The Story Of Baby VP's Birth...Part One Of Two

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As promised here is our birth story.

June 23rd,2015 was a beautiful Tuesday. It was a sunny and warm day and I went ahead and followed our regular routine. Baby J. and I woke up and spent some time together in the living room while Hubby continued to try to sleep at least a half hour more before getting up and getting ready for work. For the first time in a while Baby J. and I BOTH managed to eat breakfast, with a little guy as active as Baby J. my chance of eating breakfast before his morning nap has always been pretty much nonexistent.

After Hubby finished with getting ready for work and eating breakfast we spent a few minutes watching Baby J. practice his waddling (he's a little chubby so he does the cutest little walk/waddling!) and Hubby also tried to feel Baby VP kick by resting his hand on my belly. It was a beautiful morning and I had such a wonderful time spending it with my two men.

As usual after Hubby left Baby J. and I snuck in a morning nap and then we played together and I did some laundry and cooking before taking a afternoon nap as well. Once we woke up from our afternoon nap we quickly got dressed to go grocery shopping with Hubby. At around 5:15p.m. I met Hubby with Baby J. in the parking lot downstairs and off we went to buy some groceries.

It was around this time that I first started feeling some really sharp pain under my right breast. I remember telling Hubby that it felt like I was stabbing myself every few minutes. He, of course, told me "Maybe it will go away once you walk around a little". We arrived at the store and started shopping but unfortunately the pain didn't go away,instead it started intensifying. I mentioned this to Hubby and he answered with " Well, finish up quickly so we can go home and you can lay down and rest". I did just as he said because by now I was feeling the need to lay down a little. Once we got home I grabbed Baby J. and Hubby grabbed the groceries and diaper bag. Together we hurried up the stairs and I headed to the bedroom as soon as I was in the door.

The pain had become really bad by now and it had spread down my belly, weirdly it only hurt on the right side. Hubby came in with Baby J. and wanted to leave him in his crib but I told him " Please take him with you I don't want him to see me in pain". So, Hubby took Baby J. and all along he kept asking me to get dressed so he could take me to the hospital. Me being my stubborn self held out that this was probably just pain from Baby VP sticking his foot in my ribs and I would soon be OK to set dinner on the table.

Dinner didn't happen. Instead I ended up on all fours on our bedroom floor rocking back and forth trying to move Baby VP's leg out of my ribs which were by now burning white hot with pain and causing me to moan and gasp for air. 
Once Hubby walked in and saw me like this he stopped asking me to get dressed instead he told me very sternly that I had 10 minutes to get ready or he would take me to the hospital just the way I was.

I ended up rushing as fast as I could to take a quick shower which ended up making me nauseous and faint and feeling the pain intensify even more due to the warm water. After getting dressed and preparing the diaper bag (Hubby did the preparing I did the explaining where exactly he could find everything we needed) Hubby left to move the car closer to the building because around this time I couldn't even stand anymore without feeling the world spinning and sweating like a pig while trying to not throw up or faint. While Hubby was gone I called my aunt over to help carry my baby down the stairs and his bag while Hubby helped me navigated the stairs and short walk to the car.

Once in the car I kneeled over the backseat and held on while trying not to faint from lack of air and stabbing pains now all over my right side and the right half of my back. When we arrived at the hospital, I had to hang on to Hubby to even be able to stand upright. Our stay in the emergency room was cut short because I had by now started moaning through each stabbing pain and a poor surgeon there thought I was about to give birth and sent us right up to the Labor And Delivery.

Once, we reached the Labor Ward, I was immediately hooked up to a CTG machine to monitor Baby VP and a blood pressure machine to monitor me. My blood pressure was going crazy every time the stabbing pains started.
Around 10-11p.m. Hubby decided to take Baby J. home and before he left we were told that because they had already given me two shots to calm down my pain and three pain relieving drips the Dr.'s had decided that unless my pain calmed down tomorrow I would undergo a C-Section. We agreed that they should do anything necessary to keep both Baby VP and myself safe and Hubby then left. After Hubby left I received the first shot to strengthen Baby VP's lungs and I ended up spending a sleepless and pain filled night at the hospital. At 2 a.m. I was rushed down to get an emergency ultrasound done. The reason being the Dr. on hand thought maybe I was suffering such pain because of kidney stones. Unfortunately, that wasn't it. Once back in my room I ended up throwing up my noon meal and my blood pressure skyrocketed to some were around 180/120. Thank God, it immediately crashed back down.

