NYCGirl80
I love my kiddies!
Member since 5/11 10413 total posts
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Our Miracle Came Early
I knew my baby boy was breech. Several times I'd feel him try to turn. He'd get about halfway around and get "stuck." He'd always come back to head up. At my 36w appt my baby was still breech and I was given the option to schedule an elective version (where they try to turn the baby from the outside) so I could try for a vaginal delivery. For whatever reason, I thought - if this baby isn't turning, there must be a reason. I opted for a scheduled c-section. SMARTEST DECISION I EVER MADE. It may have saved our son's life.
I was scheduled for a c-section at 39w1d, on Feb 4. Well, had other plans. On Jan 31, 38w4d, I woke up feeling "different" but didn't say anything to DH so he went off to work. About an hour later I saw the tiniest bit of blood when I went to the bathroom. I ignored it and showered, intending to go get a pedi to prepare for my c-section in 4 days. I was still feeling strange and noticed more blood when I went to the bathroom an hour later so I called the dr. I wasn't feeling any contractions, though, and was not convinced I was in labor, but since I was home alone and I knew my baby was breech, I figured better to be safe. She told me to come into the office since that would be faster than going to L&D.
Since I still wasn't feeling any contractions and DH was at work, I decided to drive myself from Queens into Manhattan. Somewhere around the Midtown Tunnel I began to feel crampy. Somewhere on the other side of the tunnel, I began to feel contractions...yet still didn't believe I could be in labor! When I parked our car in a parking garage the attendant asked me how long until I needed the car back. I just said, I have no idea and ran out to get to the dr!
DH met me at the dr's office and we were still both in denial. I was hoooked up to the monitors, and saw and felt the contractions, but still didn't believe I could be having a baby. Then my dr gave me an internal and said - well, you're in labor and having a baby today! We were shocked. I hadn't even thought to bring my hospital bag! I didn't ask the dr many questions, but remember her saying, "Please do not walk to the hospital. Take a cab."
I arrived at the hospital and check in, and the woman behind the desk says, "Your dr just called you in. You're 4cm already?" I said she must have me confused with another patient since I just started having contractions. But after another internal, it turns out I was 4cm dilated! By then I was having full on contractions, which I was not prepared for since I knew I had to have a c-section since the baby was breech.
I was in labor for a few hours while my dr arrived, my blood work was run and the OR was prepped. Baby was monitored the entire time and was doing fine, so they let me labor without any meds since the epidural would be given in the OR under sterile conditions. Five hours after I initially headed into the drs office I was finally on the table for my c-section.
The drs weren't saying much, but it had been a while since they started and I was asking what was going on. Eventually the anesthesiologist said, "He's out!" but DH and I didn't hear him crying. I started to cry and panic because nobody was saying anything to me. Then more drs came into the room. I had no idea if my baby was ok and the room was literally silent. After a little while (a few seconds? minutes? who knows how long!) we finally heard a beautiful cry from our DS. Finally my dr told me that the baby had the cord wrapped around his neck THREE times, very tightly. She said he was delivered "just in the nick of time." That's the reason he was breech, and that's the reason he didn't cry right away. I thank G-d every day I didn't opt for the version to turn him. My baby and my body knew what was safe. Several drs all checked our son out, but it probably took at least 10 minutes before I could see him. Longest 10 minutes of my life!
Eventually he was brought over to us and he was just the most beautiful baby we'd ever seen. And most importantly - he was healthy!
I'm so happy to introduce our beautiful, healthy baby boy, Mason Eli, born 1/31/13 at 3:09 pm!
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Message edited 2/28/2013 2:58:43 PM.
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