After Finally writing my birth stories, One and Two, I just wanted to write a few thoughts about life.
Life takes turns that no matter how hard we try, we cannot prepare for. Every one says it, but you don't really think anything can or will happen to you. It can. I learned that in the birth of my son. I learned that seeing a dear friend grieve for her 4 month old angel girl lost to SIDS. I learned that it doesn't matter what we do, sometimes there is no changing or stopping circumstances. I've also learned how truly amazing Papa is. When we lose hope, when we give up, He is still there, loving us. In all that we've been through since becoming a family, Papa has always been faithful. He's not left our side. He's been an ever present, faithful provider and protector.
I'd like to tell you that I wake up everyday and live in a happy peaceful world full of perfect children and a clean house. Most of the time I live in a delicate balance of chaos and dirt. Between the food allergies that follow us, the temper tantrums of my 5 year old and the toddler that adores to empty cabinets and drawers, some days I quite literally want to pull the hair out of my head. Honestly, I've tried. It hurts, and I don't recommend it.
What I've come to understand about Papa, is that He will never, ever leave me. It is His very nature to be faithful. He provided when we didn't have enough money left after bills to buy groceries. He gave my mom, and others, dreams and burdens to pray throughout both of my pregnancies. I am here today because Papa is faithful.
When I am despairing, depressed and hurt, Papa is faithful. He has never left me to sit in my filth and suffer. He picks me up, cleans me off and sets me back on my feet. I can imagine that sometimes He smiles as He does it, just as I do when I watch my toddler wander off to get into another mess. She's learning the world around her. I am learning the world around me.
Memory tree
Holding the blossom on our Memory tree, a Pink Dogwood, to always remember the tiny life we lost.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
My VBAC birth story
If you've read my son's birth story you will fully understand the depth and healing in this one.
After my sons traumatic birth and the difficult year that followed with a preemie, we were scared to say the least of ever becoming pregnant again. It was a desire deep within me, but after my body rejected itself while pregnant another baby wasn't a good idea. I researched, I sought answers as to a cause for the severe Pre-Eclampsia and H.E.L.L.P Syndrome that almost cost me and my son our lives.
Answers were few and far between. There is no known cause or test for what happened. Pre-Eclampsia, or Pregnancy Induced Hypertension happens in roughly 20% of pregnancies. H.E.L.L.P syndrome accompanies about 2% of those. Another pregnancy would be considered high risk. There was a 30% chance of the same complications, and that was enough. The fear of going through that again, or leaving my husband with two children to raise alone if I didn't make it.... haunted me. It caused me to decide that I would ignore the desire for another baby.
When my son was 3 1/2 I went with my parents to church. I don't go often, but when I hear Papa say "go" I go. I don't remember much about the service, but I will never forget what happened after. There is a couple there that ministers prophetically, my dad said "you should go talk to them" Papa said "go" so I went. They were ministering to someone else, so I waited. Others came to talk to me, but I said "no, I'm supposed to talk to them" When I got to speak with them Papa had a lot to say through them. After some time of prayer, we were just visiting. My son ran across the stage chasing his pa-paw. I smiled and said, "He's mine, he's my miracle baby" The reaction from them was immediate. Their heads snapped to attention like soldiers awaiting orders from a general. They waited for more. I told them that he had been a preemie, born 9 weeks early and only 2lbs 11 oz. Christine looked at me and asked if it was Pre-Eclampsia. She KNEW. It was deeper than prophetic insight, they had been through it. Their daughter was then 8 years old and had dealt with complications throughout her life.
Christine told me that when she was hurting she would ask God "Why? Why are you doing this to me? Why won't You help me? Can't you see me hurting?" I knew those feelings well. It was 3 years after my sons birth and I still couldn't look at pregnant women or women with healthy babies without jealousy and anguish. Christine told me something Papa had revealed to her, that when she had been hurting He was never up there in Heaven allowing her to hurt. His love isn't like that. When she was despairing and in pain He hurt too.
God was hurting for me?
It was a paradigm shift that changed my entire outlook on life. As a parent, when my child is sick or hurt, I ache for them. When they are in the hospital and being held down for every needle stick with wires attached, it hurts me on a deeper level than if it were me. There is something deep in the heart of a parent, a protective instinct to keep your child from harm. When your child is sick or has special needs and you have to stand aside, or even hold them down while they receive medical care you feel like you are ignoring that instinct. They are looking at you with eyes that say "Why are you letting them do this to me? Why won't you make them stop?" And with everything in you, you want to make it stop. But you can't. God's love for His children is no different. He is not some aloof priest sitting in a throne room un-touchable. He is Papa. Abba. Daddy. Father. In every way He is a Father. When His children hurt, He is not "up there" allowing us to hurt. He is with us, loving us and hurting because we are hurting.
As this realization took hold in my spirit on that February day, the couple I had been talking to prayed with me. I prayed with them. I had to let go, and tell God it was okay with me if He wanted me to have another baby. That statement, aloud in that room was the hardest thing I had ever done. It was also full of healing.
For the next year the healing continued. My marriage was healing, I was walking with Papa, learning how to be the wife and mother my family needed me to be. It was time. It was Papa's time. Before we ever got the positive test, we knew we were having a little girl. One day, Papa told me her name was Abigail.
We were not in the least surprised to see the positive pregnancy test, nor were we surprised when the 20 week sonogram said girl. Again I dealt with the nausea, sciatica and back pain, but it was different. I was quite happy with normal pregnancy complaints. I was actually excited to see my first stretch mark. This pregnancy was progressing beautifully. My body was doing what it was created to do. Growing a miracle.
I read all the books again, this time reading all of the "what if's." I researched online about VBAC's, and knew that I not only wanted a VBAC, I didn't want any interventions or medications.
As I sought for information on birth, and later cloth diapering, I was introduced to Diaperswappers. An online forum for cloth diaper trading and forums about life in general. I joined the discussion group of other women due in the same month I was. I found mama's there that have become true friends. I found the support there to believe in my body's ability to give birth naturally.
