April 25, 2007

edited birth story...

I am one of those women that I didn't think existed anymore.  When you look back at the history of women and giving birth, you see the disturbing number of women who have died in childbirth.  Sometimes in reading books, they'll mention that so-and-so died in childbirth and not really say why.  If I lived back then, or even now in most of the countries of the world (not ours thank goodness) I would have probably died giving birth to my second child, but I most certainly would have died giving birth to my third.  My DR said he has a colleague that works in South America - she is a chiropractor and as the person in the town w/the most medical experience, she is also the one that delivers the babies.  She is the medical care for these people - in towns like these, women still die in childbirth. 

I had always thought women died in childbirth because the DRs didn't know what they were doing, not that there would be complications w/the human body that caused the problem.  Since becoming pregnant for the first time, you start learning of these things - breech presentations, babies who are simply too large to fit through, babies who start to be delivered and then get stuck, etc. 

**** WARNING: TMI ahead *****

About ten minutes after having BabyJ, I hemorrhaged.  Severely in my opinion, though not enough to warrant a transfusion.  This is one of the things women used to die from in childbirth (some of the others being the presentation of the baby, ie breech, etc.).  Even with today's medical knowledge and the wonderful medications they gave me to help me stop bleeding it took a couple of hours to get it all under control.  I am VERY THANKFUL that I decided to give birth in a hospital and not at home and that the nursing staff, my DR, and the emergency anesthesiologist they had to call in are so talented and work well in situations like these.

So, here is the birth story up to when BabyJ was born...

Wednesday afternoon, 39 week DR appt:  I goto my DR and I tell him that I am done.  I cannot take it anymore, being ENORMOUS and chasing 2 kids and working is killing me.  I knew that the hospital was already booked for inductions thru Saturday (I had called earlier to check) but seriously, so. done.  He said that HE is the one working the hospital shift Thursday (instead of the office shift) and he would squeeze me in, especially since he thought my labor would be SUPER FAST and easy (I had already been warned by him if my water broke or I saw any pattern in contractions to head to the hospital as he seriously thought we would not make it in time).

Thursday morning: Hubby drops me off at the hospital at 7:30 and takes the kids to my mother's.  I get into my L&D room right away and hooked up to an IV and my anti-biotics immediately.

8:30 a.m. My DR breaks my water and they start pitocin.  About 9-ish I start to feel contractions and they are pretty good ones.  I look at the monitor, which shows my contractions and the other woman my nurse is watching on the same screen.  I see the "pretty" contractions on the monitor, but they are not registering as very strong, even though I would definitely classify them as such.  The other lady, she's got GREAT BIG MOUNTAIN contractions that look like they are running about 90 seconds long.  I fear for when my contractions get that bad if they hurt this much and are only little mountains on the screen.  I ask the nurse about them and she points out that MY contractions are the ones on the bottom, thank goodness!  They won't get any stronger.  I ask for my epidural, pointing out that I am already 3 cm and I labor quickly and I don't want to miss my window for getting one.  I remind her several times in the next few minutes, probably once w/each contraction.

At about 9:45 a.m. I get my epidural.  It is wonderful, as is usual for my experience w/this hospital.  It is nice and even, no pain, and I can feel the contractions and pressure, but it doesn't hurt.

I complain about the pressure.

I complain about the pressure.

At 10:15 a.m. the nurse checks me and declares me at 4 cm.  Goodness, I think, this is going to take FOREVER.  My DR comes in to say he's going to do a C-section and be back, and I'll probably be ready to push then.

10:25 a.m. I REALLY complain about the pressure.  The nurse checks again.  OH MY.  She says that I am complete and ready to push but there is no DR (remember last time, they didn't call the DR in because they thought my labor would be longer and I had to "wait" at 10 cm for AN HOUR for him to get there).  Remember, he's in surgery.  The other DR is not my DR.  Which would I like?  I decide to wait for my DR since I know I can wait for a bit, but they warn me if it's uncontrollable to push for the nurse.

11:00 - my DR runs in, having left the resident to stitch up the other lady.  "DON'T COUGH!" he says when he LOOKS down there and can see the baby.  There is a great flurry as they rush to break down the bed and get other nurses in the room.  I pushed through one contraction and **POOF** , BabyJ is born!

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