The inside scoop

Well here it goes. My birth story of how Gavin came into this world. All three of my other births are pretty much the same old... go into labor and then the baby comes out. This time I thought we'd add some excitement...

It all started late Friday night. We went to bed late after playing Rock Band on the Wii with our family. Love that game!! I started having contractions in bed. And they didn't stop. Waking me up all night long. So needless to say I was Not very well rested in the morning when they were still continuing. About 7-10 minutes apart. Nothing too intense, but not stopping. By then I was pretty sure I was in early labor. All while we had 9 house guests for the weekend over and we were preparing for a family party at the park later that day.

And with impending labor and delivery I was determined to take my pregnancy pictures. So in between my mild contractions I was finding and fixing the kids to go outside for the pictures. And we did it. On the last day possible.

I didn't really want everyone to know I was in labor and was able to hide it pretty well and lasted until around 3pm and then Rich and I snuck away to the office to watch a movie and wait the contractions out. I have a reputation of LONG early labors and so I was prepared for a long day. And it was. After the movie (Vantage Point - it was really good.) I was about 5 minutes apart and no where ready to head to the hospital. So we headed to the mall to walk laps. Followed by a shared salad at Cafe Rio. And then more walking at Target. We called my midwife shortly after. He had us meet him at his office to check things out around 6:30pm. I was dilated to 4cm and the baby was still head down. Everything looked good to go and we said we'd call him in a couple hours when we were closer to going to the hospital. Still having contractions 5 minutes apart... Far enough along where he said he we could check into the hospital and he would break my water if I wanted him too. I wasn't quite ready for that so we left and thought about going to a movie but couldn't find anything we wanted to see that was starting right away. And I did not want to go home and labor in front of the entire extended family so we went to Barnes and Noble for a few hours. I had forgotten that this was the day the new book in the Twilight series was released. And while we walked around looking for a place to sit I counted more than a dozen readers of the new book. Most of whom were already finished more than half of the book! How long had they been sitting there??? But I picked it up too and we finally found a spot. I read a little here and there in between contractions and bathroom runs. By 9pm I was done (not reading the book - just done with being in labor) and we did head over to the hospital. I was thankful I wasn't in hard labor because it took us a few tries to find the right door. Our hospital is under construction and it took 3 tries before we finally entered through the emergency door. By 10pm the water was broken and contractions were getting harder and closer. This is my typical story - and here is where it all changes...

I was still progressing a little slowly and so I got out of bed and sat in the rocking chair for a little while. Then I got back in bed and my midwife checked me again. It was now after midnight. August 3rd. I was so close to being ready. I remember telling the nurse that I didn't need to push yet, but I could feel the urge building and it was coming very soon. I was then 9cm dilated and fully effaced. Ready for the fun to begin until I hear Dale (the midwife) tell Rich that there was a serious problem. I had a prolapsed cord. Somehow in the last 2 hours it must have slipped out. The fetal heart rate monitor did not detect any problem with baby, and I felt fine too (considering the circumstances). Rich asked what we do and he said we would have to do an emergency Cesarean Section. The baby was in grave danger. So then the order was given. Since there was no anesthesiologist in the hospital to administer an epidural or a doctor in the hospital who could preform one they made a few phone calls and my room became busy as a beehive. My eyes were closed as I tried to manage the pain and think through what was going on, but I heard so many voices. My bed was reclined so my head was down and feet were up while my wonderful nurse Joni kept her hand in me to push against the babies head and keep it from smashing the cord which would cause my baby to suffocate and possibly die. The pain was so intense as I wasn't allowed to push with my contractions and had no pain relief. They did give me some sort of shot that slowed the contractions down a little giving me room to breath. Finally the people we were waiting for arrived. The Doctor said that he wanted to see if I could push the baby out safely swiftly with the prolapsed cord. I tried, but couldn't do it fast enough to keep the baby from being in even more danger. And so he said we would do the C-section right then and there. The anesthesiologist had no time to administer the epidural so they just knocked me out. Right before I went under I remember the sensation of them pouring liquid all over my torso and then being covered with a sheet. I also remember something warm and tingly on my right shoulder. I could still occasionally hear Rich and felt comfort that he was still there with me. And that is all I remember.

