Temira's Birth Story
I'm doing a little comparison on what I wrote about the other two, since I just posted about Talia. They were all so different....
Well, Temira Mireille arrived at 9:42 am Sunday, October 19, 2003! She weighed 6 lbs 15 oz and was 20 inches long.
Trinity went to sleep about 8:00 Saturday night, so I thought I'd just go to bed myself, in case she decided to wake up in the middle of the night. I went to bed about 9:00, and woke up about 1:00 am to go to the bathroom--and move the laundry from the washer to the dryer, since I was up anyway. Then I went back to bed. About 2:30 I woke up again and went into the bathroom to find my underwear soaked with blood! (Red this time, not brown. [Edited to say: I had had some trouble about ten days prior, and was put on bedrest for a few days.} It looked like the first day of a period. Sorry TMI...) I was so scared because I hadn't really felt the baby all day, and now this. Bret got home from work about ten minutes later--I was still in the bathroom crying. I called into the bedroom for him not to get undressed because we had to go to the hospital. We called my mom to come over to stay with Trin (luckily she lives just a few blocks from us now), and we were off. We explained to the nurses what had happened, and they hooked me up to the monitors. I hadn't had any contrations, so I didn't know if they would start, or what they would "monitor," but anyway. About 4:15 they called my doctor to see what they should do. The bleeding had stopped, and since I wasn't having contractions, and I was still at a 2+ and 80%, they sent me home.
We got home about 5:00 am, and from about 5:05 am I couldn't get comfortable because of the contractions! At first, they were just annoying: kind of crampy, gassy pains, but it didn't take long until I couldn't stand it anymore. Trinity woke up about 7:30, and I called my mom to tell her I was bringing her over, and that we were going back. Then I woke up Bret and told him. At this point I was curled up in a ball on our bed trying to breathe, and Trinity was half in tears because something was wrong with her mommy. We finally got her dropped off and got to the hospital about 8:20 Sunday morning. We stood at the nurses station--being completely ignored--for about two full minutes. I think I must have yelped at a contraction, or said overly loud to Bret that I couldn't stand up anymore, because one of them finally came over. We explained that we'd been in earlier and gave a brief summary, and the little nurse said, "So you lost your mucus plug?" (OK. I wanted to smack that condescending little twerp, but then it was probably just the pain and emotional exhaustion I was feeling at the moment.)
They finally got me hooked up to a monitor and checked about 8:45 where they discovered that I was at a 7 and 90% effaced! They thought that was weird becasue the report from earlier was that I was closed up tight! Whatever! I SAW the nurse type in 2+ 80%! Well, when THIS nurse tried to type in the 7, etc., it came up as "fingertip." OK. So they have really shoddy equipment. Now I feel REALLY good. She was finally able to get it to go in right, but at this time she was spending far too much time with the machine and not watching the contractions coming one on top of the other! One of the other nurses came in and unhooked me to go to the delivery room. Once there they hooked up my IV, and asked if I'd like an epidural. I said, "If I have time, that would be nice." The CNA said I could have one once the first bag for the IV was gone. Then she went to call my doctor. She came back and said to let them know if I felt any pressure. I said, "OK. I'm feeling a LOT of pressure." She went to get the nurse, and guess what? I was a stretchy 9! This was 9:15 am. The new nurse, Pam, was actually VERY helpful, except that she said it was too late for ANY kind of pain meds. (What a surprise!) She sat the bed straight up, told me to sit on my cervix and apply pressure through the contractions. I supposed this was to get my water to break, but it wasn't happening. My doctor had called back and was 20 minutes out, but was on his way. I felt these contractions (I only felt waves of extreme nausea with Trinity.) and they were very painful--and close. Pam kept telling me what parts of my body to relax when I did get a break because I was staying tensed up. I was the biggest wimpering, crying baby ever, but I really did try to do what she said.
