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SarahPLiz
member
My doctor stitched up my 3 3rd degree tears and then sent me back to my L&D room to get cleaned up. At that point, my HR was still in the 150s and my BP was 65/42, which indicated a bleeding problem. For the next 2 hours, I had my doctor and 2 nurses trying to control my bleeding, because my uterus was too tired to contract on its own to stop it. This was not fun at all. They had to massage (cute word for mash the shiit out of my stomach) and shoot me up with 3 different kinds of medication, along with keeping the pitocin drip going and giving me cytotec suppositories. Raz missed most of this because he was upstairs with the baby, so when he came back down, he was surprised. Finally I got stable at about 10pm. My family came in to see me breifly and then all went home. Only my mom had seen a glimpse of the baby as he went upstairs because she was waiting in the hall where she wasn?t supposed to be. Raz didn?t even think of taking any pictures because he wasn?t totally scrubbed and his phone was probably contaminated. He reported that Alexander was on a CPAP and they had a tube in to help drain the air from his tummy. He did hear him cry, but he was so weak that it didn?t last long. He had the funniest looking misshapen head because of the delivery and the foreceps, and was all bruised up from not having any fluid in there for a couple weeks. My cousin said it looks like he lost a bar fight.
At around midnight Taytee came over and I got to start pumping. We got a few ML of colostrum and she and Raz delivered it upstairs so I could get cleaned up. We didn?t get to bed until 2 and I had to be up at 3 to pump again. I missed that session. At 6 and 9 we got a few more drops, but nothing since then. Still waiting for the milk to come in.
We went up yesterday morning after breakfast so I could get a good look at my boy for the first time. and he still had the CPAP and the tube in his mouth. He was frustrated at having a pacifier and the tube and not being able to get suction. We went back yesterday afternoon after I got a much needed nap, and they had removed the CPAP and the tube. I got to hold him. At his 9pm feeding, I got to feed him with a bottle. He?s got a sucking reflex, but its pretty weak, and he tires out easily. Heck I kept falling asleep too, so I don?t blame him. He did take the required 5ml but didn?t meet the 30 min deadline. Hopefully I get to feed him again today.
AW: Alexander's Eviction Story- long and gory because that's just they way it was
SarahPLiz
member
You all know the story of how I had a preterm rupture and was placed on hospital bed rest for 10 days before an induction, so I?ll start with that induction. Sunday night (34w2d) I started oral doses of Cytotec to ripen my cervix, which was still a very tight 1cm and very long and thick. At 9am, I was a full 1 cm dilated so my doctor started the pitocin. There were contractions showing on the monitor, but all I felt is one 7 hour long menstrual cramp. I was relaxed and tried lots of positions we learned in our natural birth classes in order to get him to come down in the right position, but no luck. By 4pm, with the pitocin cranked up to 26 (on a scale of 2-40), we were barely 1.5 cm dilated and 60% effaced. My doc decided to cut the losses and sent us back to our antepartum room to rest up for our next induction try. She didn?t see any reason to try a c-section, because even though we were inducing because of risk of infection, neither baby nor I was showing evidence of any infection, and he was a rock star during all the supposed contractions. Apparently, there were 3 failed inductions on the hall that day, which is unheard of.
I spent Tuesday walking the halls (wonderful pleasure after over a week in bed), but my muscles, especially lower abdomen, hip flexors, quads and hips, were so fatigued. Tuesday night we went back to L&D for another induction try. The Cervadil was inserted (like a small tampon) at about 9pm. I started having cramping a couple hours later. Doc came in at 5 and checked my progress, which DH says is the loudest I was all day. It scared him. It killed me. That Cervadil had made my insides raw, so an internal exam was the last thing I wanted. In any case, I was almost 3cm dilated and 70% effaced, so they turned on the pitocin. I was still committed to trying to go natural at that point, so we labored the best we could. However, because of the bed rest and the failed induction earlier in the week, my muscles were just too fatigued. Every time I contracted, my hip flexors cramped even worse. This ruled out any labor position where I had to bend at the hips (squatting, leaning over the bed, hands and knees, etc). All I could do was stand up. This was not going to work very well, but I still wanted to try.