Rich told me he would write his version too to help fill in this missing gap. But what little I do know I will tell you. Rich didn't know that I had been put completely under and was still waiting for them to give me an epidural when the doctor started to cut me open. He lost it and had to go into the hall, fearing for my safety. I can only imagine the pain and suffering he was going through as he watched and wondered what was happening to his wife and baby. But before he knew it they were wheeling the baby swiftly down the hall. He remembered that I have always said he needed to stay with the baby after he is born to make sure he is OK, so he followed them. Thankfully the baby was fine. Better than fine. He seemed to suffer no adverse effects from the trauma of his prolapsed cord or emergency delivery. His apgar score was wonderful and he was healthy and strong. It was during this moment of relief that a nurse came in and told Rich that there were complications with me. I was hemorraging badly and they were having much trouble stabilizing me. I was loosing too much blood too quickly and they couldn't control it. He didn't know what to think. There he was worried about loosing his baby, and then after a breath of air he went to being worried about loosing his wife too. I can't even imagine. As I am still here today writing about this experience, we know that it stopped and things turned around for the better.

I awoke in the same room I left. The labor and delivery room. I was still in so much pain, and the pain was similar to contractions that I didn't think I had had the baby yet. I thought maybe there was some delay in the surgery or something. But then I heard the statistics in the background and when I could finally open my eyes I could see through blurry vision Rich, and he was holding a bundle with a blue hat. Our baby I assumed. Though I felt nothing other than the pain writhing through my body. Waiting for the morphine to come and kick in to relieve the pain and talking through an oxygen mask only in brief words to ask if I had a baby and where my pain meds where. I obviously couldn't hold the baby and they were already starting a blood transfusion to help make up for all the blood I had lost during the emergency. And my throat was sore from the tube that was stuck down it. My mouth was also so dry - yet they wouldn't allow me to have ice chips or water yet. We still weren't home free. I couldn't keep my eyes open out of sheer exhaustion and pain. Rich put the baby right in front of me - and I still couldn't see his face. I was amazed at how the time had passed. One minute it was 12:30 and I was in labor just beginning the unexpected, and the next thing I know it is after 3am and I had a baby. I still didn't comprehend all that had happened, and even now as I am writing about it I wonder where I was during all this and why we had to go through something as traumatic as this. After the first blood transfusion I felt a little better. Still couldn't keep my eyes open - but I felt alive. I finally got to hold Gavin in the morning around 8am, 7 hours after he was born. But even then it was so brief and my mind wasn't really there. Around lunch time I tried to breast feed him with little success. I was so weak. Finally that night they gave me a second blood transfusion and I felt like a new person. I felt like I would be able to come out of my absent state and start enjoying and living this new life of motherhood. During my down time Gavin had to eat and so they supplemented - much to my dismay - and I was worried he wouldn't take to breastfeeding. But to my surprise he did better than any of my other children latching and sucking the way he was born to do.

Our hospital stay was uneventful from there on out thankfully. For a short while we had a scare with Jaundice, but Gavin was able to pull through and we went home after they took the staples out of my stomach. We are so grateful for the outcome. We went to the hospital with full expectations to walk out of there a few days later with our new baby. With all of us healthy and well. And that is what we got. What more could we ask for. We were so blessed during our time of need. We know that our Heavenly Father was watching out for our little family and was guiding those around us to help us according to their abilities. We also know that there were so many prayers and thoughts directed to us and for us and we thank you all for your support. We also have so many wonderful friends and family that have and are continuing to help us on our road to recovery. Thank you all. We could not do it alone.

Life is slowly returning back to normal. We're home and kids are fighting over who gets to hold Gavin next... I am on bed rest for the next 2 weeks and am thankful to have a good book, remote control, cell phone, lap top, comfy chair and lots of help from Rich, his family and my mom who surprised me by flying in from Canada yesterday. All of this help is more than wonderful.

The thing that I will always miss out of this experience is seeing my baby for the first time right when he comes out. Holding and caressing him in my arms before anyone else. Seeing him and having that first moment together. I have had all 3 of my other children medication free - natural. And it is an amazing experience your body goes through, and then they place this little baby on your tummy while you are filled with nothing but love and adrenaline. Amazing. This was so completely opposite from that. But I am counting my blessings. We are both here, and I love my new baby boy. He is perfect! And I can't say I can't wait to see him grow and change. I am living and loving each moment, each cry, each time I can see his watery blue eyes, each painful feeding (I know it will get easier), and each time he falls asleep in my lap and I have to just sit and hold him because it hurts too much to move. Life is wonderful. We have so many blessings. And Gavin is our newest one.