Delivery with my first son didn’t go exactly as planned. I imagined after having my baby they would place him or her on my chest and I would be able to greet my little one into the world with sweet little kisses. It would be a magical moment like you see in the movies.
But that didn’t happen for me.
No, my son made quite a dramatic entrance into the world.
On April 22nd at 4am {two weeks before my due date}, I woke up with terrible stomach pains. I tried going back to sleep but the pain got worse and more intense. I decided to wake my husband up and he started timing my contractions. They were about four – five minutes apart so we decided to head straight to the hospital.
Still not convinced I was in labor, the nurse informed me that I was five centimeters dilated and contracting every two minutes. Yes I was in labor! The pain grew stronger and made me feel sick to my stomach. However, a few minutes later I received my epidural and was finally able to relax a bit.
As we waited for the Doctor to arrive, we heard the baby’s heart monitor go way down. Immediately a group of nurses flew into the room, and flipped me over on all fours to release the pressure. As I sat there tangled in cords, we listened until the baby’s heartbeat went back to normal. There is one thing for sure when you are about to deliver; modesty goes right out the door!
After they got me settled again, I laid there feeling really terrified. It was all becoming a reality to me and I started to worry about the safety of my baby. The next few minutes were a blur to me. The baby’s heart rate went back down and a team of nurses and doctors ran into the room. They determined I was now ten centimeters and ready to deliver.
“Ok I am going to give you a few pushes to get this baby out,” my doctor said.
I pushed and pushed not really sure if it was working. I couldn’t feel a thing. They tried using the vacuum to get the baby out but it didn’t work. After two minutes of pushing, my doctor informed everyone in the room that we needed to get this baby out now.
My husband’s face went white and they threw him into the bathroom to get changed into scrubs. They started pushing me out the door while one nurse jumped onto the bed to hook me up to more wires. I had no idea what was going on and was such in a fog.
Within about a minute they had me in the OR and just as my husband was entering the room, they had my baby out. At the time I didn’t know if it was a girl or boy, but that didn’t matter. I just wanted to make sure he or she was healthy. I waited to hear my baby’s cry.
Within a few seconds, I finally heard a tiny little scream and I was able to breathe. The doctors informed us that it was a boy and he was perfect!
I got to meet my son for only a few seconds and then they had to take him to the nursery to put him under the heat lamps for his temperature. My poor husband wasn’t sure what to do, but I told him to go be with our son and I would be fine.
Shortly after, I was informed because it was an emergency c-section they didn’t have time to count the medical tools. They took an x-ray to make sure nothing was “left” inside of me. I remember thinking, is this really happening! Finally after quite some time just laying there staring at the ceiling, I was cleared to move into the recovery room.
The hardest part for me was not being able to see my son; I barely knew what he looked like. It was a few hours later before I finally got to meet him and hold him for the first time.
It’s true that women with c-sections take longer to heal but by the next day I was out of bed moving around. I won’t lie the pain for the first 3 days was I-N-T-E-N-S-E and the medication was the only way my stomach would stop throbbing. Luckily when I got home from the hospital, I was off the medication and feeling a lot better. Not good enough to start doing laundry and cooking dinner, but well enough to relax and enjoy my sweet little baby.
For me, recovery was quite easy and I bounced back pretty quickly. I never imagined I would have an emergency c-section, but doing what is right for the well being of my child was what really mattered. Everyone has a different birth experience but you have to remember it’s your story, one that you will be telling for a lifetime!
Tina is a full time work-at-home mom of two very active little boys! She is the voice behind Life Without Pink, where she shares her experiences raising all boys while trying to make it through the day in one piece. When not writing, tweeting or socializing online, Tina can be found trying a new recipe of the week, watching bad reality TV or playing Super Heroes with her two boys.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
I had an emergency c-section, too, with my second. I was in labor all day until they broke my water and the cord came out, cutting off baby’s oxygen. I was in shock but it was scary for everyone else! My dr still remembers it well. Intense! Glad everything turned out well for you and baby!
WOW I can’t imagine that! That is really scary. I am glad to hear everything turned out ok. With labor you really learn that having a plan doesn’t always work out in your favor unfortunately
My experience was similar, except I had been in the hospital for 8 weeks beforehand with mega complications. I saw my son right away, but I couldn’t hold him for 24 hours!! I was dying to see him, it was nearly killing me. I gave birth at 9:30 p.m. and after seeing him, I went off to recovery with more complications. In the morning I tried to get up to see him and fainted on the floor causing a ton of bleeding. I finally made it up to see him in the NICU (he was 6 weeks early) at 10 p.m. the next day. That was the worst feeling of longing I’ve ever felt in my entire life.
Oh Eve I am so sorry. I completely understand, after having your baby all you want to do is hold him/her. That was the hardest part for me too. I didn’t have to wait as long as you but it felt like a lifetime…and I was so sad not seeing him.
I had an emergency C-section as well with my first. After all the birthing classes you go to, it is definitely not in the plans. How wonderful it is to have modern medicine though or many of us would not survive. I’m happy things work out in the end for many more mothers now days! Congrats! You did it! PS: Miraculously my next two were normal vaginal deliveries!
That’s awesome Wendy! You are so right…without modern medicine most of us and our babies would not survive. Even though I envisioned myself giving birth that natural way in the end all that matters it that our babies {and us} are safe!
I have almost the same story! I was 5cm when I got to the hospital, but it took 8 hours to get to 10 cm, I pushed for THREE HOURS, then had a csection because he WOULD NOT come out (even after using the vacuum!). It was a painful first couple hours after surgery (to say the least) but worth it in the end! I agree with Wendy – it’s taken me awhile, but I realize now that were it not for modern medicine, many of us (and our sweet babies!) would not survive birth! I felt like a failure, but I know that a csection was my only option. Baby #2 will be here 14 months after my first, so another csection it is! This is how it was meant to be, I’m convinced
God had it in His plans all along!
Ugh that must be the worst part pushing for so long! I had another c-section the second time around this time it was scheduled and went a lot smoother! Good luck
I’m so glad that you were up and moving so soon after the surgery and that you are at peace with the decision that was made.
Yes I was very lucky that it went well and I felt pretty good. Phew!
Tina, thank you again for sharing your story with us all! How scary to know your son was having distress. I am so glad everything worked out and you can look back and be thankful.
I have a similar story. About 9 hours or so into the labor process I was greeted by pretty much the entire staff on the L&D floor trying to roll me around an adjust me. My son’s heart rate had fallen. They got it back to normal easily. This happened a second time about 20 minutes later and it went back up and stayed there. We thought we were in the clear however I was only 6cm and so they said if it happened again, I would definately be getting a csection. Things went well for another two hours, and then his HR went to it’s lowest, in the 70′s. This time it wasn’t going back up. I was flipped onto my hands and knees and still nothing. They prepped me for an emergent c section and on the way out the door the dr was able to get it back up. I still had the section and they found out that my little man was wrapped in his cord and would have never come out on his own. That was why he had HR issues. The surgery was a giant blur cuz I was so freaked out. It’s 9 months later and everything is completely normal, but is good to hear other peoples stories of their c sections.
Oh wow that is so scary! So glad to hear everyone is ok
The part about the heart rate dropped happened to me too! Luckily it was only hours later that I had to do the C. Recovery BLEW but the second C was SO MUCH EASIER.
Loved hearing your story!
Yes I had another c-section with my second, but that time it was so much easier and not stressful!
I remember hearing them count the instruments before mine, and all I could think about was greys anatomy, lol. great birth story
I know that’s what I felt like! The second time around it was so relaxing to them…they were having a conversation about their weekend plans, crazy!