In discussions with my new OBGYN I went over what I hoped for the birth of our daughter. He always listened carefully and answered my questions. Validating my concerns and easing my fears. I was not convinced that he was totally on board with my drug free VBAC wishes, he was just very laid back and had a "wait and see" mentality. I was ok with that. I worked on my birth plan. Wrote it, re-wrote it, trashed it and started from scratch, then touched it up. I didn't finish it until about 6 weeks from my due date. It was straight forward, simple and flexible. I didn't want an Epidural, but understood that if my blood pressure was sky high again, I would accept one. I didn't want to be continuously monitored, but giving birth in the hospital, I figured I would be.
As each week passed I was further relieved. Especially around 28 weeks. I wasn't sick. I could barely walk, but I wasn't sick.
31 weeks came. I had made it. I was farther along in my pregnancy than I had made it with my son.
32 weeks. Not sick
33 weeks. Blood pressure was behaving.
34, 35, 36, 37.
Thirty-seven weeks. I was full term! I could breathe. I had made it! My body had arrived at what is medically accepted as full term. Sweet peace. Strangely enough as the baby began to drop the pressure on my sciatic nerve and coccyx lessened and I could walk normally. I felt pretty good! I was huge, pregnant and miserable from heartburn but I was 37 weeks and elated that I was STILL PREGNANT.
That week I finally got around to packing the hospital bags, sterilizing the breast pump, setting things in order. I felt settled, peaceful.
38 weeks
39 weeks, it was Thursday and I woke up full of energy. I had to clean. I scrubbed the kitchen cabinets. All of them. When I got to work that night I cleaned everything I could find. I was quite obviously nesting! Saturday came and it was my last day at work, a short shift. I walked around like always, my due date less than a week away. I had a couple of contractions that were different than the others. They were the real ones, the kind that started in the small of my back and wrapped around to my lower abdomen and felt crampy. They made me stop and take notice.
After work I went to my parents for dinner, I laid on the couch eating fresh pineapple and then had Pepperoni pizza. We headed home and I was noticing a few more sporadic contractions. By about 9 PM they were more intense. We headed to bed but I was waking with contractions so I got up and started to time them. This was IT. I could rest between the contractions, they were 3-7 minutes apart but not completely regular, and I couldn't sleep. Finally about 2am I had taken a shower and woken my husband. I was having back labor. The contractions weren't terribly painful in themselves, but the back pain was quite noticeable.
Around 3am I thought I was closer to going to the hospital so I called mom and dad. They came over, we sat around and waited. I fell asleep, but still woke with contractions, now 10-15 minutes apart. 7am came and there was the sunshine! I knew I'd meet my girl on November 15th. A good day to have a baby! Finally around 10 I called the nurse, and she told me to go ahead and go in to be evaluated. I had lost some of my plug through the night. I was only a 2 when we got there, but I was a 2! I walked the halls for a couple of hours and got checked again. A squishy 2, I was making SLOW progress. We went home, I had some soup. I had to signal my husband with every contraction for counter pressure on my back. I was resting after having been up all night. I still wasn't really sleeping, but dozing between contractions. At about 7:30 I was really working to get through contractions, but I was handling them with counter pressure. My husband said "lets go" So back to the hospital we went, I was a 4 1/2. More progress, but SLOW progress. They admitted me, and I sat in the rocker for an hour or so and rocked and breathed through my contractions.
After the rocking chair I sat on a birthing ball and bounced lightly, swaying my hips. Still needing counter pressure to help cope with each contraction. My nurse was fairly quiet and content to let me do my own thing. I allowed the monitors while I was sitting close enough for the cords to reach. I was very pleased that my nurse and the doctor on call for mine, who was out of town, were working to follow my birth plan to the letter. They made sure I understood the risks of proceeding with a VBAC, I assured them I understood.
I was controlling my own hydration since all I had was a Hep-loc in case of a true emergency. The nurse was reluctant to give me much water at first, but complied every time I needed a refill. At some point I was a bit more than a 5, and decided to sit for a while in the jacuzzi tub. That in itself surprised me a bit, as I had been told that particular hospital didn't allow you in the tub after a 5. It was nice in the tub, and I stayed for quite a while. It was 3 or 4am when I got out of the tub and decided to lay down for a bit. I was exhausted. I was about a 7 1/2 by that time. An hour later I was an 8, and sleeping between contractions. It was about an hour later and I was only an 8 1/2. Moving very slowly. I was still having the back pain, and my mom was using counter pressure and massage to help me cope.
After being "stalled" for a while the nurse mentioned rupturing my membranes, and that it "might" help the last of my cervix to "melt away" I was so tired at this point that I decided to let them do it, even tho I had previously decided I didn't want that. It was an hour later when the doc came and checked me and broke my water. I was still an 8 1/2. Very very soon, as in minutes after they broke my water I needed to push. The urge was over whelming. I was checked again, 8 1/2. They had me turn on my left side, it was extremely hard not to push. In fact I was pushing, but not bearing down. I couldn't help it. The only thing they ever told me in class was to blow if you need to push, but aren't complete. So I blew. I blew to the point I finally got oxygen between contractions because I was hyperventilating. In all I fought the urge to push for an hour and a half or 2 hours. During each contraction I was holding onto the railing for dear life and blowing to try not to push. I remember asking God to let me push!
FINALLY I heard the word, "complete" I could push!!!! I would push!
I was pushing! The nurse offered to bring the squatting bar in, and I declined because it felt so good to not fight my body. So there I was, pushing in the typical hospital position, but by my choice. The nurse was following my plans and stretching my perineum while I was pushing. I pushed for a long time. I pushed when my body told me to, and that was even more than they were telling me to. My mom and my husband were holding my hands and helping me through it. I pushed, and pushed. I pushed. After nearly an hour of pushing the baby was no longer travelling back up the birth canal, and she called the doctor in for delivery. I pushed and pushed some more. She was crowning. It was in this moment, I realized that a miracle was coming out of me. I wasn't just giving birth, I was part of a miracle. My body was bringing forth a tiny little person.
