May 2016 Moms
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Annabelle Rose - A day full of ups and downs
slfezz
member
Here is the birth story of DD3, Annabelle Rose, who was born on 5/10 at 6:02 pm, weighed 8 lbs 15 oz and was 19 inches long. It was a rollercoaster ride physically and emotionally so it makes for a long story which is why I'm just now writing it 12 days later.
It starts at my 38 week appointment when we found out that Anna was not head down like we had thought. For the past several weeks, we had thought she was head down but never engaged so it was a surprised to find out. She was in a breach/oblique position with her head under my right ribs and her but next to my left hip and already measuring 8 lbs 6 oz. Talking with the OB, we decided to try an ECV after 39 weeks so I could then be induced to have a scheduled c-section right after based on the outcome since there wasn't much benefit to waiting.
So on 5/10, 39w+2 days, we showed up to the hospital at 10am to get checked in. The rollercoaster ride started almost right away when my BP was high during my first round of vital checks (think ~160/95). I had high BP during labor with DD2 so we had been watching in closely this entire pregnancy and this was the first time it was above 120/80. Cue my first round of BP meds which knocked it down to high but acceptable values (Yay for now!). At 11:30 am, two of my OBs showed up and we started the ECV. In the week since my last ultrasound, DD3 started moving towards a head down position as her head was right next to my right hip but not engaged yet (Yay!) but after little more looking found out her butt was still next to my left hip (Boo!) and she had flipped to a more transverse positioning (my OB actually said during the ultrasound right before starting the version "I found the head but where is the body"). The ECV itself was quite the experience, definitely painful but I think worth it to avoid an automatic c-section. It only took about 5 minutes and we were able to get Anna's head right over the birth canal and straightened out so here but was centered under my ribs (Yay!). At this point, I thought I had avoided a c-section completely and could go on with my vaginal delivery that I wanted.
At noon, I started the induction with pitocin to start contraction to keep Anna from flipping while I got my IV antibiotics due to be GBS+. I was already dilated to a 3 so I didn't need any cervidil or foley beforehand. The contractions started right way strongly and regularly but manageable at the time. Around 4pm, I asked for the epidural since the plan from early was to break my water after the 2nd bag of antibiotics (which was just started) to ensure Anna didn't flip and I knew the contractions would immediately be very intense right after and i wanted to get ahead of the pain. The epi took 3 tries to get in (Boo!) but worked great after it was placed (yay!). 30 minutes later, my BP which was holding steady since the meds before, started creeping up again. A second round of BP meds did nothing and neither did a new medication they tried (Boo!). Anna was going great throughout labor so far but hadn't dropped at all and I hadn't dilated any more after nearly 5 hours of good contractions. Then I developed a headache and then nausea 15 minutes after that (this may have been due to either my BP issues or since I hadn't eaten since midnight). By this time, my OB came back in to check on me after all the updates from the nurses and within 15 minutes of evaluating me decided that I needed to deliver the baby sooner rather than later and I needed to have a c-section since it looks like I was fast progressing into pre-eclampsia. I was devastated at that news and immediately started crying. I had thought i was over the c-section hurdle but my body decided enough was enough even though Anna was doing great and never was in any distress. It was a combination of my BP, headache, nausea, and failure to progress with my induction after several hours that sealed my fate. It wasn't an emergency c-section but I was in the OR within 30 minutes and Anna was born 15 minutes later. The c-section itself wasn't as bad I feared it might be but it was very weird not be able to feel any pain or move but be able to feel the pulling and tugging to get Anna out. Another OB quote from the c-section "Wow! thats a lot of fluid" after they broke my bag and explains why Anna was able to turn so much and never really engaged. I was able to see Anna for about 10 minutes and she was help next to my head before heading to the nursery while I was stitched back up and then in recover for 1 hour (this was probably the hardest part of the whole process since I didn't get to hold her or start breastfeeding for almost 90 minutes after her birth instead of immediately). But once she was in my arms all seemed better with the world. My BP had already started coming down and my headache and nausea just vanished after delivery so I know we made the right choice with getting the c-section, but it still sad for me that my pregnancy ended that way since I never wanted to go that route and had 2 success inductions already.
My hospital stay ended up being 5 days due to having a hard time controlling my pain after the spinal fully wore off 24 hrs later and Anna developing jaundice between days 3 and 4 and needed to go under the lights for ~16 hours before being discharged. Its been 12 days since her birth now and I'm finally starting to feel good enough I can be a mom again to all my girls instead of just Anna and enjoy being a family of 5. Anna is a great baby and has been a sound sleeper and easy nurser after my milk came in.
