The Short Story--
As some of you know, our little Eva (meaning "Life") was born to us on Tuesday, April 13. Because I hurt my back and it was difficult to stand or walk, we had an induction scheduled for Tuesday morning. She beat us to the punch and my water broke at around 2:30 a.m. necessitating an earlier arrival to the hospital than scheduled.
At the hospital, when contractions petered out, Oxytocin (a synthetic form called Pitocin) was used to encourage labor along. After considerable time, I opted for an epidural so that I could relax and allow my body to bring the baby's head down.
CNM (Certified Nurse Midwives) and nurses studied the monitor showing contractions and baby's heart rates to find a pattern. The pattern discovered was that with each contraction the baby's heart beat would drop dramatically (from 140 beats per minute to 40, for instance). This suggested a cord around baby's neck was getting compressed. Also, baby was head down and ready to deliver but had not yet descended. Several positions and measures were tried to relieve this compression. Fortunately, an OB, Dr. Weibell was at the nursing station when the CNM were ready to call for emergency backup. Dr. Weibell came and attempted (as had the CNM's) to guide me in pushing baby out. With each contraction, the baby's heart rate dropped more dramatically. Contractions were less than two minutes apart. With the best in mind, respiratory therapists, neonatal nurses and others had come to my room. When the baby's heartbeat fell to 38 and held, my bed was quickly wheeled from my room to the OR (about 12 yards down the hall). My body was lifted onto an operating table. In less than two minutes and without further anesthesia, CNM Jana Sund and Dr. Weibell sliced across the abdomen and brought little Eva out who was heartily crying. All breathed a collective sigh of relief at the "life" that our little one demonstrated as she was welcomed abruptly into this bright world. Eva had a very thin, short cord that was wrapped around her neck and would not allow her to descend.
Joe asked the Head nurse in the NICU (newborn intensive care unit/nursery) how often an emergency Cesarean section was done. "Like yours? One percent."
The Comforter was with us and we felt great relief at her safe arrival. She is a week old today.
For those interested, I will post a more detailed birth story later.
The Short Story--
As some of you know, our little Eva (meaning "Life") was born to us on Tuesday, April 13. Because I hurt my back and it was difficult to stand or walk, we had an induction scheduled for Tuesday morning. She beat us to the punch and my water broke at around 2:30 a.m. necessitating an earlier arrival to the hospital than scheduled.
At the hospital, when contractions petered out, Oxytocin (a synthetic form called Pitocin) was used to encourage labor along. After considerable time, I opted for an epidural so that I could relax and allow my body to bring the baby's head down.
CNM (Certified Nurse Midwives) and nurses studied the monitor showing contractions and baby's heart rates to find a pattern. The pattern discovered was that with each contraction the baby's heart beat would drop dramatically (from 140 beats per minute to 40, for instance). This suggested a cord around baby's neck was getting compressed. Also, baby was head down and ready to deliver but had not yet descended. Several positions and measures were tried to relieve this compression. Fortunately, an OB, Dr. Weibell was at the nursing station when the CNM were ready to call for emergency backup. Dr. Weibell came and attempted (as had the CNM's) to guide me in pushing baby out. With each contraction, the baby's heart rate dropped more dramatically. Contractions were less than two minutes apart. With the best in mind, respiratory therapists, neonatal nurses and others had come to my room. When the baby's heartbeat fell to 38 and held, my bed was quickly wheeled from my room to the OR (about 12 yards down the hall). My body was lifted onto an operating table. In less than two minutes and without further anesthesia, CNM Jana Sund and Dr. Weibell sliced across the abdomen and brought little Eva out who was heartily crying. All breathed a collective sigh of relief at the "life" that our little one demonstrated as she was welcomed abruptly into this bright world. Eva had a very thin, short cord that was wrapped around her neck and would not allow her to descend.
Joe asked the Head nurse in the NICU (newborn intensive care unit/nursery) how often an emergency Cesarean section was done. "Like yours? One percent."
The Comforter was with us and we felt great relief at her safe arrival. She is a week old today.
For those interested, I will post a more detailed birth story later.
4 comments:
Congratulations!!! I'm so glad I checked your blog today. I've been thinking about you all week. I am so happy for you and your family. Hope to talk to you soon. Your baby girl is beautiful. Take care.
Wow--that is quite the entry little Eva had into this world. I'm grateful for her safe arrival. How is your back? What a beautiful little baby!
Congratulations again!!! Scary start, but happy ending! My first baby had the cord around his neck as well--so thankful for awesome medical care! Your Dad stopped by after he was born to reassure us of our little boy's health--14 years ago and that still touches me. You are such a trooper to be up and blogging already!
I've been away from blogging for a few days, but my oh my what a delight it was to see your beautiful daughter and all your family loving on her so dotingly. She is so blessed.
I've been reading a book called, "Real Food For Mother and Baby" by Nina Planck a super natural, healthy eating mother. Just today after reading your birth story I read about her own birth story. After starting labor as a planned home-birth she transfered to the hospital when her baby presented in an extremely rare position called, "transverse arrest." 12 days earlier she had done a post on her popular blog detailing the woes of overused cesareans. After she gave birth by cesarean she kept returning to one line of what she wrote. She had written, "The cesarean is indeed a 'magnificent rescue operation,' as Michel Odent has called it...and in true emergencies we are grateful for it." Eventually, after many tears she rewrote her birth story:
"A baby born at home grows up on a farm. She watches chickens lay eggs and cats give birth. She dreams of having her own baby at home and quietly prepares. Publicly, she warns about the risks of cesareans. She has her baby by cesarean. She discovers firsthand what technology can do for mothers and babies and what it cannot. The woman is humbler. It is only the first lesson she will learn from her son."
Long comment, sorry, but I just thought of you and how grateful I am that you could receive a 'magnificent rescue operation' to help bring a safe Eva into loving open arms.
Love you Julie.
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