Theo's Birth Story - Part I: 38 Week Sonogram, Labor, and Delivery

On Wednesday, August 2nd, I woke up, backed my bags, and headed south to the hospital in Peoria for my 38 week sonogram appointment. I didn't know what kind of birth I was going to have so I packed for both a c-section and natural birth plus an extended stay in the NICU.

I arrived at the hospital expecting a quick and uneventful sonogram, but, of course, I was wrong. The little monster had flipped and was now head up. How did he do that?! I could feel him high in my ribs but I thought that was his butt or feet (turns out it was his head and his feet - V position). I was also told that the baby was measuring big and he was 9 lbs 1 oz. The Dr. suggested that I call my OBGYN and get them to schedule me a c-section the next Monday (August 7th).

After my appointment I went to the Marriott where I checked into my two bedroom suite and waited for my sister-in-law, Missy, to arrive.

The next day I went to my appointment with Dr. Garcia (OBGYN) who would be delivering me. We scheduled a c-section for Monday morning at 8:00 AM! This is getting real!

Over the next few days Missy and I slept in, went out to eat, got our nails done, took naps, and just spent some good-ole-quality-kid-free time together.

[On our way to dinner we saw this frozen yogurt place! Theo's! It was a sign and we HAD to stop!]

On Saturday, August 5th, Missy headed back home. I was bummed to see her go, but I understand that she needs to get back to her boys.

~~Missy, thanks for coming all the way to Illinois to spend time with me before the big day! I had so much fun!~~

That night Josh came into town and we went out to celebrate our final dinner together. We went to a delicious little Italian place where we got homemade pasta, tiramisu, and creme brulee! Delicious!

On Sunday, August 6th, my parents came into town. I think they were very excited for my scheduled c-section since the other option was them waiting for me to go into labor on my own and who knows when that would have happened.

The next morning, August 7th, Josh and I got up early and went to the hospital at 6:00 AM to get ready for my 8:00 AM c-section. I was weighed and then given a hospital gown before being lead into a small room.

** I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT LABOR AND I WILL SPARE NO DETAILS. PLEASE STOP READING IF THAT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE **

In this room they asked me a lot of questions, gave me in IV, and hooked me up to a monitor so they could monitor my contractions, the baby's heart rate, and my heart rate.

They informed me that I was having contractions and that they were 3 minutes apart. I couldn't feel them. A doctor then came in and checked my cervix. I was 1 cm... barely. 

Next, another doctor came in to do my sonogram. After looking at the baby for a few seconds, he excused himself, left the room, and came back with another doctor. She then checked the sonogram.

"Yep. You're right. That's the head."

"Excuse me?"

The baby had flipped and was now head down!

Of course he did!

I was then given two options: (1) proceed with the scheduled c-section or (2) get induced and try for a natural labor and birth.

This was my greatest fear. I knew this would happen. I was terrified that I would go through labor and then have to have a c-section anyways. Despite this I decided to go forward with the induction.

We were then moved to a larger (and nicer) labor room. After getting settled in I asked if I could get some food before we started since I was fasting for the c-section. They told me I could eat and then we would begin.

I ordered some eggs and a muffin and an omelette for Josh. The food was brought in by this lady who asked me if I was allowed to be eating this food because I had GD. I said it was fine, but she told me she would have to tell my nurse. 

"Go ahead" 

The nurse then came in and took my blood sugar reading. It was a 63. Yea, I can have the eggs and the effin' muffin!

After I finished eating the doctors and nurses came in to check on me. They explained that they would be putting a pill called cycotec in my cervix to help my cervix dilate and thin.

Two hours later there was still no progress so they put another cycotec in my cervix.

Still nothing.

My contractions started to slow down and I was starting to think that this wasn't going to happen for me. I was then started on pitocin, which is supposed to make your contractions stronger and help move the labor along.

At 11:00 PM (14 hours in) I was checked again and there was no progress. They then told me that they wanted to break my water and up my pitocin.

They broke my water and then inserted a small device into my cervix that was supposed to better track my contractions.

In the middle of the night I started to get pain in my back. The doctor said it is most likely because the baby is "sunny side-up" and his back is pressing against mine. The pain in my back continued to get stronger and stronger and I was only feeling contractions up in my rib/chest area. No amount of breathing or position changing was helping relieve my back pain. It got so bad that I was screaming and crying. They finally convinced me to take some pain medicine. I got a shot in my thigh and medication in my IV. The medication knocked me out for a couple of hours but when I woke up the pain was worse. I started throwing up and crying out in pain so they gave me more medicine. A doctor then came in and asked me if I wanted to continue with the labor and I said "yes" before passing out again.

[Star Wars to the rescue!]

