We were officially "checked-in" as staying at the hospital at this time. I had my IV in already and fluids, and blood pressure monitor cuff on. They moved us to room 17 because the initial room we were in didn't have a few essential items like a bed for D, or baby stuff. Once in the new bed they started me on medicine to help the H.E.L.L.P. Syndrome. Okay so what is HELLP? You can google it, that's what David did. I didn't even care to really know I guess, I was just initially glad to be induced, but then later realized it was kind of a scary thing, and probably didn't know fully till after delivery. But just to sum it up for us all, HELLP is somewhat similar to pre-eclampsia, but different. High blood pressure, something about liver enzymes (mine were fine on this), and lastly low blood platelets. So the biggest issue was the platelets - if I were to bleed, it may not clot or stop because of the lowness. This was an issue especially for the epidural I was planning to have, so I had to get it in quick before the platelets dropped below where they couldn't do it. Then hopefully the platelets would go up after the delivery. The other side effects of the syndrome were that my organs could shut down. To combat this, they use a drug magnesium sulfate and I would need to be on it during all of the delivery and for 24 hours afterwards. First they would give me a huge IV bag/dose that I would get in my system within minutes, and then I'd get continuous through the IV the rest of the time. The side effects were crazy - a heavy weight just over your whole body, total hot flashes (dripping sweat everywhere) and then overall sick feeling and just ah, it wasn't fun. The big dose was the worst, but having to be on it for 1 1/2 days was horrible too.
1:45pm Checked into hospital, put on IV with fluids, drew blood, 1+ cm dilated when arrived
4:00pm Midwife/OBGYN decided to keep me at the hospital, told I have HELLP Syndrome
5:30pm Started magnesium, already dilated to 3cm on my own
6:10pm David left to get our bags
6:30pm Platosin started for induction
6:55pm David got back
7:15pm Put in the epidural
7:50pm Put in catheter
9:05pm Broke my water (and there were 2 sacks!!)
So I was excited that I dilated to a 3cm on my own - must mean this little guy was ready to come either way, plus all my dehydration helped maybe? David had to leave me to get all our stuff and grab himself some dinner (lucky!!!). I really really wanted water... I had been throwing up all day so I had no food in me and now was just really thirsty and hungry, but all I could have was ice chips of course. David left and then got back pretty quickly because the nurse came in and told me they were ready to do the epidural. They had to do that very quickly because of the platelet issue. I was really low on their number chart, and 5 lower and they wouldn't be able to do it because I may not ever clot when they pulled it out. They said normally my platelets would go back up after delivery so just as long as we got the epidural in fast I'd be okay most likely but they'd watch and monitor my blood first before pulling it out. Well, sounded scary but definitely happy I could get the epidural. Although I was NOT excited about it. I was already drugged up all with magnesium at this point and had my blood taken another time (they'd do this like every 4-8 hours for the next 3 days!) but I grabbed my ipod and tried not to listen too much as they put the epidural in. I think that was pretty easy now looking back, and the guy was really good at helping me be calm and just letting me know when he was done. Before the epidural I was feeling those contractions and they were coming pretty regularly - the sharp ones I couldn't breathe through, but they'd only last 10-30 seconds probably. After the epidural I was numb for sure. They needed me to change beds again so I had to be lifted and try and scoot over... luckily I became not so concerned about showing a little skin, or more than skin, hah.
The anesthesia and magnesium caused me to throw up a few times,
lovely... Still wanted water... Then I got the catheter in, totally easy since I already had the epidural. At 7pm the shift changed for the nurses, midwife and the few OBGYN doctors watching me... My new midwife, named Teresa Damery was a funny one, we hadn't even met her (of course! we met all the others), but I liked her in the end, so that was good. She saw I was on low platosin dose so she said, lets get this baby out faster so I (her) can meet him! Plus I was just sitting there sick so they wanted to hurry it up. By 9:05pm Teresa came in to break my water. I was in and out at this point, and of course had the epidural so I didn't feel anything again. But it was quite comical actually! After breaking the sac - Teresa said, hmmm... odd... and we were like... what??? You can't say that with patients!! She said there was another sac that she had to break through and had never seen that before! She broke through and could feel baby boy's hair so that meant we were good to go. (D knows about why 2 sacs, but I can't remember...) From here on out it was just a waiting game and I'd be going fast - probably not 8/8/13 but 8/9 for sure. I'm not sure the exact time but one of the times the nurse checked on me, I was having a hard time breathing so they hooked me up with a breathing mask and that stayed on till the end, which also made me want water even more, sad.
10:45pm Dilated to 4cm
Friday August 9, 2013
1:05am Dilated to 7/8 cm
3:00am Dilated to 10 cm
So I dilated to a 4, 7 and 10 pretty quickly and once at a 10, it was go time. David slept a little before pushing, but I didn't really because I was so uncomfortable and also nervous as the time and dilation went by. I wasn't sure what to expect with pushing and then just thinking we'd get to meet baby boy soon... ah! And I should have been nervous, pushing was the HARDEST thing I've ever done, at least in the moment I was sure it was. Funny how the mind already starts to forget when it's only been a few weeks.
3:25am Started to push
4:53am Baby Boy Clark is born!
Around 3am I felt some pressure down below and really thought - our baby boy is there and coming out!
