At a little after 2 this morning I was awakened by some pretty whopping lower back pain. I apparently cried out and woke up Shawn. I decided to try to use the bathroom and see if that would help with the pain. It was a major ordeal just sitting up, but once I was sitting the back pain went away and I had some lower abdominal pain. Hmm...
I used the bathroom which did help me feel better and went back to bed. Again, very difficult with pain. As I tried to find a comfortable position, I experienced a contraction. Nothing horrible, but just made me take note. As I was laying down I kept getting bursts of pain in my lower back, but they did not feel like contractions at all.
Sometime around 3:15, I decided to take a shower and see if the warm water would help my body relax. It did help with both the back and pelvic pain and I thought things were looking up.
After I got out of the shower, all of the pains were back. I sat on the bed (it hurt too much to lay down) and told my husband that I need to go to the hospital.
I quickly called my OB and told her what was going on. She said that she would see me at the hospital.
Shawn and I then started calling the people who we had lined up to take care of the girls. At 4 am we were unable to get a hold of any of the six people we had lined up! I was getting frustrated and was in more pain than ever so I suggested that I just drive myself to the hospital. Shawn quickly nixed that idea so we decided that we should just take the girls with us.
I climbed in the car while Shawn bundled the girls up and brought them out to the car. Natalie thought it was great that she was coming with us and was pretty excited for the adventure. Annalies was just tired, stunned, and pretty quiet for the whole ride.
As Shawn was loading the girls, I called R's phone and got voicemail. Then I called B's phone and let B know I was on my way to the hospital. B asked how I was doing and I responded with okay but in a lot of pain. B said they would be on their way!
I called the Agency's after hours number and told the person who answered that I was on my way to the hospital. She responded with "well, let's hope it's a false alarm and we will talk with you later."
The entire ride was rather horrible. I was definitely contracting by this point and I felt like I was contracting more than not. A couple of times during the ride when the contractions were really bad I considered telling my husband to go to a closer hospital, rather than my OB's hospital. But then the contraction would stop and we kept going. I also noticed that I wasn't feeling pressure to push, so I took that as a good sign. Each mile brought me closer to pain meds!
Once we arrived at the hospital, Shawn pulled up to the emergency entrance and ran in to get a wheel chair. Shawn and another person came out and helped me out of the car and into the chair. I was wheeled up to the maternity triage area where they were waiting for me.
My nurse, Nancy, was great. She helped me get into a gown and checked me out. With a look of surprise she said "I need someone else to check you, too." She grabbed another nurse and told someone else to call Dr Wagner. The other nurse confirmed Nancy's suspicion and they told me I was fully dilated with the bag of waters bulging.
Things started going fast at this point. An OR nurse came in to get my info and see where I was, Dr Wagner came in to check me and did an ultrasound to see which position the boys were in. Nancy hooked me up to an IV to get a bunch of fluids and some meds in me. Labs came in to draw some blood. Shawn came in to check on me and he announced that R was here and watching the girls while he checked on me.
During all of this I kept asking for some pain meds. Many people told me that other things needed to happen before I could have an epidural or any other pain meds. Grr. Not happy.
I was quickly wheeled across the hall to an OR and I met the anesthesiologist. He kind of questioned the epidural as I was completely dilated and pretty much ready to go. I told him I didn't care what he gave me, I just wanted pain meds! He went with the epidural as that is what Dr Wagner wanted and I waited for the meds to kick in.
Before I knew what was happening or even before the meds kicked in it was time to get Brady out. I pushed for about 10 minutes and out Brady came at 5:53 am! He started crying immediately which was a wonderful sound to hear! His little cry was such a reassurance to me, this precious little baby who has been causing so much trouble was crying and okay.
After the nurses cleaned him up, they were about to whisk him away to the NICU. Before he left, I requested to see him for a minute. Such a tiny little pumpkin, all puffy and pink!
After Brady left, Dr Wagner kept doing her thing down at the business end of me. She was using ultrasound to make sure Cohen's position didn't change. He was up rather high in my abdomen and Dr Wagner and the nurses needed to move him into position. They started me on Pitocin to help get some stronger contractions going to help move Cohen down. Thankfully, the epidural was kicking in a little bit and I wasn't feeling the contractions much. Dr Wagner was doing everything she could, both internally and externally to move Cohen down. (Honestly, all of the movement of Cohen hurt a LOT! I could have used a lot more pain meds.)
Once Cohen finally came down, he was angled rather funny and refused to change to a more labor-conducive position. He was positioned in a transverse position with his shoulder coming down first.
After the nurses cleaned him up, they were about to whisk him away to the NICU. Before he left, I requested to see him for a minute. Such a tiny little pumpkin, all puffy and pink!
After Brady left, Dr Wagner kept doing her thing down at the business end of me. She was using ultrasound to make sure Cohen's position didn't change. He was up rather high in my abdomen and Dr Wagner and the nurses needed to move him into position. They started me on Pitocin to help get some stronger contractions going to help move Cohen down. Thankfully, the epidural was kicking in a little bit and I wasn't feeling the contractions much. Dr Wagner was doing everything she could, both internally and externally to move Cohen down. (Honestly, all of the movement of Cohen hurt a LOT! I could have used a lot more pain meds.)
Once Cohen finally came down, he was angled rather funny and refused to change to a more labor-conducive position. He was positioned in a transverse position with his shoulder coming down first.
As Dr Wagner continued to try to do a version and move Cohen into a head down position for about 45 minutes, she finally had to stop. That is when she informed me that she needed to do a C-Section for the health and safety of both me and Cohen. I asked her about the version and she said that he's now wedged in my pelvis with his shoulder trying to deliver first and he's unable to be moved.
Things became very active at this point. A ton of people came into the room as the overhead speaker announced "C-Section, operating room 1." I was introduced to the new anesthesiologist and two nurse anesthetists as a bunch of other people came into the room.
The anesthesiologist asked how my pain level was and I told him that I was okay right now but the epidural didn't work during Brady's birth. He gently told me that since the epidural didn't work, he would need to put me under using general anesthesia and I would sleep during the procedure.
As things got set up around me and they got me prepped, I was told that I would be going to sleep right before they started the C-Section. In a matter of a couple minutes I was asleep. It was around 6:45 when I was out.
I learned later that Cohen was delivered at 6:50 am. He was curled in a little ball inside. He has one little bruise on his left leg from being turned inside me, but otherwise he had an uneventful delivery, I've been told.
I remember waking up in the recovery room and I asked how Cohen was. No one seemed to know but they said they would call up to the NICU and find out for me. A little while later a nurse came down from the NICU and she brought Shawn with her. She let me know that both the boys were doing well, at that time they both were getting a little assistance with breathing, but she said they were doing well. I asked about their weights and it took a little bit of looking until she found them for me. Brady was born 3 lbs 10 oz, Cohen was born 3 lbs 12 oz.
The boys are doing well. I was able to go down to the NICU and see them tonight. B & R were with their babies when I was wheeled into their room. I'm so amazed at just how precious these little guys are. They are so tiny and so perfect in every way.
Brady is off all assisted breathing and just has a NG tube (tube in his nose) to assist with feedings.
Cohen originally was on a ventilator, but has graduated to the C-PAP. His breathing is improving as well. Cohen has an OP tube (tube in his mouth) to assist with feedings.
I snapped a couple of pics of the boys while I was visiting. Enjoy the pics of these amazing little miracles!
Brady resting in his bassinet.
Cohen all swaddled in his bassinet.
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