I’m surprised I haven’t posted this yet!
On Thanksgiving, we traveled 2 hours to my in-laws to celebrate the holiday. I didn’t feel quite right, but I brushed it off as being extra tired. I also noticed that my LO wasn’t moving much, but she never did when I was on the move a lot. While I was concerned, I didn't let it show and I somewhat brushed it off as just being extra tired after my own busy day.
Back home on Black Friday, we decided to get in a little bargain baby shopping. DH & I headed out for about 2 hours before we went back home where I laid down for around 2.5 – 3 hours to rest. After that, I felt better and wanted to go out again. While we were shopping, (I was taking it very slow) I kept complaining to my DH that the baby was really pushing on me, I had to pee more often than usual and I was extremely tired. I still didn’t think much of it since it was a crazy couple of days.
Around 5pm we were back home and I noticed spotting when I used the bathroom. I freaked out! DH told me to eat dinner and rest…. about an hour later, I woke up, used the bathroom again and found red blood. We immediately called the Dr. and she told us to go to the ER. We checked in there about 8 pm.
The L&D nurses hooked me up to monitors (after waiting nearly an hour!) and told me I was actually contracting 1 – 2 minutes apart! The nurse was shocked I didn’t recognize labor, but they were fairly mild. After all, I was only in my 7th month and just took my Lamaze class the weekend before! I was given a shot to stop labor and the doctor performed an U/S (saw no sign of distress). By midnight, I was moved to an L&D room to be monitored overnight. At that point, I was given an oral med to stop labor and the nurses told my DH to go home and sleep… even though they were giving me a steroid shot “in case” baby comes. DH left around 1:30 am to let the dogs out and I tried to get some sleep.
Around 4:30 am, I told the nurse I was still bleeding and contracting, but she didn’t believe me. She pointed to the monitor and said, “No, you’re not!” I asked her to put her hand on my belly. She did, and exclaimed, "You ARE in labor!" then instantly ran out of the room. She came back a few moments later and said, “Doctor wants you prepped for a C-section now, so your hubby better get here soon.” Obviously, I was shocked! I found out later, the monitors were on wrong. Not only was I contracting (and still bleeding) but the baby’s heart rate had dropped!
They immediately started prepping me while giving me oxygen in hopes of "waking the baby up" while someone at the nurses station was trying to call Don – but he wasn’t picking up! Finally, just as I was about to be wheeled into the OR, she said Don was on his way. (He passed out after being awake nearly 24 hours and didn’t hear the phone). All I could think is, "Don't be mad at him for forgetting to bring the camera."
The epidural was a horrific experience. I could feel the thread going thru my spine and a second doctor had to be called in. It took nearly 30 minutes of poking before they got it in the right place. On the flip side, if it wouldn’t have taken so long, Don would have missed the delivery. Just as I laid back and they confirmed I was numb, I heard the doctor say, “We’re going to get started.” A second later, DH was standing over me, in scrubs, saying, “I’m here, I’m here… just breathe…. *pause—looks up* She’s here too!” He literally arrived 30 seconds before the baby did! I couldn’t hear G cry at first and I was terrified. As it turns out, she had swallowed a lot of my blood. After several seconds, I could hear a faint cry, but no one would tell me anything and I couldn’t see. I could only hear my doctor call me a “bleeder.”
I started shaking horribly after the placenta was delivered and then got sick on the table. They eventually stabilized G and took her to the NICU – I never even got to peek at my precious girl until several hours later when I was being rolled out of recovery into my room.
The doctor needed “extra time” to suction me out from all the blood and despite the epi, I was in a lot of pain. Later, I developed a spinal headache and had a 6” bruise on my back, around the injection site(s).