She was here. The doctor waited for the cord to stop pulsing, my husband cut it. I had expressed my wish to hold her immediately after birth, and so he asked me if I wanted her, all naked and gooey. Indeed, I wanted her. She was crying the most beautiful newborn cry you can imagine. I laid her on chest and spoke to her, she immediately calmed down. With the help of the nurse from the nursery, she was latched on and nursing beautifully within minutes of being born. She nursed on both sides, and then they checked her out, by my bedside. I did tear a little, but not on my perineum. My baby girl was born at 6:48am, November 16th 2009. After 34 hours of labor, she was here. She was healthy. I did it! I had no drugs, and little intervention. In a hospital proud of its 98% epidural rate, and wing built for C-section recovery, I had a successful, drug free Vaginal Birth After Cesarean.
Are there things that I could've done differently? Yes. I could've said YES to the squatting bar, and NO to them rupturing my membranes. But I was so tired at that point, I didn't care. In the end, my body was left to do what it is supposed to do. Labor and birth a baby. My body took it's time in doing so, but looking back now I am almost thankful for the long labor. I got to treasure it. I never got the chance to labor with my son, and as hard as it was, it was a very healing experience. My body grew, labored and delivered a healthy, full term baby girl.
My baby girl, was 8lbs even, 20 inches long and perfect.
After my sons traumatic birth and the difficult year that followed with a preemie, we were scared to say the least of ever becoming pregnant again. It was a desire deep within me, but after my body rejected itself while pregnant another baby wasn't a good idea. I researched, I sought answers as to a cause for the severe Pre-Eclampsia and H.E.L.L.P Syndrome that almost cost me and my son our lives.
Answers were few and far between. There is no known cause or test for what happened. Pre-Eclampsia, or Pregnancy Induced Hypertension happens in roughly 20% of pregnancies. H.E.L.L.P syndrome accompanies about 2% of those. Another pregnancy would be considered high risk. There was a 30% chance of the same complications, and that was enough. The fear of going through that again, or leaving my husband with two children to raise alone if I didn't make it.... haunted me. It caused me to decide that I would ignore the desire for another baby.
When my son was 3 1/2 I went with my parents to church. I don't go often, but when I hear Papa say "go" I go. I don't remember much about the service, but I will never forget what happened after. There is a couple there that ministers prophetically, my dad said "you should go talk to them" Papa said "go" so I went. They were ministering to someone else, so I waited. Others came to talk to me, but I said "no, I'm supposed to talk to them" When I got to speak with them Papa had a lot to say through them. After some time of prayer, we were just visiting. My son ran across the stage chasing his pa-paw. I smiled and said, "He's mine, he's my miracle baby" The reaction from them was immediate. Their heads snapped to attention like soldiers awaiting orders from a general. They waited for more. I told them that he had been a preemie, born 9 weeks early and only 2lbs 11 oz. Christine looked at me and asked if it was Pre-Eclampsia. She KNEW. It was deeper than prophetic insight, they had been through it. Their daughter was then 8 years old and had dealt with complications throughout her life.
Christine told me that when she was hurting she would ask God "Why? Why are you doing this to me? Why won't You help me? Can't you see me hurting?" I knew those feelings well. It was 3 years after my sons birth and I still couldn't look at pregnant women or women with healthy babies without jealousy and anguish. Christine told me something Papa had revealed to her, that when she had been hurting He was never up there in Heaven allowing her to hurt. His love isn't like that. When she was despairing and in pain He hurt too.
God was hurting for me?
It was a paradigm shift that changed my entire outlook on life. As a parent, when my child is sick or hurt, I ache for them. When they are in the hospital and being held down for every needle stick with wires attached, it hurts me on a deeper level than if it were me. There is something deep in the heart of a parent, a protective instinct to keep your child from harm. When your child is sick or has special needs and you have to stand aside, or even hold them down while they receive medical care you feel like you are ignoring that instinct. They are looking at you with eyes that say "Why are you letting them do this to me? Why won't you make them stop?" And with everything in you, you want to make it stop. But you can't. God's love for His children is no different. He is not some aloof priest sitting in a throne room un-touchable. He is Papa. Abba. Daddy. Father. In every way He is a Father. When His children hurt, He is not "up there" allowing us to hurt. He is with us, loving us and hurting because we are hurting.
As this realization took hold in my spirit on that February day, the couple I had been talking to prayed with me. I prayed with them. I had to let go, and tell God it was okay with me if He wanted me to have another baby. That statement, aloud in that room was the hardest thing I had ever done. It was also full of healing.
For the next year the healing continued. My marriage was healing, I was walking with Papa, learning how to be the wife and mother my family needed me to be. It was time. It was Papa's time. Before we ever got the positive test, we knew we were having a little girl. One day, Papa told me her name was Abigail.
We were not in the least surprised to see the positive pregnancy test, nor were we surprised when the 20 week sonogram said girl. Again I dealt with the nausea, sciatica and back pain, but it was different. I was quite happy with normal pregnancy complaints. I was actually excited to see my first stretch mark. This pregnancy was progressing beautifully. My body was doing what it was created to do. Growing a miracle.
I read all the books again, this time reading all of the "what if's." I researched online about VBAC's, and knew that I not only wanted a VBAC, I didn't want any interventions or medications.
As I sought for information on birth, and later cloth diapering, I was introduced to Diaperswappers. An online forum for cloth diaper trading and forums about life in general. I joined the discussion group of other women due in the same month I was. I found mama's there that have become true friends. I found the support there to believe in my body's ability to give birth naturally.
In discussions with my new OBGYN I went over what I hoped for the birth of our daughter. He always listened carefully and answered my questions. Validating my concerns and easing my fears. I was not convinced that he was totally on board with my drug free VBAC wishes, he was just very laid back and had a "wait and see" mentality. I was ok with that. I worked on my birth plan. Wrote it, re-wrote it, trashed it and started from scratch, then touched it up. I didn't finish it until about 6 weeks from my due date. It was straight forward, simple and flexible. I didn't want an Epidural, but understood that if my blood pressure was sky high again, I would accept one. I didn't want to be continuously monitored, but giving birth in the hospital, I figured I would be.
As each week passed I was further relieved. Especially around 28 weeks. I wasn't sick. I could barely walk, but I wasn't sick.
31 weeks came. I had made it. I was farther along in my pregnancy than I had made it with my son.
32 weeks. Not sick
33 weeks. Blood pressure was behaving.