By 9am I was 4cm dilated. The exams themselves were more painful that the actual contractions, but not more than all the other muscle cramps i was experiencing. with contractions less than a minute apart, for hours.. I could barely stand anymore and told the nurse to stop turning up the pitocin. I knew I couldn?t make it at this rate unmedicated. My doc was concerned about some decelerations she was seeing on baby's monitor, so she said to give it a couple more hours and see what happened and then we?d decide between and epi and a spinal block. This was the first mention of a c-section, but at that point all I wanted was my baby to stay alive, however he came out.
I got an epi at 11am at 4cm dilated. by that point, he was still at a -1 station (head right above my ischial spines). Then we lost his HB on the external monitor for 3 minutes. Nurse called a Fetal Heart Tone code and 7 nurses and my doctor showed up fairly quickly, The anesthesiologist was still there too. They inserted a HR monitor on to his scalp and found it again, but it was in the 80s, not the 150s that they had seen all day. This is the second time that Sparky almost got cut out. We found that if I laid on my right side, he was fine. If I turned over, he appeared to be laying right on his cord. With no fluid in there to cushion either one of them, there was not a lot of room for error. So I laid on my right side for the duration of labor. I was so glad I had gotten the epidural because I would have not been able to stay in one position like that. As it was, my right legs were cramping up and I had my dad and Raz massaging them.
At 5pm, 6 hours after being placed on my side, I was only 5 cm, but Sparky had come down to 0 station. This was good news. All I knew is that the pressure and pain in my pelvis was building and something needed to be done about it. They actually turned off my pitocin for a little while, but then turned it back on, just lower.
At 6:15pm, I felt the urge to push, as the pressure was just too great, so Raz called the nurse. No one responded until he called again 15 minutes later. I had the shakes and he thought I might be having a seizure. That was scary for both of us, because I was trying to control my breathing and couldn?t control ANYTHING! I also had a nearly 102 fever and my heart rate was in the 180s. By that point, I only had a little lip of cervix left and they made me wait a few more horrible contractions before they?d let me push. Finally my doctor got there and I started pushing a little before 7. Once the pushing started, the shaking stopped, thank goodness. After about 5 pushes, Sparky was having real trouble maintaining his HR. It stopped a few times. My doctor decided she would get him out with forceps, and the NICU decided they wanted me to deliver in the OR, so they unplugged us all and we went down the hall. I had 3 more contractions along the way and couldn?t help but push, even though they were not productive.
Once we got to the ER and got all hooked up (bed and monitors plugged in), the doctor got out the forceps. That was the most pain I have ever experienced in my life, even with the epidura l.It didn't help that he was sunny side up. 2 more pushes and he was out. It was 7:17pm. THey laid him on my stomach where I heard his gurgle and grunt and I got to touch him. He also pooped on me. Then the NICU took him and Raz out into the hallways to suction and resuscitate him. They brought him back in momentarily so I could touch him before they took him and Raz upstairs.
I spent Tuesday walking the halls (wonderful pleasure after over a week in bed), but my muscles, especially lower abdomen, hip flexors, quads and hips, were so fatigued. Tuesday night we went back to L&D for another induction try. The Cervadil was inserted (like a small tampon) at about 9pm. I started having cramping a couple hours later. Doc came in at 5 and checked my progress, which DH says is the loudest I was all day. It scared him. It killed me. That Cervadil had made my insides raw, so an internal exam was the last thing I wanted. In any case, I was almost 3cm dilated and 70% effaced, so they turned on the pitocin. I was still committed to trying to go natural at that point, so we labored the best we could. However, because of the bed rest and the failed induction earlier in the week, my muscles were just too fatigued. Every time I contracted, my hip flexors cramped even worse. This ruled out any labor position where I had to bend at the hips (squatting, leaning over the bed, hands and knees, etc). All I could do was stand up. This was not going to work very well, but I still wanted to try.
