Cael's Birth
For posterity, these are the events that transpired...
At 1am on August 8th, I was having a huge contraction, rolled out of bed toward the toilet, and my water broke right there on the floor. Wasn't a huge amount, but was enough to get my attention. :) We had not been to sleep that night and hadn't had much sleep the night before, to my recollection, so we were unhappy that it began then.
I went to the restroom and had a serious bout of diarrhea, which a lot of women have right before the onset of labor (joy). My contractions were beginning to be closer together, so we packed a bag up and rather unhappily and sleepily headed to the hospital after about 2 hours. They checked me in, jason had to go BACK down to the registrar and fill out more paperwork, though I had done it all online weeks previous and had even come up to the hospital to finish up so we wouldn't have to have the hassle during labor. *rolls eyes* When he was gone, I had a few contractions.
The next 17 hours or so are a blur of contractions and Jason trying to be chipper for me, despite major lack of sleep. :) I was SO HUNGRY that at about 4pm, Jason fed me a granola bar. He had been feeding me crackers slowly for a few hours, but I just couldn't handle it any longer. For dinner, at around 11pm on the 7th, I had had a few bites here and there of burrito that Jason pushed into my mouth as I was walking around taking care of last-minute baby things (it's as if my body knew:). So, I had had hardly anything to eat for 17 hours. And I have to eat every 3 to 4 or I am REALLY bitchy. :} I think I did pretty well, though, despite yelling at Jason for eating in the same room as me, lol. :}
At some point, the doctor restricted me to the bed so they could put in an internal fetal monitor. She was concerned abot the baby's vitals dropping when I had a contraction. It was after this point, when I was unable to get out of bed, that my contractions started slowing down and I wasn't dilating as well. Also, my contractions seemed to become more painful and I wussed out and asked for some pain meds through the IV. I feel that if I had been allowed to walk around like normal, I wouldn't have had to ask for pain meds and I may have dilated better. :( LOL, Jason said I was funny on the meds, kept falling asleep while answering his questions. It took me many tries to finally answer whatever he was asking me. :D
As it was, I only got up to a 5-6 dilation, so at 8pm, the doctor decided she wanted to do a C-section, since the pitocin wasn't working. Of course, I told them I had had a granola bar and they were very upset at me, lol. The anesthesiologist (who was an ass) decided that we needed to wait until 10pm to do the C because of the food. Also, he wanted to put me completely under, but I would hear none of it. I made him do a spinal block so I could stay awake during the procedure.
At a little bit before 10, they took me into the OR while Jason was changing into his scrubs. I was a bit frightened and very uncomfortable flat on my back on the OR table, and the anesthesiologist was pretty rough, so I was starting to freak out. But, I just made myself breathe and calm down and think of the beautiful baby that was about to be with us and I was just fine. :) The damn anesthesiologist, though, stuck me in the back with the needle WHILE I was having a contraction, though I asked him not to. What a jerk. It was HIGHLY uncomfortable to try to be perfectly still, back hunched, on the side of the OR table while he was jabbing me with a needle in a sensitive spot.
Pretty much right before they delivered Cael, they finally let Jason in. He took a picture of my uterus on my stomach before the anesthesiologist told him to stop, heh. :) He was crying right from the second they pulled him out, poor little guy. But when they put him in daddy's arms, he was ok. :) I got a quick peek at him and a picture before they rushed him and daddy off to the nursery and me off to the recovery room. I didn't see Cael for FOUR HOURS. :( I was not happy about this. But then I saw him and he was so cute. :D A burse helped me get him to latch on. I think he didn't nurse very much right at first, and we sent him to the nursery so we could sleep somewhat. Jason didn't go to work that day. And I can't remember much about that day, Wednesday. Hopefully he can fill in some details I'm missing.
I know though that that night was hellish. He had to go to work Thursday, so he was trying to get sleep and Cael wouldn't settle down, so I asked the nursery to take him. A temp nurse basically accused me of not feeding him enough, even though I was doing what was recommended, and I just had a meltdown. I was upset and crying and told Jason to just go home and sleep, which he did. So I was alone with Cael, who was crying, and I was crying. I called my mom, and she ended up calling the head nurse and bitching about the temp nurse who upset me. So, the head nursery nurse came by and helped me get him latched and addressed my concerns. The temp nurse came in during, and the head nurse told her in a harsh tone that she was not needed. Heh!
It was a HUGE to-do that extended to the next day when mention of CPS was made and I was threatening legal action. At that point, the director for that part of the hospital came in to smooth things over and said there was a huge misunderstanding and explained that the temp nurse is simply that, a temp, and that things would be handled. I told her I wanted to be discharged that day, a day early and she said she'd see what she could do. I was fed up with the temp nurse and another Nazi nurse I had that day that was positive her breastfeeding way was the best, more so than her supervisor's way.
When Jason came there from work, we loaded up and headed home. It was SUCH a relief to be home, in our own element. Even when Cael wasn't latching correctly, at least we were at home. I truly detest hospitals. I couldn't sleep there, I was too uncomfortable and people kept coming into my damn room constantly. I had one nurse assigned to me that was awesome, Sonya. Without her and the head nursery nurse, the entire experience would have been crap.
If there had not been a beautiful boy at the end of of it all, it would have been one of the worst experiences of my life. As he was the end product, it was one of the best. :D
We had his 2 week checkup on the 22nd, and he passed with flying colors. He was 7 lbs and 12 ounces, had gained a full pound in 2 weeks! :) And all with breast milk, yay. :)
Ok, he's crying now, so I need to feed him. :D
At 1am on August 8th, I was having a huge contraction, rolled out of bed toward the toilet, and my water broke right there on the floor. Wasn't a huge amount, but was enough to get my attention. :) We had not been to sleep that night and hadn't had much sleep the night before, to my recollection, so we were unhappy that it began then.