34, 35, 36, 37.
Thirty-seven weeks. I was full term! I could breathe. I had made it! My body had arrived at what is medically accepted as full term. Sweet peace. Strangely enough as the baby began to drop the pressure on my sciatic nerve and coccyx lessened and I could walk normally. I felt pretty good! I was huge, pregnant and miserable from heartburn but I was 37 weeks and elated that I was STILL PREGNANT.
That week I finally got around to packing the hospital bags, sterilizing the breast pump, setting things in order. I felt settled, peaceful.
38 weeks
39 weeks, it was Thursday and I woke up full of energy. I had to clean. I scrubbed the kitchen cabinets. All of them. When I got to work that night I cleaned everything I could find. I was quite obviously nesting! Saturday came and it was my last day at work, a short shift. I walked around like always, my due date less than a week away. I had a couple of contractions that were different than the others. They were the real ones, the kind that started in the small of my back and wrapped around to my lower abdomen and felt crampy. They made me stop and take notice.
After work I went to my parents for dinner, I laid on the couch eating fresh pineapple and then had Pepperoni pizza. We headed home and I was noticing a few more sporadic contractions. By about 9 PM they were more intense. We headed to bed but I was waking with contractions so I got up and started to time them. This was IT. I could rest between the contractions, they were 3-7 minutes apart but not completely regular, and I couldn't sleep. Finally about 2am I had taken a shower and woken my husband. I was having back labor. The contractions weren't terribly painful in themselves, but the back pain was quite noticeable.
Around 3am I thought I was closer to going to the hospital so I called mom and dad. They came over, we sat around and waited. I fell asleep, but still woke with contractions, now 10-15 minutes apart. 7am came and there was the sunshine! I knew I'd meet my girl on November 15th. A good day to have a baby! Finally around 10 I called the nurse, and she told me to go ahead and go in to be evaluated. I had lost some of my plug through the night. I was only a 2 when we got there, but I was a 2! I walked the halls for a couple of hours and got checked again. A squishy 2, I was making SLOW progress. We went home, I had some soup. I had to signal my husband with every contraction for counter pressure on my back. I was resting after having been up all night. I still wasn't really sleeping, but dozing between contractions. At about 7:30 I was really working to get through contractions, but I was handling them with counter pressure. My husband said "lets go" So back to the hospital we went, I was a 4 1/2. More progress, but SLOW progress. They admitted me, and I sat in the rocker for an hour or so and rocked and breathed through my contractions.
After the rocking chair I sat on a birthing ball and bounced lightly, swaying my hips. Still needing counter pressure to help cope with each contraction. My nurse was fairly quiet and content to let me do my own thing. I allowed the monitors while I was sitting close enough for the cords to reach. I was very pleased that my nurse and the doctor on call for mine, who was out of town, were working to follow my birth plan to the letter. They made sure I understood the risks of proceeding with a VBAC, I assured them I understood.
I was controlling my own hydration since all I had was a Hep-loc in case of a true emergency. The nurse was reluctant to give me much water at first, but complied every time I needed a refill. At some point I was a bit more than a 5, and decided to sit for a while in the jacuzzi tub. That in itself surprised me a bit, as I had been told that particular hospital didn't allow you in the tub after a 5. It was nice in the tub, and I stayed for quite a while. It was 3 or 4am when I got out of the tub and decided to lay down for a bit. I was exhausted. I was about a 7 1/2 by that time. An hour later I was an 8, and sleeping between contractions. It was about an hour later and I was only an 8 1/2. Moving very slowly. I was still having the back pain, and my mom was using counter pressure and massage to help me cope.
After being "stalled" for a while the nurse mentioned rupturing my membranes, and that it "might" help the last of my cervix to "melt away" I was so tired at this point that I decided to let them do it, even tho I had previously decided I didn't want that. It was an hour later when the doc came and checked me and broke my water. I was still an 8 1/2. Very very soon, as in minutes after they broke my water I needed to push. The urge was over whelming. I was checked again, 8 1/2. They had me turn on my left side, it was extremely hard not to push. In fact I was pushing, but not bearing down. I couldn't help it. The only thing they ever told me in class was to blow if you need to push, but aren't complete. So I blew. I blew to the point I finally got oxygen between contractions because I was hyperventilating. In all I fought the urge to push for an hour and a half or 2 hours. During each contraction I was holding onto the railing for dear life and blowing to try not to push. I remember asking God to let me push!
FINALLY I heard the word, "complete" I could push!!!! I would push!
I was pushing! The nurse offered to bring the squatting bar in, and I declined because it felt so good to not fight my body. So there I was, pushing in the typical hospital position, but by my choice. The nurse was following my plans and stretching my perineum while I was pushing. I pushed for a long time. I pushed when my body told me to, and that was even more than they were telling me to. My mom and my husband were holding my hands and helping me through it. I pushed, and pushed. I pushed. After nearly an hour of pushing the baby was no longer travelling back up the birth canal, and she called the doctor in for delivery. I pushed and pushed some more. She was crowning. It was in this moment, I realized that a miracle was coming out of me. I wasn't just giving birth, I was part of a miracle. My body was bringing forth a tiny little person.
She was here. The doctor waited for the cord to stop pulsing, my husband cut it. I had expressed my wish to hold her immediately after birth, and so he asked me if I wanted her, all naked and gooey. Indeed, I wanted her. She was crying the most beautiful newborn cry you can imagine. I laid her on chest and spoke to her, she immediately calmed down. With the help of the nurse from the nursery, she was latched on and nursing beautifully within minutes of being born. She nursed on both sides, and then they checked her out, by my bedside. I did tear a little, but not on my perineum. My baby girl was born at 6:48am, November 16th 2009. After 34 hours of labor, she was here. She was healthy. I did it! I had no drugs, and little intervention. In a hospital proud of its 98% epidural rate, and wing built for C-section recovery, I had a successful, drug free Vaginal Birth After Cesarean.
