Holly's Birth

After trying so hard to get pg with Colin I was happily surprised to find myself pg again. We weren't really trying either and I really didn't expect to get pg that month. But af didn't arrive right on time so I took a test. The test only left a faint shadow after 20 min. I know a line is a line but this was just a shadow. I waited 2 days and tested again. This time I got a faint pink line but it over 10 min just to show up so I took one more the next day and while it still took 10 min to show up it was darker. I calculated my due date and figured it out that it was Jan 22.

I made an appt with my OB and started my prenatal care at 11 weeks. I was so used saying my duedate and never my LMP that I just told him my duedate. My morning sickness wasn't as bad as last pg but I was back to having dry heaves/bile in the morning. Gross.

I had a u/s at 20 weeks which confirmed my dates and told us we were having a girl but to get it checked at the next u/s to be sure. I had 4 of each already so this one was going to be a tie breaker. It really didn't matter which sex it was. I had another routine u/s at 34 weeks. She was breech, 6 lbs and shy lol. I had heard a few stories of being told girl to changing to boy at next u/s so I was hoping to find out for sure.

I started having pelvic joint pain again and was spending most of my day sitting. It started to get bad a couple weeks later than with Colin but it got much worse. By the last few weeks I was only getting up to go potty or change Colin. Reg was working evenings and the kids were making supper. I was bored sitting all day. I have a recliner at my computer so at least I could still chat with my friends. I updated my webpage and then needed soething else to do so I asked Karen if I could help her with her Birth Stories!! site. She said sure. I'm so happy I asked as it gave me something to do that was fun and useful.

The dr said he would check me at my 38 appt to see if the baby was still breech. Colin was breech but I didn't know. He felt loose when I was pg with him. Well Holly was feeling loose too but this time I knew what it meant. He checked and sure enough she was breech. Policy at my hospital say I can't have a planned breech delivery. After having a perfect one I really didn't want a c-sec. We talked about what to do and I got scheduled for a version in 2 days.

Well she had other plans. I had lost my plug the week before and was getting lots of Braxton Hicks contractions so I knew it was almost time. After my appt I had more but I figured it could be the car ride and the exam but I was hoping it was going to turn into more. Around 9:30 I started getting crampy contrax and at 10:30 my water broke. It was really time! I was worried about her being breech and how the delivery would go since it was known she was breech. Colin was a surprise breech so I was just treated like any other delivery. Reg ran around packing the bag. We had gotten most of the stuff ready before the dr appt because we weren't sure what he was going to say. LOL That came in handy. I went online and let my online friends know it was time. My friend Kim timed a few contractions and they were coming 4 to 6 minutes. I thought they were 10 to 15 min. lol

We finally left at 11:30. It was warm out for January but the roads were full of wet snow. In the car I watched the clock and they kept coming 4 to 6 minutes. They felt like a low ring of pressure. I assumed that the baby was moving down. She was floating so high during the exam that I wasn't worried about giving birth in the car but I made the mistake of trying to describe the feeling to Reg. I had to reassure him that I wasn't about to deliver. We joked about needing a picture of the hospital to stop my contraction since they ususally stop as soon as I see the hospital

We got to the hospital around 12:30. The drive got fast after getting off the snowy country roads as there was very little traffic. The front was closed so we had to go through the emergency. The ER was empty which I thought was odd after hearing news stories about how they are overcrowded lol. I sat down and waited for Reg to park. Reg offered me a wheel chair but I feel funny about using them so I said no. I sent him ahead to figure out the way as we never went through the ER before. He figured out the way but not before getting teased for leaving me behind lol.

We arrived upstairs at triage. I got asked if this was my first. I just laughed. I said no my ninth and that my water had broken. Oddly my contractions didn't stop like they always do! I sat in a recliner attached to a monitor for a while. An intern came in and started taking my history. She was loudy eating gum and reminded me of my oldest dd. looked over at my dh and I could see he was thinking the same thing. We laughed a bit and she got just a bit upset and started asking why we were laughing just the way my dd would. Gee getting old when the intern reminds you of one of your teens LOL.

I was given the usual forms to sign then one saying I refused medical advice to get a c-sec. I expected them to argue but they just wanted me to sign a paper.

I was examined. I said I was usually stuck at 4 forever and she said 5. She had no trouble at all reaching the baby so I knew she had moved down. She tested the fluid for ferning and did the litmus test. She said it was obvious that my water broke but wanted to test to see what a positive looked like since it was obviously positive. She had gotten rid of her gum and was being pleasant by then.

I was given a room. Ugg at the end of the hall. I walked slowly there. The nurse got my IV set up. I asked her if she was my nurse and she said no that it was Vicky. Ok good as it wasn't the one that I didn't like. My contraction still were coming about every 6 min. In walked Vicky and I realised she was one of my favorite nurses from one of my other deliveries but I had forgotten her name.

Between 2 and 3 I was getting contractions every 4 minutes and they were hurting my pelvic joints. Fearing that I only going to get worse I asked to get the epi. I had already said I wanted one and the dr had even stopped by to say hi. He came back and while getting my epi we talked about kids climbing into our beds. He was very nice and the epi went well.