An hour later I woke up in pain. The nurses measured me and I was only at 2.5 cm. They then asked me if I wanted an epidural since they couldn't just keep giving me medicine to knock me out. I said I would get the epidural and continue with the labor.

The Anesthesiologist came in and I was coached through the pain while she administered the epidural. After getting the epidural I felt better for a little bit, but then it started to wear off. They said it shouldn't be wearing off so early. They checked and the epidural was still good so they upped the amount of medicine I was getting.

As the day went on I continued to labor and be in a lot of pain. About 12 hours after they broke my water I was at 9 cm. I continued to have the back pain and they continued to up my dosages of medicine. 

Right before I hit 10 cm the Anesthesiologist gave me another dose of medicine and my lower half was completely numb. I was still able to feel the high contractions that were up in my ribs though.

Once I started to get feeling back in my legs I felt a strong urge to poop. I told the nurse this and she told me it was the baby and once I felt the need to push then I was ready to push. She told me I would feel pressure, but no pain.

A few minutes later I felt the pressure and I asked Josh to go and get the nurse because I wanted to push. By the time he got back with her (couldn't have been more than a few minutes), I was experiencing the back pain again. The contractions were nothing compared to this pain. I could feel it. All of it. Why wasn't the epidural working?!

At 10 cm we started the pushing process. Pushing was hard but I felt like it was working. I did what they told me to and I pushed when I felt the need to (along with the contractions). After a few pushes the nurse told Josh that he could go and see the baby's head. I got excited because I knew the end must be near.

Wrong.

After nearly two hours of pushing and still no baby I started to get overwhelmed with the pain. I began throwing up (again), my whole body was in pain, I had developed a high fever, and I was having a hard time breathing. 

It was at this point that I begged for a c-section (or death). I was throwing in the towel. It was over. I had a fever, I was throwing up, I was shaking, I was sick, and I was in pain. As we waited for Dr. Garcia to arrive, I screamed in pain and the nurses prepared me for the c-section. At this point the Anesthesiologist came back in and told me that he was going to help take the pain away. I cried and kept saying how sorry I was. The whole staff were very nice and understanding. They told me to "do what you gotta do" in order to get through the contractions. But it wasn't the contractions, it was the constant back pain, that was causing my pain.

Dr. Garcia finally came in, got briefed by the nurses, checked me, and told Josh to get his scrubs on. The baby wasn't coming naturally. I needed the c-section.

They wheeled me pass my mom (my parents were in the waiting room for the last few hours) and into the OR where a tarp was erected so I couldn't see the procedure. They strapped me down and the Anesthesiologist tested me to see what I could and could not feel. They were surprised at how much pain I was in and how I could feel pain where I shouldn't.

Dr. Garcia cut me open and pushed on my uterus to get the baby out. I could feel the pressure (which was normal), but I started yelling in pain again and once they got the baby out (I heard him cry, which caused me to cry) the Anesthesiologist told me that he was going to give me enough medicine to get rid of the pain and that I likely won't remember anything else.

I agreed to this and the last thing I remember was seeing Theo's little feet as the NICU Doctor was checking him out.

Then it was lights out.

The next thing I remember was waking up in the recovery room. The nurse who had been with me all day was there also. She explained to me that I had gotten an infection in my uterus (most likely because my water was broken too early and they didn't start me on antibiotics early enough). She said that they believe that is why I was able to feel the pain through the epidural. The infection had spread so quickly that I was not only feeling labor pains but the pain associated with the aggressive infection. The Anesthesiologist then came in and asked me how I was doing (seriously, he was the BEST!). I asked them how much longer I would have had to push in order to avoid the c-section. They told me that the infection has caused my pelvis to essentially "lock up" and even though I was dilated to 10 cm the baby would not have fit because my pelvis was refusing to open. He would not have gotten through even if I had kept pushing.

I then asked how my baby was and they said that my parents and Josh were with the baby in the NICU and that I would be taken up there once I had done my time in the recovery room.

Josh then came by to see how I was doing. He had been so strong and such a huge help during the whole ordeal. He took me to the bathroom, brought me whatever I asked for, coached me through my contractions, and even put on Star Wars when I asked. I don't know how he puts up with me! He said that they were going to take Theo to get an MRI soon and that Dr. Lin, the Pediatric Neurosurgeon, had already been by to check on Theo. He used a stethoscope on Theo's head to listen for the "pulse" that the Vain of Galen puts off. He couldn't hear it, which is a good thing. 

Finally, I got released from recovery and I was taken up to the NICU to see my beautiful baby. The nurse wheeled me into the NICU and put me next to Theo. I was so excited to see him! I expected his NICU box to be closed but it was open so I could touch him. 

[Saying hi to my son. I love him so much already!]

I was then taken to a small recovery room where I would spend my next few days.