March 2nd, 2014- The Arrival!

So we had a pretty uneventful evening Saturday.  I told Russell to take the boys and let them sleep at home- they were obviously exhausted and needed to sleep in their own beds- and let his parents get some rest too because they had been caring for them all day and THEY were obviously exhausted too!  It also gave Russell a chance to sleep at home and Mom stayed with me at the hospital.  My doctor was hoping I would start labor on my own since my water had broken so I was on the monitors and just waiting for contractions to start back up again.

We all had a pretty good night and the waiting game continued on Sunday.  I was allowed to eat a regular breakfast, but before lunch my nurse came in and we spoke with her.  She said if I was not going to be induced, I really should go to another room and not be in labor and delivery, and sometimes these doctors need me to be a bit 'forceful' if I was serious about having a baby (she was awesome, I really liked her)!  I was so torn.  I knew I couldn't stay like this forever, but at the same time I was worried about being so early and how Ally would do after delivery.  She was doing well on the monitors and I almost wanted to just try and buy her some more time if it would help her, but I knew they wouldn't let me just hang out with such low fluid levels.

The doctor came in just a few minutes after we spoke with the nurse.  He told me that since labor wasn't starting he thought we should start pitocin (my nurse swore she didn't say anything to him before he came in!).  So she came back in and got me hooked up.

And then we waited some more.  Every 20 minutes or so she would come in and bump up the pump level, but I still wasn't feeling anything.  After a couple of hours, she came in and told me that the monitors were showing contractions (again, that I couldn't feel) and every time I had one Ally's heart rate dipped, so they were going to pause pitocin.

My doctor came in and said sometimes this happens when there are low fluid levels because when the uterus contracts it squeezes the cord since there isn't fluid around it to cushion it and that causes the heart rate to drop.  He wanted to put in a catheter that would pump fluid into my uterus and hopefully help with that.

After an INCREDIBLY painful insertion of the catheter, we got the fluid pumping in and the pitocin started again.  About another hour later, the doctor came in again and said she still wasn't tolerating the labor with the help of the fluid and it would really be best to go ahead and have a c-section.

I was so crushed.  I had really been hoping that with it being so early I'd be able to go ahead with a regular delivery at least.  My nurse was great and she came in and talked with me about my fears of the surgery and the needle and all.  She told me that the spinal they would give me was easier and less painful than putting in an iv, and the fact that I wasn't very 'fluffy' would give them a pretty straight shot and it would be nothing.

The anesthesiologist came in and told me about what she would be doing, what I would feel, and that she'd be with me the whole time.  Then the nurse took Russell to get him 'dressed up' and another nurse came in to take me to get prepped.

It was the longest walk I'd taken since Friday getting to the hospital.  I was so scared (and cold) I was shaking when they put me on the table and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to be still for the spinal.  However, as my nurse had assured me, it truly wasn't that bad and was over very quickly.  They had me lay down before I went completely numb and strapped my legs to the table and continued to prep.  Russell was able to come in a few minutes later in his garb.  He asked how I was feeling and I said, "like my body is made of lead."  I asked the anesthesiologist how could anyone possibly push a baby out feeling (or not feeling, in this case) like this?  I was thinking of my deliveries of the boys and thought it would have been impossible to know what was going on down there and how hard (or even if!) I was pushing.  She responded, "Oh, the body does it mostly for you."  Goodness gracious!

Russell took a selfie waiting to come in.

They got started and Ally was out in about 15 minutes or so.  They lowered the curtain enough for us to see Ally just as she was coming out (and not to be able to see anything else...).  Russell said exactly what I had been thinking, "She's so tiny!"  And her head did not look that big at all.  Russell went with her over to the baby bed where they cleaned her up to take pictures and I looked 'over my shoulder' to watch.  I also saw her get weighed, and she weighed in at 4 lbs, 5.5 oz.  So she came in a little under what the estimate was, but not a bad weight for 6 weeks premature.

I could hear her crying and they said her breathing was doing great so far.  They then took her up to the NICU, and Russell went with her while the doctor finished up with me.  He told me the cord had been wrapped around her neck three times, so a natural delivery would never have worked out.  Even though it was not what I had wanted, it was the right decision and I'm glad it all turned out ok.

Meeting Mommy

The c-section itself wasn't so bad...but I'm not eager to hop back on that table again.  The worst part was at the end- I have never tolerated anesthesia well and as they were 'putting me back together' I started getting nauseous and vomiting- only there was nothing in my stomach to come up.  The anesthesiologist actually had to sedate me for about the last 10 minutes so they could finish- I guess the heaving was interfering with putting me back together properly.  I woke as they were wheeling me into recovery.

My nurse was waiting for me in recovery.  She congratulated me on Ally's birth and how well I had done.  (I told you, she was awesome!)  We waited for the effects to start wearing off and then they took me in the bed up to the NICU to see Ally before they took me to my room.

When we got to the NICU they gave us an update at her bedside.  Ally was doing really well.  She was breathing on her own with no help, though occasionally she would 'forget' to breathe.  She was also feeding on her own without a feeding tube in the nose or mouth (did have an iv, though), and her coloring was great too.  She was in an open crib instead of the incubator under a heat lamp, which was also a great sign.  She had very few things attached to her, so we were really happy with her status overall.

First picture in the NICU

My favorite...holding Mommy's hand in the NICU

Afterwards they took me to my room, and Russell and I slept that night (though my night was a bit restless- the spinal can make you very itchy so I was constantly scratching somewhere, plus I was still getting the feeling back in the lower part of my body).  It has been very different from my last 2 deliveries and recoveries, because Ally is not in the room with me.  I have to pump for her, so I have to remember to do this every 3 or 4 hours instead of having a baby screaming at me to eat at all hours.  I have been able to rest at night, though I set my alarm to wake up and pump.  There also haven't been as many people in and out of my room, since all of her monitoring is done upstairs.  I have had a few nurses in and out for my vitals and to check on my incision and bleeding, and of course my food being delivered and vital records to get her registered, but that's been about it, so I've had more time to rest (especially at night!).

I am finishing this a bit late, and there is much to update, but we will save that for the next post.  Thanks so much for all your prayers and support, and for the calls, texts, visits, emails, etc.  We appreciate all the love and support from everyone so much, especially our parents as they have helped us out with caring for the boys and for me too.  If anyone wants the web address for our meal calendar, it is below.

http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=MNNX5749