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Claire Alyson
Saturday, December 15, 2007
1153am
7 lbs. 6.8 oz & 20" long
39 weeks
Troy and I left for the hospital at 0600am (had to be there at 0700 and surgery was to be at 0900). We left the kids with my mom, and my aunt and uncle (that live in CA but came up for the birth). It was so cold that morning! 19 degrees and really icey on the road. I was really anxious and kind of nervous too.
When we got to the nurses station at L&D, I immediately recognized one of the nurses as a lady I had worked at the airlines with 11 years earlier ... how crazy is that?? I never forget a face. She thought she remembered me (who knows if she really did ).
I met my nurse and she got us set up in my room. Then it was the usual fun stuff.... shaving, IV, catheter, and getting me hooked up to everything. She couldn't believe how active Claire was. She had to keep adjusting the belts b/c Claire was moving all over and we kept losing her HB. Oh, and I ws actually contracting every 15 minutes or so! No big deal to most, but I hadn't had contractions since my one and only labor, 8 years prior. At least I thought I hadn't. I'm pretty sure they were probably braxton hicks. I realized at that point that I actually had been having BH during the last few weeks of my pregnancy... but thought it was just the baby moving around. I guess that's what happens when you get fat! They felt nothing like the one BH I had while pregnant with Jake (when I was much "thinner"). So anyway.... I thought it was cool I was having contractions. My surgery was supposed to be at 0900, but an emergency section was put ahead of me, so we waited. My doctor came in to talk to me, then so did the anesthesiologist. He talked a bunch.... told me what he was going to do. Spinal, then morphine the rest of the day (yay! ). I'm not normally one to medication (infact I'll usually suffer through a sickness rather than take meds), but after surgery I really can't handle that pain. He tells me that it's common to get sick as a result of the spinal. I chuckle and say "Oh, I've never had that problem. " He asked if I had any questions and I said no, but to please double check my weight b/c I was afraid of reliving the awful birth experience I had with Jake where I felt them making my incisions. He reassured me that was not likely with the spinal, and happens more often with the epidural (which was what I had with J). After he left we waited some more. I had to drink that super disgusting whatever it is concoction that is supposed to keep me from throwing up during surgery. We waited some more. My nurse came back in and told me the hold up was b/c the woman in the next room was pushing and of course my doctor was delivering. So we sat there and listened for about an hour and a half while she screamed in agony.
Finally we headed to the OR at a little after 1100 (I think). Surprise surprise, the lady I had worked with at the airport (Beth... who I never really liked btw), was a scrub nurse for my delivery. That was kind of wierd. The anesthesiologist came in, and I was given the dreaded news.... I needed to drink another cup of that disgusting concoction b/c it had been too long since the last one. So I barely choked it down and am good to go, b/c I've had not one of those drinks... but two, so I won't get sick. Plus, I'd never got sick before. He put my spinal in (which hurts a lot less than having the IV put in). They help me lie back, and within 10 seconds I feel the most awful wave of nausea I've ever felt in my life come over me. I told the anesth. I was going to be sick and he turned my head just in time for the little cup to catch everything. I hadn't eaten since the night before, so thankfully it was only liquid. So I spent the next several minutes throwing up and dry heaving. Of course they brought Troy in right during this, and he sat on that side of me . The first thing he asked was if I was okay. I felt so sick I couldn't even answer him... just hoped he could read the look in my eyes. He held my hand and that was comforting. He was all teary eyed. I was thinking it was b/c he felt bad for me, but I think it was just all his emotions of everything going on. Probably a combination. During the surgery my doctor asked again if I was sure I wanted the tubal ligation. The surgery seemed to go really fast, b/c next thing I know, I hear her crying. The baby's bed was to my left, and of course just out of view... so all I could see was her leg for like 3 seconds. I was dying to see her and crying like I had never cried after any of my kids births. Troy cut the cord (first time ... and almost passed out ), then he brought Claire to me and I got to kiss her and actually looked at her for a whole minute! Usually they rush the baby out after looking at him/her for 5 seconds. Troy left with them. My doctor then told me my uterus was very thin and he apparently had to make the incision in a different area than usual. The good news was b/c it was so thin, he was going to be able to do the tubal. (This was my first time delivering at this particular hospital, and it was Catholic. The week before, he told me if my uterus was not thin, he couldn't do the tubal b/c he could lose his rights to deliver at that hospital... but he assured me that it probably would not be an issue for me, especially after having so many cesareans). Anyway, he did the tubal, and I dosed off I think, b/c next thing I know, they are lifting me onto my bed, and rolling me into recovery.
I was still feeling extremely sick. About 10 minutes into being in Recovery, Troy and the kids walk in. It as so nice to see them. Shane was a little freaked out seeing me like that, and he didn't say much. My nurse told me I wasn't putting out hardly any urine and my BP was too high, so I was going to have to stay a while longer in recovery. My best friend Grace, my mom, dad and aunt and uncle all came in to visit me. Grace took Jake and Shane home with her for the night to help us out. My mom left Brynne with Troy so she could go to lunch with my aunt and uncle.... and therefore Troy wasn't able to be in the nursery with Claire and be there while her vitals were taken and she was bathed. He was not happy and neither was I. Infact, I'm still bitter about that. Brynne was tired by this point and really acting up, so Troy ended up going home with her... and that really sucked b/c I'm used to having him there by my side the whole hospital stay. So I was still in recovery... my doctor finally came in and told me he was a little concerned with my lack of urine output, so I was sent off to some other floor to have my bladder injected with some dye to see if there was a hole in it. I came back to recovery, had more blood taken and had to wait for the results. My doctor said I'd have to stay in recovery until everything checked out and my BP came down. I felt awful, was really emotional and just wanted to hold and feed my baby. My nurse brought her in for me after 4 hours and I was finally able to start bonding with my new baby girl. By this point everyone had left (except my mom who was back from lunch). Finally, at 6:30pm I was taken to my room. I was so happy to be in my own space after 6 hours in recovery.
We came home early. I was able to get out on Monday (although I ended up regretting not staying atleast one more day).
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Born:
Dec 15, 2007
at 11:53am
Birth Length:
20"
Birth Weight:
7lbs 6.8oz
Hair Color:
Brown
Eye Color:
Blue
Website Updated On:
Sun, Jan 13, 2008
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TM
