This past weekend, Andrew and I had a few visitors at the hospital and we got to spend some time with them catching up. We really enjoyed having people over but I think we were both ready for a good night's sleep on Sunday night. Andrew left around 7 pm and I requested to be monitored early so that I could go to bed earlier. Nurse Joleen brought me my sleeping pill (something I have been taking for a while to help drown out the noise of sleeping in a hospital) and I expected to wake up in the morning and do our daily routine yet again.
I woke up shortly after 1 am and got up to use the bathroom. I thought I was leaking fluid but soon realized I was bleeding. So I called in the nurse and we started monitoring me to check on baby and to see if I was having contractions. The monitor confirmed that I was indeed having contractions. When I first woke up I did not feel any different - less than an hour later I was feeling the contractions. I think I knew deep down that this was it so I kept asking the nurse if I should call my husband to come up. She said I should let him know what was happening and we could watch it for fifteen more minutes. I sent Andrew a text around 1:30 and told him that he was probably going to have to drive back up because I was most likely in labor. I also remember telling him that if our baby girl was going to be okay I really wanted this to be it so we could be finished with bed rest and move on to the next stage. They gave me a 1/2 dose of Terbutaline to try and stop my contractions. We didn't want to do a full dose because after being ruptured for so long this could be my body's way of saying the baby needs to come out for her own safety. The contractions weakened for maybe 1/2 hour and then started again so at this point we knew we were going to deliver our baby girl.
Andrew didn't wait for me to send him another text. He began packing a few things right away and started on his way up to the hospital. He made it in record time and was in my room by 2:40 am :) Good thing it was early in the morning and most likely no one else was even on the road! Once he arrived we went ahead and started an IV (I will forever ask for Lidocaine to be used before the IV needle) and found out that I was 3 cm dilated. They also said that they wanted to start me on magnesium for the baby's sake. This would help to strengthen her blood vessels and hopefully eliminate any brain bleeds with her being premature. I knew this was best for our baby but I was not impressed by the idea. I had already done one round of magnesium in June so I knew the effects it would have on me. The only side effect that impacted me revolved around my vision. After 7 or 8 hours I start seeing double or triple. Not exactly the way you plan to deliver your own child but I was willing to do it for my baby girl.
I went in with a plan to labor naturally but also knew that if the time came I would get drugs if I felt it was necessary or if our baby needed me to do so. So I was not happy when one doctor said I should get an epidural just in case they were to need it in the delivery room. Why would I get an epidural - just because? I asked for a second opinion and Dr. Boyle said we could go in without one. They could always put me out or intubate me if things changed during delivery. Awesome! One thing Andrew and I have learned after being involved with so many hospitals and doctors - SPEAK YOUR MIND! Andrew would always remind me that WE have the final say in our care and what procedures we want done. So I was glad that we remembered that during delivery too and we could continue on a path we chose.
Labor moved along quickly. I was not super uncomfortable and had nice breaks between contractions. Most of it was in my back which Andrew and my nurses Tamra & Janelle helped a lot with. Baby girl was handling delivery awesome - something they didn't know for sure would happen. Her heart rate was steady and I could still feel her moving. I tried not to think about the uncertainty of her actual entrance into this world. We so wanted her to be a part of our family but we also knew her lungs may not have formed. Andrew was definitely more optimistic than I was. Maybe he knew he had to be positive for me since I was the one going through all of the unknown changes and procedures.
Around 7 am we found out that Dr. Boyle was the doctor coming on call. They discussed letting the previous doctor finish our delivery and once again my wonderful husband spoke up on our thoughts. We have always been thrilled with the level of care and personal relationship we have formed with Dr. Boyle. Andrew requested that if he was willing we would really appreciate him to deliver our baby. I don't think this came as a surprise to him. We had already discussed that if we made it to 34 weeks we wanted to pick an induction date when he could deliver. We had set the date for September 12 - we should have known not to set a date. Every time we try to plan something dealing with this baby - she makes her own plans and changes everything. Needless to say, he was willing to be our delivery doctor today and we found out later that he even gave up a c-section he was supposed to do that morning in order to be our doctor.
