My birth story, longgggg

Okay, here goes.........

I went in for my induction at 8am. I was six minutes late, so doctor was already gone, but the nurses got me started right away on pitocin and put my IV in. All was going well...I was handling the contractions fairly well...never really feeling much until I was maybe at a 5. Just as I was telling DH that I wonder what it feels like to have your water break naturally, the doc comes in to break my water. It started as a trickle on the bed, but then....whooooooooooooosh, I flooded the whole bed! And then the floor! Things started progressing from there and it was still morning. The doc went back to the office and told the nurse to call him when I was at 9cm. When I was at 6cm, the nurse checked my cervix and says "hmmmm, I don't think that's a head". WHAT? So she takes an ultrasound and discovered that Wesley was still head-down, but that instead of head presenting, he was face presenting. The nurse was feeling his little cheek bone and possibly a nose, instead the top of his head. I panicked. The doc came back and checked himself, reassuring me that it didn't mean I necessarily needed a C yet, but it was possible. But as I started to progress more, Wesley's heart-rate was going down, which meant he was under stress. Not a comfortable position for a little guy! The doc checked again and sure enough, his face was looking DOWN the birth canal and his little chin was cocked back really far. If we had tried a vaginal delivery, he could possibly catch his chin on my pelvic bone and......

So off I went to the OR...I was a total mess! My biggest fear was having a C, so I was shaking like a mad woman, uncontrollably. I panicked when I couldn't see DH. Anyhow, I just have to say that the experience was just about as awful as I expected, if not more. I don't want to scare anyone, but I hated feeling so vulnerable on the table. I'm all for epidurals, but I couldn't handle not feeling the lower half of my body as 10 people were in the room staring at it under neon lights! It didn't help that the anesthesiologist said to me "wow, you are ALL baby"...perve. The tugging was horendous. My doc is known to be great at C's, but he is also known to be a bit rough. DH held and kissed my face and brought Wesley over to me when they finished. I plan to be KNOCKED OUT if I ever go through that again!

When I was on the table, I heard the doc say to the nurse "look at the umbilical cord, I've never seen that before"...so that freaked me out. He said it was coiled to such an extreme that it would have caused a serious problem during a vag delivery. Probably cutting off Wesley's oxygen if stretched.

Post-op was awful too. It lasted too long. I had to wait in a room with a bunch of other patients (we had curtains of course). It was after 4pm and I hadn't eaten anything since 4am and I had the Wesley at 1:18pm! They gave me ice chips only and I still hadn't held Wesley yet or tried to BF him. Pure torture.

So all in all, I hated the experience and I wonder at times if I should have never been induced...but judging from the position Wesley was in, plus the cord, I would have had a C regardless. And who knows what would have happened if I had waited any longer. I'm so thankful that my baby is safe and healthy.

Sorry this is getting long...thanks if you've got this far. In regards to the jaundice, I expected Wesley to have it since Wil had it bad too. So I was prepared, but it still stinks. They both had what's called the ABO incompatibility jaundice. With an ABO incompatibility, a mother makes antibodies against her baby's blood type. It doesn't happen if the mother and baby have the same blood type or if the baby is type O, since in that case, there is usually nothing to make antibodies against. These antibodies, if the mother is type O, which I am, can cross the placenta and can break down the baby's red blood cells after he is born, leading to jaundice and anemia. So Wesley underwent photo therapy treatment in the NICU for four days. DH was so sweet and wheeled me down FOUR floors to the NICU every three hours to feed him. For Wil, we were in the hospital for 7 days, so only four was a HUGE relief.

Wesley went to the ped yesterday and he is still a bit jaundiced, but at a level the ped is not concerned about. No repeat photo therapy needed. So all is good! Again, I'm glad it's over!

Thanks for reading....

Rae. I'm glad he came safe I remember my c-section with Kylie all too well and it was a very very awful experience for me. One that I swore I'd never repeat and thank goodness I didn't have to w/Megan.

I'm sorry your experience was so awful Rae! But in the end you have little Wesley and he's okay, that is the most important thing! He's so cute too(that has to help take the sting out of things )

But boy are you and Karen scaring the begeezers out of me about the whole C-section thing!

You poor thing that sounds terrible!!! I can't imagine....glad to hear it turned out ok in the end!