She had the CNA push on my legs during the contractions, so she could be right in my face. I was hyperventilating--and not very professional, I might add. I could never have been on "A Baby Story." The doctor walked in at 9:35, and the nurse cut him off when he started to ask how we were doing. She threw his scrubs at him, and he put on the catcher's mit. She told him he'd have to break my water, but we'd have a baby come with it when he did. She said it was a "bag of steel." Sure enough, he broke my water and she crowned. He said, "I'm going to do a small episiotomy because she's coming so fast, we won't have time to stretch you." Then he told me how to push. He wanted a steady push the whole time. I was good with that, and if I hadn't been able to feel the pain, I probably wouldn't have screamed when her head was half out. One of the older nurses yells at me that screaming isn't allowed. (Well, duh! I know it wastes enregy, is annoying and breaks eardrums, but I couldn't help it.) I just said I was sorry. The doctor then said, "Hold your breath and push." I tried that while Bret held my head into my chest. I forced myself to open my eyes, and I saw her being born! (I didn't get to see Trinity, I was too loopy/drowsy from the Nubain crap they'd given me.) She was born within 7 minutes of the doctor getting there! It probably would have only taken 2-3 good pushes instead of the 4-5 screaming mimi's, but I did it. God is good. He knows there's no way on earth I could have gone through the whole day like that!
They left me in the delivery room for about two hours, which I guess was all right considering they left Temira with me. They probalby just had a busy moring and had to get rooms ready or something. Anyway, Temira nursed off and on the whole time, so we're pretty good at that. The nurses would come in every once in a while to push on my stomach to get the blood out. I guess that's what they were doing anyway, "Checking your bleeding." The took my blood pressure and temperature continually. I just stayed hooked up to the machine. Every once in a while they would check the IV bag. It was still full!
When they finally moved me to a room, the nurse said she wanted the bag gone, and then she'd take out the IV. I guess she turned it on because within about 15 minutes of being in the room, the bag was empty! (Hey! Can I get that epi now?) My doctor told the nurses that I would probably need something for the residual pain, since I didn't have anything during delivery. He said to be sure I got something every few hours. Well, I ended up having to ask for Ibuprophen around 4:00 pm. I think the swelling from the stitches was getting to me. They brought me one with a sandwich. The sandwich was good. That lasted until about 1:00 am when I asked the nurse for another one and some water. She said sure, and I never saw her again. Luckily, I was only feeling "mild discomfort." They had a c-section mommy next door that everyone was catering to--which I'm glad they were--and I'm even more grateful for how my delivery turned out, but you'd think they could get my water and pain pill, wouldn't you? I tried not to be too demanding. The next day when my doctor came to check on me I asked him when I could leave. He said I could go any time, I just needed to tell the nurses, so they could be sure all of Temira's tests were done.
See...I know where the Ibuprophen and water are at my house, and I could get as much help here alone with Bret working all the time as I was getting there--where they're supposed to lend you a bit of comfort. My mom was confused that I wanted to get out of there so bad. (It's not the Hilton!) That was just the tip of the iceberg what with being ignored when I first got there through all of this. OH! I forgot to mention that they didn't even stock my bathroom! I had to have Bret call the nurses' station so I could get toilet paper, towels, etc. Like I said, I know where everything is at my house--and I don't have to depend on anyone to get things for me.
Grrr! At least my daughter is here, and healthy, and beautiful with almost as much dark hair as her sister had! Trinity has still been going to my grandma's every day, so she can get her play time in. She's so funny with the baby. She seems to like her, so that's a good sign.
Well, Temira Mireille arrived at 9:42 am Sunday, October 19, 2003! She weighed 6 lbs 15 oz and was 20 inches long.
