A Special Delivery

Meeting my little guy for the first time certainly didn't go as planned.  At my 37 week appointment with my OB we discovered my blood pressure had shot up.  He sent me over to the hospital to do a non-stress test and some lab work.  My blood pressure returned to normal during the non-stress test but my labs came back showing that my platelets had dropped a significant amount since my scare in the hospital 9 weeks earlier.  The doc was reassuring that the dropped platelets were probably just due to the reduced kidney function from my hydronephrosis but that to be on the safe side we would do a 24 hour urine catch to check for other signs of pre-eclampsia.  They told me to bring my bucket of urine back the next day and to also return that weekend for a repeat on the non-stress test and lab work.  I was told "we are WAY over treating you, but it is better to ere on the side of caution with these things."

My bucket of urine I had to keep in the fridge - nasty, right?

I returned to hospital the next day around noon with two jugs full of urine, an empty stomach, and my almost-three year old in tow.  The plan was to drop off the pee (good riddance) and grab lunch with Ella before running errands.  The nurse told me I couldn't go anywhere until the lab processed all that urine and came back with the results.  So I was strapped up to the monitors for another non-stress test, cartoons were turned on the TV for Ella and we sat down to wait.  The nurses were super nice and brought Ella snacks since we were both starving at that point, but I was only allowed juice - just in case, they said.

Bored waiting to be released from the hospital - or so I thought

An hour and a half after arriving at the hospital the nurse came back into the room with my lab results.  Her words as she walked into the room: "You're staying to have this baby today."  What??? No. No way.  The next day was my birthday, I said.  I had a lunch date with my Grandpa and then pedicures with a girlfriend scheduled!  Babysitter lined up for the weekend! These reasons didn't seem to move the nurse so I tried again.  I felt fine, really!  Couldn't I at least take my poor kid home, pack my hospital bag and come back later?  The answer was that pre-eclampsia is too dangerous and I needed to be induced right away.

So I was immediately moved into a labor and delivery room and started on an IV of pitocin.  My juice was taken away and I was put on a strict diet of water and ice chips.  Two desperate phone calls later and Dustin was on the way to the hospital from the office and my mom was on her way to my house to pick up some necessities and then to the hospital to come get Ella.  Then my phone battery died and there I was on my own trying to process what was going on. By the time my mom finally arrived to rescue her from the hospital, Ella had been there about 5 hours - a LONG time for a kid her age to entertain herself while her mom is strapped to a bed unable to help her.  She did incredibly well considering and was so sweet to me.  When she heard me complain about missing lunch she started sneaking me goldfish crackers from the bag the nurses had given her.

Dustin rushed right to the hospital after I called him but when he arrived I was irrationally angry with him.  How could he leave me so much on my own that I had to take our daughter to the hospital with me when I was going to be induced!?!  The fact was he was just as shocked as I was that we were there about to have a baby.  He dealt with my illogical resentment very well and gave me the support I needed to wrap my mind around the fact that this was happening now - whether it was the way I had envisioned it or not.  I tried to get over the surprise of it all and get myself excited to meet my little man for the first time.  A moment I had been looking forward to for what seemed like years.

Around the time Dustin arrived they started me on magnesium sulfate to treat the pre-eclampsia.  Ooooh, magnesium sulfate.  Anyone ever been on this stuff?  If not let me just tell you:  It. Is. Awful.  It makes you feel like you have a bad case of the flu.  Flushed and sweaty as if with fever.  Throwing up.  Hard to focus.  And the side effects only grow stronger the longer you are on it.  Everything about the day is a little fuzzy from this point on.  I do remember multiple people from the medical staff as the wandered in and out of the room commenting on how surprised they were to see me smiling through it all.  They said it was unusual to see a cheery demeanor when a woman was on the magnesium sulfate.  Even though I felt terrible I had finally gotten over the shock and found the thrill of knowing I was having a once in a lifetime experience.

The nurses kept asking me if I wanted my epidural yet but I didn't see any reason for it since the contractions weren't super painful.  The nursing staff switched at six pm and my new nurse came in and said if I wanted to be put on the list for an epidural now would be the time to do it. Things were starting to get busy and the anesthesiologist had a long list of women who needed them.  I agreed mostly because they seemed so anxious about it and by the time the anesthesiologist came my contractions were finally starting to pick up and get painful enough that I was squeezing my eyes shut through each one.  I think I could have labored without the epidural for quite some time but I suppose there's no reason to go through unnecessary pain if you're planning on getting one anyways.

After the epidural was put in I stalled out at 4 cm.  Around this time they also had to put me on oxygen because the baby's heart rate kept dropping.  I texted my friend Anna to see if she would be willing to stay the night at my house with Ella so that my mom could be there when Ethan made his debut into the world.  Being the awesome friend that she is, she agreed.  Dustin's family had left on vacation the day before (after many promises that I wouldn't have the baby while they were gone - Ha!) and so they were going to completely miss the whole thing.  

At about a quarter to midnight the nurse checked me again and I was 6 cm dilated.  She said things would probably go pretty fast and to call my mom if I wanted her to be there for the birth.  She was right!  About 10 minutes later I started feeling an intense need to push.  It was so neat, because I never had that feeling during my labor with Ella.  The nurse checked me again and confirmed that I was fully dilated.  The doctor was called in and the pushing began even though my mom wasn't there yet.  There was no way I could resist the urge to push. 

After pushing through just one contraction I heard the doctor calmly tell one of the nurses to go get a vacuum.  The nurse immediately rushed from the room.  After asking what was going on I was told that the baby's heart rate had dropped to 30 bpm and that they needed to get him out as soon as possible.  I didn't have time to process this or worry about what it might mean.  In what seemed like a matter of seconds the nurse was back with the vacuum, it was popped on Ethan's head and I was cut wide open with a huge episiotomy.

Ethan's poor little head was pretty sad looking after being vacuumed out

At 12:14 a.m. my mom walked into the room - right as he was pulled out and placed on my chest.  It was instant love having his warm soft little chest snuggled up against mine.  They asked who wanted to cut the cord and I volunteered for the job.  It was a little unorthodox but the whole thing makes Dustin nervous - like he might do it wrong - and I on the other hand was fascinated by it.  

6 lbs 15 oz, 19 in long - not bad for being early!

After being snatched away to be weighed and quickly returned we were able to enjoy some quality skin to skin time.  I don't think there's anything quite like those first moments after a baby is born and you are meeting each other for the first time.  It's an intensely spiritual experience.  You can almost feel the presence of angels that delivered the child from their arms into yours.  And looking at your brand new baby all you can see is absolute perfection and all the bright potential the future has in store for this precious little one in your arms.

Born right after midnight, this little guy is the best birthday present ever. And we now share a b-day!