If only it was that easy. So I called the nurse and yep, I was at a 10. She left us in the room for a bit to get ready and call the midwife. The last few moments it was just D and me, soon we'll be holding baby boy Clark! The nurse came in and gave me instructions as to how to push, yeah good luck! Our midwife was getting all her instruments ready and changing (
man sooo many instruments they could end up using, I hoped not!) and then by about 3:25am they started me pushing. I really can't describe how awkward it was - I was numb, exhausted, needing water, and just unsure how to really push. I went to labor classes even,
well, passed out and then read about labor later. And it was so quick, trying to learn so fast - like here's how to do it, now go! Before starting I made sure to ask that I could get water and food when this was over, yep, okay, here we go! David and the nurse were on either side and helped hold my legs as we counted to ten, three times in a row, while I pushed however I could. Sometimes I think it was working, other times I didn't have it right. But soon his head was popping in and out a little bit and each time I'd push he'd come a little bit further... until he got a few inches out and wouldn't come anymore than that no matter how much I pushed. I was completely exhausted from already no sleep, no food (all through the labor I kept asking for more ice because of that stupid breathing mask and I was working a sweat), and the magnesium wasn't helping at all. The midwife kept joking around saying if only he had more hair or she could grab his ear... she'd just yank him out,
yes please, help me! An hour went by and a little more and I really didn't know how I could go much longer. I don't know how I could last like some women who have long labors. Well, they thought he was about ready to come, so they called the NICU nurses. They had to be there and he'd go to them first because of the effects of the magnesium on him and also he had meconium. Well I'd say 20 minutes passed by with maybe 4-5 NICU women just watching and waiting, so much pressure! I was starting to give up really, he wasn't going to come. The midwife and David were talking and I was there but not really - after I learned that I was bleeding from inside and every time I'd push, he'd come out some and then go back in and blood would come out. With my condition and with him just getting stuck out, the midwife was trying not to have to cut me, but knew it may need to happen. She had me reach down and feel him coming out of me, which I'm sorry to say, but it was WAY gross. David said she had just lubed him up with that blue gel to help him hopefully just slip out, so really all I felt was the blue goop, ha ha. Well, after a few more minutes and no progress Teresa decided she needed to get him out and find and stop my bleeding. I know I asked David, what's an episiotomy?! And then once I realized, she cut, I pushed, and he was out. I didn't care at all that she'd have to cut me, I just needed him out and I couldn't do it!! At the time I felt pretty bad that I couldn't push him out on my own, but looking back, and all that had happened, I understand and know I still did get him out, even if I had some help.
At 4:53am I gave one last push and he easily popped right out! First thing, he had his hands right under his chin, making that one reason he didn't want to come out. And actually he loves his hands up by his face, they must have been like that a ton inside of me. And then also, as he was coming out, the umbilical cord was tied around him - not tight, but enough that Teresa grabbed him by his leg and basically flopped him onto the sheets around me. I totally remember this because that was the first time I saw him - and I was a little shocked!
You can't do that to a baby! Can you? Yep. I didn't really see his face, I just saw a bunch of limbs being tossed my way and then once untangled David cut the cord and the NICU ladies took him. He started crying as he came out, which was really good because they all said he'd probably be like me with the magnesium and lethargic and may need some extra help.
7 pounds 6 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long, born at 4:53am.
David was taking pictures and going back and forth between me and baby boy. The first thing I wanted was water, duh. And then I know I was watching our baby and the nurses, from far away, and just trying to ask if he was okay. I was in a daze, shock or just exhausted probably. The midwife had a couple other doctors come in the room and help find the bleeding and try and sew it up - this took probably 30min - 1 hour. After several minutes we knew baby was okay and they brought him over and I held him for a bit while they sewed me up - definitely a good distraction because I could have been freaking out. It felt crazy to hold him and I wondered when I would feel like I was his mom. Just surreal I guess. Couldn't believe he came out of me either! David was just thrilled and had tears in his eyes after he was born. David was the best support I could have asked for. I could write a ton more about how much he helped through this whole experience... but as for just focusing on the labor and delivery, he was a great cheerleader and helped all that he could. He was there telling me I could get through it and I could do it, even when I said I couldn't anymore. He was right beside me except a few times when he was documenting times and details on his phone - awesome because I really wouldn't have been able to remember. Thanks David for being there through it all, love you. We are parents to the cutest little boy now!
5:49am First feeding
10:40am First diaper change
11:45am Second feeding
After delivery I had my blood drawn again and my platelets didn't go up, which meant I was stuck being monitored longer. We ended up being in the delivery room 24 more hours because they couldn't take the epidural out as I could bleed out. This was stinky for us but looking back, it was a better room and we were monitored a lot better. We did miss out on a few things upstairs but got up there eventually. At about 6am we tried breastfeeding for the first time. He didn't really have a problem at all with latching, crazy he just went for it and knew. By 7am we were exhausted and tried to sleep a bit. After a short nap we grabbed our list of names, yep we had 15+, and decided to narrow it down. David said he had a couple in mind, but we just went down the list and crossed out what ones didn't feel right. In just one minute we were down to 2 names. And after spending more time with him and talking and thinking about the names a bit more, we decided on his first name. Then we needed to pair it with a middle name. We had already put a few middle names with the 2 first names so we just needed to figure that one out. So it was Tyson as his first name. Tyson was a strong name and our baby boy has been strong since the beginning, very fitting. Middle name took a bit longer but probably we just didn't agree as quickly. I liked David as the middle name and David wasn't set on it or didn't want to make him have his name. But we had other family names as possible but it just seemed like if we were going to do a family name anyway, it should be after David and plus they looked alike. It seemed SO easy to figure out his name in the end. I was worried that it'd take us a long time or we wouldn't know what to call him, but Tyson David Clark is just him. As we looked at him and got to know him, he really did look like a Tyson and it would fit him perfectly. It was really nice to finally have a name! We've called him jellybean for awhile that we almost did that a few times, but we decided that it was only his name for when he was inside me. Now he's got his real name :)
Next up... recovery.