G was in the NICU for 6 days, which the nurses called a “record” for a preemie of 32 weeks (born 7w 1d early ~ due 1/17/10). She improved by leaps and bounds daily and now we joke that the placenta tore away (starting labor) because she grabbed it and pulled, trying to find her way out. She’s healthy, strong, and the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
On Thanksgiving, we traveled 2 hours to my in-laws to celebrate the holiday. I didn’t feel quite right, but I brushed it off as being extra tired. I also noticed that my LO wasn’t moving much, but she never did when I was on the move a lot. While I was concerned, I didn't let it show and I somewhat brushed it off as just being extra tired after my own busy day.
Back home on Black Friday, we decided to get in a little bargain baby shopping. DH & I headed out for about 2 hours before we went back home where I laid down for around 2.5 – 3 hours to rest. After that, I felt better and wanted to go out again. While we were shopping, (I was taking it very slow) I kept complaining to my DH that the baby was really pushing on me, I had to pee more often than usual and I was extremely tired. I still didn’t think much of it since it was a crazy couple of days.
Around 5pm we were back home and I noticed spotting when I used the bathroom. I freaked out! DH told me to eat dinner and rest…. about an hour later, I woke up, used the bathroom again and found red blood. We immediately called the Dr. and she told us to go to the ER. We checked in there about 8 pm.
The L&D nurses hooked me up to monitors (after waiting nearly an hour!) and told me I was actually contracting 1 – 2 minutes apart! The nurse was shocked I didn’t recognize labor, but they were fairly mild. After all, I was only in my 7th month and just took my Lamaze class the weekend before! I was given a shot to stop labor and the doctor performed an U/S (saw no sign of distress). By midnight, I was moved to an L&D room to be monitored overnight. At that point, I was given an oral med to stop labor and the nurses told my DH to go home and sleep… even though they were giving me a steroid shot “in case” baby comes. DH left around 1:30 am to let the dogs out and I tried to get some sleep.
Around 4:30 am, I told the nurse I was still bleeding and contracting, but she didn’t believe me. She pointed to the monitor and said, “No, you’re not!” I asked her to put her hand on my belly. She did, and exclaimed, "You ARE in labor!" then instantly ran out of the room. She came back a few moments later and said, “Doctor wants you prepped for a C-section now, so your hubby better get here soon.” Obviously, I was shocked! I found out later, the monitors were on wrong. Not only was I contracting (and still bleeding) but the baby’s heart rate had dropped!
They immediately started prepping me while giving me oxygen in hopes of "waking the baby up" while someone at the nurses station was trying to call Don – but he wasn’t picking up! Finally, just as I was about to be wheeled into the OR, she said Don was on his way. (He passed out after being awake nearly 24 hours and didn’t hear the phone). All I could think is, "Don't be mad at him for forgetting to bring the camera."
The epidural was a horrific experience. I could feel the thread going thru my spine and a second doctor had to be called in. It took nearly 30 minutes of poking before they got it in the right place. On the flip side, if it wouldn’t have taken so long, Don would have missed the delivery. Just as I laid back and they confirmed I was numb, I heard the doctor say, “We’re going to get started.” A second later, DH was standing over me, in scrubs, saying, “I’m here, I’m here… just breathe…. *pause—looks up* She’s here too!” He literally arrived 30 seconds before the baby did! I couldn’t hear G cry at first and I was terrified. As it turns out, she had swallowed a lot of my blood. After several seconds, I could hear a faint cry, but no one would tell me anything and I couldn’t see. I could only hear my doctor call me a “bleeder.”
I started shaking horribly after the placenta was delivered and then got sick on the table. They eventually stabilized G and took her to the NICU – I never even got to peek at my precious girl until several hours later when I was being rolled out of recovery into my room.
The doctor needed “extra time” to suction me out from all the blood and despite the epi, I was in a lot of pain. Later, I developed a spinal headache and had a 6” bruise on my back, around the injection site(s).
G was in the NICU for 6 days, which the nurses called a “record” for a preemie of 32 weeks (born 7w 1d early ~ due 1/17/10). She improved by leaps and bounds daily and now we joke that the placenta tore away (starting labor) because she grabbed it and pulled, trying to find her way out. She’s healthy, strong, and the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
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