Our Birth Story

I guess I've neglected posting Alice's birth story, so I probably can do it today, on her two-month birthday.  By the way - 2-mo vaccines suck, I cried almost as much as she did.  But baby girl was 11 lb 3 oz (60th percentile), 22.5 inches long (60th percentile), and head circumference was 16.5 inches (95th percentile - atta girl).

On the morning of July 20, 2010, we got up around 3:30 a.m. and to the hospital by about 4:45 a.m.  I was the first and only C-section of the day, scheduled for 7:30.  We got there and they started prepping me - the nurse who checked me in was the nurse who helped deliver Maddie.  We got me changed, the catheter placed (we had some problems with that throughout the entire time it was in place), and they shaved me (I wasn't super-pleased that they hadn't told me this needed to be done ahead of time, as I would have done it myself).  I was in the OR by 7:20.

I had to go in the OR by myself to receive the spinal - JTD had Maddie in his scrubs' pocket, and could watch through the window.  I had just had one for my cerclage, so I wasn't nervous - but I started shaking at the thought that our little girl would be arriving within moments.  JTD and my fantastic OB came in, as well as his nurse and two other nurses (one of whom was also my nurse with Maddie - this was a recurring theme throughout the stay).  They put me on the table that was shaped like a cross - I had the IV on one arm, and the one nearest JTD was free.  They started the anesthesia - JTD, who works in IT in the hospital, had to help the anesthesiologist with his computer while we were waiting.  My OB, who has a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor, started talking about a documentary he'd seen recently about corn.  (This didn't take me much by surprised, my anesthesiologist during my cerclage talked about venison.)  Since I knew that I'd start freaking out if I didn't participate, I talked with him.  I looked over at JTD from time to time... he didn't seem to be doing well.  He admitted later that he was about ready to pass out, and had no clue how I was nonchalantly discussing corn.  We each had our ways of preparing for the arrival!

The doctor asked if I was ready, and JTD saw them pulling her out of me.  Her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck, so she was very purple - they got that off of her, and gave her a couple of seconds, and then she started crying and pinking up.  I wasn't supposed to touch her, but I got a quick little feel in before she and JTD went to the nursery. 

They went about sewing me up - at one point I asked if they could see more endometriosis.  He said he could only see a tiny bit, but then looked at the underside of my ovaries and said that there was something there.  I explained that my RE had done ovarian drilling, so that was what that was.  They got me into recovery, and I waited for Alice and JTD to arrive.  He rolled her in, and my heart melted to see the two of them.  We got to nurse right away, but her temp went a little low, so they had to take her back to the NICU to put her under warmers.  The nurse who cared for us post-op was the nurse who cried with me when she had to take Maddie from me for the last time - this same nurse (along with another who treated us that time, as well as a third) fought several times over the course of my stay to care for us.  They all remembered our girl, and were so happy for our new arrival.

My C-section recovery really wasn't bad at all.  Considering she arrived with a 15-inch head, I think I likely would have gone to a C-section even without the cerclage in place.  Not much pain except when I overdid it!  Maybe it was just helped by seeing my beautiful little girl.