Are there things that I could've done differently? Yes. I could've said YES to the squatting bar, and NO to them rupturing my membranes. But I was so tired at that point, I didn't care. In the end, my body was left to do what it is supposed to do. Labor and birth a baby. My body took it's time in doing so, but looking back now I am almost thankful for the long labor. I got to treasure it. I never got the chance to labor with my son, and as hard as it was, it was a very healing experience. My body grew, labored and delivered a healthy, full term baby girl.
My baby girl, was 8lbs even, 20 inches long and perfect.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
My first birth story
I've been asked to write the story of my VBAC for Amy of Amy's Finer Things and her "Why didn't anyone tell me?" series. In order to tell you about my VBAC, I feel I must first write the story of my Cesarean.
I was 21 when I found out we were having a baby, we had tried once and were very excited! The first trimester came and went fairly normal. I had the typical exhaustion and nausea, enough I took a few naps at work! After my first Tri was over, I had 2 weeks where I just felt great. Life was awesome, we were having a baby! I was reading every bit of info I could get my hands on, skipping all of the "what if" sections because, after all, I wasn't going to need them. I was having a perfectly perfect and normal pregnancy.
In comes sciatica, and very frequent visits to the chiropractor. By 20 weeks I was having trouble walking from the sciatic pain, my hands were too swollen to wear my wedding ring, and I was having headaches. I voiced concern to my OBGYN, and he shrugged it all off as normal, and told me Tylenol would help. I made it through the 2nd trimester ok. Tired, but okay.
Third trimester, I was beyond exhausted. Still having headaches, but I didn't think any more of them. I was seeing my Chiropractor 3x a week at this point in order to keep walking. The sciatica never let up.
At 29 weeks I got sick. Sick enough I went to the urgent care clinic with a severely upset stomach. He checked me out, my blood pressure was ok, but I remember the nurse telling me it was quiet. It checked out, but it was very quiet. That still seems strange to me. After visiting, the Doctor thought it was constipation and sent me home. At home I threw up. I called my OBGYN the next day, he agreed with the constipation theory and said to call if it didn't get better. But again, constipation is normal.
I was ok for a day or so, and then kept getting nauseated again. The headaches were worse. I did keep in touch with my OB, but he said everything was normal. The nausea was becoming worse; More like attacks, horrible attacks where I became pale and lethargic. I would get a horrible pain in my right side, around my shoulder. I wondered why this only seemed to happen when the nausea struck, but as this only ever seemed to happen after office hours I was told when I called to take a Tylenol and go to sleep. Even the night when the Tylenol wouldn't stay down, the doctor told me to lay on a heating pad for the pain in my shoulder, he actually told me to sleep on it. "Take lots of hot baths" he said, "This is normal."
This went on for almost 3 weeks. I finally voiced my concern that this wasn't just a bug to the nurse, whom I'd spoken with almost daily over the previous 3 weeks. I asked if she had any explanation for it, or if I should go see my regular doctor. She checked with the doctor and he told me to go see my GP if I wasn't better. I called my GP about 30 minutes later to make an appointment. They got me in right after lunch.
At the doctors office, every person that spoke to me about my symptoms was very puzzled I was there instead of seeing my OBGYN. I told them my OB told me to come see them because he didn't know what was going on. He NEVER ran lab work, or asked me to come in. He only ever spoke to me on the phone to assure me things were "normal." As soon as the nurse took my blood pressure she made me lay down on my left side and turned off the lights. At that point I believe my BP was about 155/95. The doctor came in, again puzzled as to why I was in his office instead of my OBGYNs, he immediately wanted lab work. As I finished filling the clear little cup in the bathroom, I saw brown. I knew something was up, this can't be right. It turns out I had massive amounts of protein in my urine, and with my BP as high as it was I was immediately sent to my OB's office after my family DR called him and told him the numbers.
I was in tears on the way to the office, my husband met me there. The blood work still hadn't come back, but the other signs were enough for a diagnosis of Pre-Eclampsia. I was put on bed rest and told to come back on Monday, this was Thursday. I very pointedly asked if this explained my nausea and right shoulder pain, and was told no. They didn't know what that was about.
That night was miserable. I had been told to drink lots and lots of water, so I complied but it only made me have to get up and pee every 20 minutes, my feet looked like balloons and I was so sick at my stomach I was throwing up. I couldn't get comfortable no matter what position I tried. Sleep couldn't come. I was throwing up what I believed to be stomach acid. Yet another call to the doctor to ask about something called H.E.L.L.P. syndrome my mom had read about. I was assured they were looking into everything and would let me know as soon as my lab-work came back, but this surely wasn't H.E.L.L.P. syndrome, my mom was just paranoid.
Friday morning dawned. I was so sick I couldn't lay down, I couldn't sit up. My head was throbbing and the pain in my side was un-bearable. Mom brought lunch, vegetable soup from Schlotskys. I got it down but it didn't stay. She also brought her BP cuff and checked me. 190/95. Lunch came back up. It tasted sour, like rancid lemons. I will never forget that taste. I called the nurse yet again, and since the doctor was out for the day she told me to go to Labor and Delivery to get checked out.
We got to the hospital at about 1 o'clock if my memory is correct. It was an excruciating car ride, I was in horrible pain, physically and emotionally. It had been raining so hard the streets were flooded. This was Friday, August 12th. I was 31 weeks that day. I was determined everything was fine, and wouldn't even pack a bag for the hospital. They were going to check me out, give me some fluids and send me home because everything was normal. I kept telling myself that, and foolishly believed it.
We got to L&D, explained what was happening, and my mom told the nurse what she thought was going on. She was told politely that she didn't know what she was talking about, and that they would take care of it. After waiting in the waiting room for a room (they didn't bother with triage) mom had to ask for a bucket for me to throw up in. Then the nurse started paying attention, she cleared the waiting room and killed the lights to try and keep my blood pressure down. After I was in a room, I had lab work drawn by about 2 o'clock. They kept a blanket over my head to keep my BP from spiking. It was 199/110 and climbing, even on my left side with a blanket over my head to block the light. I was scared. I was hooked up to monitors, and started noticing contractions. 5 or 6 nurses were in and out of my room, checking my reflexes, pushing on my sides. I was miserable. Miserable and scared. The contractions were not painful, but noticeable. At about 4 my doctor came in to tell me the "news" You have severe Pre-Eclampsia and something called H.E.L.L.P syndrome (he said it like we'd never heard of it, I found out later my mom had called his office the night before because she KNEW that was what was wrong with me) and that they would be taking the baby today. I hit a wall. I absolutely fell apart. Even feeling those contractions, the excruciating pain I was in, throwing up bile (the sour taste) I NEVER thought they would take my baby that day. I thought they could stop it. I was wrong. The head nurse even apologized to my mom for thinking she was paranoid.
