Sean's Birth Story

Before I begin talking about the "play by play" events of my son's birth story, let me begin by saying that it was a long labor. It all started when my water broke at about 8:30pm on Tuesday night Boxing Day, after returning home from Walmart, (after spending an hour and 15 minutes in line at Walmart, because I was bored and it was a zoo there!) All I have to say, is thank god my water didn't break at Walmart! That would have been a horror story! Anyhow, I am at home, and for about 2 hours I have a sharp pressuring pain in my vagina. I called my friend Jennie who is in school to be a nurse, and she suggested I take a shower and see if that helps. If it doesn't she suggested to call the case room at the hospital. I went into a shower. And that's when my water broke. At first I wasn't sure, but then it was just oozing out - I was like "this is not like peeing"... I was still having that pain in my vagina, so I called the case room, and they told me to put a pad in my underwear, and walk around. If it was still leaking, to come in right away or if I wasn't sure. Jamie was at home watching a movie with a friend, and I called him upstairs and was like "I think we have a problem" (as I'm leaking on a towel below me... he went back downstairs, told his friends that it's "GO TIME" and came upstairs and calmly helped me get the rest of the stuff that I needed to take with to the hospital. At first, I didn't really believe what was going on. I wasn't due for another 2 weeks and 2 days. I was 37 full weeks pregnant, and almost at 38 full weeks. Jamie's friend Dave whom was over, gave us a ride to the hospital.

Here is how I progressed:

At 8:55pm on December 26th, I was given cervidil, to ripen my cervix. Because my water broke, they needed to get my son out in about 24 hours or so.

And then I was checked at:

December 26th, 2006 - 21:47 PM
0% Dilated, 60% effaced, -3 Station, Sean is posterior

Jamie and I played crazy eight countdown a few times to kill time in the labor room.

December 27th, 2006 - 1:31 AM
1% Dilated, 70% effaced, -3 Station, Sean is turned to the side

I was put on an IV in the middle of the night. For now it was just a saline solution (with sugar). The nurse checked both my arms twice for a vein, and in the end had to put the IV in my hand, allowing me to NOT knit.

Jamie tries to get some sleep. I couldn't sleep. I was too scared/nervous/anxious about what was going on with my body. I kept thinking "by tomorrow night at some point, I'l be a mother"... (it still hadn't hit me)...

December 27th, 2006 - 4:53 AM
1% Dilated, 70% effaced, -3 Station, Sean is posterior again

Somewhere early morning, I see my doctor. He is on duty for the next 24 hours and comes in to see me. I was relieved to see him, and that he will be the one delivering my son. After seeing my doctor, I was put on a drug called Pitocin (I think that's what it was called) to induce my contractions. I wasn't contracting on my own).

The contractions start becoming heavy. I am put on oxygen mask, because Sean's heart rate keeps dropping here since I've been put on the inducer.

December 27th, 2006 - 9:46 AM
1% Dilated, 80% effaced, -3 Station, Sean is posterior

I tried lasting as long as I could. The pain of the contractions is too much, and is now in my stomach, back and shooting all the way down my legs. I cannot get out of bed due to the pitocin that I'm on, to help me contract. I beg for the epidural. I've lasted as long as I possibly could, and now it's time to give in. I didn't want to be in pain any longer. I had to wait a long time to get the epidural because there was 3 emergency c-sections one after another and the anesthesiologist, couldn't get to me for a while. I keep breathing through my contractions. It is hard. Eventually I am given the epidural, which hurt a lot going in, but was well worth it after it started kicking in. I could now feel the pressure of the contractions, but could not feel them. I was in heaven. I kept telling everyone drugs are good. I even told a nurse that she should try epidural because she was saying that her back hurts her, as she was 15 weeks pregnant, and still working.