By 9am I was 4cm dilated. The exams themselves were more painful that the actual contractions, but not more than all the other muscle cramps i was experiencing. with contractions less than a minute apart, for hours.. I could barely stand anymore and told the nurse to stop turning up the pitocin. I knew I couldn?t make it at this rate unmedicated. My doc was concerned about some decelerations she was seeing on baby's monitor, so she said to give it a couple more hours and see what happened and then we?d decide between and epi and a spinal block. This was the first mention of a c-section, but at that point all I wanted was my baby to stay alive, however he came out.
I got an epi at 11am at 4cm dilated. by that point, he was still at a -1 station (head right above my ischial spines). Then we lost his HB on the external monitor for 3 minutes. Nurse called a Fetal Heart Tone code and 7 nurses and my doctor showed up fairly quickly, The anesthesiologist was still there too. They inserted a HR monitor on to his scalp and found it again, but it was in the 80s, not the 150s that they had seen all day. This is the second time that Sparky almost got cut out. We found that if I laid on my right side, he was fine. If I turned over, he appeared to be laying right on his cord. With no fluid in there to cushion either one of them, there was not a lot of room for error. So I laid on my right side for the duration of labor. I was so glad I had gotten the epidural because I would have not been able to stay in one position like that. As it was, my right legs were cramping up and I had my dad and Raz massaging them.
At 5pm, 6 hours after being placed on my side, I was only 5 cm, but Sparky had come down to 0 station. This was good news. All I knew is that the pressure and pain in my pelvis was building and something needed to be done about it. They actually turned off my pitocin for a little while, but then turned it back on, just lower.
At 6:15pm, I felt the urge to push, as the pressure was just too great, so Raz called the nurse. No one responded until he called again 15 minutes later. I had the shakes and he thought I might be having a seizure. That was scary for both of us, because I was trying to control my breathing and couldn?t control ANYTHING! I also had a nearly 102 fever and my heart rate was in the 180s. By that point, I only had a little lip of cervix left and they made me wait a few more horrible contractions before they?d let me push. Finally my doctor got there and I started pushing a little before 7. Once the pushing started, the shaking stopped, thank goodness. After about 5 pushes, Sparky was having real trouble maintaining his HR. It stopped a few times. My doctor decided she would get him out with forceps, and the NICU decided they wanted me to deliver in the OR, so they unplugged us all and we went down the hall. I had 3 more contractions along the way and couldn?t help but push, even though they were not productive.
Once we got to the ER and got all hooked up (bed and monitors plugged in), the doctor got out the forceps. That was the most pain I have ever experienced in my life, even with the epidura l.It didn't help that he was sunny side up. 2 more pushes and he was out. It was 7:17pm. THey laid him on my stomach where I heard his gurgle and grunt and I got to touch him. He also pooped on me. Then the NICU took him and Raz out into the hallways to suction and resuscitate him. They brought him back in momentarily so I could touch him before they took him and Raz upstairs.
My doctor stitched up my 3 3rd degree tears and then sent me back to my L&D room to get cleaned up. At that point, my HR was still in the 150s and my BP was 65/42, which indicated a bleeding problem. For the next 2 hours, I had my doctor and 2 nurses trying to control my bleeding, because my uterus was too tired to contract on its own to stop it. This was not fun at all. They had to massage (cute word for mash the shiit out of my stomach) and shoot me up with 3 different kinds of medication, along with keeping the pitocin drip going and giving me cytotec suppositories. Raz missed most of this because he was upstairs with the baby, so when he came back down, he was surprised. Finally I got stable at about 10pm. My family came in to see me breifly and then all went home. Only my mom had seen a glimpse of the baby as he went upstairs because she was waiting in the hall where she wasn?t supposed to be. Raz didn?t even think of taking any pictures because he wasn?t totally scrubbed and his phone was probably contaminated. He reported that Alexander was on a CPAP and they had a tube in to help drain the air from his tummy. He did hear him cry, but he was so weak that it didn?t last long. He had the funniest looking misshapen head because of the delivery and the foreceps, and was all bruised up from not having any fluid in there for a couple weeks. My cousin said it looks like he lost a bar fight.
At around midnight Taytee came over and I got to start pumping. We got a few ML of colostrum and she and Raz delivered it upstairs so I could get cleaned up. We didn?t get to bed until 2 and I had to be up at 3 to pump again. I missed that session. At 6 and 9 we got a few more drops, but nothing since then. Still waiting for the milk to come in.