H.E.L.L.P. syndrome in a nut shell is where your blood implodes on itself, your liver fails and your platelet count plummets. That explained ALL of the nausea, the excruciating pain. Every time I got sick my liver was going into spasm. The headaches that had been shrugged off as normal were from restricted blood flow. I was 31 weeks, 9 away from my due date and my baby was measuring small. The doctor sent out for more blood work to make sure I could survive surgery, and I was told they would do their best to let me stay awake. After the first bleeding time test, my BP was still rising. They couldn't wait any longer for the second test. They had platelets in the OR waiting for me just in case. I had already been prepped for surgery, and was being wheeled to the OR with a sheet over my head. I remember putting my hand out and waving it around so people wouldn't think I was dead. Any lights made my BP go even higher, and it was far past the danger zone. My sweet husband was dressed in those trademark green surgical scrubbs with blue booties over his shoes. I knew he was worried, but he was being strong for me. The next thing I remember is the mask going over my face and counting backwards, 100...99...98...97.... my eyes opened.
I still had a sheet over my head. I asked if it was over, and they said it was. "Is the baby ok?" They had him in the NICU. I was sent to recovery where they pressed around on my belly and even with the pain meds it hurt. When I got to my room I asked how my boy was. His weight was just 2 pounds 11 ounces. He was breathing on his own. I slept. I was on morphine for the pain, magnesium sulfate for my blood pressure and to keep me from seizing, and potassium. I was hot, and groggy but I slept. The next day when I woke I remember my dad bringing me a picture of my baby. I was so drugged up the room was swimming and I couldn't even see it. To this day, 5 years later it makes me cry. My boy was doing better than I was, I was getting worse. My liver function was over 700, normal is about 30. BP was 190/55 even on the meds. My platelets were about 30,000. They should have been 300,000. My blood count was equally horrid. I do not remember much of Saturday or Sunday other than drug induced hallucinations and people telling me congratulations. I didn't want to be congratulated, I was going through the worst pain and trauma I'd ever imagined. I wanted "I'm sorry's"
Sunday I could see my baby's picture, I had it taped to my IV stand. This one;
Sunday night a specialist was called in to try and regulate my body. I was continuing to get worse, but my momma knew that was normal for this illness. The cure for my condition was delivering the baby, and that was done. After 5 days and 3 blood transfusions I was well enough to meet my son for the first time.
My precious boy. He spent 43 long days in the NICU. He fought an infection, but did remarkably well. He was 4lbs 3 oz when we brought him home on Sept 24th, his daddy's birthday.
The trauma of my first borns birth is something that haunted me for years. 3 years. I was terrified of getting pregnant again. In fact I decided not to. I was robbed of my perfect pregnancy. I was robbed of being present at my sons birth. He was ripped out of me. My sweet husband was only allowed to stand by the door while the doctors worked to save our lives. Neither of us heard our sons first cry.
I can quite honestly tell you that I am grateful for my emergency c-section. It saved my life, and the life of my son. I have been back and forth over the last 5 years as to whether or not a different OB might have listened to my cries for help sooner and what might have happened differently. Those are the "what if's" that should never be visited.
This is MY story.
There is another story deeply seeded in mine, and that is what God did. Early in my pregnancy He warned my mother through a dream. She prayed.
While I was incoherently hallucinating in my drugged induced slumber there were 20 and sometimes 30 people in the waiting room in Labor and Delivery. They prayed. They stayed, for days. They could not come in my room as any stimulation caused my blood pressure to spike. But they were there. They were praying. My family, physical and spiritual family. They gathered, and they prayed. They were what real church is supposed to be. I can never truly express to them how much it still means to me that they were there.
My baby wasn't really torn from me, I allowed that lie to almost destroy me.
No, that day was not the worst day of my life. That day, August 12th 2005 is the day I became a mother and is therefore beautiful. My baby was born in love and bathed prayer from across the country. He is a miracle.
I was 21 when I found out we were having a baby, we had tried once and were very excited! The first trimester came and went fairly normal. I had the typical exhaustion and nausea, enough I took a few naps at work! After my first Tri was over, I had 2 weeks where I just felt great. Life was awesome, we were having a baby! I was reading every bit of info I could get my hands on, skipping all of the "what if" sections because, after all, I wasn't going to need them. I was having a perfectly perfect and normal pregnancy.
In comes sciatica, and very frequent visits to the chiropractor. By 20 weeks I was having trouble walking from the sciatic pain, my hands were too swollen to wear my wedding ring, and I was having headaches. I voiced concern to my OBGYN, and he shrugged it all off as normal, and told me Tylenol would help. I made it through the 2nd trimester ok. Tired, but okay.
Third trimester, I was beyond exhausted. Still having headaches, but I didn't think any more of them. I was seeing my Chiropractor 3x a week at this point in order to keep walking. The sciatica never let up.
At 29 weeks I got sick. Sick enough I went to the urgent care clinic with a severely upset stomach. He checked me out, my blood pressure was ok, but I remember the nurse telling me it was quiet. It checked out, but it was very quiet. That still seems strange to me. After visiting, the Doctor thought it was constipation and sent me home. At home I threw up. I called my OBGYN the next day, he agreed with the constipation theory and said to call if it didn't get better. But again, constipation is normal.
I was ok for a day or so, and then kept getting nauseated again. The headaches were worse. I did keep in touch with my OB, but he said everything was normal. The nausea was becoming worse; More like attacks, horrible attacks where I became pale and lethargic. I would get a horrible pain in my right side, around my shoulder. I wondered why this only seemed to happen when the nausea struck, but as this only ever seemed to happen after office hours I was told when I called to take a Tylenol and go to sleep. Even the night when the Tylenol wouldn't stay down, the doctor told me to lay on a heating pad for the pain in my shoulder, he actually told me to sleep on it. "Take lots of hot baths" he said, "This is normal."
