Wow it's been almost a week! Our son was born on July 16th, 2012, at 19:27, weighing 3.12kg.
My contractions started on the night of July 14th. A few hours later, we went to the hospital. Sadly I wasn't dilating so was sent home. Contractions continued at around 5 min intervals, which means a sleepless night for me. In the afternoon of July 15th, around 2PM, my waters broke and my plug came out. We called the hospital and was told to come in.
This time we got to stay once they were sure it was my waters that broke. I was only 2 cm dilated. I was surprised at how they check dilation - I thought all they did was look... Definitely didn't expect a hand up there every time I was checked, which was every few hours.
By midnight-ish, they decided the best course of action for now was to give me pantomine (???). An injection that will help me relax and help me sleep for a few hours to conserve energy. Sadly, I did rest, but no sleep. During this time though, I was able to better feel and go along with my contractions. And to confirm that I'm a gamer, I was thinking about SimCity Socials and how each "rise" in my uterus is a certain building and how each area of pain is like a grid in the game that I blow away.
Around 4AM, 28 hours after contractions have started, they decided an epidural would be best. The midwife connected a tube to the baby's head to better monitor his heart and oxygen rate. They connected an IV to me. They sent in the team of anesthesiologists. The one in training had a go at my back first. She had a LOT of trouble, which equates to lots of local anesthetic shots and failed attempts at giving me an epidural. Even my husband, who is usually very polite, looked at the senior anesthesiologist and pointedly asked him if he as the senior should be doing this. The senior said no... but eventually the junior gave up. Even the senior guy needed two gos at my back. My space between my vertebrate was just too small. At least he finally got it in.
At some point, the room filled with people. The gynecologist was called in. My blood pressure had dropped from the epidural. Unknown to me, they were getting really low readings for my baby! They gave me some blood pressure medication through my IV. Luckily it turned out the wire to my baby was loosened during my move to the edge of the bed for them to give me an epidural. Once the wires were all reconnected, it was all ok again.
In the morning, around 7AM, they started me on oxytocin to help me contract more. It worked. But I still was dilating very slowly. At least I couldn't feel the pain much, just that my uterus was contracting. I also noticed the epi didn't work well on my right-hand side, as I always would feel more pain on the right than left. They say that's normal and is dependent on how I lie. If I lie on my left side, my left will get more. I did try a few times to lie on my left, but baby's heart rate would go down. So mostly I stayed upright or on my left.
Whenever they checked me for dilation now, I also had a catheter placed inside to empty out my bladder. I'm glad I don't feel that!
Around 6PM, 42 hours after contractions have started, I was 9 cm dilated. I've been 9cm for a couple of hours by this point at the maximum dosage of oxytocin. They wanted me to be 10cm. The baby's head wasn't descended enough either. It was decided a C-section was needed at this point.
Around 7PM I was wheeled down and prepped for an unplanned C-section. They told me my husband will be there next me me when they perform the C-section. I would get to see my baby briefly before the pediatrician took him to examine. I would get stitched back up and taken to the recovery room. They would come visit me there before we go to where moms and babies stay.
What actually happened: my husband got prepped to go in and was told to wait in a room while they prepped me. At 7:27PM my baby was born via C-section. They had NOT waited for my husband to be in the room before cutting me open. Basically he walked in and was told "look, here's your baby!" While I was in recovery, shivering from the meds (what they told me), I wondered why I don't see them visit me yet. I thought maybe it was because I was still shivering. My stats weren't good enough. Or worse, there's something wrong with the baby. Eventually, I asked when they were coming to visit me. I was told they had called to let them know I was ready. I asked them to call again, seeing as I was the only patient in the recovery room. The nurse said later... After more than an hour in the recovery room, they finally came to get me. Turns out, they had the same conversation with the nurses where they were waiting, wondering when they get to see me! Obviously communication between the hospital was lacking!!
I was wheeled away finally when my husband and son came! Finally!! We were placed into a room that can house 2 moms and their babies. Sadly, because it was a late C-section, visiting hours was almost over and my husband had to go.
We're enjoying our life with our son, though this first week has been filled with problems: breast milk not coming (which at one point had me pumping every 2 hours for 20 min) , mystery blistering rash that has been spreading from my tummy to my body, recovering from C-section, needing to go get stuff we didn't foresee (eg. smaller than newborn clothes, formula...), and poor baby keeps getting cramps. We're managing better now, especially with the pump time going down to every 3 hours instead.
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