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January 2011 Moms
Sterling is here! HORRIBLE C-SECTION EXPERIENCE! (Long)
So last week I had my baby boy! I would've posted sooner but it's been a busy 1st week. Let's go back about...8 days from today...
Last Tuesday I had a prenatal check up appointment to determine if and when I would need to be induced early due to high blood pressure. It turns out I did need to be induced, so my doctor left to go call the on call doctor at the hospital I was to deliver at. The husband and I thought we'd have at least a few more days, but she came back in the room with a piece of paper that said "7PM". Great. We were to go to the hospital THAT NIGHT! She said that they wanted me to come in and be monitored for an hour or so to see if my blood pressure got any lower.
So we packed our overnight bags, left for the hospital (after having lunch at Chili's!) and they hooked me up to the monitors. After about 1 1/2 hours, the doctor came in and said that my blood pressure was getting higher, I had protein in my urine and I was showing signs of preeclampsia. So because of that I was to be admitted, given medicine in my vagina to soften my cervix and put on pitocin in the morning.
After getting settled in my L&D room, I was given the medicine and we were to wait. It was about 2AM when I started having horrible cramps and I was not able to get any sleep at all. So the nurse came in to check me, and it turns out that the cramps I was having were actually contractions. They called the doctor in and he said my contractions were getting too strong and they were too close together so they gave me a shot to slow down my labor. He said I was able to get the epidural now so they got that all done for me. At about 4:30AM, after the epidural, they had me lay on one side because the baby's heart rate was showing signs of distress. At about 5 they put the oxygen mask on me to see if that would help. Then the doctor broke my water. Around 7AM the epidural was wearing off because I was laying on one side, so they gave me more medicine and had me lay on the other side. My labor started to pick up again, so they gave me another shot to slow it back down.
At 8:30, the next doctor who was on-call came in and told me that the baby's heart rate wasn't showing signs of improvement and that they needed to do a c-section right away. After that everything was such a blur. My husband was terrified for me, but I was terrified for the baby. They wheeled me back, got me all ready on the operating table and started to test whether or not I could feel anything. I could. So they gave me more medicine, called my husband back and got started. As soon as that scalpel cut into my skin, I could feel it. I started yelling "I CAN FEEL THAT!!" They said "Well is it pressure?" I said "NO! I FEEL YOU CUTTING ME!" After that I don't remember anything. They had to put me under general anesthetic because I could feel everything and I was moving around. Apparently when the doctor went in to grab the baby, he flipped back up into my ribs and the doctor had to go in elbow deep to grab him.
I remember waking up still on the operating table, my eyes were still closed but I was awake, and I had a tube in my throat. I kept trying to swallow 'cause I was freaking out! I didn't know what was going on. I heard the nurses telling me to relax, then I blacked out again. Next thing I know I'm waking up in a bed in the recovery room. I couldn't fully open my eyes, I had an oxygen mask on and my lips and throat were horribly dry. I could hear my husband talking to the nurse, but I can't remember what they were talking about. Then I heard my little boy cry. I tried opening my eyes, but I couldn't. Finally after a while I could open them, but my vision was ridiculously blurry. All I wanted to do was to see my son, but I couldn't. I could make out the shapes of my husband holding our son, and he was trying to show him to me, but I couldn't see. It took about 45 minutes until I could fully see anything. Our son is so handsome and so beautiful!
They kept me in that room for about 1 1/2 hours, and finally transferred me over to the overnight recovery rooms were we spent the rest of our stay there. I had a lot of family waiting for me and Sterling to show up. It was really nice to have so much support. After everyone left, my husband told me what had happened during the surgery. He said that after they delivered Sterling, they kicked him out. They told him that the baby was fine but didn't tell him how I was doing. He said he had never been so terrified in his life. Eventually they told him I was okay.
So we spent 2 days in the hospital, and they let us go home on Christmas Eve. They told us that Sterling was jaundice, but they said if I fed him a lot and gave him some formula that it would leave his system, but they wanted us to go in the next morning for a blood test to test his levels. So we went in the next day, and they were higher. Then they had us come back the next day for another test and they were even higher! We were afraid that we'd have to go back to the hospital so he could get the UV treatment, but when we went back the third time his levels were a lot lower and they said he'd be fine.
