Mission Momma Rags: Lincoln's Birth Story

So to stay true to form, the end of my pregnancy was completely unexpected. Throughout the majority of my pregnancy, my blood pressure was great...better than normal even. Until I hit about 34 weeks. Then it started getting higher. Then I started spilling protein in my urine. At my 35 week appointment, my doctor decided to get some blood work done to make sure everything was okay. I also started having pain underneath my right rib, which is a symptom of pre-eclampsia. I was off this day because my baby shower was the next day. After the appointment and blood work, I went and got some things for the shower and got my nails done (navy blue with cute anchors to go with the shower theme of course!) When I got home from my errands, my doctor called me. She told me my blood work came back abnormal and that I needed to get to the hospital within the next couple of hours. Ummmm....okay.... "do I need to pack a bag?" "yes, you might be here a while"... "will I be home by tomorrow, my baby shower is tomorrow..." "no, you're going to have to cancel your baby shower because you'll be in the hospital". "Oh my god...well, will I be able to go to work on Monday?" "No, you might be having a baby on Monday." ::insert complete panic mode:: I quickly packed a bag (me being a procrastinator, I hadn't done this yet) and I had NO freaking clue what to put in it! I ran around my room for a good 20 minutes trying to figure out what the hell to put in it, without packing a thing! I finally rationalized the process by telling myself it would be like I was going to spend the night at a friends house for a few days - what do I need? That helped and I started packing. Joel was at work so my parents came to get me to take me to the hospital. I had to call my sister who had to start notifying people that the shower, which was supposed to be held less than 24 hours away, was cancelled. At that point, I really didn't care about the shower, I was freaking out because I was barely 35 weeks pregnant...this isn't supposed to happen...I'm supposed to make it to at least 37 weeks. I know I had been saying I wanted him to come early, but this is too early. I was so scared.

In the hospital they continued to monitor my blood pressure and do a bunch of other tests. I was told I possibly had pre eclampsia (which btw is pronounced E-Clamp-See-Ah, not E-Clamp-Sha) and would need to be monitored to see if my levels got worse or stabilized. If they got worse, they would induce labor. If I stabilized, I'd be sent home on bed rest. I was admitted to the hospital on Friday. Flash forward to Monday and my levels had not only stabilized, but improved. I was sent for an ultrasound to see if gallstones were the reasoning behind the pain underneath my ribs...turns out, it was. Since my levels had improved, I was told I could go home...and either be on bed rest or go back to work. The whole weekend was seriously a freaking roller coaster, but I was glad that my baby boy would be able to 'cook' longer.

Anyway, I decided to go back to work to see if I could manage working and having my blood pressure be stable. At my next appointment, 36 weeks, my blood pressure rose again and my doctor decided it would be best to put me on bed rest. Truthfully, I was not complaining. I have worked practically every day since I was 17 and I welcomed the "rest".

Due to the blood pressure, we decided to induce labor at 38 weeks....and my doctor was so kind to let me pick the date I wanted to be induced. I chose my birthday, March 12.

March 11

We arrived at the hospital at 5 PM to stay overnight and have cervidil placed, which is supposed to "ripen" your cervix and prepare it for labor. Prior to being admitted, I was not dilated or effaced at all. Overnight, I started having some mild contractions and it made me excited because I had read horror stories about failed inductions, so I thought surely I had dilated some and the cervidil was working.

