3rd trimester pretty much started right when work started back up and it was definitely challenging to balance it all. They say your brain is not the same when you're pregnant and I can definitely vouch that that is true. I had every good intention to prep and plan perfectly, but that didn't always happen. Let's just say that my last trimester was a challenge. I was swollen for a while...like the last 3 months of pregnancy. When I expressed my concern to my doctors I saw, the typical response I heard was "You're pregnant...that's normal!" This was never what I wanted to hear, by the way. I wanted them to have some kind of Solution, but nope! Daniel grew increasingly concerned for me as I swelled so badly that I could barely walk functionally near the end. My blood pressure started to get higher and higher as the pregnancy neared its end and the doctors monitored it each week. The week before I had Matthew, the doctor told me I could take off work, but honestly..I wasn't ready. Lots of stuff was going on at work and prepping for the subs was important to me! I decided to work up until the last work day before my due date. It probably wasn't my finest decision-making moment in life considering what the following Friday doctor visit would look like....
Daniel and I went to my 39 week appointment on October 31st knowing that they had already decided to plan an induction date for November 2nd. In my head, I planned on questioning the induction decision to see if that was the best decision for me. In my head, that day was going to be all different than it was. We went in and I did the normal things that I do when I walk in, which was a blood pressure check and a sample. Blood pressure was 176/80. Great. Doctor walked into the room and was 'not happy' with my blood pressure or the sample that they took. She looked at my swelling and said, "well, I'm sending you to the hospital tonight. You have preeclampsia and your body is ready to have this baby; it's time to help you out." A part of me was relieved and the majority of me was scared to death. We drove home and Daniel packed his bag. We decided to grab some food before the hospital and then we drove ourselves there. They immediately got me into a room and started the process, no check-in involved, because they had already heard I was coming. Gotta love that! Oh, and our room number was 2323, which is the exact number of our house! It was kindof an ironic twist to our Halloween night check-in at the hospital!!!
I was literally shaking like a leaf as I entered the room and that lasted throughout the entire delivery process for me. They took a sample from me, along with another blood pressure check and immediately decided I was at risk with my preeclampsia, so I would need to start an IV, get a catheter and have magnesium run through me to prevent a seizure. What? My plan was to get there, eventually get pitosin and be able to get up and move around so that Matthew would be inspired to exit. **Little did I know then, but I wouldn't be getting up until Monday!!!!** They informed me that the magnesium, unfortunately, would fight against the contractions to relax my blood pressure and it would feel like I had the flu. Wow, so awesome!! I Really did not want to get it, but I didn't really have a choice, considering my condition.
*Fun fact about me on magnesium : It made me EXTREMELY hot and we had the air bumped up so high that my lovely husband and mother had to go get warmer clothes. They weren't enjoying the magnesium either! Ha!
What was next? Hours and hours of waiting, being checked, waiting, being checked and being told the same thing..."You're just not dilating yet." The next day came slowly and hearing that I was in the same spot was very frustrating, especially being bound to the bed with nothing to do but be in pain/filled with anticipation. They checked Matthew with a sonogram and he was facing down, but not moving down at all. They predicted that he had been in the same position for a long time and wasn't going to move anytime soon. All of this whole day was a blur. Somewhere in there, I got an epidural, which helped a lot. All I remember was feeling defeated that what I thought were good contractions, were just me being barely dilated. *So, shout out to all those ladies that endure contractions past a 3, because I could barely handle up to a 3!!!!!* Finally, 28 hours had come and the doctor that was on call that day came in and told me that she didn't think Matthew was moving anytime soon and it would probably take another day to labor. She suggested a C-Section. My initial thought, was "No! C-Section is bad and you should always try naturally first!" But then I thought about it...I was exhausted, completely souped up on magnesium ("Mag" as the cool nurses called it) and I just had no idea if I could do it much longer. So, the lady checked my blood pressure again (Oh man, that happened probably 40 times while I was there) and my blood pressure had dropped. They listened for Matthew's heartbeat and they couldn't find it. This then turned it into an emergency C-Section, so Daniel informed me that they rushed me down to the surgery room in order to get started right away. I was very worried, asking "Where is my husband?" and then he finally appeared. This was all hazy to me as I was very tired and was in and out of sleep. All I remember from the C-section were people talking and then I felt him being pulled out (not pain, just pressure). I remember asking if he was O.K. and then hearing him cry. Daniel and I both recalled that although I was not doing O.K. physically, once I heard Matthew's cry, I was immediately alert and ready to know if he was alright and wanted to see him. My world forever changed in that moment. Oh, poor Daniel got faint because when he went to cut the umbilical cord, he saw blood around the table I was on. He came over to me and said,"Honey, I have to go because I don't feel well." What?? He was O.K. and got to be with Matthew and my parents until I was brought to the room. OH, and while they were having "ooo" and "ahhh" moments, I was getting an X-ray so they could see if they left any instruments inside of me during the surgery since they didn't have proper time to prepare with it being an emergency. Seriously? But This was my delivery story and there's no turning back!!!!!!!
