If you don't care about the details of the birth of our son, you can skip this post and move on to the next. I promise not include any gory details or descriptions. :-)
Early EARLY on September 7, we all (Mom, Jason and I) woke up. I showered using the nasty-smelling antiseptic soap according to the doctors' orders; we all thought it was pretty silly that I had to wash as if prepping for surgery....after all what were the chances of that? I was 41 1/2 weeks along in my pregnancy. Surely this baby would be born after being induced!
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| Getting ready to leave for the hospital |
We left the house at 4:15 am. After a quick run by Whataburger for Mom and Jason (I hadn't eaten anything since midnight and wouldn't eat again until after Colt entered the world), we arrived at the hospital. We followed the directions and had Jason drop us off at the emergency room doors (all other doors are locked at that hour), and a nice security officer drove us to labor and delivery in his golf cart because the doors were apparently unlocked for several of us coming in to be induced that morning.
Nervously, we took the elevator upstairs to the second floor. We called the nurses' station and told them we were checking in. "We will be right with you," was the reply. So we waited.
And waited. We met a few other patients who were waiting too. One went in before us. One was waiting to see if she could take her baby home that day.
And we waited. Another couple came in who had been sent over by their doctor. Labor was well under way.
And we waited. Around 7:15, they came and brought us back to our L & D room. We were told that there had been an emergency, and that is why we had to wait. We were relieved to hear everything turned out okay with that situation.
As soon as I got changed into the glamorous hospital gown, I hopped (ok, so that is an exaggeration) into bed and they got everything hooked up - IV, pitocin drip, fluid bag (so I could get that glorious epidural later), lab work, and fetal monitor. And we were on our way!
Or so we thought....several hours later after what I know were contractions (but didn't feel worse than cramps), my nurse informed me that I wasn't making any progress at all. In fact, I hadn't made any progress EVER over the past several weeks. I was told to lie on my side because Colt's heart rate was decelerating slightly with the minor contractions I was having, and they didn't need him to be in distress before labor actually started.
It was around 11 am, and Jason was hungry. Since we were obviously HOURS away from having a baby, we sent him off to get some lunch. Several people had arrived at the hospital for the waiting game by this point - my mother-in-law, a few of Jason's aunts, and a few friends. They came in to wish me luck and say hello.
My doctor was the next visitor I had. He attempted to break my water to get labor moving. Unfortunately, my water was too high and he could not break it. At that point, he informed my mom and me that if he had arrived earlier in the day, he would have sent us home and scheduled the induction for later in the week. However, since we had already been there for so long and because Colt's heart rate was decelerating, he decided that a c-section was the best option for both of us. He looked at the books and his schedule, and an operating room was set aside for me at 2:00 pm. We gave everyone the update in the waiting room and via text message....and I sent Jason a message to get back as soon as he could.
Jason got back around noon, and we told him all that had transpired while he was gone. They increased the amount of fluid I was getting to prepare me for surgery. They brought Jason some very cute blue sterile scrubs to wear. Dee Dee, our sweet friend came in and prayed with us before we went off to surgery.
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| Jason, right before I was brought into surgery |
At 2:00, Mom gathered all of our bags and other belongings. My nurse disconnected the fetal monitor and helped me out of bed. Jason was dressed in his outfit and he followed the nurse and I down the hall. I opted to walk to the operating room because I didn't know when the next time I would walk would be.
The operating room was FREEZING! I had been infused with so much fluid, it made the temperature even more noticable. I was shaking so terribly, I wondered if even the spinal block would keep me still. My nurse and anesthesiologist prepped me and gave me the spinal block. I was very nervous about it, and I swear I could still feel my toes (a slight moment of panic and freaking out ensued at that point). As soon as the medication was administered I was lowered onto the table. I was told to keep my arms still or they would tie me down. I focused on keeping perfectly still. I could hear the doctors talking, beginning their dictation about the procedure. According to them, it was 2:28 pm. I heard them call for "the husband" and soon Jason was by my side holding my hand.
The next several minutes I focused on keeping my arms still. My anesthesiologist talked me through the entire process, but I don't remember much. Then I heard a wail. A good strong cry. A very angry cry. And I knew that our son had been born. I looked at Jason and I think I smiled, but I can't be sure if that is actually what happened. The doctor told Jason he could go with Colt to his exam on the other side of the room, and I told him to go. I was fine....and I had to focus on not moving my arms.
I strained my ears listening to the sounds of a sweet baby crying. Meanwhile, the doctors finished with me. For a brief few seconds, a beautifully swaddled pink baby was placed in front of me, and then he and his daddy left the room to go to the nursery. I was left on the table, tired and happy, but still a little weirded out that I couldn't feel my legs (thankfully).
After the surgery, I was wheeled to recovery for the next few hours. I couldn't move or feel my legs at all throughout recovery. The nurses taught me how to use the morphine pump. I kept myself sane by watching my blood pressure statistics on the monitor above my head (though, it dropped drastically and I had to get some epinephrine to keep me stable); I was aware of it the whole time, so it couldn't have been too terrible. And no warning alarms were set off, so that was a relief. Also, I was glad that directly across from my bed was a huge clock on the wall. I have never been so thankful for my LASIK surgery as I was that day. Without it I would have had no sense of the passage of time. I did sleep some, mostly in 3-5 minute spurts that felt like 12-13 hours of good rest. I was so cold. I had so many blankets draped on me and wrapped around me. I even had one rolled up around my head like a hood. Mom had told me that the best part of having a baby (besides the baby) was the warm blanket they give you afterwards. I totally agree with her!
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| My first time to hold Colt - I was still a bit groggy.... |
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| With Daddy |
After about 2 1/2 hours, I was taken to my post partum room. Mom and Jason were there. Colt joined us shortly after that, and for the first time I got to hold my precious miracle. I got to hear all about his statistics and about his visit to the nursery.
Colt Daniel McCullough was born Tuesday, September 7, 2010 at 2:34 pm. He weighed 8 lbs. 0 oz. and was 20 inches long.
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| Uncle Micah |
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| Grandma and PaPa |
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| Aunt Misty |
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| Granna |
I love my sweet little boy!
