Our birthing story:
My parents and sister came in the night before since we had such an early start. They didn't have a choice, they had to be here.
We live about an hour away from the hospital we were delivering at (we relocated from Lexington to Louisville but didn't want to change doctors mid-pregnancy), so our morning started at 4:30 am. I got up, showered, made sure all of the last minute items were packed (with the help of DS), and had my sister snap a day-of pregnancy photo so I could remember how pregnant I was (and boy was I huge).
Mom, DS, and I left the house at 5:30 am and left dad and K (my sister) home to feed the dogs and come up closer to delivery time.
We got to the hospital at about 6:30 am and started prep immediately. Baby G would be here around 8:45. Surgery prep was boring, just a lot of questions and IV starts. Mom and DS were with me the entire time.
Around 8:15 they brought DS his blue pantsuit to wear and he put it on immediately. His shoe covers didn't fit and he ripped one. He was so nervous!
8:30 and it's showtime. They take me back first (I had to walk to the room in my gown and socks), DS will come back after I'm on the table and ready to go.
I sit on the side of the table, he marks my back with a pen for the nerve block, and I lose myself in emotions. I start crying...no...sobbing. I apologize through my tears, but I am overwhelmed that I'm about to have a baby by c-section. I didn't even get to try to have her naturally and it's starting to hit me. I'm about to have a baby by c-section. The nurse grabbed a hold of me in a bear hug and the anesthesiologist put something in my IV. I remember slumping forward into the nurses arms then the next thing I knew, my nurses manipulated my lower body onto the table, laid me back, and draped a huge sheet right above my chest, vertically, so I can't see what's going on.
My doctor came in everyone started bustling around.
Mind you, this was all happening in a fog, thanks to the wonderful "loosey' drugs the doctor gave me.
*******On a side note, the anesthesiologist was the nicest man ever and if I knew exactly who he is, I would bake him the best cupcakes I've ever made!*******
They asked if I could feel my toes and nope, they were gone. My doctor explained some things to me, like how I would feel tugging and pulling, and once she was out they would keep working on me for about 30 more minutes.
I remember DS coming in and sitting by my head. I remember him brushing my face with his hands. I remember the doctor saying she was almost out and I told DS to get up and look. He watched the birth of our daughter. I remember her first cry.
Once she was out, DS didn't know if he should leave my side. I remember telling him to go be with our baby. He went and looked at her and came back to me and told me how big she was. I remember feeling like my chest was caving in. I remember asking him to make sure she had all girl parts. "She's a girl, right? No boy parts?" Don't ask me why, but this was of utmost importance to me. I remember him getting to cut the cord. He came back to me and I was gasping for air. I remember whispering to him that I couldn't breathe and I remember him telling the anesthesiologist. My O2 stats were good, but I was having an anxiety attack. They had also just removed a 10 pound 9 ounce, 21.5 inch baby from my body and my organs were having a free-for-all with all the new-found space.
My wonderful anesthesiologist put something in my IV again and I was out. I woke up in recovery and DS came in shortly after. Then they brought in baby G and I got to hold her for the first time.
I have to be honest here. I was so tired I didn't feel the immediate bond that many women say they feel. I did feel in awe and disbelief that this little baby was mine. I didn't get to stare at her for long before the nurses were telling me to go ahead and breastfeed.
At our hospital, mothers get about an hour of "kangaroo time" where you can breastfeed, hold, and bond with your baby. DS was with us the whole time and it was wonderful. After about an hour they took her away and it was time to head to our new home upstairs.
I was in and out of drug induced dozing as the nurses wheeled me upstairs, and remember telling the nurses that "if I could feel my legs I would help you out". They just laughed as they hoisted me to my new bed.
I was a mom and the birthing portion was over.
Now for recovery.........
