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Thomas is here
blkbrd3
Posts: 1,221 ✭✭
On Friday the 18th I received a phone call from my OB. My lab results had come in from the day before and the results had her rather concerned about preeclampsia. She reviewed the results with me and asked me to go to the hospital immediately to be induced.
I panicked. I asked if it was possible to come in on Sunday instead. I didn't have a thing ready for the baby. I wasn't packed. I hadn't completed spring cleaning. The "I need more time because..." was quite long.
My OB reminded me that preeclampsia is progressive. She'd already consulted with the maternal fetal medicine specialist that I'd worked with earlier in my pregnancy. They both felt delivering my son sooner than later was the best option. She was gently persistent. Since I couldn't have the weekend to prepare, I did negotiate for a few hours to get a bag packed, confirm my dog sitter was in place, etc.
I arrived at the hospital at 5:45 pm. The staff were very welcoming and kind. An IV was set up, medication started, and blood work drawn. Cervical ripening medication was started that evening and continued throughout the night.
Mild contractions began in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Pitocin was started midmorning to bring on stronger contractions. By late afternoon my OB broke my water to intensify the contractions yet again. My lab results came back and confirmed my preeclampsia was progressing.
By about 10 or 11 pm the pain from the contractions and the shifting of my bones was more than I could ride through. I tried every position possible and every breathing style I could think of and could not reduce the pain.
I asked for an epidural. It took the anesthesiologist a long 45 minutes of poking and feeling around to get the epidural in place.
I was so relieved when my pain decreased that my bp dropped quite a bit. Pitocin was stopped while we waited for my bp to return to normal.
I believe Thomas shifted position the two hours between stopping and restarting the pitocin. This shift caused intense bone pain that the epidural couldn't block out once pitocin increased the intensity of my contractions. I tried to push Thomas out but I couldn't get him to move. I pushed and pushed. With every push his heart rate began to dip further and further any my BP continued to climb higher and higher.
After laboring for a few hours more with trying a variety of positions Thomas hadn't shifted nor moved further down. His heart rate was decreasing more and more with each contraction.
By 5 am Sunday morning my OB recommended a C-Section. She felt that if I continued to labor like this there was a strong likelihood that I would need an emergency C-Section anyway to help Thomas out. Frankly I was ready for the pain to end and knew he wasn't moving out without help.
The surgery was uneventful. Thomas was born at 6:31 am weighing a beautiful 7 lbs and 2 oz. He was a lovely 20 1/2 inches long. My OB confirmed Thomas was positioned poorly and essentially stuck. His poor little head was cone shaped from all of my pushing.
I have no regrets about how Thomas was born.
As soon as Thomas and the placenta were delivered my bp returned to something that resembled normal.
I was up and moving within hours of the surgery. Recovery has been fairly easy although I'm still retaining water and have pitting edema in odd places.
We were released from the hospital late Wednesday evening. Due to his eating issues, weight loss of 12% of his birthweight, and increasing jaundice, Thomas was admitted back to the hospital Friday evening for approximately 24 hours for light therapy.
Thomas is currently doing well. He's regained his birth weight and is working on learning how to breast feed. I'll post photos of him soon.
I panicked. I asked if it was possible to come in on Sunday instead. I didn't have a thing ready for the baby. I wasn't packed. I hadn't completed spring cleaning. The "I need more time because..." was quite long.
My OB reminded me that preeclampsia is progressive. She'd already consulted with the maternal fetal medicine specialist that I'd worked with earlier in my pregnancy. They both felt delivering my son sooner than later was the best option. She was gently persistent. Since I couldn't have the weekend to prepare, I did negotiate for a few hours to get a bag packed, confirm my dog sitter was in place, etc.
I arrived at the hospital at 5:45 pm. The staff were very welcoming and kind. An IV was set up, medication started, and blood work drawn. Cervical ripening medication was started that evening and continued throughout the night.
Mild contractions began in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Pitocin was started midmorning to bring on stronger contractions. By late afternoon my OB broke my water to intensify the contractions yet again. My lab results came back and confirmed my preeclampsia was progressing.
By about 10 or 11 pm the pain from the contractions and the shifting of my bones was more than I could ride through. I tried every position possible and every breathing style I could think of and could not reduce the pain.
I asked for an epidural. It took the anesthesiologist a long 45 minutes of poking and feeling around to get the epidural in place.
I was so relieved when my pain decreased that my bp dropped quite a bit. Pitocin was stopped while we waited for my bp to return to normal.
I believe Thomas shifted position the two hours between stopping and restarting the pitocin. This shift caused intense bone pain that the epidural couldn't block out once pitocin increased the intensity of my contractions. I tried to push Thomas out but I couldn't get him to move. I pushed and pushed. With every push his heart rate began to dip further and further any my BP continued to climb higher and higher.
After laboring for a few hours more with trying a variety of positions Thomas hadn't shifted nor moved further down. His heart rate was decreasing more and more with each contraction.
By 5 am Sunday morning my OB recommended a C-Section. She felt that if I continued to labor like this there was a strong likelihood that I would need an emergency C-Section anyway to help Thomas out. Frankly I was ready for the pain to end and knew he wasn't moving out without help.
The surgery was uneventful. Thomas was born at 6:31 am weighing a beautiful 7 lbs and 2 oz. He was a lovely 20 1/2 inches long. My OB confirmed Thomas was positioned poorly and essentially stuck. His poor little head was cone shaped from all of my pushing.
I have no regrets about how Thomas was born.
As soon as Thomas and the placenta were delivered my bp returned to something that resembled normal.
I was up and moving within hours of the surgery. Recovery has been fairly easy although I'm still retaining water and have pitting edema in odd places.
We were released from the hospital late Wednesday evening. Due to his eating issues, weight loss of 12% of his birthweight, and increasing jaundice, Thomas was admitted back to the hospital Friday evening for approximately 24 hours for light therapy.
Thomas is currently doing well. He's regained his birth weight and is working on learning how to breast feed. I'll post photos of him soon.
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Comments
For me, the whole swelling took about 10 days to really lessen. I drank a ton of water.
So glad your BP is already down.
Congratulations and welcome to the world, Thomas!
Lucky Cycle 14: IVF!! Antagonist Cycle with Lupron Trigger
ICI #1 April 2012- BFN ICI #2 March 2013 BFN
DH had vasectomy reversal October 2013. It worked!!!
Counts are low, varicocele surgery was in August 2014.
IVF February 2016 w/ICSI transferred 2 perfect blastocysts. It's twins!!!!
Two perfect, beautiful boys born 10/24/16!!
Follow our journey at: www.potandlidmakekid.wordpress.com
4.5 years!
Congratulations.
August- medicated cycle TWW 10dpi BFP!
Due April 29, 2015. ITS A BOY
2013 - 3 BFNs
2014 - 7 BFNs
2015 - 4 BFNs
2016 - Feb BFN
TTC #2: IVF April 2017
BFP: FET Due February 2018
IUI~BFP (BORN STILL) AT 16w5d 4/3/14
Chemicals~IUI 7/24/14;8/21;BFNs~9/25;10/19;IVF#1-2/21/15~No embies made to blast.
IVF#2-BFP~4/16 trans. 2 embies
Can't wait for pics!
Can't wait to see pics!
April '14 - BFN
May '14 - BFP (angel baby, 4 wks)
June '14 - BFP (angel baby, 5 wks)
TTC No. 2 since Aug. 2014; IVF #1 - Cxld; IVF #2 - BFN