ETA to add pics of my 3 precious girls
It starts at my 38 week appointment when we found out that Anna was not head down like we had thought. For the past several weeks, we had thought she was head down but never engaged so it was a surprised to find out. She was in a breach/oblique position with her head under my right ribs and her but next to my left hip and already measuring 8 lbs 6 oz. Talking with the OB, we decided to try an ECV after 39 weeks so I could then be induced to have a scheduled c-section right after based on the outcome since there wasn't much benefit to waiting.
So on 5/10, 39w+2 days, we showed up to the hospital at 10am to get checked in. The rollercoaster ride started almost right away when my BP was high during my first round of vital checks (think ~160/95). I had high BP during labor with DD2 so we had been watching in closely this entire pregnancy and this was the first time it was above 120/80. Cue my first round of BP meds which knocked it down to high but acceptable values (Yay for now!). At 11:30 am, two of my OBs showed up and we started the ECV. In the week since my last ultrasound, DD3 started moving towards a head down position as her head was right next to my right hip but not engaged yet (Yay!) but after little more looking found out her butt was still next to my left hip (Boo!) and she had flipped to a more transverse positioning (my OB actually said during the ultrasound right before starting the version "I found the head but where is the body"). The ECV itself was quite the experience, definitely painful but I think worth it to avoid an automatic c-section. It only took about 5 minutes and we were able to get Anna's head right over the birth canal and straightened out so here but was centered under my ribs (Yay!). At this point, I thought I had avoided a c-section completely and could go on with my vaginal delivery that I wanted.
At noon, I started the induction with pitocin to start contraction to keep Anna from flipping while I got my IV antibiotics due to be GBS+. I was already dilated to a 3 so I didn't need any cervidil or foley beforehand. The contractions started right way strongly and regularly but manageable at the time. Around 4pm, I asked for the epidural since the plan from early was to break my water after the 2nd bag of antibiotics (which was just started) to ensure Anna didn't flip and I knew the contractions would immediately be very intense right after and i wanted to get ahead of the pain. The epi took 3 tries to get in (Boo!) but worked great after it was placed (yay!). 30 minutes later, my BP which was holding steady since the meds before, started creeping up again. A second round of BP meds did nothing and neither did a new medication they tried (Boo!). Anna was going great throughout labor so far but hadn't dropped at all and I hadn't dilated any more after nearly 5 hours of good contractions. Then I developed a headache and then nausea 15 minutes after that (this may have been due to either my BP issues or since I hadn't eaten since midnight). By this time, my OB came back in to check on me after all the updates from the nurses and within 15 minutes of evaluating me decided that I needed to deliver the baby sooner rather than later and I needed to have a c-section since it looks like I was fast progressing into pre-eclampsia. I was devastated at that news and immediately started crying. I had thought i was over the c-section hurdle but my body decided enough was enough even though Anna was doing great and never was in any distress. It was a combination of my BP, headache, nausea, and failure to progress with my induction after several hours that sealed my fate. It wasn't an emergency c-section but I was in the OR within 30 minutes and Anna was born 15 minutes later. The c-section itself wasn't as bad I feared it might be but it was very weird not be able to feel any pain or move but be able to feel the pulling and tugging to get Anna out. Another OB quote from the c-section "Wow! thats a lot of fluid" after they broke my bag and explains why Anna was able to turn so much and never really engaged. I was able to see Anna for about 10 minutes and she was help next to my head before heading to the nursery while I was stitched back up and then in recover for 1 hour (this was probably the hardest part of the whole process since I didn't get to hold her or start breastfeeding for almost 90 minutes after her birth instead of immediately). But once she was in my arms all seemed better with the world. My BP had already started coming down and my headache and nausea just vanished after delivery so I know we made the right choice with getting the c-section, but it still sad for me that my pregnancy ended that way since I never wanted to go that route and had 2 success inductions already.
My hospital stay ended up being 5 days due to having a hard time controlling my pain after the spinal fully wore off 24 hrs later and Anna developing jaundice between days 3 and 4 and needed to go under the lights for ~16 hours before being discharged. Its been 12 days since her birth now and I'm finally starting to feel good enough I can be a mom again to all my girls instead of just Anna and enjoy being a family of 5. Anna is a great baby and has been a sound sleeper and easy nurser after my milk came in.
ETA to add pics of my 3 precious girls
Re: Annabelle Rose - A day full of ups and downs