My due date...wow, today I was due with Jaylon. Instead I have a 4 week old newborn who is getting chubbier by the day and who's cheeks are so squishy puffy I can't get enough of them. A newborn who sleeps pretty well at night but has gas and tummy issues during the day; who loves to be held and cuddled but also loves his "alone" time and time in the car. A newborn who rocks my world every day and who totally fits with our family already.
I had the usual doctor’s appt that Tuesday. I had the NST like always too. While hooked to the monitor Jay wasn’t all that active so they had to wake him up. After using the little vibrating thing he was awake and doing great. I had mentioned to my doc that my discharge had changed; I told him I probably just pee myself and that’s what it was. He laughed and agreed but decided to check anyway. I was right, just pee. While the doc was there he checked me and I was not dilated and only 25% effaced.
Things changed when my blood pressure was taken. I had been flirting with pre-eclampsia the entire pregnancy and unfortunately my pressures that day were too high to be ignored. 139/93 was the highest they’ve ever been and my doc didn’t feel comfortable just letting me go on my merry way. So, he sent me to the hospital for a 24-hr urine collection and a liver enzyme workup to rule out the pre-e.
I called Sean, which I never do after an appt, so he knew something was up. I explained that I was just headed to the hospital for observation for 24-hrs or so and to just take Kenna to softball practice like normal. I called my mom and explained to her what was going on and that the doc said that we wouldn’t have a baby today; depending on how the tests came back it may be Thursday though. I asked her to call my sis because I was just getting to the hospital and needed to go to triage and get checked in and such.
When I got to triage my blood pressure was wonderful. But since my doc sent me they had to keep me anyway. I was sent to put on a gown and get on the monitor in the little triage curtained area until a room opened on the maternity ward. This is where my time gets off a tad, so please forgive me. After a while on the monitor a doc came in and asked if I was feeling the contractions that were showing up on the strip. I explained that I was and they were pretty painful. I could talk through them though so I didn’t think much about them. The doc went ahead and did an u/s to see how Jay was laying then she checked me to see if the contractions were doing anything, and they were. I was now 1cm and 50% effaced. Not a huge change but enough to warrant some wondering if something was going to happen. My doc then came in, so now it was after 5, so I had been there for about 1 hr. He asked about the contractions but we both shrugged them off since they weren’t too painful. He said again that I was just there to pee in the hat for 24 hrs and check my liver functions, and off he went to another patient.
The contractions kept coming every 2 minutes and started to hurt pretty badly. It wasn’t the contractions themselves; it was the burning between the contractions that got me. Finally at 7:30-ish (I say this because shift change had happened) a new intern and resident came in to check on me. I explained to them that I was now in pain and having to breathe through the contractions…having to stop talking to them during the contractions they were hurting so badly now. They decided to check me again to see if they were changing me anymore. Yip…now I was 2cm and 50%. Then I started hearing the resident call the anesthesiologist telling him that there’s a repeat c-section in curtain 3 that is in labor…wait I was in curtain 3. How did I go from no baby just peeing in a bucket to repeat c-section at 36wks in a matter of a few hours? The intern and resident came back into my curtain and explained that the contractions were causing cervical changes so we were going to do the section that night, so I wouldn’t labor with my history. I told them that my husband was about 30-45 minutes away and he needed to find a sitter, so if we could hold off until he got there that would be awesome. They agreed and called my doc to explain the changes and what was happening. The c-section was all set for 9:30 or 10pm. I called Sean at 7:45-ish when Kenna’s practice was over and told him that I was in labor and we were going to have this baby tonight. He kind of freaked out a little, although I can’t blame him. Part of me was freaking too…this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen…it wasn’t Monday the 27th yet and I wasn’t full term yet. But the burning between contractions sucked and I was quite happy to get rid of the pain.
I called mom, sis and dad to explain to them the goings on and what had changed. Meanwhile, Sean called some co-workers to see if they’d come up to the hospital to watch Kenna so he could be in the OR with me.