This went on for almost 3 weeks. I finally voiced my concern that this wasn't just a bug to the nurse, whom I'd spoken with almost daily over the previous 3 weeks. I asked if she had any explanation for it, or if I should go see my regular doctor. She checked with the doctor and he told me to go see my GP if I wasn't better. I called my GP about 30 minutes later to make an appointment. They got me in right after lunch.
At the doctors office, every person that spoke to me about my symptoms was very puzzled I was there instead of seeing my OBGYN. I told them my OB told me to come see them because he didn't know what was going on. He NEVER ran lab work, or asked me to come in. He only ever spoke to me on the phone to assure me things were "normal." As soon as the nurse took my blood pressure she made me lay down on my left side and turned off the lights. At that point I believe my BP was about 155/95. The doctor came in, again puzzled as to why I was in his office instead of my OBGYNs, he immediately wanted lab work. As I finished filling the clear little cup in the bathroom, I saw brown. I knew something was up, this can't be right. It turns out I had massive amounts of protein in my urine, and with my BP as high as it was I was immediately sent to my OB's office after my family DR called him and told him the numbers.
I was in tears on the way to the office, my husband met me there. The blood work still hadn't come back, but the other signs were enough for a diagnosis of Pre-Eclampsia. I was put on bed rest and told to come back on Monday, this was Thursday. I very pointedly asked if this explained my nausea and right shoulder pain, and was told no. They didn't know what that was about.
That night was miserable. I had been told to drink lots and lots of water, so I complied but it only made me have to get up and pee every 20 minutes, my feet looked like balloons and I was so sick at my stomach I was throwing up. I couldn't get comfortable no matter what position I tried. Sleep couldn't come. I was throwing up what I believed to be stomach acid. Yet another call to the doctor to ask about something called H.E.L.L.P. syndrome my mom had read about. I was assured they were looking into everything and would let me know as soon as my lab-work came back, but this surely wasn't H.E.L.L.P. syndrome, my mom was just paranoid.
Friday morning dawned. I was so sick I couldn't lay down, I couldn't sit up. My head was throbbing and the pain in my side was un-bearable. Mom brought lunch, vegetable soup from Schlotskys. I got it down but it didn't stay. She also brought her BP cuff and checked me. 190/95. Lunch came back up. It tasted sour, like rancid lemons. I will never forget that taste. I called the nurse yet again, and since the doctor was out for the day she told me to go to Labor and Delivery to get checked out.
We got to the hospital at about 1 o'clock if my memory is correct. It was an excruciating car ride, I was in horrible pain, physically and emotionally. It had been raining so hard the streets were flooded. This was Friday, August 12th. I was 31 weeks that day. I was determined everything was fine, and wouldn't even pack a bag for the hospital. They were going to check me out, give me some fluids and send me home because everything was normal. I kept telling myself that, and foolishly believed it.
We got to L&D, explained what was happening, and my mom told the nurse what she thought was going on. She was told politely that she didn't know what she was talking about, and that they would take care of it. After waiting in the waiting room for a room (they didn't bother with triage) mom had to ask for a bucket for me to throw up in. Then the nurse started paying attention, she cleared the waiting room and killed the lights to try and keep my blood pressure down. After I was in a room, I had lab work drawn by about 2 o'clock. They kept a blanket over my head to keep my BP from spiking. It was 199/110 and climbing, even on my left side with a blanket over my head to block the light. I was scared. I was hooked up to monitors, and started noticing contractions. 5 or 6 nurses were in and out of my room, checking my reflexes, pushing on my sides. I was miserable. Miserable and scared. The contractions were not painful, but noticeable. At about 4 my doctor came in to tell me the "news" You have severe Pre-Eclampsia and something called H.E.L.L.P syndrome (he said it like we'd never heard of it, I found out later my mom had called his office the night before because she KNEW that was what was wrong with me) and that they would be taking the baby today. I hit a wall. I absolutely fell apart. Even feeling those contractions, the excruciating pain I was in, throwing up bile (the sour taste) I NEVER thought they would take my baby that day. I thought they could stop it. I was wrong. The head nurse even apologized to my mom for thinking she was paranoid.
H.E.L.L.P. syndrome in a nut shell is where your blood implodes on itself, your liver fails and your platelet count plummets. That explained ALL of the nausea, the excruciating pain. Every time I got sick my liver was going into spasm. The headaches that had been shrugged off as normal were from restricted blood flow. I was 31 weeks, 9 away from my due date and my baby was measuring small. The doctor sent out for more blood work to make sure I could survive surgery, and I was told they would do their best to let me stay awake. After the first bleeding time test, my BP was still rising. They couldn't wait any longer for the second test. They had platelets in the OR waiting for me just in case. I had already been prepped for surgery, and was being wheeled to the OR with a sheet over my head. I remember putting my hand out and waving it around so people wouldn't think I was dead. Any lights made my BP go even higher, and it was far past the danger zone. My sweet husband was dressed in those trademark green surgical scrubbs with blue booties over his shoes. I knew he was worried, but he was being strong for me. The next thing I remember is the mask going over my face and counting backwards, 100...99...98...97.... my eyes opened.
I still had a sheet over my head. I asked if it was over, and they said it was. "Is the baby ok?" They had him in the NICU. I was sent to recovery where they pressed around on my belly and even with the pain meds it hurt. When I got to my room I asked how my boy was. His weight was just 2 pounds 11 ounces. He was breathing on his own. I slept. I was on morphine for the pain, magnesium sulfate for my blood pressure and to keep me from seizing, and potassium. I was hot, and groggy but I slept. The next day when I woke I remember my dad bringing me a picture of my baby. I was so drugged up the room was swimming and I couldn't even see it. To this day, 5 years later it makes me cry. My boy was doing better than I was, I was getting worse. My liver function was over 700, normal is about 30. BP was 190/55 even on the meds. My platelets were about 30,000. They should have been 300,000. My blood count was equally horrid. I do not remember much of Saturday or Sunday other than drug induced hallucinations and people telling me congratulations. I didn't want to be congratulated, I was going through the worst pain and trauma I'd ever imagined. I wanted "I'm sorry's"
Sunday I could see my baby's picture, I had it taped to my IV stand. This one;
Sunday night a specialist was called in to try and regulate my body. I was continuing to get worse, but my momma knew that was normal for this illness. The cure for my condition was delivering the baby, and that was done. After 5 days and 3 blood transfusions I was well enough to meet my son for the first time.
