Keegan's Birth Story

So 2 years ago, I was preaching to the choir.... "I am never going to do this again."  "One kid is it for me."  "This is hard."  "I'll never sleep again."  And then look what went and happened.  I got pregnant.  It was awesome.  We were ready, right!?

This pregnancy I was pegged right off the bat as a "high risk pregnancy," "geriatric pregnancy," "advanced maternal age pregnancy..." whichever way you want to slice it, at the age of 35, I was considered "old," I would be 36 when I actually had the baby. This meant I needed to be seen at 20 weeks by a high risk fetal specialist for an ultrasound and then fetal heart stress tests weekly in the last 2 months of pregnancy.  I also had a 70 percent chance of re-occurrence of cholestasis which I developed in my first pregnancy.  

Overall, my pregnancy went well.  I never did develop the itchy palms and feet which is the main symptom of cholestasis.  My symptoms were as follows, the need to pee every 20 minutes.  My gosh, I can't believe the amount of peeing one person can do.  I developed horrible sciatica that shot from my butt down my leg, but even worse then that, the way the baby was lying, he was pressing on other nerves that shot down the front of my leg, making me feel like the front of my leg was also numb.  It was as if he was cutting off some sort of blood flow.  The reflux.  Ohhhhh, for heaven's sake, Pepcid AC Berry flavor, you and I were best friends.  I would have not lived 9 months without you.  Then of course, I learned very quickly this pregnancy wasn't going to be being sent home from work early to nap or watch trash tv... this pregnancy was going to be feeling all the pregnancy feels as described above, but with a very active, little person needing my attention every single second.  I feel like I did the best job I could while becoming more short of breath with each passing day to entertain Archer.

Then I had to make the decision to have either a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) or a repeat c-section.  Pros and cons to both of course... and a signature on a piece of paper was needed to say bad things can happen in regards to both.  I was shooting for a vaginal birth.  I wanted to try for it... but at 36 weeks or so... the ultrasound was showing that baby's head was already measuring 10 cm.  When you dilate to give birth, you dilate to 10 cm.  So, baby decided for me that I would have a scheduled c-section.  With 3 more weeks of growth... I wasn't even going to try and do it, baby to get stuck, and have it end in a crash section.  And so, the doctor chose the date of baby's birthday per our request (39 weeks and 2 days) and that was April 8th, 2019.  If I were to go into labor before then, I could still try for a vaginal birth.  This never did happen.

And so on April 8th, I walked myself thru the hospital doors and to the third floor.  Checked in.  They prepped me.  My doctor was early and ready to go (although noted she was in a cute outfit complete with heels that she promised to change out of), but the c-section before me was still in progress.  Also, we were waiting on the anesthesiologist to come and talk with us.  Adam and I were much more relaxed this time around.  I was totally ready.  Once everyone was in place... they had me get up and walk down the hall and to the OR.  My only concern for this times anesthesia was nausea.  I wanted to make sure they gave me everything they could to avoid it.  The last c-section, it was not good.  Knowing exactly what was going to happen this time around made things so much better, and my attitude was "get this show on the road."  I sat on the table, hunched over, shivering in the ice cold OR while doc prepped my back for the spinal and stuck it in.  Within minutes I was numb, they laid me down and put my legs up on the table for me.  It's so weird watching them put your legs up and you don't even feel it.  The foley catheter was placed... so happy to not feel that thing go in.  I had a moment to myself at this point before Adam came in and took that chance to send a short prayer up... after all, what I was about to undergo wasn't easy, and wasn't without risk.  I will always try to remember that although society can sometimes make you feel c-section is the easy way out... it is not.  It's crazy to think that the doctor will cut thru my abdominal wall, all my muscle, and uterine wall, and deliver me a baby in a span of a few short minutes.  Things can go very wrong, very fast.  Prayer sent... nausea came in.  The anesthesiologist then administered the last of what he could for a last ditch effort.  While me being the good nurse I am analyzed my vital signs for him... and whhhhhhoooopppp, there went my blood pressure.  It was 67/42, I was feeling quite dizzy and hot.  I told him to "do something," and reading his eyes, because his mouth was being covered by the mask, I could see he realized he was dealing with someone in the medical field and said, "I am!"  He gave me something and boom my blood pressure was climbing again... the nausea was dissipating... Adam was walking in... Dr. Flynn switched out of her high heels and was asking me... "do you feel this?"   The answer, a big fat no.
It was go time!

Same as the time before, once I was cut open, they had to push on the baby to have him come out.  This time I was prepared for it.  I thought.  But push is an understatement... it felt like they were wacking me so hard... like CPR hard.  I screamed for what seemed like a very long time as they pushed and pushed to get the baby out.  On a side note, he never did "drop."  And so he was nestled up in my rib cage it seemed.  Before the pushing, I heard Dr. Flynn say to her partner she could see the baby.  She told me that she was about to cut the uterus, and that the original scar had stretched so thin she could see the amniotic fluid and baby known as a "window."  She made note of telling me that if I were to ever get pregnant again, baby will be delivered at 37 weeks by c-section and she told me the right decision was made in scheduling a c-section.  My body probably would have not tolerated vaginal birth because of this "window" with very high risk of uterine rupture if I had tried pushing the baby out.  She was very relieved it never came to that.  I am too.  Obviously.  I really went back and forth about the way he would join this world.  So now, 2 months later I feel at ease.

One of the biggest memories I have was when the pushing stopped, and I heard Dr.  Flynn say in a cutesy way..."Hi BABBBBBBYYYY!!!!"  He was already stealing her heart.  I told Adam to get up and look so I could see his reaction.  Reaction: complete joy, pride, and happiness.  The baby was screaming and I heard them say his APGAR score was 9, yah!!!!  They did give me a quick look at him over the curtain and he was wide eyed, and beautiful.  Adam went off to be with the baby and cut the cord, and I just laid there feeling thankful. 

Once he was okay and cleaned, we got to do a little skin to skin contact while they were still stitching me up in the OR.  The nurse laid him on me, I couldn't touch him due to my arms still being restrained down.  All I could do was touch him with my face.  The softness... oh my goodness.  It's a feeling I won't ever forget. 

Before I knew it baby was off with Adam to recovery while they finished up, and moved me to a stretcher.  When I got to recovery, I had intense pain in my shoulders.  Normally after abdominal surgery later in the day patients get pain in shoulders.  This is due to the air they pump into you rising up.  Of course, I get it right off the bat, while still in recovery.  It's a very strange pain that I always thought people were a little crazy complaining to me about when I would take care of them.  Until I had it of course, in my first c-section.  I remember walking the hallways of the hospital trying to get the pain to leave, and silently apologizing to every patient I ever had who complained of it.  Anyway, pain meds were given to me, and as that pain dissipated I got to enjoy my precious new bundle a little more. 

I was in recovery for about 2 hours before they sent me to my hospital room.  Both of us stable.

And so, on April 8, 2019 weighing in at 8 lbs. 5oz. and 20 inches long.  Keegan John came into our world.  Keegan, because we needed a solid name to measure up to Archer, and John, after his Grandpa.

Welcome Keegan!