Just My Luck (A Photo Journey)

On May 5th 2011 I was admitted to the Perinatal Unit of Akron General Hospital to be induced. Josh and I were VERY excited. I had suffered through my last trimester of pregnancy with hospital admissions, accidental pitocin, and terrible pain. I thought that Lillie was going to explode thru my uterus at any point! At my last ultrasound she was measuring 7 lbs 13 oz. That was a week before my induction. I KNEW they were wrong. I could see every movement that she made. I could even see her practice breathing. We ended up going thru with the induction anyways.

An hour after I had gotten settled in my room (aprox: 6 PM) a doctor came in and told me that they wanted to try using a foley bulb to expand my cervix before they started any Pitocin. I was glad that they were going to try something besides that because we have all heard horror stories about it. So they placed it. HOLY EFF. They asked me if it hurt and I just stared at them. OF COURSE IT HURTS YOU MORON! Yikes. They told me that they would be back in 3 hours to check on me and to call if I needed anything. About two hours later my contractions kicked in. It was awful. So I asked for pain meds cause I am a pansy. The nurse came in and had me transferred to labor and delivery.

And this is where the details get a little foggy. They gave me morphine to take the edge off the pain. It worked. For a little while. Then they came in to check me. The foley had done its job and I was dilated to 3 centimeters. After I was checked they started pitocin. And my contractions got really intense.

And then I asked for my epidural. Oh boy does Pitocin suck. I was insanely happy to see the anesthesiologist. Hearing all these stories about getting an epidural had me scared to death. But I realized that if your already hurting that it really wont matter to add some more pain. It started working immeadiately after he was done. I must have had a really intense dose because I could no longer move my legs. But I was happy at least!

They of course inserted a foley and checked me again. I had progressed to a 5. (Approx: 2 AM) Somewhere around 3 am they came in and broke my water to keep things moving. (I was in and out of sleep at this time so details are sparse). Someone came back in to check me at 7 am and I hadnt seen her before, meaning that a new shift had begun. As she was checking me she felt another bag of water. I didnt know that there could be more than one. So she broke it and felt again. There was another bag of water. I was begining to feel a bit like a freak of nature. She broke it. And apparently that wasnt good enough. She called another nurse in and began to press very hard on my stomach to get all the fluid out. Then they checked me again and I was a 6. They then left the room.

Ten minutes later I got the biggest shock of my life. My doctor came in and checked me. She said that Lillie's heart rate had dropped to 30 and she felt the cord. The moron nurse had shoved so hard that the water had carried her cord out with it. Dr. Johnson looked at Josh and calmly asked him to go get help. He looked scared and she said, very panicked, "NOW!" Around twelve nurses, doctors and techs swarmed my room and rushed me into the O.R. I glanced at Josh as they were running me out and he looked petrified.

I entered the room and they asked me to move to the table. That wasnt happening. So they grabbed me up and practically threw me onto it. (Ripping out my epidural). The anesthesiologist interted more meds into my epidural, which we didnt know had come out. He asked how I felt and I told him that my back felt wet and cold. He said that was a normal sensation. The doctor pricked my stomach and asked me if I could feel it. I said YES OWWW! And I heard someone say, "We lost her heart rate." And the doctor cut me open. I screamed and thrashed as they held me down. I could feel everything. My heart rate went sky high and they put an oxygen mask on my face. The last thing I remember seeing is orange and red. I passed out.

I awoke in the middle of them stapling me shut. Passed out.

I woke up in recovery holding a baby. I looked at her. Passed out

I woke up and asked Josh about ten times how big she was. "9 lbs 13 oz, 20.5 inches long" Born at 7:50 am. Passed out.

I woke up and tried to breastfeed her. The nurse came in to check Lillies sugar. It was so low it wouldnt register on the monitor. They gave me a bottle of formula to feed her. She barely drank anything. I passed out again.

I woke up one last time and they checked her sugar, it was 30. A nurse came in, took my baby, placed her in an isolette and explained that she was going to the NICU. I was in tears.

The NICU nurse came in and took Lillie. Josh went with her. I was all alone. I fell back to sleep.

The next time I woke up they had me get out of the recovery bed and walk to my next bed. (about two feet). That hurt. Then they wheeled me into the Special Care Nursery to see Lillie.

 I only got a small glance and had to go to my room. I missed her so much. I spent the next couple hours asleep. When I finally woke up Josh's parents were there and had gotten me flowers.

I finally got up the strenght to go see my baby around 3 pm. It was so hard to see her with wires everywhere and an IV in her head. I just held her and cried.

The story will be finished in my next blog. "Our NICU Journey"