Life can change all in a week's time

This last week has been a life changer. Last Monday I had my doctor's appointment. I've been having them twice a week because of my high blood pressure. I left my house thinking I would come back home an hour later, but no I don't come back until this past Saturday, with a beautiful baby boy. Who would have know how much life can change within a week. I know in previous blog entries I've talked about how I had this idea of how I wanted my labor to go and as things began to shift with my high blood pressure, I knew my ideal birth experience would pretty much not happen, but I wanted to have hope that it still would happen. Well everything I wanted ended up being the complete opposite of how it actually turned out. But end result still gave me a wonderful beautiful sweet baby boy. So really it didn't matter that I didn't have a natural birth and that my birth plan was pretty much useless.

My fun adventure started when I left for my doctor's appointment on Monday. I actually had a bad feeling that I would be going straight to the hospital, considering my blood pressure was creeping up the last few days. So when I went to the doctor, my blood pressure was at 170/107. So the doctor told me to just go striaght to labor and delivery, so them to observe my blood pressure and assess what they want to do next. So they put me on the fetal monitor and make the decision to admit me and I have to spend the night at the hospital to be under observation. I also had to do the 24 hour urine collection (for the 3rd time) to check my protein levels. So I spend the night on Monday, and the next day my results come back as having 1200 mg of protein, if it is over 300 it is considered pre-eclampsia. So I officially had pre-eclampsia. The doctor made the decision to induce me. They first put me on Cervidil to soften my cervix. I was put on that for 12 hours. It didn't really do anything, and didn't dilate anything. Then on Wednesday morning they put me on Pitcin. They also put me on magnesium sulfate, which helps reduce the risk of seizure and stroke, but the problem with magnesium sulfate is it is also used to stop contractions, so it really works against pitcin. At 3:00 my water broke, and I started having really painful contractions. At this point I told the nurse I wanted an epidural, when originally I didn't want to have any drugs. But the combination of being stationary, and having pictin, and lack of sleep, made my contractions hurt so bad. I made the decision that I wanted to have an epidural, but I had to be at 4 cm in order to get one. Which I sadly at that point was only dilated at 2 cm. So I got Nebane, which is something they use early on in the labor. It only works good the first time. And I must say it definitely took the edge off, and gave me a chance to rest. But boy did I feel like I was on a drug trip or something. That stuff made me feel so out of it. I felt like kept repeating things, like someone would talk to me, and then I felt like I dreamed the same thing happening again. Matt said I kept repeating the same things, which makes sense considering I felt like I was repeating moments. It was very strange.

So anyways I was put on picticin for 12 hours, but they stopped it, to give me a break, and being on it longer than 12 hours striaght makes it less effective. So Then comes Thursday, they put me back on Picticin for awhile and made the decision that is I didn't process very far in my labor, that they would have to do a c-section. Well I ended up only dilating another centimeter, so a total of 3 cm. And my blood pressure kept spiking up, and every-time I had a contraction, the baby's heart rate went crazy! Around 10:00 am the doctor made the decision that I would in fact have to have a c-section. It made me sad that I had to endeavor two days of labor to only dilate 3cm and then have to do a c-section. I wish I would have just had the c-section in the first place. But I know they were trying hard to give me a natural vaginally delivery. But unfortunately this just wasn't in the cards for me. Again something that went completely unplanned. I didn't think I would have to get a c-section. And now this completely changes plans for when I have the next kid.

Around 12:30 I get started on my c-section. It was so weird when they gave me the epidural. Everything was completely numb from my chest and below. Which now that I know what an epidural actually feels like, I don't think I would ever want an epidural if I was giving birth vaginally. Because you can't feel anything. I didn't even know when my feet were moving, I felt like a wimp noodle. I just don't see that being a pleasant experience trying to push a baby out if I can't even feel it or know if he or she is coming out. But that is my two cents for the day. Not judging women who get epidurals, because I was going to cave in and get one. But knowing how they actually are, I don't think I would get one. But unfortunately I was forced to get one considering they had to cut me open. It was so strange when they cut me open. I didn't feel a thing, but I felt like a puppet on strings, being tugged on. It was especially weird when they took the uterus out because I suddenly felt pressure around my upper chest area.

At 1:16, my baby was officially welcomed into the world. His name is Grant Taylor Sherman (Herman no more!). He weighed 5 pounds and 13 oz, and is 20 1/4 inches long. It was nerve racking because I noticed his little cry didn't sound very strong, and I even asked them if that was normal, and they didn't really say anything. We got to see him for about 20 seconds is that, and then they took him away. When I got out of the surgery, I find out he was having problems breathing. He was breathing faster than his heart-rate. Apparently this is a side effect of me being on magnesium sulfate. They ended up putting him the special care nursery and had to put him on some oxygen. Luckily he improved over the next few hours and they didn't have to give him a feeding tube. But I was unable to breastfeed him right away.

It was rough getting back to my room to find out that I couldn't even see him. Matt and my mom was able to see him but I couldn't until my epidural wore off, and I was able to move my legs. Finally around 8:00 I was able to get in a wheelchair, and they were able to take me to see little Grant. I was so sad that I couldn't hold him. I ended up not being able to have Grant in my room and hold him until about 8:00 in the morning the next day. I must say it was the longer night. I think I only got like a few hours of sleep if that. I was so sad that I couldn't see Grant that I just couldn't go to sleep.

It was wonderful when I could finally have my little guy in my arms. Despite all the trouble of labor, it all melted away when I got to hold Grant. My plans for birth didn't happen, I wasn't expecting to be in the hospital for 6 days, or have a c-section. But that is how life rolls. Things can't always go according to plan, but even when they don't still results can happen. Like a beautiful baby boy. :)

Here is a picture of Grant:


There are many other entries to come of all the things I want to share. Motherhood has definitely been an adventure already, and I've only been a mother for five days. And boy do I love it!