My precious boy. He spent 43 long days in the NICU. He fought an infection, but did remarkably well. He was 4lbs 3 oz when we brought him home on Sept 24th, his daddy's birthday.
The trauma of my first borns birth is something that haunted me for years. 3 years. I was terrified of getting pregnant again. In fact I decided not to. I was robbed of my perfect pregnancy. I was robbed of being present at my sons birth. He was ripped out of me. My sweet husband was only allowed to stand by the door while the doctors worked to save our lives. Neither of us heard our sons first cry.
I can quite honestly tell you that I am grateful for my emergency c-section. It saved my life, and the life of my son. I have been back and forth over the last 5 years as to whether or not a different OB might have listened to my cries for help sooner and what might have happened differently. Those are the "what if's" that should never be visited.
This is MY story.
There is another story deeply seeded in mine, and that is what God did. Early in my pregnancy He warned my mother through a dream. She prayed.
While I was incoherently hallucinating in my drugged induced slumber there were 20 and sometimes 30 people in the waiting room in Labor and Delivery. They prayed. They stayed, for days. They could not come in my room as any stimulation caused my blood pressure to spike. But they were there. They were praying. My family, physical and spiritual family. They gathered, and they prayed. They were what real church is supposed to be. I can never truly express to them how much it still means to me that they were there.
My baby wasn't really torn from me, I allowed that lie to almost destroy me.
No, that day was not the worst day of my life. That day, August 12th 2005 is the day I became a mother and is therefore beautiful. My baby was born in love and bathed prayer from across the country. He is a miracle.
Monday, July 19, 2010
150 Facebook fan giveaway!
I've wanted to start a blog for Labor Creations for a while at the advice of a friend and fellow WAHM Nina of Shalom Mama. I plan to blog on new products, giveaways and sales, but much more importantly I want to blog about pregnancy, birth and postpartum care from the perspective of just a mom.
So now that I've introduced my blog a bit, I'll get down to business. I've promised for a while now to do a nice giveaway when I reached 150 fans on my Facebook page and I made that goal last week! The items up for grabs are a couple of custom Cooling Scarves from my Store.
Cooling Scarves are rather simple, remarkable little things that can do a world of good. They are commonly made for soldiers and sent overseas to show support for troops. I first decided to make these because I remember how much a cool rag on my forehead helped me as I was struggling in the transition phase of labor with my daughter. These look nice, and they don't have to be re-wet between each contraction, therefore allowing your support person to focus more on you and not re-wetting a wash cloth every 2 minutes.
After making 120 (that's a LOT of scarves) for a local fair on the 4th of July, I started wearing one on these hot West Texas summer days. I must say, I really like them. My husband has even worn them. We stored a few in the cooler last week while camping, and they were life savers in the heat of the day. Especially the first day, when the pool was closed and we didn't know it.
How do they work you ask? That is the most common question I get asked. My scarves are filled with Polyacrylamide crystals (AKA water polymer crystals) that were first invented as a way to preserve water in gar
dens. These tiny little things start out looking like sea salt and then expand up to 500 times their original size when soaked in water. After you soak the scarf, the casing that holds the crystals stays plump and moist all day. Literally, all day. In fact I have one that was soaked over a week ago and the crystals are just now turning back to solid form. They are re-usable, hand-washable and I have many fabrics available.
So now that I've introduced my blog a bit, I'll get down to business. I've promised for a while now to do a nice giveaway when I reached 150 fans on my Facebook page and I made that goal last week! The items up for grabs are a couple of custom Cooling Scarves from my Store.
Cooling Scarves are rather simple, remarkable little things that can do a world of good. They are commonly made for soldiers and sent overseas to show support for troops. I first decided to make these because I remember how much a cool rag on my forehead helped me as I was struggling in the transition phase of labor with my daughter. These look nice, and they don't have to be re-wet between each contraction, therefore allowing your support person to focus more on you and not re-wetting a wash cloth every 2 minutes.
After making 120 (that's a LOT of scarves) for a local fair on the 4th of July, I started wearing one on these hot West Texas summer days. I must say, I really like them. My husband has even worn them. We stored a few in the cooler last week while camping, and they were life savers in the heat of the day. Especially the first day, when the pool was closed and we didn't know it.
How do they work you ask? That is the most common question I get asked. My scarves are filled with Polyacrylamide crystals (AKA water polymer crystals) that were first invented as a way to preserve water in gar
dens. These tiny little things start out looking like sea salt and then expand up to 500 times their original size when soaked in water. After you soak the scarf, the casing that holds the crystals stays plump and moist all day. Literally, all day. In fact I have one that was soaked over a week ago and the crystals are just now turning back to solid form. They are re-usable, hand-washable and I have many fabrics available.Cooling scarves are great anytime you're outside, hot, sticky, or otherwise needing to cool down. In fact I've had more than one customer keep them in a cooler by their bed for night sweats.
Scarves sell in my Store for $6.00 + $1.00 shipping for the first one, $.50 for each additional scarf.
So now that you know more about them, how about winning one??? Leave a comment here to enter the drawing, I will draw two winners using random.org on Thursday July 22nd. Please make sure your email address is visible in your post, example; jamie [at] laborcreations [dot] com
Scarves sell in my Store for $6.00 + $1.00 shipping for the first one, $.50 for each additional scarf.
So now that you know more about them, how about winning one??? Leave a comment here to enter the drawing, I will draw two winners using random.org on Thursday July 22nd. Please make sure your email address is visible in your post, example; jamie [at] laborcreations [dot] com
Extra entries;
*Follow my new blog :)
*Suggest new friends to my Fanpage
*Post about Labor Creations on YOUR facebook, and post here with the link
Please leave a seperate post for each entry!!
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