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read both of yours! can't wait to share mine.... in about 6 months.

Baby Liv. Elective (turned medically necessary) c-section on 7/22/11. 7lbs 10 ozs (copied from over on weddingbee, sorry its so long)

Warning..this is LONG. But its all sorts of in depth of a c-section and my amazing Livi-Bug’s birth story

All details up front, she was born at 9:12pm on July 22, 7lbs 10oz (my ultrasound the day before estimated her at 7lbs 11oz so they were right on) and 21 inches long with a head full of light brown hair and KILLER blue eyes that Im hoping stay that color (like her daddy’s.) <eta-they have stayed so far!>

So on Thursday July 21, I went for my weekly ultrasound. The lab tech noted that my amniotic fluid levels were still high, and my blood pressure was still really elevated (175/115), so the doctor told me to go to L&D immediately for an induction/c-sec. I panicked and said “no way, Im going home” and they insisted I go over. So I went home lol. They at least wanted me to go in for monitoring, but I knew if I did that Id end up being admitted and induced, and mentally I needed some time to process. My doctor told me that we really need to induce, so he made an appointment for me on Friday night at 9pm. That I could at least process mentally, so we made final plans and set off to enjoy our last night at home as just the 3 of us (me, Matt, and Brutus!) As you all probably remember, I wanted a c-section, an induction was NOT in my plan, so I wasn’t handing that part well at all. I had been told all along that I could have an elective c-section, then they tried to induce me instead. I flipped my sh*t. Turns out it was a miscommunication.

We slept in the next morning (July 22), and when we finally got up, I had a voicemail waiting from my doctor. Because of my BP, they thought it was best for me to get there between 2 and 3 instead of 9. Again, panic sets in and I spend the better part of the morning crying about plans changing yet again. I don’t handle change well apparently. Regardless, we ate at about 11 (I had about 3 chips with some guacamole) and finished packing, got the dog in the car, and set off to the hospital (quick stop at my sister’s to drop the dog off, which KIlLLED ME) and got there around 3:15. I was admitted, got in a gown, and hooked up to a hep-lock, BP, and fetal monitor by about 5, and made damn sure that every doctor, resident, nurse, and med student that came in there knew I wanted a c-section so there was no confusion. Finally, my doctors came in (I say doctors bc there was a last minute change in plans where my doctor for the past 9 months couldn’t deliver me. He could be there, but not be the active doctor. Long story. So he got me the best doctor he knew to fill in with him) and they discussed the c-sec versus inducing me. I clearly wanted whatever was safest for the baby first, and me second. Because of my conditions, they said a c-sec was probably a bit safer, but it was my choice. They didnt pressure me one way or the other, but they were there to advocate for me, which I LOVED. So C-Section it was. They said they’d have me in the OR by 7 (which turned into 8 bc an emergency one went in ahead of me.) It was about that time that my BP started going down a tiny bit, but it was still really high (like 160s/110s.)

So 8:00pm rolls around, and doctors and nurses come get me prepped and into a sweet surgical cap and my husband into an awesome set of scrubs (it was a full jumpsuit that zipped up the front with bootie covers, a head cap, and a surgical mask. Anyone who saw the episode of Bethenny Getting Married where Jason gets into the suit-it was the same one as we delivered at the same hospital.) He looked pretty sexy, like a doctor lol. They brought me in to do that spinal block, and told Matt he’d come in when they were just about to start the incision. Honestly, the spinal block was scary, but not awful. They had me sit on the edge of the operating table and hunch over “like an angry cat” while I held my doctors arms (I totally would have preferred Matt there...I was shaking BADLY out of fear) The local anesthetic stung, then it went numb. The block was weird though, I didn’t feel the needle go in, but when they started drawing the fluid, it felt like electricity running down the left side of my spine. It was more scary than anything, then they were done. I told them I wouldn't complain since I didn't have to have a single contraction or labor pain lol. My toes went numb first, then it sloooooly moves up your legs and body, and eventually makes you go numb from mid chest down. Thats important later in the story. So they lay you down (my arms weren’t strapped down) and put an oxygen mask on you and keep doing checks to see how numb you are, which is weird. You can feel them doing the check, but no pain. Then the curtain raised, the doctor drew the incision mark (funny side story, I have a small tattoo on my very lower lower left abdomen. The dr asked how much I cared about it, and I told him that the tattoo was the least of my worries, but if he wanted to remove it while he was down there he could. They enjoyed my jokes lol. He was quite proud of himself that they managed to avoid touching the tattoo.) At some point they put a catheter in, which I didn’t feel, so I knew I was numb. Then they turned on the music and brought Matt in and told him to sit in the stool next to my head. Next thing I know, I hear the doctors starting the recording and nurses counting instruments over and over and smell something, which was the cauterizing. The surgery had started. At this point, Im still feeling great and cracking jokes with the doctors and nurses. Matt keeps standing and peeking around the curtain (and taking pics with his iphone lol) and every time he does, the anesthesiologist tells him to stop otherwise he’ll faint. He clearly doesn’t know Matt, he was totally into it (and now I have some sweet pics of my uterus and surgery lol.) The doctors and nurses kept laughing at me and Matt because we were chatting away with them and joking, and they noted how we were so nice and how they encounter so many nasty patients in NYC.

