Nov 27th, 2000

Okay so many of you have e-mailed me to write my birth story, well since it was a c-section it was a normal birth as far as that goes. But since I was on a Nov pregnancy list on the net (on MOL), we all wrote in our birth story, so here is mine.

I was due 11/23/00 and wanted to try a VBAC, but had to do a lot of research and soul searching on my decision. It seemed everyone I told about this thought I was nuts to want a vaginal birth. But between my OB and I, we decided that if I was to go into labor on my own (not be induced) then this VBAC was the route for me. But if not and by the time I was 40 wks and the baby still showed no signs of wanting to come then a repeat c-section would be preformed. About 2 weeks before my due day I had only been 1 cm dilated and not effaced at all, so my OB stripped my membranes but still nothing happened. An apt was made for a c/s to be done on Monday 11/27/00. Over that weekend I was still hoping I would go into labor on my own, and avoid the c/s. Not that I had a hard time of it with my first c/s, but was hoping to experience a vaginal birth this time around, seeing this would be my last baby. But, by Sunday night, I knew my dream of a VBAC was not going to happen. I made peace with the fact that a c/s was the only way I was going to see my son. Sunday night my sister came up to go with Patrick and I to the hospital on Monday, Pat came too, but he knew he could not stay in the OR with me. My sister did stay with me the whole time. We got to the hosp at 8:30 a.m. I was having the c/s at 10:30 a.m. Well I ran into a few complications (nothing really terrible) before the c/s even started. The first one was that I was starting to have contractions, although not painful they were getting closer and we had to decide to go with it, or stay with the c/s. I was examined, and was still only 2-3 cm and 50% effaced. Since I already had made peace with my c/s decision and the fact that I had my mom staying with Andrew plus nursing was set up to take care of Andrew's medical stuff I told my OB to just do the c/s. My second problem was, the nurse who was to start my IV was either new or was intimidated by my sister, who works in the OR at a different hosp. At any rate this nurse tried 2 times and could not get my IV started, the IV team was calling in but by this time, I was cold, nervous, I had been crying b/c I was hurting with the first 2 IV tries (I'm a BIG baby). The team didn't have any more luck then the first nurse did but did get an IV started on the 4th try. Although I was told it *might* not last the day and that if it didn't it would have to be re-started to be able to give me my meds but it looked like it would hold up for the surgery and it did (Thank God). My 3rd problem was that the same nurse tried to get a cath in me before the spinal was done, her mistake (but I paid with the pain) she again could not start the cath, not only did she kill me trying to clean me, she had NO idea how to cath a female as far as I could tell, it should not have been that painful, hell I cath Andrew 4 times a day (yes he's a boy but still with no problems) after her failed attempt at the SECOND try I told her off, and told her that I wanted to see me OB that MINUTE! My OB came in and was so surprised that the nurse had been trying to KILL me with the cathing when I could have just had it done after the spinal was in. So I was off to the OR for my spinal I walked over to the OR next door over from my room. I had a great drug person, the spinal was not painful but I could feel the pressure on my back. My OB held me the WHOLE time during the spinal, and at one point my left leg shot out in front of me and I was told not to move. Then they cathed me with no problems! They made mention that I was very red and swollen down there and I would be sore for a few days after the cath was out (thanks to that first nurse). I said something like I felt I was being sexually assaulted by that nurse and that I had never been through any thing (pain wise) like that in that area ever and that I already had had a c/s 5 years before then and had 2 other minor surgeries that also required me to be cathed with no problems like that day. They all laughed and then it was over. Okay that was the worse part of it all! The rest of my day was a breeze. By this time it was 10:50 a.m. and the surgery was started, at 11:12 Shane was born and I could hear his first cry but couldn't see him. I asked my sister if she could hold the curtain over to the right a bit so I could see him out of the corner of my eye, she did and I saw them working on him, he was a bit blue/purple color but moving around like crazy! His asper score was a 8 then the second one was a 9. They took him out to the nursery and Pat got to stay with him the rest of the time, he took video, and pictures with both a regular camera and a digital one. He came back shortly after I was in recovery to show me all the pictures he had gotten. My OB came out to talk to me after the surgery and said that Shane was "sunny side up" (she could see his face before anything else and that he was looking up at her, a bit scary) and that he was a big boy 8 lbs 2 oz 20.5" long and I would of had a VERY difficult time trying to deliver him vaginally b/c of it (not that he was big but the fact of his position) meaning that I most likely could have had complications with either him fitting my small birth canal (shoulders) or that my uterus could have ruptured through the pushing. So I was VERY relieved that I had the c/s after hearing this. I wasn't taken to my room for a while b/c they were so busy they had 2 c-sec -mine and the lady a head of me, then a emergency c-sec right after I was out! That day was really crazy I was told later that 3 other women where there in labor too. I finally got to see and breastfeed Shane. It was great to see him, so different then my first c/s because Andrew was taken to a different hosp then I was in. After my spinal wore off I got tired rather fast and sent my sister (who was my ROCK in the OR) and my husband (who was not allowed in the OR) to go home and get something to eat and relax.

I had to stay in bed until the next morning b/c of the cath, but Tue at 6am that came out and I was up walking to get my son from the nursery.He was in there for a bath, but roomed with me all night it was wonderful adn so different then with Andrew because I didn't see ANdrew until he was 3 days old :( But then we found out on day 3 (Wed) that Shane had jaundice, I started to worry even tho they told me not too. On day 4 (Thursday) I asked to go home. Nursing was going well at the hosp so I thought, but I started to get sore by the time I got to go home. Our first night home was great, although Shane has his nights and days messed up, he was very good. Andrew loves looking at his brother, he wants to kiss him non stop. He doesn't like the fact that he sleeps a lot. It's so great to be home with my boys and it feels so normal, already to have 2 boys and be back home.

Thank you for all the great cards, e-mail of support, the congratulations and the best wishes. We are all very happy to have our new son in our life. Double blessed that he is HEALTHY!!

This is Shane and I only a couple hours after birth.
 Note: my face is SO swollen from the pain meds. What a yucky picture of me.

E-mail me ~Susete