Krista's Birth Story

i was dialted at my 36 week appointment, and by the time i was 38 weeks i was 4 cm and 70% effaced.  the doc said i would go soon, possibly before my next appointment.  i had contractions off and on that week, but nothing more.  i went in monday for my 39 week expecting to get my membranes stripped, but the internal revealed i was close to 5 cm and my water was bulging.  along with this, my swelling was worse and my bp had jumped to 139/89, so it was time to go to the hospital!

i got to the hospital around 3, had my bloodwork done, was hooked up to the iv, etc.  my doc arrived at 6 and broke my water and asked me about getting an epidural.  this was something i hadn't decided on yet.  i asked him several questions and decided it would be best for me to do so, especially since my contractions were coming in my back.  well, the nurse came in a bit later and said my doc was coming to talk to me about the epi...uh oh.  it turns out my blood platelet count had dropped too low for the epi.  it was checked twice, and anesthesia said the risk was too high i would hemorhage around the epi, which is dangerous.

i was given stadol through my iv, so i was able to sleep for quite a while.  my contractions, though steady, weren't getting strong fast enough, so i was put on petocin.  somewhere around 2 the contractions were getting stronger, and my back was starting to hurt but i was dealing with it.  by 4 the contractions were killing me and at this point they had me laboring on my sides.  i felt like i was being ripped open through the base of my spine at this point, and i was crying that i wanted back on my back, but i started progressing quickly at that point so the nurse told me this and suggested i stay on my side, so i did.  at this point my husband, sister, and mom were in the room with me.  we had decided previously that just husband and sis would stay.  my mom told me whenever i was ready to let her know and she would leave.  well, she saw my pain and came and put a wet rag on my head and at that poing i decided i needed my mom.

by 5 or so i was ready to push.  i had a little piece of cervix still present, but my contractions were pushing him down hard and left me feeling i had to push.  it was slow progress at first, he'd get close to coming through my pelvic bone then slide back down.  he finally was getting there and the doc came in.  since i didn't have an epi i could feel how to push.  his shoulders got stuck coming out, but thankfully it only took 2 or 3 good pushes to get him through, and he was finally born at 6:35 am.  i honestly didn't feel him coming out, the doc had numbed me a bit and i think my adrenalin was rushing.  i got to hold him only for a few minutes before the doc told them to take him.  he had to pull out my placenta because it hadn't dislodges, then i needed several stiches, one on my labia, one vaginally, and a few for my 3rd degree tear.  at this point i was bleeding a lot, a consequence of the low platelets.  it didn't take long for them to control the bleeding, but i had lost a lot.  at this point i got to hold clay again!  he was doing great, he came out screaming!

when they went to move us to our postpartum room maybe 3 hours later, i had been asleep the whole time and hadn't gotten to feed or hold Clay, but dh was taking good care of him.  i passed out when they tried to get me in the wheelchair to move me, which wasn't fun.  i finally got moved and ended up having a blood transfusion because my h and h was low and i was symptomatic.  i started feeling muuuuuuch better, and could finally get around and feed and hold Clay.

in the mean time, he wasn't taking well to his formula so he was spitting up a lot.  they ended up changing him to soy, which he's done much better with, but he developed mild jaundice.  they let us come home thursday, and we've finally gotten the jaundince under control.