Weighing in at 8lbs 11oz and 19 3/4 inches. She arrived by C-section at 1559 Feb 18th.
We went in for a routine non stress test at 11am on Feb. 18th. I was 41wks pregnant and definitely not in labor. Baby's heart rate was a little high and there were some long decelerations of her heart on a fairly regular basis. My midwife had a "feeling" that something was wrong. She consulted the obstetrician who felt that we could try a pitocin drip to see if the baby could handle stress but it was very unlikely to progress me into labor. Cervix was long and closed. I felt there was something wrong and that the drip was a bad idea. We were pink slipped for a c-section that night sometime and I was transferred to a room and kept on the monitor.
Everyone left as it was going to be several hours. Then the baby's heart rate started to drop and kept dropping and took a minute or so to slowly start to pick back up. The obstetrician was phoned and we were heading to the OR in 20 minutes. DH had been home seeing to the dogs and getting our bags and arrived back at the hospital just in time. Just like last time he missed the scary heartrate drop.
We still don't know what was wrong. There was something strange and twisty about the umbilical cord and the placenta was starting to calcify and give up. Either of those things could be the reason. We will never know. As for why I didn't go into labor or why the weeks of contractions I was having didn't do anything for my cervix. That is another mystery. The baby was more than ready to come out.
Baby came out and cried and tested fine. No concerns. We went to a room for recovery and after a quick assessment she latched for the first time like a pro. Man she likes to eat. Must be something in the genetics. Ds met his baby sister and was very in awe of her. Although confused as to why his baby in his tummy had not come out.
The first night was rough for our little family. The hospital was not the place we ever wanted to be to experience our miracle although we are thankful that it was there to bring us a healthy baby girl. We had a lot of checks and the place was noisy and uncomfortable. I was incredibly itchy which is a side effect of one of the drugs I had after surgery. I got up 2 hrs after surgery when the spinal wore off. The second day was hard with little sleep. I also got this referred shoulder pain from the gas that gets trapped in you when you have abdominal surgery. That was one of the more excruciating pains in my life. I felt like someone was dislocating my shoulder over and over again and I couldn't breathe. I've never been one for pain medication but I was thankful for the morphine that got me through the worst of that. I still feel like I have been hit by a truck.
Now we are home and lounging on the couch and we are back to life as we know it. I am still processing the loss of my homebirth and the reality that I most likely will never experience a vaginal birth. It's also going to be a challenge caring for a toddler and a newborn and recovering from surgery.
We went in for a routine non stress test at 11am on Feb. 18th. I was 41wks pregnant and definitely not in labor. Baby's heart rate was a little high and there were some long decelerations of her heart on a fairly regular basis. My midwife had a "feeling" that something was wrong. She consulted the obstetrician who felt that we could try a pitocin drip to see if the baby could handle stress but it was very unlikely to progress me into labor. Cervix was long and closed. I felt there was something wrong and that the drip was a bad idea. We were pink slipped for a c-section that night sometime and I was transferred to a room and kept on the monitor.
Everyone left as it was going to be several hours. Then the baby's heart rate started to drop and kept dropping and took a minute or so to slowly start to pick back up. The obstetrician was phoned and we were heading to the OR in 20 minutes. DH had been home seeing to the dogs and getting our bags and arrived back at the hospital just in time. Just like last time he missed the scary heartrate drop.
We still don't know what was wrong. There was something strange and twisty about the umbilical cord and the placenta was starting to calcify and give up. Either of those things could be the reason. We will never know. As for why I didn't go into labor or why the weeks of contractions I was having didn't do anything for my cervix. That is another mystery. The baby was more than ready to come out.
Baby came out and cried and tested fine. No concerns. We went to a room for recovery and after a quick assessment she latched for the first time like a pro. Man she likes to eat. Must be something in the genetics. Ds met his baby sister and was very in awe of her. Although confused as to why his baby in his tummy had not come out.
The first night was rough for our little family. The hospital was not the place we ever wanted to be to experience our miracle although we are thankful that it was there to bring us a healthy baby girl. We had a lot of checks and the place was noisy and uncomfortable. I was incredibly itchy which is a side effect of one of the drugs I had after surgery. I got up 2 hrs after surgery when the spinal wore off. The second day was hard with little sleep. I also got this referred shoulder pain from the gas that gets trapped in you when you have abdominal surgery. That was one of the more excruciating pains in my life. I felt like someone was dislocating my shoulder over and over again and I couldn't breathe. I've never been one for pain medication but I was thankful for the morphine that got me through the worst of that. I still feel like I have been hit by a truck.
Now we are home and lounging on the couch and we are back to life as we know it. I am still processing the loss of my homebirth and the reality that I most likely will never experience a vaginal birth. It's also going to be a challenge caring for a toddler and a newborn and recovering from surgery.
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