Delivery from Hell - but my boys are safe!
Thanks for all the support I got after my water broke a week ago - it was so helpful when I was really frightened.
Here's the update. It isn't pretty though. I might skip this if I were still waiting for babies to arrive.
Last Friday, after the magnesuim sulfate stalled my labor, my doctors decided to wait till 34 weeks, 1 day to give the babies a little more time to grow. I was put on hospital bedrest and had numerous IV antibiotics and rigorous monitoring to be sure there was no infection starting from the ruptured waters. Everything went well.
Because I was already sitting at 6 centimeters dilated, and both babies were vertex/vertex, we decided to go ahead with a vaginal birth. I had a great team of doctors that I felt really comfortable with and was pretty eager to avoid a section. I got an epidural and progressed nicely as the day went on. I actually never had anything in the epidural and never really felt much beyond a little discomfort. At 7:30, we moved to the O.R where I pushed Baby A out with no real troubles or fuss - no tearing at all!
Then it went to Hell.
Baby B was being monitored with ultrasound and almost immediately after Baby A was out he went transverse and breech. My medical team worked so hard to get him out safely. However, as I had that team of doctors reaching inside of me, pushing from the outside and trying everything they could to get a grip on Baby B, I knew we were in trouble. Baby B had curled into a ball and refused to move and they couldn't grip him. I could see everyone beginning to panic and now I was wishing I would have turned up that epidural. Then I suffered a placental abruption and started hemorrhaging heavily. Baby B's heart suddenly stopped. The lead MFM screamed that it was a c-section - NOW. The anesthesiologist yelled that I had no epidural base and the MFM replied that if we didn't get the baby out now, and stop the bleeding immediately, it would be too late, maybe for both of us. I was given a general, but ladies, I really, really feel that I wasn't fully out as they started to cut. My last conscious memory is hearing the OB yelling at NICU telling them to expect a baby that had been down for three or four minutes and would need a full resuscitation. I've never been so scared. My poor, pale husband was led away and was told that they weren't sure everyone was going to come out of this safely.
When I woke up, the doctors told me that I had lost a significant amount of blood and did indeed have the double whammy, but that my baby had been safely resuscitated. I cried. I was so sure I had lost him. Things didn't exactly go better from there, though. I'm literally bruised from the inside out from the attempted breech extraction. I'm so sore in my incision (a resident told us it was the fastest section she's every seen - it took under a minute to get him out, but in order to do that they really had to press on me). Then, the morning after the birth, I started to have double vision and was diagnosed with HELPP syndrome, so I had to go back to L and D for more mag. I wept over that one, since I still hadn't seen my babies and policy states that I could not go into the NICU until I was off that medicine.
I want to state that my medical team was great and they tried so hard for me. I have had every doctor, resident, nurse, etc, stop by to check on me and they have all gone to see babies, as I think they also need to reassure themselves that we are all okay. Almost every person has told me that it was one of the scariest deliveries they have been involved in. I know they are all so relieved that we are okay. It was all just a bunch of random bunches of bad luck. Still, it was intensely traumatic and I think I am going to have a rough time getting over things.
Today I'm feeling better and finally got to meet my little boys and things look brighter. My babes were 5 pounds, eleven ounces and eighteen inches long. We have named them Calder and Jonas. They are gorgeous. I am so glad we are all okay.
Re: Delivery from Hell - but my boys are safe!
I'm so glad your boys are in your arms! That makes me cry just to read it - I'm sorry you went through that!
Be patient with yourself as you process and get over your experience. If you have support from your DH and family, I'd encourage them to read about PPD and PTSD so they can help you recognize any symptoms you might have over the next year. Sometimes it's hard to see them in yourself, especially when you are exhausted with two newborns.
6/20/11 mc @ 5wks
10/19/11 mc @ 17wks- Trisomy 18
IUI #1 4/26/12 BFN
Moving on to IVF in July
37 with DOR...fabulous
ER 7/14/12 6R 5F, ET 7/17 3 embies, beta #1 7/26: 147, beta #2 7/28: 326, beta#3 7/30: 422...ugh, beta#4 7/31: 607...hopeful, beta #5 8/2: 1280, beta #6 8/7: 7184 and u/s shows 1 possibly 2 sacs! 8/14 2 beautiful heartbeats! 9/24 we are TEAM BLUE!!!!!
I'm so sorry it was rough and scary. I hope your recovery goes as smoothly as possible.
Congrats on your guys's arrival. I hope they have a short stay and you can all be together soon.
Congrats on your little ones! I'm so glad you are all doing well. My delivery was challenging, but nothing like yours. I had flashbacks to some of the harder parts of the delivery for months. It was traumatizing and I felt like I had mild PTSD. If you're having a hard time recovering emotionally, don't hesitate to call your OB and tell her/him. It really is scary and some of the thoughts/fears stay with you for a while.
Wishing you all the best.
TTC #1 since May 2010. BFP #1 - 5/31/10; m/c on 7/22/10
Started seeing RE in August 2011
5 IUIs: BFN; IVF #1 - Success! BFP - 7/25/12
Goodness, I don't know where to start.. I am so sorry that you went through all of that, but I am so grateful with you that your babies are ok!
I had a less than stellar experience, but nothing at all like yours.
Afterwards, I was so out of it but hosp staff I'd befriended kept coming to my room, some not knowing I'd just delivered. my husband ended up taking his chair into the hallway and blocked my room door while he was sitting in it and fielded the well meaning people so I could get some rest. Finally someone put a NO VISITORS sign on my door.
I feel like too many ladies try to make others feel guilty, or even like someone is less of a mom , like there's such a thing, (not on here, but that's why I never go to the other boards) for whatever method was used or chosen to deliver their LO's. I say that's a bunch a ba-hooie.
Please try not beat yourself up in any way about how things went. We are so grateful that you and those babies are still with us. I pray that you are able to get some much needed rest if possible.
PS..I love their names!!!!
I also had a very scary experience. Baby A was delivered vaginally and B was an emergency section. As soon as A came out, B was in distress with heart rate in the 50's. I was so scared. He spent a few days in the NICU, but all is well now.
After I was discharged with the babes, I developed a significant infection. I was rehospitalized for 10days without my little ones.
My whole experience was such a nightmare. I agree with pp. watch out for ppd and PTSD. I know I have been having a difficult time which I attribute to my horrific delivery and recovery.
Christian Alexander - 11/13/06
Amelia Rose & Owen Thomas - 3/29/11
All of this! Congrats on your beautiful boys.
So sorry that it all went so poorly as far as the delivery. No one wants to do the double whammy, that's for sure! But of course, the ends justify the means in this case, and I'm glad your boys are safe and doing well, and I'm also glad that you're still healthy and here for your DH and your boys.
Selfishly, I have to ask. I'm vertex/vertex too and have been forever. Right now the plan is to go vaginally, but the doctor says I have the right to request c-section if I want. Knowing what you know now (but also knowing that it often goes smoother than that) would you go back and just do a c-section from the beginning?
Lost our first little peanut on 1/17/2012 at 9 weeks and 5 days. We miss you little blessing, but we know you were too perfect for this world.
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WOW that is quite the story. I am so relieved that you are all okay and doing well. CONGRATULATIONS on their arrival and good luck with your future ahead.
Happy Healing
Hopefully you will feel better soon.
PAIF and SAIF welcome. IVF questions welcome, too.
Boy/girl twins born at 37w1d and 37w2d