The OR/birth experience

Needless to say- When I woke up that morning for what I thought would be a routine visit and ultrasound, I could have never imagined the events that would transpire over the next 24 hours! My mom had spent the night (she was spending a lot of time with me anyway as I was on bed rest) but she planned on going to the growth scan with us that day to see if the baby had grown. Travis had worked the night before so as soon as he got home at 9:30 am and changed clothes, we left for the appt. After the appt. we headed back to the women's center for evaluation.

When I got to the room they hooked me up to all the monitors, they came in to draw labs and it was a waiting game, hoping my pressures would go down. Travis, my mom and I really didn't think too much of this as we'd done this whole ordeal about five times in that same week. Every time the machine took my blood pressure I could see that it wasn't going down so we were getting a little worried but trying to relax. I called my mother in law to let her know what was going on but assured her that she should stay at work because everything would be fine ;)

As I laid in the bed, I could feel the contractions getting more intense but I still wasn't in pain. Poor Travis was laying on the "window seat" praying we could go home soon because he'd been up all night! My mom was pacing the floors and obsessively checking the monitor readings! A few minutes later, my nurse came in. It was actually the same nurse who we'd taken the child birth classes with! She asked me if I was feeling the contractions and I said yes. She told me they were getting stronger and closer together (I already knew this ;) ) She also told me that they were starting an IV and admitting me. I knew that something was going on because this wasn't a standard procedure.

A few minutes later, my doctor arrives and says, "I think we're going to go ahead with the c-section TODAY.. Your pressures are getting worse and now you're contracting". Wait a minute... WHAT!!!!! Travis popped up off of the window seat and wiped his eyes, I picked my jaw up off of the hospital bed and my mom's pacing turned to panic! When she left we all started to freak a little but I was surprisingly much calmer than I'd imagined I would be. We started to call and text our family members and within a few minutes my dr. was back to say that we'd be going in the next thirty minutes.

Within five minutes anesthesia was in to talk to ask me questions and the nurse started handing out our OR garb. Travis put on his dr. suit, I put on my hat and within 15 minutes they were back to get me. No one evenhad time to make it to the hospital before I was taken back. The walk to the OR felt like the longest walk of my life. I was pretty much in shock so I really didn't have time to panic. I kissed Travis and my mom goodbye and off I went.

The OR was absolutely freezing. When I got in there I sat up on a table and had to lean over in the arms of the OR tech while the anesthesiologist prepped my back for the spinal. I was shaking uncontrollably. I think part was nerves and part was the ice cold bed. They put warm blankets on me and the dr. started the spinal. It really was painless and far easier than I thought it would be. As soon as it was in I immediately laid back on the table. The nurse inserted the catheter and they started cleaning my stomach. It was really weird to be naked on this table in front of all of these people! The nurses put up the screen so I wouldn't be able to see anything and eventually they let Travis back in. I remember asking for him.. I was so afraid they would start without him! He finally came back and he looked so scared for me! He held my hand and the dr. started testing me to make sure I was completely numb. Once she confirmed, they started the surgery.

I really couldn't feel the "pressure" that everyone talks about. I could definitely feel pulling and tugging which was kind of gross but not much pressure. I had tons of pain in my chest which they said was from them pressing on my uterus. Travis just help my hand and kept asking me if I was ok. I surprisingly had a pretty great attitude and didn't really get emotional. I was just SO anxious for the baby to come out because we were SO scared that something was terribly wrong with him causing him to be so small and not grow. I could hear my dr. making comments about the size of my uterus (that it barely looked bigger than a non-pregnant uterus).

It wasn't long before she told Travis and I that we'd be hearing a "little cry". We were so anxious. Finally, we heard the most BEAUTIFUL sound ever! Our little boy was screaming away! The nurses shouted out the time (15:06) and I started to get really emotional. I just knew he was going to be ok! I asked the dr if he was tiny and she said yes, "he's a little fella!". I was so excited to see him and kind of sad that I couldn't see anything. Travis jumped up and headed over to the cleaning station with the nursery nurse and was able to cut the cord stump and take pictures. The little fella was 4 lbs 9 oz and 18 inches! He FINALLY came back over to me (it felt like hours later) with our beautiful baby boy! He was perfect. We knew after looking at him that he was going to be ok! Travis brought him over and I examined him and gave both he and Travis a kiss.

It was about that time that I started to get extremely nauseous. I was dry heaving as best I could considering I couldn't feel ANYTHING! I could see the sadness in Travis's eyes! He had to go to the nursery with Kylar and felt so helpless for me. As much as he wanted to go I know he felt so bad to leave me there. Luckily the awesome anesthesiologist was able to give me an alcohol swab under the nose and help with the nausea. They finished stitching me up and the surgery was over. My dr. told me while she was stitching me back up that my placenta looked "crummy" and that it was definitely pre-eclamptic. She sent it off to pathology to be examined. She also told me that she was so glad we did the surgery that day and that she would definitely sleep better that night knowing that Kylar had been delivered and she didn't wait any longer. I had an overwhelming peace with everything that had just taken place. As much as I had dreaded a c-section and as traumatic as the days events were, I knew GOD had his hand on us and had given our dr. wisdom. It was absolutely the right decision. Even though sometimes we don't know why things are happening or can't forsee the end result, he is in control. I am so very thankful.

Anyway- after being stitched up, I was wheeled back to my room where I got to see a few visitors. They gave me a little something for pain and it was at least an hour before I was finally able to see Kylar. He wasn't interested in nursing right away but eventually caught on later in the night. He was absolutely perfect and I was COMPLETELY in love!

A lot of the rest of the day is sort of a haze because I was put on Magnesium Sulfate (HORRIBLE stuff!) to prevent seizures from the pre-eclampsia. The effects were pretty crappy! It made me see double, very dizzy and extremely hot. Luckily I was only on it for 24 hours. I was bed ridden until I came off of it the next day but I was able to see some visitors that night. Even though the experience was a little traumatic and unexpected, I wouldn't change a thing. God certainly had his hand upon our family and we are so very blessed!

During the surgery

After getting the shocking news that we'd be having a baby in 15 minutes!!!

Mom and I before I headed out

No turning back now!

During one of the contractions!

If you made it all the way through this, bless you ;) I'll post more later about the next ten days we spent in the hospital!