March 12

I was checked early in the morning and was told I was a fingertip dilated and 75% effaced. I was SUPER excited, like giddy excited. About an hour later, my actual doctor came to check me and crushed my spirit by telling me that I hadn't changed at all and was still not dilated or effaced. I was so upset but I still didn't lose hope. I was going be started on pitocin and I just knew my body would know what to do and start progressing. WRONG. I started feeling contractions and they started getting painful...to the point that I asked for some pain relief and was given Stadol, which by the way is pretty much awesome. I called Joel over to my bed and whispered "I'm high!" My doctor came to check me later in the evening and I was told that I was just now a fingertip dilated and maybe 50% effaced. After being on pitocin for over 6 hours and close to the maximum dosage, we decided it would be best for me to go home and come back in a couple of days. Happy birthday to me. I was supposed to be getting a baby as a birthday present, and all I got were discharge papers from the hospital. I laid in the hospital bed and just cried. Joel tried to console me but it wasn't working. I threw a pity party for myself. On the way home, we got stuck in traffic (all I wanted to do was get something to eat since I hadn't eaten since the night before and go to sleep). I started feeling nauseous. I had to ask Joel to pull over on the side of the highway because I felt like I was going to be sick. Sure enough, I puked...on the side of the highway...in traffic...near an entrance ramp. Definitely not how I pictured my birthday turning out.

March 14

We went into the hospital to begin another induction. This time, my doctor wanted to use something called a foley bulb. Of course I googled the crap out of it and was terrified of it hurting....which it did, but once the procedure was done, I was okay. For about an hour. Then I started having a contraction....except, it wasn't going away. This isn't normal, contractions are supposed to come and go....why isn't it going anywhere?! I was writhing in pain and Joel called the nurse, who then called my doctor to see what to do. We ended up removing the bulb and as soon as that was done, the contraction went away. I had cervidil placed again so we tried to get some rest that night to prepare us for the next day. I think I got maybe two hours of sleep.

March 15

I really wish I would have written this sooner, because for the life of me I can't remember much about the morning of the 15th. I think I was too sleepy to really pay attention to what was going on. I want to say that when I was checked in the morning, I was dilated to a 1 and still 50% effaced. I was wheeled down to Labor and Delivery and they began the pitocin. I wanted an epidural as soon as possible because I could not take my doctor checking me anymore. It hurts! I got an epidural when I was dilated to a 1...yes, I know. The epidural worked...but it kept losing effectiveness on my sides, so I would have to change the sides I was laying on so the medicine would start working on both sides again, if that makes sense. My water was broken around 9 or 10 AM.

I made progress throughout the day. Slow progress, but progress. Around 7:00 PM I was checked again and we found that I had pretty much stalled out at a 4 or 5 (I can't remember) and my cervix was starting to swell. Lincoln also had not dropped any. Since my cervix was swelling and he hadn't dropped, my doctor recommended a c-section. Thankfully I had not gone into this whole situation with an idea of how things would turn out, so I didn't have any issues with a c-section and just tried to roll with the punches. I also had a feeling that he wasn't dropping for a reason, so I agreed to the c-section. At this point, I was tired, in pain from contractions and I just wanted my baby out and safe.

It took about 45 minutes for them to take me to the OR. I was so nervous that I wouldn't be completely numb when they started the surgery and that I would feel everything. I had an amazing anesthesiologist, Dan, that talked me through the whole thing. He made me feel so comfortable in such a cold, sterile room. I really need to let the hospital know how much he helped me. Joel was allowed in I felt so much better when he got there. My doctor and another doctor in her practice started the procedure and I didn't even know it! It didn't hurt at all, thank goodness. The only bad part is that I was shaking uncontrollably. I just remember laying there and looking at Joel and trying to be as calm as possible. Then I heard my doctor say "Oh my god, he has RED HAIR!!" I had been telling everyone that he had to have red hair because he was stubborn, even in the womb. Everything was done on Lincoln's terms...not mine or Joel's. I laughed when she said that and was still looking at Joel.

8:43 PM

We heard the most beautiful noise in the world - our baby boy's first cry. With that sound, it hit both of us...holy hell, we have a baby! We're parents!! We both started laughing and crying. It was the best moment of my life, hands down. In that moment, I was relieved my baby was okay, I was happy that I was finally a mom...something I had wanted for a long time...and I was so happy that I got to share this moment with Joel. I will never forget this moment.

My nieces visiting me in the hospital, the first time (February)