Zannalyn
05-24-2004, 06:56 PM
OK, let me start with the happy ending; we have a beautiful, healthy baby boy, and he is 4 weeks old today!
now for the sometimes scary story:
I was having spotting at 33-34 weeks, and the U/S showed "a possible 1cm previa". My midwife gave me a list of things that might help, including accupuncture and homeopathy. My OB said she was "cautiously optimistic" that the placenta would move off the cervix completely, and said we could do another (short, this time) U/S in a couple weeks. They both told me to take things very easy, so I did. What none of us could tell was that the previa wasn't the problem...
Late Sunday night (4/25), as I was walking from the bathroom into the kitchen intending to do some dishes before bed, I felt a gush of warm wetness go down my legs. I knew before I looked that it was blood. I sent our housemate to get DH, told DH to call the OB, housemate to get me clean sweats and my shoes, all the while sitting on the toilet, bleeding as like a tap on low. It didn't stop. We have to go to the nearest hospital, I told DH. He was, at the OB's instruction, dialing 911, and before I could figure out how to follow her advice to lie down (without getting blood everywhere), the ambulance was pulling in the driveway. The first responders who walked into my bathroom were (thank you, Goddess) both women, and they were kind, skilled and quick. Off we went in the ambulance, DH riding up front, lights flashing, me being given oxygen in the back, lying on the stretcher.
I could feel the baby moving, now and again, and he seemed oblivious to all the excitement on the outside. I felt very calm, (guess the hypnobirthing practice paid off) and focused only on what had to be done so my baby would be ok. Just that morning I had thought about how we were far enough along, at 34 weeks, that even if something went wrong, the baby would most likely survive and be fine. So I only thought about getting the help we needed. I didn't think of what might go wrong, or of all our plans for a natural home birth which were now totally irrelevant. And I guess I forgot that I'm scared of hospitals; it's different when you really need one!
We got to the hospital very quickly. Their monitor showed a strong heartbeat :heartbeat, and I kept reminding DH to breathe, as he was doing all the worrying.:scared Soon the OB on call had arrived and I was answering her pre-surgery questions, and those of the anesthesiologist, who told me my blood pressure was low enough that I woud have to be asleep for the Cesarean. This was actually ok with me, since the thought of getting a needle in my spine and of lying there unable to feel most of my body was terrifying. I would have dealt with it if it was better for the baby, but I was relieved I didn't have to. Unfortunately it also meant that DH couldn't stay with me, and he began a long and lonely vigil. Stay with the baby, I told him, and let the baby hear your familiar voice. As they wheeled me into surgery, I had a hand on my belly, enjoying my last time of feeling little Thumper move inside me.
It turned out I had placenta accreta; the placenta had grown into the uterine wall, and then it tore away, which they call an abruption (it was abrupt, alright!). The worst part was that the OB wasn't able to stop the bleeding, and ended up doing a hysterectomy (just the uterus; I still have my ovaries and cervix). So there will be no more babies from my belly.... :crying But the OB said their were fibroids again, and I can't say I mind not having to go through deaing with that again. And I did get one beautiful alive and kicking baby out of my womb before it gave out!
And so my son entered the world. He weighed 6lbs 12oz, and was 19 1/4" long. A good size but he was still a preemie, and he needed help breathing and staying warm, but otherwise he was fine.
But this has gotten long enough, so I'll tell you about the hospital stay (2 1/2 weeks!) and how wonderful DH was through it all later. We are doing very well. Pippin is a very contented little boy, and a great nurser. It is SO good to be home, and to have him with me. The fact that things didn't go as we'd planned is such a small thing beside our great joy at being blessed with this beautiful baby. After al your support through the worries of pregnancy, I'm glad to be abe to tell y'all about him!
now for the sometimes scary story:
I was having spotting at 33-34 weeks, and the U/S showed "a possible 1cm previa". My midwife gave me a list of things that might help, including accupuncture and homeopathy. My OB said she was "cautiously optimistic" that the placenta would move off the cervix completely, and said we could do another (short, this time) U/S in a couple weeks. They both told me to take things very easy, so I did. What none of us could tell was that the previa wasn't the problem...
Late Sunday night (4/25), as I was walking from the bathroom into the kitchen intending to do some dishes before bed, I felt a gush of warm wetness go down my legs. I knew before I looked that it was blood. I sent our housemate to get DH, told DH to call the OB, housemate to get me clean sweats and my shoes, all the while sitting on the toilet, bleeding as like a tap on low. It didn't stop. We have to go to the nearest hospital, I told DH. He was, at the OB's instruction, dialing 911, and before I could figure out how to follow her advice to lie down (without getting blood everywhere), the ambulance was pulling in the driveway. The first responders who walked into my bathroom were (thank you, Goddess) both women, and they were kind, skilled and quick. Off we went in the ambulance, DH riding up front, lights flashing, me being given oxygen in the back, lying on the stretcher.
I could feel the baby moving, now and again, and he seemed oblivious to all the excitement on the outside. I felt very calm, (guess the hypnobirthing practice paid off) and focused only on what had to be done so my baby would be ok. Just that morning I had thought about how we were far enough along, at 34 weeks, that even if something went wrong, the baby would most likely survive and be fine. So I only thought about getting the help we needed. I didn't think of what might go wrong, or of all our plans for a natural home birth which were now totally irrelevant. And I guess I forgot that I'm scared of hospitals; it's different when you really need one!
We got to the hospital very quickly. Their monitor showed a strong heartbeat :heartbeat, and I kept reminding DH to breathe, as he was doing all the worrying.:scared Soon the OB on call had arrived and I was answering her pre-surgery questions, and those of the anesthesiologist, who told me my blood pressure was low enough that I woud have to be asleep for the Cesarean. This was actually ok with me, since the thought of getting a needle in my spine and of lying there unable to feel most of my body was terrifying. I would have dealt with it if it was better for the baby, but I was relieved I didn't have to. Unfortunately it also meant that DH couldn't stay with me, and he began a long and lonely vigil. Stay with the baby, I told him, and let the baby hear your familiar voice. As they wheeled me into surgery, I had a hand on my belly, enjoying my last time of feeling little Thumper move inside me.
It turned out I had placenta accreta; the placenta had grown into the uterine wall, and then it tore away, which they call an abruption (it was abrupt, alright!). The worst part was that the OB wasn't able to stop the bleeding, and ended up doing a hysterectomy (just the uterus; I still have my ovaries and cervix). So there will be no more babies from my belly.... :crying But the OB said their were fibroids again, and I can't say I mind not having to go through deaing with that again. And I did get one beautiful alive and kicking baby out of my womb before it gave out!
And so my son entered the world. He weighed 6lbs 12oz, and was 19 1/4" long. A good size but he was still a preemie, and he needed help breathing and staying warm, but otherwise he was fine.
But this has gotten long enough, so I'll tell you about the hospital stay (2 1/2 weeks!) and how wonderful DH was through it all later. We are doing very well. Pippin is a very contented little boy, and a great nurser. It is SO good to be home, and to have him with me. The fact that things didn't go as we'd planned is such a small thing beside our great joy at being blessed with this beautiful baby. After al your support through the worries of pregnancy, I'm glad to be abe to tell y'all about him!