Louis' External Version and Birth Story
Louise_Belcher
member
TL;DR - External version hurt, but worked. Surprised by being admitted/induced the next day. Long boring induction. 2hrs hard labor. Got a intrathecal! Baby shot out completely during second push. Short cords are a thing. Louis required resuscitation and this was the scariest 10 minutes of my life. All is well now.
Louis was breech throughout the pregnancy. The OB was confused by this because my previous pregnancy wasn't breech, fluid levels were normal, and the baby wasn't large. So after much deliberating I went in on the morning of Thursday May 4th to L&D triage for an external version. It was performed by my OB and another from the practice. They stated they would attempt three times unless I had them stop before that. First time they got baby half turned and he popped right back, second they got him halfish way and he flipped from having his back on the left to the right but was still head up, and the third time I almost had them stop because it was so painful. I am glad I didn't because he flipped head down. I wouldn't wish an external version on anyone, but would do it again if I had to. After monitoring for an hour they sent me home and I was to come in the following morning at 8am for a NST.
Friday morning H stayed with DS and my mom went with me to the NST. They said it would be about 20 minutes. Got hooked up which hurt a good deal because my belly was bruised and sore from the events the day before. Everything seemed good. They were very reassuring. I asked multiple times if they would X-ray to verify baby was still head down. They didn't really tell me why but decided I would get fluids. So I got to hang out through a bag of fluids. Doctor came in and X-ray showed he was head down still (hooray!) Finished the bag of fluids and the doctor came back in. I thought she would say I have to come in the next day for for another NST because everyone seemed on edge about my version. Instead she said "Twice early on in monitoring the baby's heart rate dipped (not below normal) during contractions. So we are going to admit you and induce today." I started crying (while my mom started clapping with excitement). DS wouldn't be my only baby anymore and I hadn't even said good bye to him that morning because he was still sleeping. Also due to low platelets I was likely going to start steroids the following Wednesday in hopes they would increase to what anesthesiology had previously stated their cut off would be for an epidural. The doctor said she would check on the epidural and they sent me to my room while I tried to get a hold of H. Dr returned and said anesthesiology agreed to do the epidural when it came time. This eased some of my worry and I was shocked.
Got to my room and at 12:30 was checked. Dilated to 2 and 60%. They started pit and increase every half hour. NOTHING HAPPENED ALL DAY!!! It was unbelievably boring. Not sure if the numbers on the pit pump are universal but they started at 3 and at 8pm it was up to 48 with zero results. I was still only dilated to 2. I seriously thought I might be immune to that medicine. They gave me the option to keep going through the night or shut it off and try cervadil overnight and start pit again in the morning. So we stopped it. I got to eat and shower.
Oh also at some point during the day my brother Facebook messaged my OB who was not on that weekend to tell her I was in labor. He dated her daughter a long while ago. I felt like such a turd because then she called the OB that was on that weekend and my room to talk to me. I felt like I was putting people out or that someone would think I thought I was special and could only have her. I didn't feel this way, but she is awesome and I am happy to have her watching out for me.
Saturday morning the cervadil came out at 6:35am and they started pit at 8:45am. Still nothing so they broke my water at 11:10am and said I was at a 3. Still nothing until about 1:00 when I could see consistent contractions on the monitor. They were not strong feeling though. By this point H and I had read the entire internet and moved on to Hulu on the laptop. At 2 they FINALLY started to hurt and that ramped up quickly. I texted my mom to come back (she was apparently already on her way). Nurse asked if I wanted drugs I said yes and anesthesiology said I needed bloodwork again (damn it why didn't this happen when I was comfy and not writhing!). They gave me Nubian while we waited for the blood draw. They drew my blood but it was going to take too long to get the results, so my amazing nurse pleaded with the anesthesiologist to do an intrathecal because I wasn't going to have time for an epidural to start working and he agreed. That shit was magic and I felt great until it was time to push! I got to talk and laugh while we waited for my OB to drive in on her day off. OB said to push, but I think it wasn't during a contraction because it didn't feel useful. Then a contraction hit and I pushed hard and he came out all at once and very quickly. So two pushes and he shot out at 4:04pm. They lifted him up and tried to put him on my chest but he had a short cord (something like 12" who knew that was a thing!) and the top of his head could only make it to my belly button. This was apparently why he was breech. He let out one cry and then nothing. He didn't breath and he was purple and limp. They were roughing him up, but nothing was happening. The cord was cut and they took him to the crib thing and began resuscitation efforts. They used (I think it's called) an ambu bag for about 10 minutes until they got him to breath on his own. During this time I watched the area around him fill with medical staff. I could no longer see him. Everyone seemed silent. It was terrifying and we were not at a hospital with a NICU, so I was nervous he wouldn't have what he needed. It was about an hour later that I got to hold him. He is wonderful and doing great now. He was 6lbs 11oz 19in and 37 weeks 4 days.
I ended up with a 2nd degree tear, but recovery has been a breeze and breastfeeding is going awesome so far. Unfortunately his platelets were too low for a circ in the hospital due to my antibodies crossing the placenta and attacking his platelets (they are a normal level now), so we have had to delay that.
If you made it this far you deserve a treat!
DS1 8/15DS2 5/17
#3 Due 9/20
Re: Louis' External Version and Birth Story
I'm sorry that y'all had such a scare in the delivery room - I can't imagine! I'm so glad everything resolved and that y'all are doing well now!
Married: October 2014
Began TTC: April 2015
BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w)
BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w)
BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17
BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
Congratulations again and thanks for sharing!
DS1 7/24/15
DS2 5/7/17
It’s not that I don’t like you, it’s that I don’t know you. Stranger Danger.
Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
Little Brother Due 05.22.17
@kns1988 I didn't ask a lot of questions about why it happened, but it was said that it can occur when the baby comes out quickly. Not sure if that is true, but he did exit shockingly fast.
@mrsrep123I had no idea that short cord was a thing until he was out. I had never heard of it. @erinh2005 My DS1 did not have a short cord at all, so you may not have that issue again.
DS2 5/17
#3 Due 9/20
DS1 7/24/15
DS2 5/7/17
DS2 5/17
#3 Due 9/20
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~Charlie Chaplin