Birth Story

by Mary
(Jacksonville, FL, USA)

At 31 weeks I went to the OB for a routine appt. My BP was high so I was sent to the L&D floor at the hospital for monitoring. I was discharged after about 8 hours with the instructions to remain on strict bed-rest, and return to the hospital twice weekly for monitoring.

At 33 weeks I went to an ultrasound to measure the baby's growth. Baby estimated to weigh 5 lbs 4 oz, about the 75% percentile (big boy!). Lab work comes back bad, so ordered to check into the hospital for monitoring until delivery.

Being stuck in the hospital was not fun.

At 34 weeks, 1 day, 7:00 AM, my blood pressure was at its highest and I was showing signs of worsening conditions, so I was moved to a delivery room and given meds to start induction. I was also started on a magnesium IV drip to prevent seizures and given a foley catheter to monitor urine output.

The magnesium was awlful. It acted as a powerful muscle relaxant, so I couldn't really talk without slurring and I could only keep one eye open. The foley was the worst pain...I seriously considered ripping it out. I was a bad patient :)

Since the foley bothered me so much the MD agreed to let me have the epidural early. After the epidural I felt good. At about noon I was only 1 cm dilated. The baby started showing signs of distress, so I was taken to the OR for an emergency C-section.

Once in the OR, I could feel the surgeon cutting me open, and they could not get me completely numb, so they had to put me completely out. It was depressing since I didn't get to see him born, and my husband could not be in the OR.

He was born at 3:15, weighing 5 lbs 11.5 oz, with the umbilical cord wrapped once around his neck. After recovery I was wheeled back to my room. I only got a peek at my baby as we wheeled by the NICU. I was still hooked up to the magnesium, and I now had a morphine drip, so I was pretty high. I couldn't get out of bed, so I couldn't visit him in the nursery.

The next day I finally get the magnesium, morphine, and foley off. After about an hour, I manage (with lots of help) to get dressed and into a wheelchair so that I can go to the NICU. A little over 24 hours after his birth I get to hold him.

2 weeks after the birth my little boy was discharged, and is doing great!