Brooke's Birth Story

On Monday, 1/6/14, I had my 40 week appointment.  I had an ultrasound that showed good fluid levels, a non-stress test that showed lots of heart rate fluctuations when I laid on my side and a cervix check that showed 3 cm and 80% effaced.  Around 8 PM I started getting mild cramping.  I thought that maybe it was from the cervix examine.  I took a warm shower at 9:30 and DH went to bed at 10.  I then realized that the cramps were coming and going, so I got out my phone and started tracking them.  They were about 5 minutes apart.  I woke up DH at 11.  We called the hospital and they said that if the contractions continue for about 2 hours total, and then call back.  I took a warm bath which felt good.  Then I started throwing up.  I called back at 12:22 AM and they told me to come on in.

At the hospital I had 2 more throwing up episodes and was having lots of lower back pain and pelvic pressure.  My contractions were 3-4 minutes apart.  The nurse said that if I didn’t make progress, they would give me some pain medicine and send me home for a while.  I tried to get up and walk around, but I was extremely dehydrated, exhausted and in pain.  Walking only lasted for about 10 minutes.  The nurse hooked me up to an IV and gave me fluids.  She checked me at 3 AM and I had dilated to 4 cm!  I was admitted! 

I had so much lower back pain that I got the epidural at 4:30.  DH felt a little lightheaded while holding me for it, but he did great.  My fever then spiked to 102 degrees and baby’s heart rate was staying in the 170’s with little fluctuations.  I was given Tylenol, but baby’s heart rate barely went down (165-170).  The doctor broke my water at 5:53 AM and saw that baby had pooped inside of me.  Because of my high fever, baby’s high heart rate, poop inside, and still only being at 5 cm, they decided to get baby out.  Brooke was born at 6:45 AM on January 7^th, 2014 via C-section.  She weighed 8 lbs and 2 ounces.  After her airways were cleaned out, she was brought over to me.  DH held her to me as I was sewn up.  As soon as we got back to our room, we had skin-to-skin time and she breastfed.  Then she was taken up to NICU to be checked out.  Her glucose levels were really low, so DH fed her a bottle.  After a couple of hours, her glucose levels were in the normal range and DH brought her back down to me!  We went home 2 days later.