Monday, June 28, 2010

Hunter's Birth Story

Sorry for the delay, but I've been a little busy feeding, cuddling, loving on, etc. our baby boy. :] It is amazing the amount of love I feel for Hunter and how in love I am with Carl. I didn't think I could love Carl more than I did before we had Hunter, it is an amazing feeling.

Anyways....

Carl and I left for the hospital Monday and checked in around 5:30 pm. My most favorite nurses, Kelly and Meganne, were working that night. Kelly helped set me up, and Meganne was on until 11pm. My midwife came in around 6:30/7ish and inserted a folley bulb (spelling?!). It is a catheter they insert to the cervix and then fill with water to create a balloon. Wasn't the most comfortable, but luckily I was able to get a room with a tub and relax in it (thank again Kelly!). At midnight, pitocin was started on a low dose to push Hunter's head on the balloon to force me to dilate. I was given some sleep medicine, so in between getting up to pee, I slept sooo good. Poor Carl, he had to help me every time I used the bathroom because so many things had to be unhooked and I had to drag an IV with me.

Leaving for the hospital... 40 weeks and 5 days

At 6am my pitocin dosage was increased and the folley bulb removed. I was about 4-5 cm when my midwife came to check me. She didn't break my water at the point since I wasn't too far along. Every 30 min. or so, the pitocin was increased. The contractions weren't bad (mainly just in my back), and I spent a lot of time on the exercise ball.
My favorite nurse

Around 1:30, my midwife came back and I was 5-6 cm, so she broke my water. That was the weirdest feeling ever. And then with every contraction I felt like I was peeing myself. After she broke my water, the contractions started to become stronger, and closer together. I got a dose of IV pain meds and was so drugged. I was laughing at nothing, and then couldn't catch my breath, which set off a panic attack. Again, poor Carl, he ran and got Kelly because I couldn't "breathe". Kelly was very good at getting me to calm down and talk me through the panic attack. I was able to take a little nap before the meds wore off. My contractions were about 2 min and 20 sec apart, so I asked for the epidural around 2:30/3. The worst part was the numbing medicine. After that, the rest of the procedure was fine. I had to move back towards the anesthesiologist before the procedure started, so he was helping me, and I swear he copped a feel. He could have just moved his hands down a little so they were not on my breasts.
After the epidural
I love my sisters
Labor is hard work

I apparently do not react well to pain medicine. After getting the epidural, I kept shaking uncontrollably. This went on until after having Hunter. On top of the shaking, every time I would lay flat, I would feel like I was going to vomit.  How annoying.

We kept an eye on the contraction monitor hoping they would get closer together. My midwife was back around 6ish that night and checked me. I was 6 cm still. They put an internal contraction monitor on me to see just how strong the contractions were. Not very strong at all. They checked me a few more times between then and 8:45 and I had made no progress (except for feeling a little more stretchy). Hunter had stayed at -1 station the whole day. So, my midwife called the OB to ask his opinion. They gave me the options of: keep laboring (because I had 24 hours from the time my water broke), wait an hour and a half and to see if I had made any progress (then keep laboring if I had, or go for a c-section), or just call him in and do the c-section then. I asked to wait an hour because I really wanted to give birth to him vaginally. But, around 9 pm, Hunter's heart rate went from 140 to in the 70's and the only way to get it back up was for my midwife to push his head up. That was our sign to call the OB and go ahead with the c-section.

Me and my midwife ready to go to the OR
Carl getting suited up

I was prepped with all the medications, signed my life away for the c-section, and Carl got suited up. They took me back to the OR and gave me IV meds and a different dose in my epidural. I had to lay flat for the procedure which made me feel like I was going to vomit.  They gave me this suction tube and said, if you're going to vomit, vomit in this.  Really?  Luckily, I didn't vomit and that eventually wore off.  Once I couldn't feel anything, Carl was able to come back. He actually watched them cut me open and do all the other stuff they do. He said, "Pat was just holding your uterus, massaging it, outside your body." He likes to randomly tell me things about the procedure. He loves telling everyone how when they first pulled Hunter out, he was blue and floppy. Then, Hunter took his first breath, he puffed up and turned pink.

