I wanted to get P's "birth story" and what happened afterwards in writing if only to help me remember everything. Since I wasn't coherent through all of it, I am going to borrow some parts from hubs recollection.
The evening of 5/9, hubs and I packed our car with the car seat and our bags and headed to the hospital. We were due to induce at 8:00p. Boy were we nervous! We get up to the nurses station and were greeted by Angela, our L&D nurse. She was such a stress relief for us. She cracked us up and kept us a little more at ease. We were escorted to our L&D room and I was told it was time to get in my hospital gown. After Angela walked out, I just looked at Steven, started crying and said "I'm scared". Little did we know the events that were about to happen.
I got settled into bed and the induction was started. It was a long night. No sleeping for either one of us. Poor Steven attempted to sleep on the so-called "couch" in the room. Even for him it was of no comfort!! They put monitors on me to watch Peyton's heartrate. That little girl made them work! As soon as they would find her heartbeat, she would move and make them find it again!!
Around 8:00a, the nurse came in to give me pitocin. It didn't take that long to kick in although it seemed like an eternity for me to dilate to even just a 2! I wanted to hear I was dilated to a 3 so I could get an epidural. Give me those drugs! Finally, they said "you're at a 3"... so they beckoned the anesthesiologist. It was evidently a very busy day in L&D. Lots of births and back-to-back C-Sections. When the anesthesiologist finally got there, she did her magic. I really don't remember much of the process it was so quick. She was that good.
Within an hour, I had dilated to an 8. I evidently made some reference to the nurse about how fast the pitocin was working... and she said "I never gave you the second dose... that's all you". I eventually dilated to a 10 and the nurse said "I think she'll be here by noon". Yowzers.
My doctor came in to check on me... and noticed P's heart rate was dropping. Staying lower than it should for extended periods of time. They tried other methods of monitoring her heart rate... but they all gave the same report. She needed to come... and fast. The doctor immediately started getting me set up to push... all the while trying to get an OR for a c-section.
Even though I was fully dilated, P was still too high. The doctor called for a vacuum. After several attempts with one, she had to switch to another. Later we saw that P's hair made the first vacuum not even stick! The anesthesiologist was brought in and was in high demand because there were so many other patients needing epidurals and surgery. The doctor allowed her to go do one more epidural and then meet her in the OR. While waiting, they had me push through the next several contractions. Finally, P's head was visible. I pushed and pushed.... Sweet P was finally here. The umbilical cord had been wrapped around her neck.
The nurses took P and did what they do. They kept patting all over her chest and back to try to get everything out of her lungs. I remembered being very nervous and scared... She wasn't really crying. One thing I do remember though is looking over and noticing that she looked just like her daddy. I did not expect this... since I just expected her to look like me!! Ha. Hubs says that I got to hold her... but I don't remember it.
Hubs went with her to the nursery. He passed all of our family and gave a thumbs up to his mom. Everyone asked, "Are things going well?" or something like that... and he responded "She's here!!". All of the family stood with joy and headed to the nursery to see little P. I can only imagine the hugs and smiles!
Hubs told everyone that he was going back to be with me... Little did he know that things had gotten a little scarier. The doctor was still working on me. I was hemorrhaging. They went through their list of medicines to give me to get my uterus to contract... but none of them were working. I remember being so tired and weak... and throwing up... and hearing all of the chatter about getting me in an OR... fast. Inside I felt like I was fighting to stay alert... but finally just gave in. I remember being so scared... wanting my husband... and worrying about how he was doing.
The doctors finally swept me to the OR... and Hubs was left alone. He walked into the lobby and the mothers could tell something was wrong. He told them where I was headed... and soon everything became serious. Shortly after walking out there, his brother gathered everyone together to pray for me. Even a stranger in the lobby walked up to him and asked if he could pray for my husband. I know that the Lord brought us thru... and that we were bathed in prayer.
A couple of hours later, the doctor came out to tell Hubs that everything went well... and that they had to put in a balloon but that was a standard procedure. I lost 7 units of blood and they had to pump me full of fluids. I spent the next 24 hours or so in ICU. When I finally woke up, I noticed that my hands were SOOO swollen. Little did I know, my whole body was swollen. I finally saw a picture of me in ICU and I was unrecognizable. I can't imagine how Hubs felt seeing me like that.
Hubs was able to get P down to ICU a couple of times so I could see her. Everyone told me how amazing he was doing with her. That helped me get thru the next few hours. ICU was not fun to say the least. Evidently I yelled at one of the nurses to stop poking me with needles. Little did I know that since I was so swollen, they couldn't get a good vein. All I knew was that they kept hurting me. Woops. :) Everyone encouraged Hubs to send P to the nursery and try to get some sleep that night. And my precious mom and sister stayed with me in ICU. They slept in chairs!!! I love them so much... They didn't want me to be alone.
Finally that next day, I was doing well enough to move back up to post-partum. Finally we were going to be able to all be together. I could barely lift my legs without being overcome by pain... and it felt like I was going to feel that forever. The nurses told me that every time I got out of bed, it would get better. I didn't really believe them... but they were so right.
We spent a few more days in the hospital. I finally got a shower. Best shower of my life. And were able to head home that Friday.
We were able to talk to my doctor last week about the events that happened for "closure". It was a scary day. She said I was "very sick" but that she and the nurses are prepared for what happened to me. Even if I was never in grave danger (although to everyone, including me, I think we were definitely aware of the severity), what happened to me has greatly affected both me and Hubs. We are holding each other a little longer... a little tighter.
It is amazing and such a gift to look around me and see my sweet baby P... and to use the words of Hubs... my "first baby", my husband. I am sore, exhausted, emotional and overwhelmed... but grateful to be here another day... to get to spend one more day with my sweet husband... and to get to be a mommy.