December 27th, 2006 - 15:02 PM
1.5% Dilated, 80% effaced, -3 Station, Sean is posterior

December 27th, 2006 - 18:02 PM
2% Dilated, 90% effaced, -1 Station, Sean is posterior

December 27th, 2006 - 21:30 PM
4% Dilated, 100% effaced, -1 Station, Sean is posterior

December 27th, 2006 - 23:39 PM
6% Dilated, 100% effaced, -1 Station, Sean is posterior

Sometime between being 6% and 8% dilated, the chief resident decided to take it upon herself to make the call that I was going to be having a c-section. She said because I was stuck at 6% dilated, and Sean's heart rate kept dropping a little, that she made her decision. My doctor, who was on call, didn't even know about this decision (because he wanted me to have a vaginal birth). He was not concerned about Sean's heart rate, which dropped here and there, but then returned normal again after each time. It was the drug that I was on for inducing my contractions that was causing this drop in his heart rate. I was taken off the Pitocin a few times already for several different reasons, and had the nurse not taken me off the pitocin to prep me for surgery (I was shaved and had all my jewelry removed, etc).... I probably would have had Sean a lot earlier than I did. But, my doctor came in, put me back on the drug, and I had to re-start all over again. The next time that chief resident came into the room, Jamie snapped at her, asking her why she took me off the pitocin, and asked her why she took it upon herself to make the decision for the c-section when my very own doctor was in the hospital on duty, and she left, and that was the last time we saw her - thank goodness. I'll never forget her face, or her name, Dr. S.Reinblatt. I forget her first name. I hope to never run into her again.

December 28th, 2006 - 00:46 AM
8% Dilated, 100% effaced, -1 Station, Sean is posterior

December 28th, 2006 - 02:30 AM
10% Dilated, 100% effaced, -1 Station, Sean is posterior

Somewhere after 3 am, I start to push... it takes me until 4:44 am, with the help of Forceps, since Sean's head was stationed at the -1 position, to deliver Sean. As Sean is being born, the snow is falling ever so beautifully, and it's gorgeous outside.

My husband was the only one in the delivery room with me. I think they kicked everyone else out because they ended up having to use forceps because Sean was posterior (head down but face up instead of down). I don't think I really wanted anyone else besides Jamie and the doctors in there anyhow. It was really EARLY in the morning, so the only people who stayed were my father in law, my sister and my mother. My dad was at home, flat on his back (pulled it out again) and my step-mother-in-law had to work Thursday, so she couldn't stay til 4 am.


And Sean was born! He's really tiny. I was NOT expecting a little guy. I really thought that I was expecting a big boy! He was born 5 lbs 5 oz, but then lost about 6-7%, and checked out of the hospital at 4 lbs 14 oz. He's doing great, though he is SWIMMING in all the newborn outfits! He did go to Walmart on the Friday we were released from the hospital, before even going home (I needed preemie diapers and some supplies for his bris and wanted to look for preemie outfits, which they were all out of...) And after that, you've all been updated on this blog, as to what's been going on since we've been home from the hospital.

The after birth hospital stay was a disaster in itself as well. It was a zoo while I was there, over packed with births. Whenever I would call for a nurse with my buzzer, it would take 45 minutes to an hour to get someone to actually come to see me. (Even when I was transferred to a private room). At one point, the epidural was still wearing off, and I couldn't walk on my own. Jamie had gone home to shower and take a nap for a few hours, since I thought I was settled in and okay in the hands of the nurses. I had to pee so badly. I called for a nurse. It took way too long, that I had to go to the bathroom in my bed. Thank goodness I was still in the blue birth gown, (a clean one) and not in my own pj's yet. I was absolutely disgusted with the hospital. And also, since I wanted to breastfeed, they literally shoved my boob in my son's mouth and called it breastfeeding. No one came and sat down with me to show me how to get Sean to latch properly. By the time the end of the weekend rolled around, and I was at home, I had nipple damage. Once again, due to the hospital's negligence. All is better now, and I'm glad they only charged me for one day at the hospital, instead of 2 days (technically I was there 2 full days, and 1 night) or I would have opened my mouth. It's unreal, the service I got while there. And the quality of the food, that's a whole other story..... it was nasty. I only ate some of it, and it's nothing to write home about!