Anyways, the last few days at home have been amazing! I'm so in love with my precious baby boy. He's so adorable and so handsome! My husband has been amazing as well. Since I ended up with a c-section I'm very limited in what I can do, so he's been having to do everything around the house and help me do things like shower and such. But it's been great. Although I'm not allowed to leave the house for at least 3 weeks.
So ya! Sterling Jackson Strong was born at 9:39AM on December 22. He weighed 6lbs 5oz and was 20.5 inches long. His original due date was January 4th.
I'm so happy he's here and healthy. And today his umbilical cord stump fell off!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Sterling is here! HORRIBLE C-SECTION EXPERIENCE! (Long)
Emily 8.8.08
Madeline 1.2.11
William 8.5.12
I think that the reason I was able to feel the surgery was because the epidural wore off due to having to lay on one side for the majority of the night. It was about 40 minutes before they started the c-section that I started to feel my contractions again, so that might be why. If I had gotten the epidural right before they started the c-section it would've been fine I'm sure, but like I said, it was wearing off before they started the surgery.
Try not to be nervous! Just remember the end result is worth it! And I'm recovering pretty quickly too!!
I actually never got the pitocin! They put medicine in my vagina (the husband said it was kinda like powder) to soften my cervix and THEN they'd give me the pitocin, but the doctor said that the medicine put me into labor and that he'd never seen someone react to it like that before, hahaha. Comforting, right?
Scary. That's one of the reasons I'm so scared of getting a c-section... feeling them cut into me. But, its very rare for that to actually happen.
Did your anesthesiologist give you a shot into your epi port before they began?
Glad everything worked out in the end and you and your boy are home safe.
Oh my goodness!!! That is exactly what happened to me when I had DD via c-section last December...except they didn't knock me out until after they took DD out. I remember waking up in recovery in horrendous pain. I too couldn't even visually focus on DH and DD because my vision was so blurry.
Glad to hear that you are finally home and safe!!! Congratulations on your handsome little one!
Ya she did, twice actually. Once an hour before the surgery and then right before but it didn't work.
Oh my goodness!!! Wow, that sounds really scary. I'm sorry that was your birth experience
Did they say why you couldn't leave the house for 3 weeks? I had a c/s also, and I was up and about, driving even, at 5 days postpartum.
No, they just told me that I was to stay home and do nothing but take care of the baby for the next 3 weeks. ...I haven't though, hahaha. I've been up and about nearly every day since I've been home. We actually went out to the store two days ago, but the next day I was super sore. I can do pretty much everything like normal, I just move a little slower and I do have pain every now and then.
Okay, good! I truly believe moving helps with healing. Of course take it slow, and even slower if you have pain, but I'm glad you're up and moving!
Thanks!
That is one scary story! I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that! Wow. Love that your hubby is being so wonderful! That's always nice to hear!
On the upside, holy smokes - he is a beautiful baby! Just gorgeous! Congratulations!
I am terrified of having to be induced
That is such an awful story and sounds really scary for both you and your husband. I'm so glad you are recovering well and baby is healthy and at home.
Congratulations!
(And please post this in the other post too!)
It sounds to me from your story that the epi wasn't placed correctly and never worked. If it works, it should last throughout labor, not keep "wearing off" so that is probably why you felt them cutting, the drugs never did what they were supposed to be doing because of the original placement.
You only stayed 2 days for a c-section? 4 days in the US is the norm, did they tell you why they were discharging you so early? I am glad you and LO are ok, but I would seriously re-consider this hospital and your OB after this experience.
I only stayed 2 days with my c-section because I wanted to go home and my doctor said that my recovery was going fine and that I could. Maybe she felt ok enough to leave.
Ya thats why they let me leave early. I asked them if I could go home and they said I could.
Omg that is so scary and I thought I had a bad delivery but mine was nothing compared to yours. I am super happy your story had a wonderful ending and congrats on such a cute boy.
P.S. I love his name.