At 6 a.m. several wonderful Dr.'s and nurses filled my room and they all asked me if I could hold out another 12 hours in order to receive the second shot for Baby VP's lungs before having a C-Section. I remember telling them that "I'll do all I can for my baby." After the Dr.s walked out, two midwives came in to help me stand up and change from my sweaty clothes into something clean and to change the bed as well. Once they laid me back down, I remember very clearly feeling a sudden burst of pain all along my right side of my back and then the pain moved to the right half of my belly and started intensifying so much that my back arched off the bed bump and all. I opened my mouth to ask for help and instead a scream came out. I don't remember the last time I screamed like that.

The older midwife shouted for the younger one to take my blood pressure because I was turning white, my lips had lost all color , and my eyes were rolling into the back of my head. All the while I was screaming. The younger midwife shouted back that my blood pressure was 80/70 and dropping. So, the older one ran to the door and opened it and a flood of nurses and Dr.s came in my room. One of the Dr.s in charge demanded for an update on my blood pressure and the younger nurse read back 50/40.

By now, the pain was coming in waves and after each wave I would try to breath and not be able to get even a mouthful of air. I mentioned that my tongue and face was starting to feel numb, my legs were numb, and my hands and arms were tingling but falling asleep. Another pain hit me as soon as I finished saying that and when the Dr.s saw me arch like a gymnast one of the lady Dr. grabbed a scissor and started cutting off my gown all the time yelling instructions to prepare the operating room for an emergency C-Section. She also mentioned how much I was sweating and how hot I was becoming.

Baby VP during all this continued to be very calm and didn't allow himself to get riled up at all. I grabbed one of the nurses before they could rush me out of my room and down the hall and demanded she call Hubby. Which she did. As I was being rushed out of the room I glanced at the clock and it read 7:50a.m.
Once in the operating room, the nice nurses helped transfer me to the operating table and immediately started preparing me for the operation. The mask was placed on my face and a hairnet on my head and a sweet midwife came and sat by my head all the time telling me to keep breathing and that Baby VP would be with us soon. I remember turning and asking "you won't cut me open before I'm asleep right? I get to fall asleep before being cut open?" To which the anesthetist's chuckled and patted my cheeks before saying " Mrs. Everyday Mommy, don't worry. In just a few minutes your little son will be joining us."

He did just that Baby VP joined our world on June 24th at 8:08 a.m. weighing 5.62 pounds and measuring 17.32 inches long. 

The next thing I know I heard Hubby asking just how much longer would I be sleeping and when would I be brought to the maternity section of the hospital. The answer was something with "6 hours". I woke up 10-15 minutes later and tried to talk but my mouth was so dry all I could do was croak out "water please". I ended up receiving a sip of water. Hubby patted my head and kissed me and told me Baby VP was a beautiful little guy and to rest a little more. An hour later, I woke up once more thirsty and once more received a sip of water. I finally found my voice and Hubby and I spent an hour catching each other up on what happened before the birth and after.

Baby VP was taken straight from the operating room to the NICU and put into an incubator and given oxygen. His lungs were only half way ready for breathing and he needed some help. Not long after two midwives came back into the room and helped me stand up and change gowns while they re-made the bed. It felt good to be able to stand and it was then that I noticed that the pain was now only located in my back on the right side but that it wasn't even half as bad as before and I could actually sort of breathe.

Once I was all done, Hubby asked if I wanted to see Baby VP and my answer was "Of course!" Someone came and wheeled my bed and me down the hall to the NICU and I met Baby VP for the first time.

It was a bittersweet meeting. 

My heart was filled with love and joy for this little handful of a baby while at the same time it was breaking into tiny little pieces. I struggled to keep my tears and sadness at seeing him fight to breath even with a breathing tube but I failed. Hubby quickly encouraged me that our little boy was a fighter and cheered me up a little so that I could look at my baby without tears blurring my view.

After a few minutes I was taken away to a pre-scheduled x-ray. The Dr.s were all confused because all my ultra-sounds showed a healthy pregnancy and baby and nothing was showing up that could have caused me such pain. The x-rays and blood results all came back perfect as well. Which left all of us with no explanation for my sudden pains.

Once in my room, I struggled to overcome my sadness at being separated from Baby VP and it was then I decided to be as tough as possible. Hubby and Baby J. as well as little VP needed me to be strong. 

Since then, Baby VP and I have had to suffer through hospital transfers, change of staff and Drs., tearful good-beys and good-nights from Baby J. and Hubby, and much more. To read the second half of our birth story tune in tomorrow. 

I've decided to break down our story into two parts. Technically this is the first part...the actual birth. The second part is still ongoing but we finally have the end in sight! Today we received exceptionally good news. Baby VP has been cleared to go home on Monday!!

How happy this makes me.

So, if you're at all curious to know just what happened to Baby VP after he joined the NICU check for a post tomorrow. It'll tell you all about his first week of life here on planet Earth.