After getting the epi I was told to lie down on my side. I was itchy, ticklish, hot and cold from my chest to my toes. I could roll over without pelvic joint pain. Yea. Reg and I started to get tired and started nodding off. My contractions weren't registering on the monitor. I wasn't sure if I was still getting them or not and I wasn't sure if it was the epi or lying down that stopped them if they had stopped.

I asked about sitting up and was told the epi would freeze my legs and not my tummy then. Since I was numb to my breasts sitting up a bit sounded good. I started trying to feel for contraction. I was getting maybe one mild one an hour. The were very busy so couldn't start an induction.

My dr examined me and said I was 4 cms. Thought so lol. He ordered the pitocin for after change of shift. At 8 they started the pit. I asked the nurse if she was going to come and increase the dose every 15 minutes. She said she was worried that I would deliver quick. I told her it usually took 8 hours after the pit was started.

For the next hour I held my hand on my tummy to see if I could feel any contractions but I couldn't. They started increasing the dose after that. I could feel them but they didn't hurt or register on the monitor and was getting 3 an hour. By 12 they were fairly regular. They kept increasing the dose as they still weren't every 3 min.

At 3 I started saying they were hurting more and I asked for my epi to be topped up. Reg started to say it must be time but I didn't think so. I got my epi topped up and the nurse checked me as it was the end of her shift anyway. She had never checked a breech at 10 cm so she called for a second opinion. The second nurse agreed I was 10.

They transferred me to the OR as I was a "high risk." Reminded me of the old days. Yuck. It was change of shift so lots of people were around. I had asked to stay in the birthing bed so at least it wasn't really like the old days. The OR was much bigger so there was lots of room. Since I was delivering a breech they were a few extra people watching. The nurse broke down the bed and got stuff ready. Reg set the mirror so I could see. The intern gowned up and put sterile drapes around me

I was feeling the contractions and lots of pressure. It was painful but bearable. Then they said my dr was in an another OR but would come if he was needed. I told them to get him now. They said he was coming. I started to get upset. The intern asked me to push. I thought she was crazy. I knew she has never delivered a breech before. We reminded her the last one was born within 2 minutes of the first push. I asked again where my dr was and was told he was almost here. The pain was getting worse so I asked the nurse to increase the epi. She argued there wasn't time but I couldn't wait in that pain and that what it seemed like I was going to do. I was only in the OR about 30 minutes but it's long when it hurts.

Finally at almost 4 my dr walks in. I was so relieved. He got a few things ready then said push. I started pushing and could see it was really a girl in the mirror. It was neat to she her rotating but the pain was intense. The dr pulled out the legs and I could feel less pressure. I started moaning in pain then thought I better push and get it over with. I grabbed the hand holds and gave a good push and out she slipped. Ahh relief. I timed the video again and it only took 1 minute and 5 secs! They laid her on my tummy and I took the cam corder from Reg so he could cut the cord. (we have videos or pictures of me cutting several because he is the one holding the camera lol). I passed the camera back to Reg so I could admire Holly. After a few minutes the nurse took her to the warming table.

I looked back at the intern who got to catch the placenta and she was splattered with blood. Reg says she had a little accident while collecting cord blood and it was funny. The intern was gently pulling on the cord and poking my belly. The epi was working enough for that so I didn't mind. Usually my dr asks me to push the placenta out and I always end up pushing more for the placenta than the baby so this was a nice change. LOL. Finally I noticed it had come unattached so I gave a good push and out it plopped into the surprised interns hands

By now Reg was holding her in a warmed blanket. She was wide awake and very content. I was moved to the recovery area since I delivered in the OR. Just like the old days except Holly stayed with us. I tried nursing Holly but she wasn't interested.

By 6 I was transferred to my room and Holly went to the nursery for her eye goo, vitamin k shot and bath. I ate supper then I plugged in my laptop and went online. Last time I wrote the birth story while in the hospital but this time I got to chat on ICQ with my friends. Holly came back and I nursed her. She nursed really well. I showed a picture of her with the webcam.

I had asked to leave early again. My dr forgot he let me go at 6 hr before so we argued a bit. He said I was lucky he was too tired to argue and he let me go lol. The pediatrician came by and said Holly was fine but made me sign a form saying I was taking her against medical advice. I was a bit surprised. He was nice about it though.

We got ready to go at 10 and were out of the hospital by 10:30. There was no traffic and we were home by 11:20. Margo was up waving in the window. Chloë came down as soon as I got inside. Reg carried Holly in. My epi had totally worn off and my pelvic joint pain was bad. I called Sandy downstairs to see Holly. After everyone admired Holly we went to bed.

The night went well except for my pelvic joint pain. Its the next day now and its still really bad. I have always healed fast but I never got this bad with the other pregnancies.

I was nervous about having a breech again that wasn't a surprise. Not because that its riskier but because I thought I would have to defend myself or argue the whole time but it didn't turn out like that. Everyone was really nice. We liked all our nurses and we had lots as they were very busy so had to swap patients. This birth was a very pleasant experience even if it wasn't a pain free one.

Catherine (mabear)

---

back

Home Page Holly's Page

next

---

~~page last updated January 11th, 2002 | Site Map~~