It all started at 1:38 a.m. on Wednesday, August 1st.  A contraction without question.  Fairly painful and definite.  Seven minutes later, another one.  Whoa.  Could this be it?  Could I be going into labor on my own, on my baby’s due date?  Well, every seven minutes the contractions came steadily and I actually felt a trickle of fluid at one time so I finally woke the hubs and told him I think I needed to go to the hospital.

We arrived at the Maternity Ward around 3:15 a.m.  I was escorted to triage for assessment to see if I would be admitted or told to go back home.  My contractions were still pretty steady and at one point the triage nurse came and put me on oxygen and turned me on my side because the baby’s heart rate decelerated a bit.  After triage consulted my doctor, I was admitted to Labor & Delivery.  This was it.  It was time to have a baby.

My Mr. was cool as a fan, a tired fan.  I was a bit nervous and a bit anxious but overall just ready.  It was so surreal but I tried not to think too much.  I just let life happen.  I waited.  The Mr. slept.  My contractions got stronger but a bit erratic.  At 5:30 a.m. my water officially broke.  There was no question about it.  I was dilated to about 2 cm which was barely a change from when I first came in.  I tried not to think about what I was most nervous about – pushing.  But I knew the moment would come soon.  Of course with my water breaking, my contractions got a bit more intense but they were still erratic.  The nurse started me on pitocin shortly thereafter.  My doctor said I had a better chance of vaginal delivery if I wait for an epidural until I’m at least 5 cm but he was just giving me info and said I could get the epidural at anytime.  I wanted to soldier on as long as I could.

Here’s where my memory gets a bit fuzzy.  I know at several times during the morning, I was put on oxygen and told to change positions again because my little one was not liking my contractions.  This happened more and more as the pitocin made my contractions stronger and more regular.  I think at around 11:00 a.m. I was at 4 cm.  It was epidural time.  I don’t know what I expected strong contractions to feel like but it was extremely uncomfortable.  I will say, the epidural was uncomfortable as well but in a different way.  I was very sensitive to the medication and was completely numb.  It was a very weird feeling but it was better than the pain, I suppose.  At 1:00 p.m. I was at 5 cm.  The baby’s heart rate kept decelarting so they put an internal monitor on him to better gauge it.  For the next hour we were monitored very closely because baby was not tolerating the contraactions well at all.  I was checked again at 2:00 p.m. and was still at 5 cm.  To compound this, I developed a fever.  So, this is when the doctor and I decided to go ahead with a c-section.

I was ok with having a c-section because I just wanted my baby to be alright.  I just prayed about it and gave my experience to God.  Everything happened fairly quickly and I was operated on immediately.  The anesthesiologist was great.  He was very personable and talked me through everything.  He upped the dosage of the epidural and I tell you, I felt absolutely nothing.  They said I may feel tugging and pressure.  Nope.  Not a thing.  This is why I was so surprised when my baby was born.  They told my Mr. to get his camera ready and then the baby was lifted up and I saw little grayish pink legs up over the sheet.  All I kept saying was, “That’s our baby.  That’s our baby,” while crying or more accurately blubbering.  I just couldn’t believe he was there.  And he was crying so loud.  His lungs were working great.  That first cry or in Dax’s case, his first squeal was the sweetest, loudest sound!  Everyone in the operating room commented on how loud he was.  I was so jealous that the hubs got to hold him and love on him and all I got was his little cheek pressed up against my face.  But what a cheek.  He looked just like the 3D sonogram we had taken when I was about 7 months pregnant.  I was already in love with my baby but meeting him was like I experienced a bit of heaven.  It was just so special.       

It turns out that even if baby would have tolerated labor, I would have had a higher chance of ending up with a c-section anyway becasues Dax was what the doctors call sunny side up or Occiput Posterior.  The baby being in this position (head up facing belly button) does not necessarily always mean a c-section is in order but just more likely.  Our last sonogram indicated that little Dax had a nuchal cord (cord around the neck).  This is fairly common and again, does not necessitate a c-section if the baby tolerates labor.  My doctor thinks in my case it was more the placenta not delivering appropriate oxygen with my contractions. Whatever the case, my labor had its share of complications but the surgery went well and I do not regret it or feel like I missed out anything.  My goal was baby.  I got baby!

Dax Connery E.

born: August 1, 2012

weight: 7 lbs 9 oz

height: 20.5″

The ugly truth for me, however, is that recovering from a c-section sucks.  I was not warned about how a c-section birth would affect my postpartum experience.  I won’t get into the gory details but I will tell you that this baby making factory is closed.  I do not ever want to go through this again.  I’m am just so thankful that my baby is healthy and thriving.  We are so in love…