As they were cutting me open, I could feel the pressure of what was going on. It wasn't until the last cut that I thought, "Did I just feel that?!" I ignored it because after that part, they were pulling and tugging and all I felt was pressure again. But once they got Hunter out and were putting all my insides back in and together, I could feel everything they were doing on the right side. Apparently my epidural wore off on the right side. Kelly really was a great advocate for me, getting everyone to give me more pain meds. She said she had never seen someone so small get so much pain medicine and it not touch me. Carl was so worried and didn't want to leave, but wanted to go with Hunter to the nursery. Luckily, Meganne was there and she came and sat with me so he could leave. I didn't want him to see me like that; I actually didn't want anyone to see me the way I was. It takes a lot for me to be in that much pain, and it is a little embarrassing thinking back on how I was. Thanks Meganne for letting me break your fingers!


Daddy dressing Hunter for the first time

I was able to see Hunter once he was all cleaned up. I think that was the only time I opened my eyes the whole procedure. He is so adorable!
Smiling through the pain

They finished fixing me up, and rolled me back to the room. I think I scared my little sister out of having babies. I was finally able to hold him, but I just wanted to sleep off the pain, so everyone else cuddled him. After getting another dose of pain medicine, I was able to not feel anything and around 5 am I asked the nurse to bring him back into the room.
So in love with these two

Holding Hunter right after surgery

At 6am on Wednesday, we were moved to the mother/baby unit. I had to stay on the L&D unit so they could monitor me with all the medicine I had received. Hunter got his little "man" operation that afternoon. We had so many visitors that day, it was a little overwhelming. Hunter has so many people that love him, and it is so amazing to see that! Thank you everyone for your visits and well wishes!
My midwife and Hunter

I wish I had gotten pictures of Hunter with his favorite nursery nurses. They were amazing! Our night nurse for me was amazing as well. One of the nursery nurses made us feel so much better about supplementing him with formula until my milk came in.

We loved our experience at Maryview! Thank you to all the wonderful nurses and staff we had! Thank you to my sisters, Carl, and Kelly for being a great labor team for me! Thank you Kelly for being such an amazing friend and nurse! Thank you Meganne for being another great nurse and great friend. We love you all so much and can't wait for Hunter to grow up with you guys!

I will upload a post of just pictures of visitors and our time in the hospital. But I have a hungry baby waiting on me! Want a different point-of-view? Read my sister's blog post.

3 comments:

MayhamNCheese said...

Oh Tiffany! Thank you so much for sharing your birth story! I'm sorry things did not go as planned and he was so stubborn staying in there for so long. But how wonderful it must be to be done with being pregnant and have such a beautiful boy in your life now. I just know you are going to be a fantastic mom and Carl a fantastic dad.

I'll have to watch out for those grabby hand anesthesiologists when it's my turn in L&D.

Congratulations again, a million times over! I'm so glad I got to stalk your pregnancy and now birth, you helped me learn so much already!

Brittney said...

Oh goodness Tiffany, I'm so sorry you went through all that! It sounds like a play by play of what I went through with Wyatt (except for the folley thing...I was spared that). I didn't feel the initial part of the c section, but once Brian left the room and they were ficing me up, I felt EVERYTHING! I had the epidural about 8 hours before the surgery, but I just groaned the whole time until my doctor gave me more meds!

I know sometimes it's a letdown to have the c section, I cried and cried about it, but all I kept telling myself was that at least Wyatt was here safe and sound!

Hunter is gorgeous! Congratulation on being his Mommy! It's the best! Keep us updated as he gets bigger!

Claudia said...

Tiffany! Congrats on becoming a mommy....the best thing in the entire world! I was cringing reading your story! So scary, but take ease in knowing that somehow that knowledge of how painful it was fades (my epi wore off on my right side with Hailey too...although they weren't CUTTING ME!) And with Kailee I had a COMPLETELY different labor story! Enjoy this time with baby Hunter (and take tons of pics), they grow sooooo fast!