Wesley's Birth Story

I was a patient of a group practice, but there was one doctor I really wanted to deliver us and she was going out of town.
Hence, we decided to do an elective induction on my due date.
I had been using Evening Primrose Oil to help soften my cervix, but was still only dilated a fingertip.
So, I went to Labor & Delivery the night before my induction to get a dose of prostaglandin gel.
On October 9, we woke up at 5 am and got ready to go to the hospital.

7:30 AM We arrived at the hospital
8:00 AM 1 cm dilated (our "starting point")
8:30 AM IV started after 2 attempts - OUCH!
9:00 AM IV Pitocin started
9:30 AM - 10:20 AM We walked the halls in an attempt to help get things moving
10:20 AM I was starting to get uncomfortable so I sat on the labor ball and Greg massaged my back
10:45 AM 2 centimeters dilated and the doctor broke my water. Contractions became much more intense after that.
11:30 AM I got my epidural... Ahhh! Much better now! I made a few phone calls and Greg got some lunch.
1:15 PM 4 cms dilated

Now, here is where things get a little weird. I had a "window" on the left side of my belly where I could feel contractions.
The anesthesiologist came and rebolused my epidural and I would get pain relief for about an hour.
She rebolused me twice between 1 and 4 PM
4:40 PM 5 cms dilated and VERY uncomfortable! The anesthesiologist had changed the medication in my epidural earlier,
but now that wasn't working either.
They had offered to "redo" my epidural, but the odd thing was, their reboluses would work.
But now, the "window" was back, very suddenly and so very intense! I felt like I was being stabbed, it hurt so bad!
The anesthesiologist had one last suggestion before replacing my epidural... he gave me a "C-Section" dose of medication.
Thank God! I felt a lot better after that.

6:40 PM Still 5 cms dilated. My contraction pattern had stressed the baby
So, my pitocin had been slowed and shut off and restarted and slowed again several times in the afternoon. So, I wasn't totally suprised I hadn't made much progress
My doctor checked me and noticed I was having a lot of bleeding.
They changed the pads and she said she would recheck me in 5 minutes.
She then proceeded to have a nice conversation with Greg and I.
6:45 PM My doctor rechecked me and stated "Gail, you're still bleeding and it's pretty constant and you're passing clots.
We're going to have to do a C-Section and it isn't optional."
She then turned to DH and said something about how a lot of people were going to be rushing around and not to worry.
My doctor was so calm, cool and collected! Even I (a L&D nurse myself!) did not know how serious everything was!
Later, she said I was having an abruption, my placenta was pulling away from my uterus.
It was caused by my contractions and explains the severe "window" pain - I suspect that is the spot where the abruption was occurring
6:50 PM I was rushed back to the OR. Strangely enough, Sarah McLachlan (my favorite artist) was playing in the OR.
It was a nice touch. I did have a small moment of panic when I looked around and did not see Greg when we first got in the OR.
He was just a few steps behind us and arrived a few seconds later.

7:03 PM Wesley was born.
Now, I have worked in Labor and Delievery for 8 years, but when I heard his cry, I exclaimed "that's my baby!"
I immediately started crying tears of joy and the crying did not stop until we were out of the recovery room an hour later.
Greg and I kept saying "I Love You" to each other.
I think we were both a little nervous and we were supporting each other in the best way.
Greg went over to the warmer where Wesley was and took some pictures, trimmed his cord segment and then came back to me to show me pictures.
The nurses brought Wesley over to see me and I gave him kisses and then he went off to the recovery room to get weighed.
I had Greg go with the baby, I knew I'd be OK.
The finished up the C-Section and I went to the PACU for an hour for recovery.
I got to feed him and I held him almost the whole time we were in there.
We went back to the room and got settled in, Wesley got his bath (in the room) and then the phone calls began.
And that is how Wesley came into the world.