Around 9 am I was told we were going to move to the Operating Room. We just finished breaking my water - yes you heard correctly! Although I was losing fluid constantly there was still a pocket of fluid they had to break in order for Makinley to be delivered. I was dilated to 8 cm and progressing quickly and therefore they didn't want to wait much longer. We knew we would probably deliver in the OR for precautionary reasons. Since Makinley's outcome was so unknown they wanted to be prepared for an emergency c-section as well as have the NICU doctors in the room ready to assist her after delivery.
After moving to the delivery room - my labor slowed down tremendously! I blame it on the OR table. I wish to never deliver on an OR table again. I don't consider myself a big person - and all I remember is that I felt I was going to fall off. They had me turning side to side and Andrew stood right next to the table so that I wouldn't go off one end. I recall at one point, Nurse Pam, looked at me and said you better hurry up with this baby - Dr. Boyle is outside the door pacing as if it was his own child being born. One hour after moving to the OR, they gave me the option to wait out the labor or to start Pitocin. I was having adequate contractions they were just spaced really far apart. We opted for the Pitocin since the magnesium was starting to make me see double and I was ready to be done. A few contractions later it was time to push. The Pitocin had made Makinley's heart rate drop so Dr. Boyle delivered her as quickly as possible. A few pushes later our baby girl was born!
I will never forget that moment of hearing Makinley cry. What a glorious sound - that meant her lungs had formed to some degree and she at least had a chance!! What a blessing! I had just accomplished a non-medicated natural delivery and our baby girl was breathing! Andrew asked if she was a girl since no one had said for sure and he was the first one to notice that she had two thumbs on her right hand. Dr. Boyle cut the cord and handed her over to the team of doctors near the back of the room. Andrew counted earlier and said there was probably 15 to 20 people in our delivery room. He said it was really neat to see how organized they were with her care. One doctor would step in and evaluate what they needed to, step aside, and the next person would take over. After the initial evaluations she was ready to head to the NICU. They did bring her over to me inside of the incubator. I wish I could have seen her more but the magnesium was causing me to see triple and we were still dealing with some of my complications.
Andrew and I had originally planned to have him go with Makinley after delivery but while in the delivery room we decided I needed him more at the moment. After Makinley was born my placenta was in pieces and therefore could not be delivered. This is something the doctor was prepared for since it is more common to occur in pregnancies with little to no fluid. He was unable to retrieve it and they ended up putting me under for a short period of time. I vaguely remember the anesthesiologist telling me to open my eyes as we left the OR but then woke up in the recovery room around noon. Andrew was waiting when I woke up and he told me that Makinley was doing okay. They did have to intubate her because she needed some help breathing. They were giving her 45% oxygen at the moment.
Once I was awake in the recovery room they wanted to move me to our post delivery room. This was happy and sad. I really just wanted to go back to "my room" on the High Risk floor and with all of the nurses that I knew. But while I was sleeping Marsha and Andrew moved all of our stuff into our new room. My nurse Janelle asked if I wanted to see Makinley. Of course I wanted to see her! This sounded a lot better than how it turned out. They rolled my bed through the NICU and next to Makinleys bed. We couldn't really get my bed high enough for me to get a good view of her in the incubator. In addition, my body was still overcoming the side effects of the magnesium drip so I couldn't really make her out "clearly" yet. I guess it is the thought that counts. We knew Makinley was in good hands with nurse Cindy.
The rest of the day went by quickly. I remember the nurses were determined to get me standing within a few hours. I was not so sure. I knew I could stand - but after 15 weeks of bed rest plus losing 1.5 liters of blood during delivery - I didn't feel like I physically had the strength to stand on my own two feet. My parents & sister Deann arrived mid afternoon and Andrew took them down to see Makinley. Adam, Andrew's brother, also came later that evening and was introduced to Makinley. He was also my family's "hotel" for the night.
We are so thankful that Makinley's delivery went as smooth as it did. We are even more blessed to have our baby girl alive and well as part of our family. We look forward to raising her and watching her grow up!
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