Epic birth story.

Maybe no one else will think it was epic, but this birth surpassed anything I had imagined happening. I had read other birth stories and got ideas in my mind about the baby getting stressed and needing to have a c-section, or have a placenta that was so deeply attached to the uterus that they had to specially remove it because you could bleed to death...etc. I also took a special education class last semester so I became paranoid about all the disabilities she could have. Deafness, spinabifida, extra chromosomes, and various other things. Never did I think it would give birth the way I did and she would have the complications she has.

So on Monday the day started out super ordinary. Baby was moving around in the morning and I just did my usual thing of exercising, crocheting, sewing, watching price is right and family feud and eating, a lot. Towards the end of the day Matt asked the question he always asks at the end of the day, "how was baby today?" my reply was, "she has actually been very quiet today. I haven't really felt her move." We started poking her cause that usually got her to move around a bit. But nothing happened. We could feel her spine or something by my belly button and pushed on that but again nothing happened. So we just assumed she must be in a deep sleep. We went to bed but every time I woke up my hand immediately went to my belly and I would just pray that I would feel her move. But nothing was happening still. So I woke up Matt at about 4 in the morning and told him I thought something was wrong and I was worried. We talked to his mom and she said that sometimes when babies are preparing to come they get really still getting ready for the marathon of birth. We decided to still go to the hospital in cardston and make sure everything was okay. They hooked me up to a heart rate monitor and found her heartbeat which was pretty strong averaging about 140. So after about 20 mins they said everything looks fine, she is just sleeping. We went home feeling much better and had peace of mind. I also had a dr. Appointment in lethbridge that morning at 1120 so I figured I would find out more then if there was anything wrong. We got to the appointment and she asked how I was feeling and if there was any changes. I told her how baby wasn't moving and showed her the heart monitor results from cardston. She told us to go to the hospital and they would do another heart monitor test and also some ultrasounds to make sure fluids and everything were still good. I was starting to get nervous wondering if baby was getting ready to come or if something was wrong and if they would induce me. I got all hooked up again and they said we needed to be ready to be here for the next 4-6 as it will take awhile to get an ultrasound and get the results. My doctor came in after about 25 mins and looked at the results. The next words out of her mouth floored me. 

Dr. Adolph: I've got to be honest, my gut feeling tells me we need to have this baby. I just need to have this baby out and know she is okay. So I want to perform a c- section.

Me: oh I don't want that

Dr: I have no doubt you would deliver naturally beautifully, but I am afraid if we induce you she will become distressed and the end result would be a c-section anyway. I want this baby here now cause we like to see lots of ups and downs in heart rate results but we don't see that and it worries me. So can we do a c-section?

Of course I don't have much choice at this point and thru tears tell her we can do that. Within minutes there were 4 other nurses in the room inserting, shaving, and asking questions about my health. Both mine and Matt's mom come in and I tell them how we don't have anything ready for baby. Her car seat isn't in the car, her room isn't ready cause we were going to move into the upstairs the next day. I dont even have a diaper bag, let alone a packed one. I all the sudden felt so unprepared to have a baby.

 The dr told Matt that they would get him prepped to be there for the c-section. Then my life started feeling like I was in a movie as 5 mins later it starts getting a little more frantic and the Dr. Says I am now having an emergency c-section and will be put under and they need me to be ready now. Soon I am being taken from the room on a bed with nurses all around me telling me to breath, which was getting more and more difficult and my whole body is shaking and I can't control my tears. (I tear up just thinking about it because I was so scared) This was so far from what I had imagined would occur when I gave birth to this baby. I was terrified at how urgent it had become wondering if she was going to be okay and if I was going to be okay. Soon I am under those big bright lights you see in the movies and an oxygen mask goes over my mouth. I see them putting up the blue sheet and feel them prepping my belly. I asked them when I would be asleep because I was not enjoying feeling and seeing all this prep and was nervous I would not be asleep in time and I would feel them cut open my stomach. But pretty soon after that thought the next thing I knew I was struggling to open my eyes and my head hurt so bad and my throat was like sandpaper. I looked at the clock and it was now 3:00. I was amazed at how much time had gone by and how fast. They showed me a picture of Sienna and told me how beautiful she was and her stats. To give an idea of how fast everything went, I got hooked up to the heart rate monitor at about noon and was on there for almost 30 mins. Sienna was born at 1:06. So all of this occurred within a span of an hour. Anyway, that is her birth story. We have had so many spiritual experiences as we have thought about the timing and circumstances that surrounded her birth and how everything was in line for a safe delivery. In my next post I will discuss the events that have occurred since her birth as there has been many more unexpected things occur. 

Here she is fresh out of the womb. Bright eyed and bushy tailed!