December 17, 2012
The work day went by pretty quickly and I headed home to hang out with my guys. I didn't have a huge appetite, so I ate a small dinner before watching TV and spending time with Colin until he went to bed around 8:30.
Shortly after my sweet boy fell asleep, I started feeling what I thought were Braxton Hicks contractions. I brushed them off at first, but when they started to get stronger and closer together, I started paying closer attention. I told Justin I felt like I needed to lay down and drink some water to see if the pain would go away. He lay down beside me in the bed and helped me time the contractions, but I had a hard time recognizing when one stopped and another began. Since that was exactly how my labor with Colin started, Justin gave his dad a quick call to let him know we might need him to come over and stay with Colin. I also texted my family and a close friend to tell them what was going on.
Sensing that I might be going into labor, I was determined to tie up a few loose ends. I took a shower, washed my hair and shaved my legs. You know, because I knew I might not be able to shave for a long time. It's so funny the things you think about when you find yourself in early labor. I rounded up Colin's stuff for daycare in case his Papa would need to take him the next morning, and threw the last few things into my hospital bag. As we timed contractions, we found several of them to be 3 or 4 minutes apart, so I gave the OB's office a call and I was told to go straight to the hospital.
As we waited for Justin's dad to arrive, I spent a few minutes watching Colin sleep. I got a little emotional thinking about the fact that this might be his last night as an only child.
Before I had much time to think about it, though, we were off to the hospital. My contractions continued throughout the drive, and the longer they lasted, the more confident I was that our baby would be born very soon. I texted my mom, who decided at that point to hop in the car with my sister and start driving down from Michigan. They hoped to make it in time for the birth, as they didn't arrive in time when Colin was born. Darn these early births! I'm not sure why my body seems to just be done with pregnancy at 37 weeks, but so far, that has been the pattern.
Anyway.
When we arrived at the hospital, we checked in at Labor & Delivery triage and met our awesome nurse, Rebecca. I changed into my lovely gown, was hooked up to monitors, and got an IV for fluids. We watched my contractions on the monitor for a while, and Rebecca seemed surprised when she saw they were about 3 minutes apart, because I was still talking and making jokes through them. In the middle of one, she asked if I was feeling anything, and I assured her that I was. They were painful, but I told her that they were nothing compared to the ones I had with Colin because I was on the max dose of Pitocin the first time around. These "natural" contractions were so much more bearable.
When my cervix was checked, I was dilated about 2 centimeters. I asked if that meant I was in active labor, and she said that in order to get me to the OR, my body had to "prove itself" by making recordable progress. Since I was just 37 weeks, there would be no interventions, but they wouldn't try to stop my labor, either. I would continue to be monitored and checked for dilation and effacement, and if I continued to make progress, we'd go ahead with a c-section.
And on that note, let me go off on a short tangent. Because I did go into labor on my own, I was given the option to try for a VBAC. I briefly considered it, but as we had already planned for a scheduled c-section, I opted to stick with the plan. This is something I discussed with several doctors at my OB/GYN's office, and they all agreed that for me, a repeat c-section seemed like the best option. Because I was prepared for it this time, I felt so much more in control of the situation, and really was okay with it. I have no regrets.
December 18, 2012
Moving on. Justin and I tried to get a little rest in our triage room, but with contractions 3 minutes apart, that was nearly impossible for me. He was incredibly uncomfortable in the little chair he was trying to sleep in, so I sent him to the car to lay back and get some sleep, and I told him I'd call him when it was time to come back in.
While he was gone, Rebecca came back in to take my vitals. She was clearly tired, and I was her only patient for the night, so she stayed to keep me company and we talked about work, motherhood, breastfeeding, and church. Finally, the time had come to check my cervix again, and when she did, I had dilated to 3 centimeters. She said she'd go call the doctor on call and let him know. A short time later, she came back with the news that it was time to start prepping me for surgery.
I'm not sure what time that was.. maybe somewhere around 4:30 or 5 am? I called Justin and told him to come back inside, and then I gave my mom and sister a quick call to tell them the baby would be born very soon. Since they clearly weren't going to make it for his birth, they decided to stop at a hotel and get a few hours of sleep before driving the rest of the way. I was a little disappointed that they wouldn't be there in time, but I didn't have much time to think about that. Our baby was coming - and soon!
Once the surgery prep started, things moved pretty quickly. Rebecca added an antibiotic drip to my IV, as they realized I had tested positive for Group B Strep (not a big deal, the antibiotics are routine and precautionary), gave me some alka seltzer to drink (ew) and shaved my nether regions. Justin was given some scrubs to put on, and he gathered up our things to take to the postpartum room.
Because I didn't have an epidural this time, I was allowed to walk to the OR. It gave me such a sense of calm and made me feel like an active participant in my son's birth. That might sound strange, but for me it made all the difference. This time, it wasn't an emergency situation, so the tone of the surgical team even seemed different.
In the OR, I was given a spinal anesthetic which took effect almost immediately. I did have a brief moment of panic as my chest went numb and I couldn't feel myself breathing. The anesthesiologist assured me that it was normal, and after a few deep breaths I was able to regain my sense of calm.
Justin was allowed to come in at that point, and Dr. Wild began the process of bringing our baby boy into the world. I was so relieved not to feel any pain during the c-section. I felt some pressure, but the whole experience was a million times better with a spinal instead of an epidural. I asked periodically how things were going, and each time, voices on the other side of the blue curtain would tell me the surgery was going beautifully, and that I was doing great. At one point, Dr. Wild said "rupture," and I said, "Did he say 'rupture?'" A woman's voice told me that meant he had made the last incision and was suctioning the fluid out of my uterus. We were almost there!
One minute before 6 a.m., I heard the tiniest, most beautiful cry, and just like that, we were a family of four. Our second son, Reid William Vaughan, entered the world, screaming and pink. He was 6 lbs, 9 oz and 19.5 inches of pure newborn perfection.
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