Hi all!
We are finally home and I'd like to share little Luka's birth story.
It gets kind of tough, to me at least, but I'm trying to accept it so thipokings helps.
Short version - Luka Robert H born June 18th, 2024; 11:28 am. 8 lbs 4 oz, 20, 5 inches.
LONG version - Have to mention that Monday, I was on a nesting FRENZY. Everything had to be done!
Tuesday morning I woke up at 5am just feeling weird. Watched an hour of True Blood then tried to go back to sleep before going for My Last Pedicure (never happened). I woke up and was bed-bumping, read a buzzfeed that
@lizardbreath14 had posted, and literally laughed until my water broke!
I woke DH up to tell him and he was all "what water? The toilet? The shower?" Nope! I called the doctor and was told to go into L&D.
My Dr happened to be in the hospital that morning, and I was so glad. I have to say, I thought about switching dr's midway through my pregnancy, and even though this delivery was tough, I am so glad I stayed with him. He and the staff were incredible and I will never forget how well we were taken care of and treated.
So, back to the story... my practice's rule is to deliver within 24 hours of membranes rupturing. So when I went in and was at 0 dilation, I kind of knew this was going to be a pain in the ass. I was never opposed to inductions, c-sections, etc, but I also never pictured delivery going that way. I knew I'd want an epi though, lol.
So, we decided to give it a few hours and see if contractions would start naturally. They didn't, so we started pitocin. A few hours and a few ups in dosage later, I was in major pain and asking for the epi. At 8pm they did my first dilation check and it was only a 2! I wanted to cry. I had been there 8 hours. We held off on the epi until midnight, to try to keep things progressing. At this point, I was only a 2-3 and in such pain, I didn't care so we called in the drug lady.
I psyched to get the spinal and epi... except that it cause my blood pressure to bottom out and make me sick to my stomach. I feel like fainting, start puking and need some medicine or another to deal with it. I finally start feeling good, so they tell DH and I to rest.
We fall asleep but at 2, I'm awake and in major pain again. We spend the next 3 hours messing with boosters and doses before figuring out that it wasn't working and we needed to start over.
And so, I get my second epi. Now it's 5:30 am, I'm put on oxygen, totally numb, and hardly at 4 cms. At this point I should know something is up but I'm out of it and everyone was trying to be encouraging so it didn't hit me at all.
By 9:30, 23 hours in, they check me again and I'm miraculously at 10 cm! Time to push! Except I'm still sick, on oxygen and totally numb. And I just know, it isn't time to push. Nothing I was feeling made me think this was a good idea.
We push a few times and nothing is happening, except the baby is clearly in distress. The nurses didn't look happy and went to get the Dr. Baby was in a bad position, the last attempt was to labor down for an hour and see if he came down naturally. Also...when laboring down, I'm talking in the stirrups with my legs up because you know, it's the only position the baby will tolerate. Good times!
This doesn't work. My dr comes in with a very solemn face and tells me we tried everything but it's time to do a c-section. He felt so bad. I looked at DH and just lost it at this point. All this work, and pain, to be brought into the OR... I was emotionally spent.
I get wheeled in and am scared shitless. I was shaking from the hormones and cold room the whole time! My bp was on the low side still and I kept throwing up bile. It was a mess. My dr was incredible, keeping calm, talking to me, being positive. DH was great as well.
Luka Robert came in at 11:28, with a little cry. The dr's first words were - He looks justlike DH! and he did. His little face peeked above the curtain and all I could see was him giving us a total side-eye - like are you kidding me? DH and I laughed. Then we both cried and I told DH to go with the baby. Everyone was so happy, but I was still so sick and had to get through the rest of surgery! I am still a little angry about that, but am trying to look at the big picture.
Finally I got skin to skin after I was sewn up, and then I bawled hysterically. It was such hell, the whole experience, but I finally got to hold him. It's hard for me to think about how that day went, because my anger and frustration take away from how blessed and overwhelmed with joy and awe that I feel.
Sorry this is so long, but it was cathartic to write it out, and I will print and save it.
Thanka ll you June ladies for sharing your journey... I feel lucky to have found a group to share mine with.
And, for all of that - here's some adorable pictures of baby Luka!
Re: Luka's birth story (@lest12)
Married DH 7/30/11
CSC arrived 5/7/12
CHC arrived 6/2/14
I didn't get to hold my baby until I was in the recovery room. It suckdd. I'm sorry that you had a hard time, but glad writing it down was cathartic.
Congrats again!
Congratulations!!! And great name btw. I remember you guys being one of the last ones to pick a name.
IF, 5 losses, 1 son, 1 on the way.
Baby #1: expected June 2014
Me (36) + DH(35) = Married 9yrs!
DD1: June 2014 - VBM4lyfe
DD2: October 2016
DC3: coming May 2019