Birth Story, Part One

I'm not even sure of where to begin here since so much of what I had envisioned or hoped for didn't happen. Mostly, I'm posting these for me, but also since I've had some blog friends ask when I referenced how Julia was born.

So, I guess let's start at the beginning.

When I first started thinking about the actual giving birth part of pregnancy it made me nervous. But, the more I read and prayed and talked to other moms I got more and more comfortable with the whole, "my body is made to do this" thought process.

I had watched "The Business of Being Born" and it sparked something in me that made me wonder why there was so much medical intervention in most births. So, I kept looking around and reading and trying to learn about all of my options. I spoke with my doctor and let him know that I really didn't want my due date to be an eviction notice for the baby and that I really wanted my baby to let me know when they were ready to be born. I was pretty adamant that I didn't want a c-section just because I might be laboring longer than was desirable and that I wanted to let nature take its course. I wasn't sure or not if I even wanted any medications during the whole birth process because I didn't want to slow down labor by interfering.

My doctor was very receptive to all of these wishes and I proceeded to enroll my husband and me in a five week Lamaze class. It did include a section on medical intervention, but I honestly focused more on the comfort measures and positions I could learn to not need those interventions. We started the class when I was 28 weeks. SO, of course I just knew I had lots of time left to get things ready and finish reading about how to have a natural (or, at least as natural as possible) birth experience.

Well, at 31 weeks my blood pressure started to really start to jump up. My doctor was seeing me twice a week by now to keep an eye on it. The main concern was  During one appointment that my husband was at it kind of hit me when my doctor looked at my husband and said, "she's in trouble".

So, starting at 32 weeks I was to only be up and about while at work, and that was because I had a desk job. At my 34 week appointment I was sent over to the hospital for blood work and then put on bed rest. As in, you aren't going to work today, go home and stay horizontal until further notice.

So, that's what I did. All weekend. I only got up to shower once and to eat. Then I went to lay right back down. I have to say, I was a good patient.

The next Monday morning we got up and went back to the doctor to see if my resting was helping. And, it was, but only when I didn't get up at all. My BP shot up dangerously high at that appointment and all I had done was take a very quick shower and come in to the doctor. So, it was back to the hospital for more tests and monitoring. After a few hours in triage I was told I would be checking in for a 24-hour test. Keep in mind I only had the clothes I wore to the doctor and my purse with me.

So, I got checked in and followed the instructions of the test they gave me. Trying all the while to stay positive and really thinking I would be going home the next day. My husband went into work for a bit and brought me some things that evening. After all, I had left the house that day with only my purse. My emailing and texting really kept me from being too bored that day.

The next day, my labs all looked fine, but my platelet count was a little bit low so they wanted to do blood work again the next day to check on them. I didn't see a doctor to find out I was staying another day until that afternoon. So, my husband brought up a few more things.

On Wednesday I was finally allowed to get up and take a shower. Hallelujah! But, I still didn't know if I was staying or going home. So, I waited. And waited.

On Wednesday evening I learned I would be staying another night and my husband and I had to start to realize I might not be going home pregnant. Which was really hard for me since my doctor had said all along (well,once the BP issues began) that he wanted to get me to 37 weeks. I was only 34 and a half at this point.

And, of course, I'm also realizing that I'm now on maternity leave, but there is no baby to take care of. And, I'm not ready. My bag wasn't packed. The nursery wasn't ready. The clothes and linens hadn't been washed. The car seat wasn't installed in the car. You get the point. We weren't ready; we had at least five more weeks, right?!?

On Thursday, I saw my regular doctor since he was on call that day. He asked about my mental state (he knew I was upset this is how things had gone) and told me I was to see a high risk OB the next day to determine a plan to move forward.

So, on Friday the high-risk doctor came to see me/us. Luckily, my husband was able to get away from work early and be there as well. He came to my room at about one o'clock that day and pretty quickly recommended that labor be induced soon. As in, that day.


Now, if you know us, you'll know that we didn't know the sex of the baby. We chose to be surprised. And, we really didn't have a preference. Through the entire pregnancy whenever asked what we wanted we would both say we only wanted full-term and healthy. It honestly chokes me up a little bit that we said it SO many times never once thinking we wouldn't have a full-term baby.

To be continued...