I went to the restroom and had a serious bout of diarrhea, which a lot of women have right before the onset of labor (joy). My contractions were beginning to be closer together, so we packed a bag up and rather unhappily and sleepily headed to the hospital after about 2 hours. They checked me in, jason had to go BACK down to the registrar and fill out more paperwork, though I had done it all online weeks previous and had even come up to the hospital to finish up so we wouldn't have to have the hassle during labor. *rolls eyes* When he was gone, I had a few contractions.
The next 17 hours or so are a blur of contractions and Jason trying to be chipper for me, despite major lack of sleep. :) I was SO HUNGRY that at about 4pm, Jason fed me a granola bar. He had been feeding me crackers slowly for a few hours, but I just couldn't handle it any longer. For dinner, at around 11pm on the 7th, I had had a few bites here and there of burrito that Jason pushed into my mouth as I was walking around taking care of last-minute baby things (it's as if my body knew:). So, I had had hardly anything to eat for 17 hours. And I have to eat every 3 to 4 or I am REALLY bitchy. :} I think I did pretty well, though, despite yelling at Jason for eating in the same room as me, lol. :}
At some point, the doctor restricted me to the bed so they could put in an internal fetal monitor. She was concerned abot the baby's vitals dropping when I had a contraction. It was after this point, when I was unable to get out of bed, that my contractions started slowing down and I wasn't dilating as well. Also, my contractions seemed to become more painful and I wussed out and asked for some pain meds through the IV. I feel that if I had been allowed to walk around like normal, I wouldn't have had to ask for pain meds and I may have dilated better. :( LOL, Jason said I was funny on the meds, kept falling asleep while answering his questions. It took me many tries to finally answer whatever he was asking me. :D
As it was, I only got up to a 5-6 dilation, so at 8pm, the doctor decided she wanted to do a C-section, since the pitocin wasn't working. Of course, I told them I had had a granola bar and they were very upset at me, lol. The anesthesiologist (who was an ass) decided that we needed to wait until 10pm to do the C because of the food. Also, he wanted to put me completely under, but I would hear none of it. I made him do a spinal block so I could stay awake during the procedure.
At a little bit before 10, they took me into the OR while Jason was changing into his scrubs. I was a bit frightened and very uncomfortable flat on my back on the OR table, and the anesthesiologist was pretty rough, so I was starting to freak out. But, I just made myself breathe and calm down and think of the beautiful baby that was about to be with us and I was just fine. :) The damn anesthesiologist, though, stuck me in the back with the needle WHILE I was having a contraction, though I asked him not to. What a jerk. It was HIGHLY uncomfortable to try to be perfectly still, back hunched, on the side of the OR table while he was jabbing me with a needle in a sensitive spot.
Pretty much right before they delivered Cael, they finally let Jason in. He took a picture of my uterus on my stomach before the anesthesiologist told him to stop, heh. :) He was crying right from the second they pulled him out, poor little guy. But when they put him in daddy's arms, he was ok. :) I got a quick peek at him and a picture before they rushed him and daddy off to the nursery and me off to the recovery room. I didn't see Cael for FOUR HOURS. :( I was not happy about this. But then I saw him and he was so cute. :D A burse helped me get him to latch on. I think he didn't nurse very much right at first, and we sent him to the nursery so we could sleep somewhat. Jason didn't go to work that day. And I can't remember much about that day, Wednesday. Hopefully he can fill in some details I'm missing.
I know though that that night was hellish. He had to go to work Thursday, so he was trying to get sleep and Cael wouldn't settle down, so I asked the nursery to take him. A temp nurse basically accused me of not feeding him enough, even though I was doing what was recommended, and I just had a meltdown. I was upset and crying and told Jason to just go home and sleep, which he did. So I was alone with Cael, who was crying, and I was crying. I called my mom, and she ended up calling the head nurse and bitching about the temp nurse who upset me. So, the head nursery nurse came by and helped me get him latched and addressed my concerns. The temp nurse came in during, and the head nurse told her in a harsh tone that she was not needed. Heh!
It was a HUGE to-do that extended to the next day when mention of CPS was made and I was threatening legal action. At that point, the director for that part of the hospital came in to smooth things over and said there was a huge misunderstanding and explained that the temp nurse is simply that, a temp, and that things would be handled. I told her I wanted to be discharged that day, a day early and she said she'd see what she could do. I was fed up with the temp nurse and another Nazi nurse I had that day that was positive her breastfeeding way was the best, more so than her supervisor's way.
When Jason came there from work, we loaded up and headed home. It was SUCH a relief to be home, in our own element. Even when Cael wasn't latching correctly, at least we were at home. I truly detest hospitals. I couldn't sleep there, I was too uncomfortable and people kept coming into my damn room constantly. I had one nurse assigned to me that was awesome, Sonya. Without her and the head nursery nurse, the entire experience would have been crap.
If there had not been a beautiful boy at the end of of it all, it would have been one of the worst experiences of my life. As he was the end product, it was one of the best. :D
We had his 2 week checkup on the 22nd, and he passed with flying colors. He was 7 lbs and 12 ounces, had gained a full pound in 2 weeks! :) And all with breast milk, yay. :)
Ok, he's crying now, so I need to feed him. :D