Big brother Brady woke up just before we left at around 7:15am so I took one last picture with my little guy.
And then we got one last shot as a family of three. We couldn't wait to add our little number four on that day!
When we got to the hospital, we went straight up to Labor and Delivery. We had to wait for a bit to check in. Once they brought us back to the pre-op room, I had to get changed and into bed for monitoring.
As usual, it was tough getting an IV in. They had to call in a few different people who tried numerous times. I had warm wet compresses on my arms and hands while they tried to get it in. Finally... success!
We were both nervous as the minutes ticked by and it got closer and closer to surgery time.
My sister had flown in from Georgia to be there, and I really wanted her and my mom back in the room with Nate and I. The nurse didn't want too many people back there at once, and I started to tear up at one point and tell her how far my sister had come and how I hadn't seen her yet. When they got to come back, I had to warn my mom to be quiet because the nurse really didn't want them there. But it was so good to have everyone there in the room with me. I guess I'm different than many people who just want their birth experience and the time right afterwards to be with their husband and baby. I want as many family members there as I can get!
Finally it was time to say our goodbyes so Nate could get dressed in his surgical suit, and we could walk down to the Operating Room.
I left Nate outside the door and went in with the nurse. They had me sit on the edge of the operating table to get ready for my spinal. Just like last time, it was freeeeeeeezing cold in the OR. I was shaking because I was so cold. They had me lean over so they could put the spinal in. I think there was a resident there with the real anesthesiologist. I could hear her telling him where a good place was, and they were feeling around a lot on my back. This started to freak me out because I didn't want him learning on me! So I turned around and asked who was going to be doing it. I'm sure my tone of voice wasn't the nicest, but I was suddenly pretty worried. The anesthesiologist said she would be, but I am 100% sure that she really wasn't planning on doing it until I said something. Then magically she was the one there for the rest of the surgery, and the resident was gone (even though he had been the one to talk to me and prep me before surgery).
She tried to get the spinal in a couple different times. Or maybe it was in and she was testing to see what I could feel. I'm not really sure. All I know is that I had very bad pain. I kept having to tell her that I could feel it when she was digging around in my back. It was really bad. After awhile, I thought I was going to cry because I was in so much pain. Finally though it worked and I was starting to go numb. They had me lay back on the table, put the drape up, and starting prepping.
Around this time, I started to feel different than I had felt during my first c-section. I can't really explain it, but it's almost like it was hard to breathe, and I had to concentrate on that. I also didn't feel well and was starting to get nauseous. Around this time, Nate was able to come into the room. He came around and sat by my head and tried to hold my hand. The weird feeling was getting worse, and I asked him not to touch me. It was like my skin was crawling, and I had to take deep breaths to catch my breath. They started cutting my open, and then I couldn't hold it in anymore. They had to get a tray, and I was throwing up into it. All I could do was turn my head and throw up into it. My eyes were watering, and I couldn't wipe my mouth or my eyes because my arms were out on the sides of the table. When I finished throwing up, I felt much better and could finally breathe and talk like normal. I guess they gave my some anti-nausea meds in my IV.
My doctor talked to me during the surgery to tell me generally what she was doing. I asked the anesthesiologist to be sure to tell me right before they were going to pull the baby out. Everyone in the OR was taking guesses about how big the baby would be. That kind of lightened the mood. I guessed 7lb 4oz. Finally it was time for her to come out. There was a lot of pulling, I heard the suction when they cut through and broke the water, and then she was out. I heard her crying, and my doctor brought her over to the side so I could see her. Unfortunately, she didn't quite come far enough and the stupid drape in front of me made it so I could only see her little feet. Of course that only lasted a second anyway because they had to bring her over to the warmer to check her out.
Nate went to take pictures and brought the camera back so I could see her.
It was then that I learned that she had been cut when they cut me to get her out. My doctor later came over and told me that my uterus was paper thin at the spot of my last incision. It was so thin that even though they cut gently and carefully, it still went right through and cut the baby. She had a little cut on her left cheek. It didn't look too bad at first, but it got a little worse a few days later as it formed a scab. My poor baby!
She got weighed in the OR and came in a 6lb 7oz. Smaller than I thought she would be but still bigger than her brother.
Finally she was all wrapped up and could be brought over to me. Here I am seeing my little girl for the first time.
At this point, Nate left the OR with the baby and brought her to the nursery. He left her for a couple minutes to go down the hall to the waiting room to tell our family that she was here and healthy.
He spent the next hour or so with her in the nursery while she got checked out.
I love this picture of our family through the nursery window. Everyone was so excited for us!
At this point I was in the recovery room, and my mom and sister came down to check on me.
Shortly after, Hannah was finished in the nursery so Nate got to wheel her down to the recovery room as well.
Finally I got to see my girl up close and hold her!
You can see her poor little cut here.
Proud Grandmas who were both wearing pink for the occasion!
Next it was time to be wheeled down to the room I would be staying in for the next few days. Everyone followed behind as we made our way down the hall. When we got to the room, the nurses made everyone leave so they could move me from the stretcher to the bed and change my pads and things. Here is everyone waiting in the hall.
The nurse who had been with us all morning was really concerned that there were so many people in the room (2 sets of grandparents, my husband, and my sister) at once. She wanted to know if I wanted her to kick them out and if I was just too shy to do it. I told her they honestly don't bother me one bit. She just couldn't seem to believe that.
We settled into our room, and I was so glad to have such a supportive and loving husband by my side.
I should have known from the beginning that my girl would be a good eater since she practically came out sucking her hands!
She took to breastfeeding right away which was a relief.
Later on that afternoon, she went to the nursery for her bath. Imagine my surprise when she came back with such fluffy, adorable hair!
The nurses put a cute little bow on her hat too.
When Nate's sister Andrea came to visit that night, she brought us this adorable poster that she had him make during the day. We put his picture up in the corner. We brought that picture of him into the OR with us that morning too.
The rest of the day went by in a blur because I was in so much pain. Because I can't take anti-inflammatory drugs (gastric bypass) and can't take meds with Tylenol in them (allergy), there really isn't much I CAN take that cuts the pain. I ended up on a Morphine pump. First I was in charge of pushing the button myself, but it wasn't helping much. So then it was on a continuous drip. Big mistake! I was throwing up like crazy. I couldn't even take a sip of water without throwing up. It was excruciating to say the least. Heaving was kiling me with the pain in my incision. So then they took me off the pump and I was just on Oxycodone. It was hardly touching the pain at all. I mean that's what I take when I have a toothache! So they called the medical team together and decided that for a few days I would take anti-inflammatories with a side of things to protect my stomach like Tums and Pepcid. So the pain was a little better after that.
I spent the next couple days recovering in the hospital and marveling at my beautiful little girl. We played dress up a couple times with headbands and bows!
Brady came to visit and meet his sister on Saturday. He was still a baby himself at only 15 months old, so he didn't really know what was going on. But we had tried to prepare him by buying a doll and talking about how to "be nice to the baby."
Yay!!!!
Our new family
A few more favorites from the hospital
Monday- time to go home!
Lauren, that pic of you and your mom in the recovery room made me bawl - the way you two were looking at each other is so touching.
ReplyDeleteYour family is gorgeous. GORGEOUS.
I love that you have a blog now and I hope you update it often!!
This is just beautiful Lauren. It made me cry. I love you and it sure sucks not to get to be a part of it. I wish Allison would hurry up!
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