The next 2 days, I was a mess...extremely exhausted and could barely keep my eyes opened to enjoy or nurse Matthew. I was still on several drugs and that definitely set us back a little bit. The pain I experienced from the C-section was something fierce, so that was a struggle as well. People were in and out and, unfortunately, I was just not well enough to be myself. I saw so many nurses in those 4 days that I was there, it was crazy!
The lesson I learned out of this whole experience was to expect the unexpected. Nothing from my experience with delivering a child was how I pictured it or wanted it to be and I had to learn to be O.K. with it. The end result was all that mattered: God got us through it, I was alive (because in all reality, I could've been in pretty bad shape from this) and Matthew was a perfectly healthy baby. But, for now, thinking back on those days is not a fun experience for me. What a way to bring a kid into the world! Ha!
Through it all, I was protected by an incredible God and surrounded by an amazing husband, awesome parents and wonderful family and friends to tell me all was well.
Oh, and this beautiful little guy entered the world And entered my heart all in one. And, boy did he ever help me see that falling in love can happen again with your own child. It's surreal, but incredible to be this boy's mom. More to come soon!
*Fun fact about me on magnesium : It made me EXTREMELY hot and we had the air bumped up so high that my lovely husband and mother had to go get warmer clothes. They weren't enjoying the magnesium either! Ha!
What was next? Hours and hours of waiting, being checked, waiting, being checked and being told the same thing..."You're just not dilating yet." The next day came slowly and hearing that I was in the same spot was very frustrating, especially being bound to the bed with nothing to do but be in pain/filled with anticipation. They checked Matthew with a sonogram and he was facing down, but not moving down at all. They predicted that he had been in the same position for a long time and wasn't going to move anytime soon. All of this whole day was a blur. Somewhere in there, I got an epidural, which helped a lot. All I remember was feeling defeated that what I thought were good contractions, were just me being barely dilated. *So, shout out to all those ladies that endure contractions past a 3, because I could barely handle up to a 3!!!!!* Finally, 28 hours had come and the doctor that was on call that day came in and told me that she didn't think Matthew was moving anytime soon and it would probably take another day to labor. She suggested a C-Section. My initial thought, was "No! C-Section is bad and you should always try naturally first!" But then I thought about it...I was exhausted, completely souped up on magnesium ("Mag" as the cool nurses called it) and I just had no idea if I could do it much longer. So, the lady checked my blood pressure again (Oh man, that happened probably 40 times while I was there) and my blood pressure had dropped. They listened for Matthew's heartbeat and they couldn't find it. This then turned it into an emergency C-Section, so Daniel informed me that they rushed me down to the surgery room in order to get started right away. I was very worried, asking "Where is my husband?" and then he finally appeared. This was all hazy to me as I was very tired and was in and out of sleep. All I remember from the C-section were people talking and then I felt him being pulled out (not pain, just pressure). I remember asking if he was O.K. and then hearing him cry. Daniel and I both recalled that although I was not doing O.K. physically, once I heard Matthew's cry, I was immediately alert and ready to know if he was alright and wanted to see him. My world forever changed in that moment. Oh, poor Daniel got faint because when he went to cut the umbilical cord, he saw blood around the table I was on. He came over to me and said,"Honey, I have to go because I don't feel well." What?? He was O.K. and got to be with Matthew and my parents until I was brought to the room. OH, and while they were having "ooo" and "ahhh" moments, I was getting an X-ray so they could see if they left any instruments inside of me during the surgery since they didn't have proper time to prepare with it being an emergency. Seriously? But This was my delivery story and there's no turning back!!!!!!!
The next 2 days, I was a mess...extremely exhausted and could barely keep my eyes opened to enjoy or nurse Matthew. I was still on several drugs and that definitely set us back a little bit. The pain I experienced from the C-section was something fierce, so that was a struggle as well. People were in and out and, unfortunately, I was just not well enough to be myself. I saw so many nurses in those 4 days that I was there, it was crazy!
The lesson I learned out of this whole experience was to expect the unexpected. Nothing from my experience with delivering a child was how I pictured it or wanted it to be and I had to learn to be O.K. with it. The end result was all that mattered: God got us through it, I was alive (because in all reality, I could've been in pretty bad shape from this) and Matthew was a perfectly healthy baby. But, for now, thinking back on those days is not a fun experience for me. What a way to bring a kid into the world! Ha!
Through it all, I was protected by an incredible God and surrounded by an amazing husband, awesome parents and wonderful family and friends to tell me all was well.
Oh, and this beautiful little guy entered the world And entered my heart all in one. And, boy did he ever help me see that falling in love can happen again with your own child. It's surreal, but incredible to be this boy's mom. More to come soon!
Thanks for sharing your story without any sugar-coating! Sometimes a delivery can be out of the normal range but it is a beautiful story as well. You hung in there and were brave despite the pain and swelling and emergency c-section. You should be proud of that and for giving birth to a beautiful son. A big shout out to all CSect moms and what they endure!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I appreciate you saying that! It was definitely an experience to remember!! I think God gave me a sweet little guy to make up for all the crazy times getting him out! haha :) Hope you are doing well!!
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