Naomi's Birthday

Here is the story of little Naomi's arrival.  Sunday night, I was given the Cervidil (the drug that ripens your cervix),  I was moved to a proper labor and delivery room with a labor and delivery mattress (not comfy for sleeping on), as some women will actually go into labor with just this drug.  My IV was started back up since I couldn't eat anything after midnight and we started on the birthing journey.  Nothing really happened and we didn't really sleep much (neither of us was comfortable). 

In the morning the doctor came into check me and found that I was only dilated 1 cm.  They started the Pitocin drip.  The doctor didn't seem too concerned, but we could tell that I hadn't progressed as far as she had hoped.  By midday I was having several contractions, but not in any kind of pattern and they weren't increasing in frequency or intensity.  The doctor rechecked me and there hadn't been much change, maybe a bit over a cm.  She reiterated her plan to do a cesarean if the induction didn't work.  I did get a bit of a pain med since the contractions were really uncomfortable and we had a sinking feeling that I was headed for the c-section.  I didn't see any point in being in pain for a labor that wasn't going anywhere.  It felt like a Texas Martini from Trudy's in Austin - ahhhh. 

As the afternoon progressed, and my labor didn't, Brian and I began to resign ourselves to the increasingly likely outcome of a cesarean.  I really didn't want a cesarean because of the recovery involved and the decreased amount of immediate bonding you get to do with your newborn.  As expected the doctor came in around dinner time to check on things (which hadn't progressed any further than they were at lunch time) and ordered the c-section. 

We had already told our family not to come to the hospital as these things can take all day.  We said that we would call them as soon as the baby's arrival was imminant.  Of course, that meant that they called to check frequently and it was difficult to have to tell them that nothing was happening.  :)  By around 5 or 6, several family members had already decided to come on in to the hospital just in case.  So we called anyone who wasn't already there. 

Once the doctor ordered the cesarean, things progressed super fast.   Before I knew it, I was being wheeled through the hall, past some family that had just arrived, and into the OR.  They put in the epidural (not at all scary/painful for any preggy girls reading this and worrying about it) and began prepping me.  In no time at all, the doctor made her incision, I felt a bunch of pressure and tugging and POOF, they held up our new baby just over the drape.  Brian could stand up and get a better look at her, but I just got a glimpse of her head.  The nurses whisked her over to the warmer to began all their evaluations.  Brian gave me a torn look and I told him to go be with our baby girl.  The doctor had a NICU team standing by just in case, but Naomi got an APGAR score of 9 and was declared to be in great shape.  She was 6 lbs 3 oz of cuteness.  I got another glimpse of her as Brian held her up near me before they took her off to the nursery. 

At that point, I'm pretty much just laying on the table while they clean me out, stitch me up, count all their instruments and chat about nothing in particular.  I feel nothing and it's not the epidural talking... I don't feel like I've had a baby.  I feel like I've had a surgical procedure and it's just another part of my hospital stay.  I don't feel this overwhelming joy that is supposed to come with the birth of your baby and for this, I feel a little cheated.  I suppose a lot of women who have cesarean births feel this way, but who wants to actually say that.  Apparently, I do, if only to let someone else know that they aren't alone if they feel that way too.  I'm including some pictures from Brian's experience (because they're interesting), but I didn't get to see or hear about any of this until days later.  :(

Once everything's done, they wheel me into recovery.  This part is a bit of a blur as far as sequencing and time, but from what I understand, I'm there for an abnormally long time (2 or 3 hours).  My family moves all my belongings into what will be my post-partum room.  Some family members stop by to say bye.  Brian comes and stays with me at some point.  My blood pressure is monitored - it hasn't changed much from where it was before the birth.  My urine output is monitored - the nurse seems displeased.  They finally bring in my baby for me to see.  She's all swaddled up, so I can barely see her but her face is just precious.  We take our first stab at breastfeeding and it goes okay; at least I had some colostrum.  I notice Naomi's breathing seems odd, like it's difficult or has a little hitch or something.  We mention it to the nurse.  She looks at baby girl's chest and decides to take her back to the nursery to have the doctor look at it.  Then, I find out that my urine output is such that, I will not be going to my post-partum room and will instead be going back to the ante-partum area of labor and delivery.  The rug has been pulled out from under me... to be continued...