Elizabeth's Story

So here it is...The Birth Story, in all it's gory detail...

When I went to bed Tuesday night, I was feeling small contractions - more around my lungs than my uterus. I ignored them, considering actual, painful contractions hadn't resulted in anything except a long trip to the hospital and back. I woke up at 3:30 a.m., double up in pain. I got out of bed and made it to the bathroom before another contraction wracked my body. I started timing them. Three minutes apart. I didn't want to wake up Chad for yet another false alarm, so I lay in bed with my clock for 45 minutes as the contractions progressively became more painful. As much as I wanted to walk around, I'd discovered in our two failed missions that laying on one side helped the contractions to subside. I didn't want to drag the whole family out of bed only to have the contractions die down while being monitored. Finally, unable to hold back the gasps and moans, I woke up Chad and told him to call the doctor.

It seemed early - only an hour in, but by this point I couldn't even walk, talk or stand during each contraction. They were lasting a minute each and coming two minutes apart. My water hadn't broken, but I was feeling a lot of pressure. I just knew it was time - one way or the other.

We finally got to the hospital around 6 a.m. I was in so much pain, the ER nurse sent me to Labor and Delivery with a tech instead of waiting for L&D to send someone down. The contractions seemed to be coming more and more quickly. One was barely over before another began.

The nurse did an exam and announced that I was only 2 cm dilated. TWO itty bitty centimeters. The contractions, however, were coming hard and fast. Each one lasted a minute and then I'd be hit with another. Three in a row, three minutes of agony and then two minutes of blissful respite before they would start again. The pain centered in my lower back, moving every so often to the front. Chad and my nurse - who happened to be a former doula - applied counter pressure to try to ease the pain.

Side note: I was so lucky with all my nurses, but this particular one was a God send. She helped me into positions that eased the pain while showing Chad massage techniques to counteract the back labor.

One of the other nurses called my doctor. The hospital's typical policy is not to admit someone who is less than three centimeters, but the severity of my contractions combined with the fact that I was attempting a VBAC made them want to admit me. My doctor was there in what seemed like hours, but was actually only thirty minutes. She examined me and confirmed that I was 2 cm, but insisted that I be admitted. Knowing me as she does, she added, "And call Dr. W. Mandy wanted an epidural immediately." I almost cried in relief.

We had to wait another twenty minutes or so for Dr. W to arrive. In the room next to mine, I could hear a woman in labor. Screaming, panting, moaning. I looked at my nurse and said, "That poor woman!" She laughed. "I was just over in her room and she said the same about you."

When Dr. W arrived, I was past the point of caring that I'd had a random thought to try laboring without drugs as long as possible. (Obviously a moment of hormone-induced insanity.) He briefly asked my history and when I told him that the epidural didn't work while having Joseph, he assured me that his epidurals always worked. When I told him that the other anaesthesiologist had told me my body processed drugs too quickly for an epidural to be effective, he scoffed. And you know what? He was right. Within five minutes of being administered the drug, I was already feeling less pain. Five minutes after that, everything shifted into warp drive.

I was joking with the nurses and Dr. W about him being the most popular fella on the third floor when Dr. Y came in. She told me she was going to break my water to see if there was any way to speed up the dilating. Chad gave me a kiss and said he needed to use the bathroom and get a drink of water. I assured him that he could miss this part. As he later said, he knew that it could be hours after my water broke before I'd even get close to delivering.

As the nurses prepped the equipment, Dr. Y teased me about waiting until the last possible moment. I'd scheduled a c section for Thursday morning if I didn't go into labor beforehand.

Side note: As I mentioned, I was attempting a VBAC. Not because I had an all consuming desire to experience natural child birth. More because I had an all consuming fear of surgery.

My doctor broke my water and all hell broke loose. There was meconium. At the same time, the heart monitor they'd placed on Elizabeth's head showed a drop in heart rate from a healthy 130 to 50. Everything became a blur. One nurse strapped an oxygen mask on me. My doctor looked up and said, very firmly, "We need to do a c section." I nodded my head and told her to go for it. Another nurse started stripping off my jewelry while still another ran out to the hallway to grab Dr. W. Two more nurses started hooking up monitors and I had the sudden thought, where was Chad?

He walked in a that moment...glass of water in hand. He looked at the seven nurses, two doctors and me - oxygen mask on. His eyes widened and he asked, "What's going on?"

Dr. Y explained as the nurses started wheeling me towards the door. I called out for him to call his parents and my mom. In the hall, Becky stood, wavering smile on her face. "Call Mom!"

"Okay. It's going to be fine. I'll take care of everything." She rubbed my arm as I passed by.

I was scared. I just wanted Elizabeth to be okay. My hands were shaking - from the epidural, from nerves, from worry. The nurses rushed me into the operating room and Dr. W calmly started to administer the drugs. Elizabeth's heart rate stabilized, but a team from the NICU arrived to be on hand. Dr. Y explained what was happening, but to be honest, it was all gobblygook.

Then Chad was there.

He held my hand and told me it was going to be okay. He rubbed my fingers as the numbing started spreading across my chest. I looked at Dr. W and told him I was freaked out and he told me, "We're not going to let anything happen."

I was numb faster than I expected. After my horrible experience with Joseph, I was shocked at how quickly and completely it all happened. Dr. W showed me pictures of his children on his cell phone and Chad continued to hold my hand. Then...in what seemed like seconds, we heard a beautiful cry and I saw Elizabeth for the first time. I looked at her and whispered, "Oh my God. She's beautiful." The NICU crew went to work and in minutes assured us that she was perfectly healthy. I smiled and started to doze off as Dr. Y dictated her notes.

She told me that the area scar tissue on my uterus was dangerously thin and if we decide to have another child, she insists on a scheduled c section.She told me that Elizabeth was healthy and a brilliant baby for knowing her home was in danger.

Logically I know that Elizabeth had no idea that my uterus was straining. At the same time... Everything was in place to make sure it all went as smoothly as possible. My doctor was in the room. A shift change had produced a fresh batch of nurses. Dr. W was in the hallway instead of across the building. I was wheeled into recovery while Chad showed off our beautiful baby girl.

Dozing off and on, I concentrated on making my toes wiggle. As soon as I could get them to wiggle, I'd get to hold my baby in my arms. A little before 11:00, I was transported to my room and finally, finally held a bundle of pink and white.

Elizabeth.