Sean finally got there at 8:30 or so (again, times may be off a little). As soon as he walked into my curtained area I felt a gush. I thought my water had broken so I asked him to tell the nurse/intern/resident of what I felt. Then the flurry of activity started. In this little tiny “room” there was me in a huge bed, Sean, nurse, resident, intern and the u/s machine. The bed was broken down to do a sterile exam to see if it was my water and the nurse started another IV. The intern sucked…she was so rough that I swear she checked my cervix with her entire arm, she was so forceful that she shoved me upwards on the bed when she rammed her hand up there…OUCH! All I heard was that there “was 2cc”. I thought she was talking about amniotic fluid. The resident ran out to call my doc and the intern did the u/s to check on Jay again. That’s when I saw what a placental abruption looks like on an u/s. I knew what I had seen and knew what it meant. I could hear the resident, whose name btw was Melani, tell my doc that I was abrupting again and we needed to have the section done quickly. The resident, Melani, came back in and explained that my doc was almost there. Suddenly the anesthesiologist was there explaining spinals and what to expect. I signed forms Ok’ing a transfusion, a form about not having an advance directive, signed forms for Jay to get medical help, etc. I asked if Kenna could come back so I could give her a hug and kiss, since she was under 14 she wasn’t “allowed” back there but they said sure. She looked a little freaked seeing all the flurry of activity around me, but I tried to be calm and told her that Jaylon was coming tonight. She was excited by that thought, and then off she went back to the waiting room. Then poof, there was my doc. He laughed and said he was shocked but “let’s have a baby”. Then off I was wheeled.
The spinal was given and I was laid down on the horribly uncomfy bed. That’s when I realized how much blood I had lost, we moved the pad underneath me and there was quite a bit on it. One nurse joked that I wanted attention, but I didn’t laugh…after losing 2 kids and abrupting once I didn’t want to laugh. I think she got the idea. The shaking began and an oxygen mask was placed on my face. Then my doc walked in, I hardly recognized him with a mask on. But he patted my head and told me that it’d be OK. I believed him. I was wheeled into the OR at 9:04, spinal at 9:07 and section started at 9:20. I remember hearing the times being called out. The anesthesiologists (I had two) kept asking how I was. I told them fine but “where was my husband”. They finally brought him in and he was there for just a few minutes when Jay came out. I never heard “it’s a boy” or “here he is”, I just remember feeling a “lightening” and knew he was out. Then after a few seconds heard the most pitiful cry ever. Jay never needed oxygen, never needed help breathing or never went to the NICU, he was just fine. Jaylon Reid was born at 9:33pm, 6lbs. 8.8oz and 19 ½ inches long. Apgars were 8 and 9. I got to see him for what seemed like a few seconds then off he and Sean went. I got my blue band and smiled happily. I was given the versed (I don’t give a shit shot) so I was tired and kept dozing a little. I remember my doc telling me afterwards that they could only find one tube, so they tied it. The other was so “mixed in” with the scar tissue from the c-section with Jackson that they couldn’t find it. So, in 5 wks I will have to make an appt to have another procedure done to close up that tube, since we’re not doing this whole pregnancy thing again!
After the section I was wheeled into L&D and monitored. I was awake most of the time and kept trying to make my legs move. I had to be able to move my legs and hold my butt off the bed before I could be moved to the floor. Sean came in and told me how Jay was doing and gave me his stats. He told me that he was taking Kenna home since it was after 11 now. I was wheeled into my own room at mid-night-ish. I still hadn’t seen Jay but for a few seconds. Finally at 4am the nursery brought me my son, who I got to finally hold and love on. He was perfect, tiny and perfect.
Visiting hours began at 10am and by 10:30 Sean, Kenna, Mom and Chris were at the hospital ready to meet Sweet Baby Jay. Kenna was smitten. She just had this smile on her face that I hope I’ll never forget. Mom, although moving slowly after her 2wk stay in the hospital after a botched heart cath, looked so happy and relieved.
We were released on Thursday (yes, that’s less than 2 days after having a c-section). My sis and dad decided to join the fun early too and they came in early Friday morning, upping their trip by a few days, since Jaylon upped his arrival!
At his one week appt Jay was already up to 6lbs 13 oz and 20 inches long. He’s such a quiet content baby, which is nothing like his big sister was. He’s sleeping 3-4 hr chunks at night and right now still sleeps quite a bit during the day. I’ve been doing good too. It’s nothing like the last c-section I tell ya.
I’m so thankful that my doc sent me to the hospital that day. Someone (God, Avery, Jackson or all three!) was watching out for us because it could have been nasty if I were at home and started abrupting. I think it all happened for a reason. I’m also thankful to have a healthy son who, although technically a preemie, hasn’t had any breathing problems, no problems with his sugars or anything. Just a smidge of jaundice but what baby doesn’t have that a little?! And I'm so thankful for my daughter, who won't stop petting her baby brother!
Our family finally feels complete, just the four of us, and it's amazing!