We went up yesterday morning after breakfast so I could get a good look at my boy for the first time. and he still had the CPAP and the tube in his mouth. He was frustrated at having a pacifier and the tube and not being able to get suction. We went back yesterday afternoon after I got a much needed nap, and they had removed the CPAP and the tube. I got to hold him. At his 9pm feeding, I got to feed him with a bottle. He?s got a sucking reflex, but its pretty weak, and he tires out easily. Heck I kept falling asleep too, so I don?t blame him. He did take the required 5ml but didn?t meet the 30 min deadline. Hopefully I get to feed him again today.
Maybe Taytee will post a picture that she took. I suck at getting pictures to work correctly on TB. But he's cute, and not just because he's mine 
Thank you all for all the dust. It worked, as we are both healthy as can be expected and recovering well.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: AW: Alexander's Eviction Story- long and gory because that's just they way it was
Oh, Sarah. I totally teared up at the thought of you shaking and going through all of that! I'm really glad that you guys are both recovering and well. and 3 tears?! Holy geez. How will recovery look after that?
I'm also happy that Taytee got to go help you out - thank goodness. Can't wait to meet him in person.
WOW - I'm tired just reading about what you had to go thru. And now I'm crying!!!
Congratulations of your little one!
"There is a fine line between a princess and a witch...thinking you're one does NOT give you the right to act like the other." my grandmother
Absolutely this! I hope that your recovery is quick and that he gets to come home soon.
When 3 Became 4
THe tears suck, I'm not going to lie. I'm trying to hydrate and eat well so I can recover and produce milk, but the other side of that equation is pretty scary and tender at this point. But like Taytee keeps telling me, people recover from stuff all the time and its not like broken vaginas never heal. Many people go ont o have second children, it just takes patience and care.
I should get discharged today, but Sparky will stay probably at least a week. HIs cultures aren't back yet, and we just got a call that he's getting sent for an MRI for a possible hematoma on his right cheek that is keeping him from opening that eye. I noticed it gummed hut last night, but I didn't think about a hematoma. Given the trauma his poor little head went through, I'm not surprised. Hopefully it doesn't affect his vision or eating. We'll know more later today.
Wow, what an incredible time. You and ATL are amazing! I hope the recovery for both of you is as short as possible. Lots of continues thoughts to you and your family. congratulations!
TTC #1 since February 2011
BFP #1 1/14/12 EDD 9/24/12 m/c at 8w4d on 2/20/12
March 2012- Dx with PCOS, started metformin
July 2012- SA completely normal
wow, what a story! and great details too. reading your story helped me understand some things about my own L&D, like the level of pitocin and the HR monitor on the scalp thing. We had to have that too after his heart rate dropped.
continued thoughts that you both heal quickly and he is able to come home soon!
BFP 12.20.2010 :: missed m/c 1/2011 around 8 weeks
BFP @ 9dpo 5.24.2011 :: missed m/c 6/2011 around 7 weeks
positive for ANAs (1:40) with a speckled pattern
MTHFR c677t mutation (heterozygous)
*folic acid, baby asprin, Prometrium, acupuncture, Lovenox*
BFP @ 9dpo 2.1.2012 || HCG = 8 : Progesterone = 19.2
2nd HCG @ 11dpo = 40 || 3rd HCG @ 21dpo = over 5000!
Stick, little one, stick! EDD October 15, 2012
I'll eta this in a minute when I finish, but I just got to the pitocin at 26 part. Holy geez. Mine was at a 5 for the longest time and at the end they "cranked" it up to a 6. I cannot imagine. Ok, back to reading.
eta: Wow. Just, wow. What a story! So glad you and LO are ok. Congrats! I can't wait to see pics!
What troopers you both were! It sounds like Alexander Tiberius is living up to his names-- what a little warrior! I'm so glad that despite the pain, scares, bleeding (3 tears, ouch!), and heart rate dropping episodes, that you and your baby boy are doing well.
Lots of healthy development and strengthening sucking reflex dust to AT and healing dust to you.
Congratulations!