Oh goodness Rae! That does sound awful. I'm so glad that you and Wes are ok though. And just like Nicole.....I'm scared to death now of "what could" go wrong....Thanks! lol

Sorry it was such a horrible experience, I'm glad the outcome is nothing but good news though. Thankfully both you and little Wesley are doing well, and healthy.

wow thats crazy girl!!! I'm glad both you and little wesley are okay though and its definitly good that you had the c ALSO don't go knocked out next time (IF you have to have another one) because I was and I regretted being knocked out anyway I'm glad you guys are okay and home and doing well now!!! BTW what a wonderful dh to do all that for you!!!

Hugs to you Rae, I'm so glad that wesley is doing okay i'm also sorry that you had a bad experience....But you are all safe and that is what is most important now.....

I'm sorry it wasn't a dream delivery, but in the end you got your perfect (and slightly yellow) little baby boy Nora and Sophia were both jaundiced - it stinks. I hope he gets over that quickly.

Wow Rae, I just can't even imagine. I'm so sorry it was all so scary and awful but soooooo glad you are both ok!

I am sorry you had a bad expierence, but am so glad to hear that you and Wesley are doing well!!!

Thanks everyone! I still get tears when I think about it. You all know I'm not religious, but I truly think there was an angel looking over us that day. I cry just thinking about what could have happened if the nurse hadn't noticed him face presenting. Or if I had delivered vaginally and the cord got stretched.

I'm so SORRY to scare any of you that are PG! I mean that! I truly didn't want to give a horror story that would make anyone afraid of what's to come for them. Docs do C's all the time! Plus, just think how lucky we are that they can get the baby out that way these days.

Wow what a story! I'm sorry you didn't get your dream birth but your lucky to have such lovely children.

Rae, I think a healthy fear and knowlege is ok. Giving birth can be scary and you never know what could happen. It's unrealistic to believe that everyone will go in and pop out a kid with no complications. KWIM?
Your birth experience sounds a lot like mine with Lauren up till the face presenting and the actual C. That is a horrifying feeling when the docs are giving you O2 and trying to get the babies heart to beat again while the baby is still inside. I'm sorry your delivery didn't go as planned but you got the best present in the end.

wow! what a story!! So sorry it didn't go as planned but you have your healthy liitle man now and thats whats important!!

Congratulations again!!

I'm sorry that you had such a bad birth experience. But I'm glad that you, and your baby are safe, and doing good. I had a c-section, and the worst part of it is when they made me get out of bed the very next day, and walk, and get clothes on. I felt like everything was going to fall out, and the pain was horrible.

Wow. I am so glad that everything worked out okay for you. How traumatic tho! Wes is beautiful! good job!

Don't worry about it sweetie! A C-section is/was already my worst case scenerio fear, but now I have more questions to ask the midwife and nurses during labor/delivery and can prepare myself better. So it's a learning experience vicariously (sp?) through you!

wow Rae! I'm so sorry. Your story sounds a lot like mine (especially the rough doc and not getting to hold the baby afterwards ). I had all sorts of emotional issues afterwards dealing with the whole situation. But its a good thing you did it. Wesley is a beautiful and healthy little man. and soooo cute!

I am sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with the c-section. I hate to hear that, I had one after 2 1/2 days of labor and to be honest the whole labor, section thing was a nightmare but the actual c-section was a good experience. The only thing I didn't like was being seperated from the baby and my hubby (I sent him with the baby) when I was in teh recovery room and they took her to do their things with her. But that can't be helped I guess after all I just had surgery...other than that it wasn't bad, sore after, etc. but nothing major. I am doing it again this time and didn't even hesitate to schedule......

Anyway, I am glad you are home and everyone is doign well, you will recover, believe me!!!

Goodness Rae, that sounds terrible! I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I'm so glad everything turned out alright and Wesley is fine. He's absolutely beautiful ~ congratulations!

WOW! What an experience. Hugs and happy thoughts Rae! Glad your adorable little boy is here safe and sound, regardless of how he arrived. I cannot imagine your fear and glad it was a happy ending. ALso I wanted to say how much i think he looks like Wil! I can't help but think that every time i see his little cheeks!

Rae, you have a beautiful baby! I hope you are feeling well, and not in pain. I am so glad to hear Wesley is doing well now!

Sounds scary and emotionally draining. I also had a c-section after hours of labor--my experience on the table was similar---you are frightened and vulnerable. It is nice to be in experienced and capable hands at that moment. As you know, after a few days of extreme emotion and a couple weeks of ups, downs and mother's guilt, your c-section will feel fine and things will be great. He is beautiful!