February 2016 Moms

Introducing Malachi August!

Kimbarbour08Kimbarbour08 member
edited February 2016 in February 2016 Moms
On Thursday, my due date, at about two in the morning I noticed that I was feeling contractions that were different from the Braxton hicks I had been having before. They were somewhat crampy. I decided to wait until my scheduled appointment with my midwives at 1:00 that afternoon instead of calling about it then. At my appointment, my midwife checked my cervix and I was still very soft but not at all dilated or effaced. I was found to be having regular contractions every few minutes though. I went home and let our close friends and family know not to come running, but that I was having regular contractions. My parents decided even so to drive up to VT from NH that night since the next day was supposed to be bad weather. I thought they were going to have a wasted trip. Boy was I wrong!

I took a nap in the early evening, so I was pretty awake at night. I decided to take a shower for my discomfort and then an oatmeal bath for the rash I got over the last week. While in the bath, my contractions started getting stronger. When I got out I decided to use the toilet and there was bright red blood when I did. I went downstairs to call the birthing center to see if I should go in, and while I was on the phone my water broke! My husband Bruce and I got our bags together, texted and called the family, I put on the biggest pad I could find and rinsed off my “water” panties (which also had my mucous plug), and we headed out at about quarter after midnight.

Once at the hospital my contractions were coming about every two to three minutes and we're at least a minute long. After a little while I was given the IV for GBS, and after a few hours of laboring had a cervical exam. I was only a centimeter dilated but very effaced. I continued laboring for a while and tried the shower for pain relief, which helped but didn't stay hot enough. When my midwife checked me at about 8:00 am I was still only about a centimeter and a half, but I was almost completely effaced with baby's head very low and pressing against my cervix. By 10:00 am the tub room was free so I went there to try some pain relief. It really helped, but it slowed my contractions to about five minutes apart. I (reluctantly) got out and went back to my room.

I had another check and was about 3-4 centimeters and still almost fully effaced. My midwife suggested that I try some different positions, which I did. After a couple more hours, when I was laboring leaned over the birthing ball on top of the bed, my contractions really slowed down to about three in twenty minutes. The midwives checked me and I was still at 4 centimeters, but my cervix was thicker. I was exhausted and decided to ask for an epidural after all. Once I convinced my husband and midwife that it was what I really wanted, they started to get things arranged for it and put the dopler on to monitor the baby. Bruce went out to tell the family what was going on.

All of a sudden, my midwife and nurse started giving me directions to lay on my side, put an oxygen mask on me, and put in an internal monitor. They quickly had me switch sides, then go on all fours with my behind in the air. I finally had the presence of mind to ask what was happening as medical staff poured into the room and Bruce was brought back in. Baby's heart rate had dropped and they were talking about a c-section if it did not come back up or dropped again. I could tell the situation was serious, and said to just do the c-section. Everyone was moving so quickly and in a moment I looked up and Bruce was already in scrubs. I was turned back on my side and the monitor was removed, then I felt like I was going to throw up. I threw up in two bags, a challenge while laying on my side, and in the commotion someone took one and set it down upside down on the bed next to me. Gross.

I was wheeled out to the OR and saw my family in the hall as we passed by. Bruce had to wait outside while they prepped me. The doctor told me that I was going to meet my baby in about five minutes, and that made me feel so at peace. They moved me to a different bed and had me lean forward for the spinal. They leaned me back and I felt my limbs start to go numb. In a minute I felt nothing but warm tingles from the chest down. The doctor talked me through everything they were doing behind the curtain and quickly the surgery had started. Bruce was brought in to me, and when the time came to take my baby out, he got to see! I anxiously listened and quickly heard my baby's first cries! Bruce and I just stared into each other's eyes, bawling and smiling. Malachi was born on February 5 at 2:55 pm! The placenta was delivered and Bruce got to cut the cord and go out with him while I got stitched up and had an x-ray. Malachi was measured, weighed, and cleaned up (scored a 9 on APGAR ). Bruce brought Malachi back to me and laid him on my chest. We tried breastfeeding right away, but it was tricky with all the monitors I was hooked up to. We then were wheeled to the recovery room where I was able to get Malachi to latch better. Then we were brought back to our original room where our family joined us in welcoming Malachi!

A few hours later we noticed he was making little grunting noises as he breathed. To make an already long story short, we wound up being transferred early in the morning to another hospital so he could go to the NICU where he stayed until Monday. He was having trouble maintaining his glucose levels, but once they were good he was able to stay in our room. We were discharged on Tuesday and are all home together now!

7 lbs 8 oz, 20 inches








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