We got home yesterday after the most harrowing, unexpected birth experience ever.
On Monday, I was having tons of contractions, starting at about 11:00am, but they weren't coming together into a cohesive pattern. We stayed home and enjoyed the labour together as a family for a really good long time. We were in great spirits and it was wonderful. Finally at about 2:00 in the morning, the contractions shifted FAST, to 2 minutes apart, consistent and hard. We happily headed out to the hospital, joking, and laughing between contractions. We even stopped at Tim Horton's for a coffee on the way...
The contractions were so big and close, we were sure we'd get to the hospital and have her within an hour or two.
That's not what happened.
We got to the hosp. and got settled in. A nurse came and started getting my IV ready. I still wasn't sure I wanted it, but was going along with it. She failed to get it at the first attempt, and the second, and the third. She went through my veins causing my arm to puff up with instant bloody bruising. I was so pissed off that I cried! It really hurt, and I hated it. Labour I can handle, no problem, but I didn't like this! Finally they had to call the Anesthesiologist to do it, and he got it on his first try no problem.
We went on labouring and it was fine. Very intense, we could tell it was getting close..but it sure was taking longer than our other kids! Spirits were still high.
I started pushing involuntarily during contractions, so it was time to check me. I was 5 cm and her head was still REALLY high. Not what we expected. We continued to labour, not sure why I was trying to push so early in dilation. Fast forward an hour or two. My midwife checked me again, still expecting me to be complete. I had been contracting and trying not to push all this time. All she could feel was a huge bulging bag of water. She still couldn't feel a presenting part or tell how dilated I was.
She called the OB on call (who turned out to be an angel in disguise, and also the same guy who delivered my BFF's first twin!) He checked me and then the sh*t hit the fan and our world turned upside down. He couldn't feel a head, they turned the ultrasound on and found that her head was off to the right on my pelvis, she was in completely the wrong position and couldn't descend into my pelvis. This is why my body was pushing. Trying to get her down so her head could complete my dilation. Now it was an emergency. Everything went so fast. The OB told us that he needed to break my water to see if she would move down. BUT, since her body was malpostioned and she as still so high, that there was a VERY high chance that her cord would prolapse and I'd need an immediate C-Section. I tried to ask for more options, there weren't any left. We had tried to get her to turn/move, but it didn't work. So, as fast as lightning (after both of us crying our eyes out and taking forever to sign the consent), they whisked me down to the OR (the scariest place in the world to me).
They put even more IV's in me, put me on the operating table to give me a spinal (terrifying).
They put too much spinal medication in me and I was frozen to my cheekbones! It was the weirdest sensation ever.
SO, once I was paralyzed, he broke my water, and to everyone's surprise, especially the OB himself, the cord did not prolapse and she moved into position!
Completely numb now, they sent us back to our room to try and continue labour and see if we could still have her vaginally. My hopes for no meds were gone, they gave me morphine and fentanyl, (things I never wanted). but we hung onto a natural delivery.
Since I was already frozen they gave me an oxytocin IV to speed things up, YET another thing I never, ever wanted. All the intervention killed my labour, despite the oxytocin. They kept upping it, and the spinal finally started to wear off. So now I was having an oxytocin induced labour, and was still refusing medication whenever they offered it. I was really afraid that I couldn’t handle a second round but I managed to get back into the rhythm again, and Rudy managed me through each and every contraction. He was absolutely amazing.
After several hours of the second round, they decided to check me, I was 6cm. A little progress in my cervix, but absolutely no downward movement of the baby. The OB still gave us more time, which I appreciated so much. I was pushing again with every contraction and had to be talked through them so I would breather and not push. Needless to say, that wasn’t always possible. One or two more checks, and a couple more hours, an the OB came to check me again, it was about 4:45 pm on Tuesday afternoon. He told me that he’d give us until 5:00, but that it was really time to get the baby out.. Ther e was nothing happening, no change in her position and that w had done everything we could. We cried again. I contracted, pushed, cried. We had a serious talk with the midwife. She told us that she agreed that there was nothing more we could possibly have done to try and get this baby here vaginally. I tried to bargain, but I knew it was just my pride talking. Rudy finally told me that it was time, how strong I was, and how proud he was of me. He gave me the strength I needed to finally make the decision to get this baby out.
We decided .
There was another whirlwind of activity, another trip to the OR, another spinal, and within minutes of the most crazy, terrifying sensations of my life, she was here.
She was beautiful. It was over. Rudy went to her, cut the cord, wept his heart out, and he got her in his arms.
We cried as they finished me up, and watched our beautiful baby girl take it all in, in complete calm. I can’t even describe how strange all the physical sensations were, and how disconnected I became from my body. It was the most surreal experience of my life.
We spent the next three nights in the hospital together, bonding, healing etc. Rudy was by my side every second. He has done everything for me. I haven’t even changed a diaper yet and she’s 4 days old!
We got home yesterday and it was wonderful.
The recovery has been really hard, but I’m doing well.
The only way that I can process and heal from this emotionally is that after she was born, the OB told us everything that was preventing her from coming, it’s unbelievable!
I’ll list the stats as this is getting insanely long!!!!
*She had the cord wrapped all around her in different ways.
*She had a true knot in her cord.
*She had her ARM completely up over her head…this has got to be the reason she couldn’t descend into my pelvis. (called a compound presentation)
*And last but not least, the little tidbit that she was 10lbs-1.5oz!
So without further adieu, presenting, after almost 32 hours of labour!
Amelia Anne Louise G****m
January 25th,
6:41pm
10 pounds 1.5 ounces
23 inches long
So the birth was the absolute laundry list of everything we never wanted to have happen. BUT, if it weren't for the C-Section, we'd both be very dead. I am utterly humbled, and thankful for this beautiful, precious baby girl, and the most incredible husband in the world.