Birth Story

This is  long one.  Mainly for documentation purposes.  

We had to be at the hospital at 9:45 am Thursday morning.  At least I was able to get a good night sleep and not worry about over sleeping and not making it to the hospital on time.  But the bad thing was that the surgery was not until 12:15 pm and I was not allowed to eat or drink past midnight!  How can they expect a pregnant woman to not eat or drink for 12 hours?????  At 9:15 we had the car loaded up and we were ready to go, just had to get Cole next door.  I went to start the car and nothing happened!  I could not believe that I had left the lights on (again) and drained the battery.  Granted the day before was a busy one, full of lots of stress and anxiety but still not what we needed a half hour before we had to be at the hospital.  

So we had to unload the car, load the truck, and then get Cole to grandma and grandpa's house.  I took a few last minute photos and we were off to the hospital.  I got a couple of great hugs and kisses from Cole but it was really bitter sweet.  I still felt guilty for Cole not knowing or understanding what was about to happen.  We left Cole playing in the snow - happy as a clam.  I don't even think he noticed we had left.

I got checked into the hospital after a short wait.  Good thing I preregistered two days before!  Once we were in the Family Birthing Center I got hooked up to the monitors, got to wear the ever so attractive hospital gown and waited nervously watching the clock.  Thank goodness I had friends and family there to keep me sane.  :-)

The nurses for the day came in to get me prepped for surgery.  I gave them my birthing plan (yes I had a birthing plan for a scheduled c-section), there were some things that happened during Cole's c-section that I did not want happening again.

The two nurses too THREE attempts at getting an IV in my arm.  THREE!!!, with no luck, blowing each spot they entered.  

Next step was to call in the CRNA that would be doing my spinal to get the IV in.  She was my saving grace!  First thing she asked for was lidocaine!  Woo Hoo!  I don't think I could have been poked a 4th time and not vomited.  I discussed my concern with having morphine so we opted for no pain control until after the surgery was over.  Yes, I had a c-section with no pain meds until 2 1/2 hours after the surgery.  I am stubborn and I had no interest in itching for 3 days again like I did last time after I was given morphine.

Once I was prepped and ready to go I walked down to surgery.  Got in and up on to the table.  I sat on the edge and leaned on to the nurses' shoulders.  The first poke was the lidocaine (the bee sting).  As the instant warmth and numbness filled my back the spinal block was injected in.  All most instantly I felt my legs go numb.  They laid me down and began preparation.  I laid there as my body went numb and tingled.  It moved slowly up from my toes to just below my armpits.  I did my best to not move my body because that is all I could think about doing.  The feeling of your body becoming paralyzed is not something I would wish on anyone.  It is a very strange feeling.

After I was numb Mike came in to hold my hand.  It is amazing to me just how quickly a c-section goes by.  I was on the table at 12:20 pm, the incision was made at 12:29 pm and Siena was out at 12:38 pm.  The feeling of a baby being pulled out of your abdomen is really quite unique.  I did my best not to vomit (I was getting pretty good at holding it in at this point).  The only reason I did not is because I was able to convience myself that if I did vomit it would end up on my face because I had no way of rolling over to have it hit the floor.

When Siena was pulled out she was crying, like all babies do, but her cry sounded like a cat.  Seriously!  I think we were all laughing.  Besides the cry the only thing I heard was the nurse say "watch out, she's peeing everywhere!"  I had to laugh because every time I had an ultrasound done she had a HUGE bladder.  I was wondering where all that pee was going to go.

After she was cleaned up, cord cut, and wrapped up the nurse brought her over to me so I could get a peek at my little girl.  All I could do was give her kisses.   I did not want to stop.  Siena, Mike, and the nurse left the surgery room to go to the nursery.  She passed her apgar testing with an 8 and a 9.  While they were gone I was getting stitched and stapled up.  The nurses continued to talk and joke with me, helping to keep my mind off the numbness and to keep the oxygen flowing.

I was wheeled out and taken to my room to recover.  I passed by the nursery where everyone was waiting a watching.

I got set up in my room and then the nurse waited with me while I recovered.  She could not leave until I was able to move my legs on my own.  My dad would pop in occasionally with the camera to show me pictures of what was going on out there and also to snap some unflattering ones of me.  I think it took about an hour for my legs to start moving again.

Around 2:30 pm I got my first dose of pain meds.  Neither of them lasted more than about 1 1/2 hours so we had to go to the stronger stuff.  That first day was pretty painful.  I can see why they like to give you the morphine, however I was unwilling to let them give it to me.
Later that afternoon I started to get the full story about what exactly happened during the c-section and we found out why she was unable to grow adequately inside of me.  



After I was fully recovered, Mike's parents brought Cole down to meet his little sister.  We had Siena in the bassinet when Cole came in.  He saw me and gave me a huge smile.  He was holding a pink teddy bear.  We put the bassinet by the chair and told Cole he had a baby sister to meet.  Cole got up in the chair and peered in.  He looked up and smiled and then looked back at Siena and pointed to her and asked us "What's that?"  We both could not stop laughing.  Cole is so predictable.  We knew that is exactly what he was going to say.  We told him that was Siena, your baby sister.  He smiled again and then had his pink bear give her a kiss.  Then he tried to put the bear in her blanket.  Seeing that just lifted a huge weight off my chest.  He gave her a ton of hugs and kisses.




Siena met all of her grandparents and her great grandpa.  It was a busy day and I was looking forward to it quiteting down.  Mike and Cole stayed for awhile and then I was on my own for the night, except for help from the nurses.  I had to call for help every time she needed a diaper change.  She spent all night in my arms, except for when she had to get her glucose testing which was every 4 hours.

Friday the 13th:

Siena and I woke up to snow outside out window.  It was beautiful to see.  My room had a garden view which was great!  Mike and Cole spent the morning playing in the snow at our place.  They built snowmen, went sledding, and got very cold!

Siena is nursing well.  She only cries when some ones cold hands touch her, she has gas, or needs to burp.  She is still having glucose testing done.  Her weight dropped 1 oz - down to 4 # 12 1/2 oz.  She also passed her hearing test. My urinary catheter was taken out so then I was able to get up and walk around.  It was so nice to be out of the bed!

Everyone is calling her peanut, including the nurses.

Cole recognizes who his sister is.  If you ask him where Siena is, he will point to her.  Today he climbed into the bed with me and then patted my belly and looked at Mike.  He wanted Siena to be by him. 


Happy Valentines Day!

Mike and Cole brought Siena and I jelly beans and peanut m&m's.  Yum!!!  Cole also brought his sister and stuffed toy rose.  He kept setting it on her.  I had a few visitors today which was nice.s  Aimee from work and Nicole.  I was not as sleepy today so I was finally able to start Breaking Dawn!  I was so excited.  I had been saving it for the long 3 days stay at the hospital.  Later in the evening Mike came back to keep me company and of course to see his daughter.  I am moving around even better today which shocked Mike!  Siena dropped a little bit more in weight - down to 4# 9 1/2 oz.

Sunday the 15th - Going home day!!!!

Woke up early, probably excited to be going home.  We both fell asleep again right after breakfast.  Today was a lot of waiting around.  Both Siena and I had to get the ok's from the doctors before we could leave.  Siena is back up on her weight to 4# 13 oz.

Let our new life as a family of 4 begin!