.” Ja tack.
And on the extremely last possibility before they guaranteed me a C-section, the physician vacuum-slurped my baby-out with an exaggerated cone-head. wonderful relief.
“Heather, do you want to hold your baby? Det är en pojke”
“May I please have a turkey sandwich first?”
Drunk from the exertion, medication, as well as hunger, I didn’t feel linked to the situation. I even had difficulty aiming the coveted turkey sandwich in my mouth. when I had some food, I deliriously snuggled as much as this cone-headed infant making sure that Alec was spotting me. I had no stamina for much of anything.
Meggan says, “My preferred part really was when they started to endanger a c-section, as well as I asked you what you wished to do- childbirth or c-section. You stated you were afraid of both. So I asked you which you feared more as well as you stated major surgery. So we went with childbirth. when you made that decision you were like a warrior as well as you didn’t stop laboring as well as pushing up until he was out. I likewise keep in mind Holden’s look when he came out like he was believing WTF?!? All those med trainees had come into the space while we were lifting your legs to push so we hadn’t noticed. You pushed for four hours as well as labored I believe for forty.”
He was born around 10pm on Thursday night. We named him Holden, a name on which we had quickly agreed. We still had two woman names in our back pocket just in case. since we hadn’t sent news, our good friends presumed that we had long had the infant as well as were nesting. ha!
Recovery was about a week before the high blood pressure subsided. I would hear whooshing in my ears whenever I leaned over up until it corrected itself. At one point it was 200/100.