We knew we would be having a second c-section (I shared why my first happened here). My new doctor and hospital didn’t do VBACs so I knew it was off the table in that office anyways, but it also made Ryan feel better that we do it this way again (you know, for minor reasons like making sure I came through things just fine. ????). We had our c-section scheduled for a month and we were good to go. So we thought.
The day before our scheduled day, my dad text me first thing in the morning that he was on his way and reality was setting in. I was sitting at the table with A eating breakfast when my phone went off. I needed to fill out consent paperwork with my doctor so I assumed they had a morning appt they wanted to move me up to. I answered the phone and heard “Hi this is XXX from Xxx’s office calling to let you know we are rescheduling your c-section to Monday.” My heart dropped to my stomach, I was nauseous and downright irritated. Less than 24 hours before I planned to meet B and they were telling me it wasn’t happening. To make a very long, dramatic morning very short I was stressing, calling Ryan who was also stressing, there was lots of back and forth with the office.
That afternoon I went to my scheduled appointment and learned more details that weren’t included in the calls with the office manager (hence why there shouldn’t be middle people not directly involved in something, passing along info). It came down the fact there was a scheduling discrepancy the hospital dropped the ball on and my c-section was scheduled two days before they “allow” them to be done. My doctor felt horrible, I was still stressing that family was in town just for this and would be leaving the day before he would come.
Next the nurse came in to tell me that she needed to recheck my blood pressure because it was high, probably due to stress (shocking, I know). It was higher. So the doctor came back in and told me to go to labor and delivery to be monitored for 2-4 hours, if it was still high we would be having him the next day due to preclampsia fears. Knowing I had A, who needed a nap and family in town, that sounded like something that wasn’t ideal. So I asked if I had another option and if the nurse could take it again. The nurse came back and took it and it was higher, even though I was trying SO hard to be super calm. My doctor told me to come back in the AM for a blood pressure check, to fast just in case and if I could leave A with family. So that’s what we did.
We came home and enjoyed some family time, had dinner and packed just in case we were still having a baby the next morning. We all joked about making my blood pressure super high before my appointment so we could still have him and waited. That night I was antsy, would we meet B or not the next day? I couldn’t sleep so I snuggled into the nook of Ryan’s arm and we just talked and talked about life and plans and babies. We talked that this was almost more ideal because we were a little nervous about A waking without us anyways.
Friday morning we woke up leisurely, had breakfast, got A around and then it was time to head to the hospital. Ryan packed the car, we took our last family photo of three and headed on our way.
I felt calm going to the appointment. Ryan asked if he needed to pick a fight with me to up my blood pressure (kinda joking, kinda serious). I said that I didn’t need him to and that what was supposed to happen would. I wanted to rest all of it on God, we knew He had control over everything.
We got to the doctor and went back pretty much right away. The gal from the day before took my Blood Pressure again and wouldn’t give us any details. She said she needed to call my doctor. We waited and anxiously chatted about if we would be meeting B today or having one more weekend of being a family of three. She walked in and said she had good news and bad news. The bad news was that my blood pressure was higher than the day before and the good news was we were having our baby boy that day sometime around lunch time and that we needed to head straight for labor and delivery.
We headed straight to labor and delivery and text both my parents that B would be arriving. We started with all the labs and prep work accompanied by two nurses blowing through two different veins for my IV. By the second fishing attempt for my veins Ryan was right by my side holding my hand because the first attempt was just so horribly painful. It was like a sharp, fiery pain shooting pains into my hand and down my arm. Finally we got the IV in on the second arm and third try. Thank the Lord! Next was the antibiotic and soon enough we were ready to meet our son.
Ryan was all scrubbed in and we made our way down the hall. He had to stay in the hall until the nurse came back to get him after my spinal block was in. I started getting an itchy rash on my arms and chest, and then it was discovered I have an allergy to the antibiotic they gave me as part of the surgery prep. They gave me Benadryl and we proceeded.
The anesthesiologist was fantastic. I was extremely nauseous after my first c-section so I had talked to him about it and learned that it’s based on where the needle is placed and if it’s just barely off you blood pressure plummets causing the nausea.
Soon I was mostly numb and Ryan walked in and we were just about ready to roll. Next thing I knew a burning sensation came up my throat. I tried so hard to speak and get “my throat burns, I Can’t breathe” out. I tried to take a deep breath to speak but I couldn’t. I started to panic as I was gasping for air and words. Tears filled my eyes as I began to panic and my eyes went straight to Ryan who I’ve never seen a look so fearful in my life. Things happened so quickly yet so slowly at the same time. I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life but Ryan was my default, he was who I automatically looked to for it to be okay. I remember my doctor saying we needed to figure out what was going on and Ryan said the room was calm and the anesthesiologist quickly got to work and was putting things in my IV. Soon everything subsided and I could breathe again. My eyes kept bouncing between Ryan and the ceiling until everything went away and I could breathe again. The doctor checked to make sure I was good and Ryan said “baby. Are you better? Can you breathe again?” I told him I could as I took a breath in and it was time for B to arrive. It felt like so long but in hindsight it was such a short event that happened.
The pulling and the tugging happened. It was just like last time, just felt like they were fitting me for a wetsuit (ha.) then they told us it was time for Ryan to stand up. Next thing I knew they pulled him out and I heard his sweet, sweet first cry and it took my breath away. The doctor said “he’s a big boy!” I was pretty shocked to hear those words since he was born a week before A was. Ryan looked at me and said “he’s perfect!”
They asked for Ryans phone to take photos of the honorary umbilical cut and our first photos with him. The sweetest. I got my first moments with him and then off Ryan and B went while I was stitched up and then taken to recovery.
Recovery felt shorter this time around and Ryan & B joined me there until it was time to take me to my room then they wheeled B & I to our room. We got settled in and my dad let us know when he arrived with A.
Ryan went down to direct them to our room and soon came Ryan with A. At first she was a little startled that I was in a hospital bed again (when I was there a month before she didn’t like the bed then either or me in it) but then we told her that B was here and the dynamic changed. She was so excited and instantly hugged and kissed him. The sweetest.
We were at the hospital for only 48 hours this time around and by the end of Friday they had me eating a regular diet and up standing & I was able to walk around. A stayed the entire time with us at the hospital once she arrived. We planned it that way so that she knew she was completely included in the experience. The last thing we wanted was for her to feel like she couldn’t be around us now that B had arrived. She got a little restless a few times but with all of the family members coming to visit us she usually had someone exciting to give her a little extra attention. The nights were great, I got less sleep because of the nurses coming in to check in or give me pain meds than B keeping me up. We were grateful for such a shorter stay this time around because we were so ready to go home and get into our new routine. Not to mention, we were ready to not have someone checking on us. I tell ya, that was the most irritating thing for both Ryan and I because once you have a way of doing your own thing it’s weird to have someone checking on things. And weird to keep having to tell someone (the nurses) that no, you aren’t concerned he hasn’t woken up within a specific window of time to eat and no you aren’t concerned about it. Ha! Overall, most the nurses a were really pretty decent about respecting our way of doing things. No one argued about him sleeping skin to skin on my chest and it became common knowledge around the nursing attendants that I knew what I was doing with breastfeeding.
We went home pretty quickly and got settled. Ryan spent a week home with us which was such a special time and was helpful with my recovery that we all got to be together. Him and A had such a good time playing and doing some fun one-on-one daddy daughter activities. I know that week was such a special time for both of them!