So it was around this point the anesthesiologist says to me “tell me if you feel nauseous” and so I start overanalyzing like “hey maybe I feel nauseous..” They shouldn't tell you that...I think that is why I got so nauseous. Then I start feeling like I cant breathe. The anesthesiologist tells me its perfectly normal because with a spinal block, you are numb from mid chest down, so you cant feel your breaths, but assures me I’m getting plenty of oxygen. Then I hear “ok, get ready for lots of pressure” and I turned to Matt and said “go watch, that means she’s coming out!” Then I heard “wow, cord around the neck several times...you wouldn’t have been able to deliver naturally.” Then a TON of pressure and tugging, a weird feeling of lightness, and the doctors said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Time of birth 9:12pm. Wow this is a big baby!” and Matt looked at me and said “our anniversary is 9/12!” Then the best sound ever...her crying. Then I started crying and said “WAIT!!! Is it still a girl?!” and they all laughed and assured me she was. THEN...I turned my head and said, “I’m gonna puke” and started throwing up. Poor Matt, they cleaned up the baby and brought her over to him, so he was beaming while holding her with one hand and wiping my face with gauze in the other hand. I stopped long enough for him to put her to my face and give her a kiss and touch her sweet little face and I was INSTANTLY head over heels in love with this little person that we had made. Then I threw up some more..for the next 3 hours lol. They took her to the nursery quickly to weigh and measure her (they don’t do official weight and length in the birth room or OR at my hospital) and brought her right back to us and let her stay with us for several hours after that.

I did have some complications, just a bad reaction to the morphine and anesthesia, but I was better by about 11am the next day. It made me violently sick for hours, and made my body temp drop to below 94 degrees. They had to use a bear hugger (a heated inflatable blanket that blows hot air on you) on me to get it back up. Honestly, for me, the pain has been so minimal. I’ve managed it with just motrin or advil since Ive been home from the hospital. In the hospital, they kept me on a schedule of motrin every 6 hours and percocet every 4 to keep my pain level down to manage my blood pressure, but really, it wasn’t bad. I was up and walking around the next day as soon as the catheter came out. If anyone has any questions about the recovery or wants me to go into more detail about my complications, let me know and Ill gladly answer, but it really wasnt that bad. I could have had the same complications with a vaginal delivery had I gotten any anesthesia/epidural or morphine.

One last note-the highlight of all of this? Seeing my husband kiss her forehead for the first time. HOLY...I melted.

Claire was born 9/30/10, 6.7 lbs, vaginal birth with epidural and pitocin:

http://www.geekinheels.com/2010/10/23/the-birth-story-part-1.html
http://www.geekinheels.com/2010/10/26/the-birth-story-part-2.html
http://www.geekinheels.com/2010/10/27/the-birth-story-part-3.html

hurray! I love reading birth stories!! here's mine:

http://tinalimchung.xanga.com/726678473/repost-bringing-rob-junior-into-the-world/

I'll happily share mine once I haveone to share - in the meantime, though, I'm commenting so that I can come back & read everyone else's