Trinity went to sleep about 8:00 Saturday night, so I thought I'd just go to bed myself, in case she decided to wake up in the middle of the night. I went to bed about 9:00, and woke up about 1:00 am to go to the bathroom--and move the laundry from the washer to the dryer, since I was up anyway. Then I went back to bed. About 2:30 I woke up again and went into the bathroom to find my underwear soaked with blood! (Red this time, not brown. [Edited to say: I had had some trouble about ten days prior, and was put on bedrest for a few days.} It looked like the first day of a period. Sorry TMI...) I was so scared because I hadn't really felt the baby all day, and now this. Bret got home from work about ten minutes later--I was still in the bathroom crying. I called into the bedroom for him not to get undressed because we had to go to the hospital. We called my mom to come over to stay with Trin (luckily she lives just a few blocks from us now), and we were off. We explained to the nurses what had happened, and they hooked me up to the monitors. I hadn't had any contrations, so I didn't know if they would start, or what they would "monitor," but anyway. About 4:15 they called my doctor to see what they should do. The bleeding had stopped, and since I wasn't having contractions, and I was still at a 2+ and 80%, they sent me home.
We got home about 5:00 am, and from about 5:05 am I couldn't get comfortable because of the contractions! At first, they were just annoying: kind of crampy, gassy pains, but it didn't take long until I couldn't stand it anymore. Trinity woke up about 7:30, and I called my mom to tell her I was bringing her over, and that we were going back. Then I woke up Bret and told him. At this point I was curled up in a ball on our bed trying to breathe, and Trinity was half in tears because something was wrong with her mommy. We finally got her dropped off and got to the hospital about 8:20 Sunday morning. We stood at the nurses station--being completely ignored--for about two full minutes. I think I must have yelped at a contraction, or said overly loud to Bret that I couldn't stand up anymore, because one of them finally came over. We explained that we'd been in earlier and gave a brief summary, and the little nurse said, "So you lost your mucus plug?" (OK. I wanted to smack that condescending little twerp, but then it was probably just the pain and emotional exhaustion I was feeling at the moment.)
They finally got me hooked up to a monitor and checked about 8:45 where they discovered that I was at a 7 and 90% effaced! They thought that was weird becasue the report from earlier was that I was closed up tight! Whatever! I SAW the nurse type in 2+ 80%! Well, when THIS nurse tried to type in the 7, etc., it came up as "fingertip." OK. So they have really shoddy equipment. Now I feel REALLY good. She was finally able to get it to go in right, but at this time she was spending far too much time with the machine and not watching the contractions coming one on top of the other! One of the other nurses came in and unhooked me to go to the delivery room. Once there they hooked up my IV, and asked if I'd like an epidural. I said, "If I have time, that would be nice." The CNA said I could have one once the first bag for the IV was gone. Then she went to call my doctor. She came back and said to let them know if I felt any pressure. I said, "OK. I'm feeling a LOT of pressure." She went to get the nurse, and guess what? I was a stretchy 9! This was 9:15 am. The new nurse, Pam, was actually VERY helpful, except that she said it was too late for ANY kind of pain meds. (What a surprise!) She sat the bed straight up, told me to sit on my cervix and apply pressure through the contractions. I supposed this was to get my water to break, but it wasn't happening. My doctor had called back and was 20 minutes out, but was on his way. I felt these contractions (I only felt waves of extreme nausea with Trinity.) and they were very painful--and close. Pam kept telling me what parts of my body to relax when I did get a break because I was staying tensed up. I was the biggest wimpering, crying baby ever, but I really did try to do what she said.
She had the CNA push on my legs during the contractions, so she could be right in my face. I was hyperventilating--and not very professional, I might add. I could never have been on "A Baby Story." The doctor walked in at 9:35, and the nurse cut him off when he started to ask how we were doing. She threw his scrubs at him, and he put on the catcher's mit. She told him he'd have to break my water, but we'd have a baby come with it when he did. She said it was a "bag of steel." Sure enough, he broke my water and she crowned. He said, "I'm going to do a small episiotomy because she's coming so fast, we won't have time to stretch you." Then he told me how to push. He wanted a steady push the whole time. I was good with that, and if I hadn't been able to feel the pain, I probably wouldn't have screamed when her head was half out. One of the older nurses yells at me that screaming isn't allowed. (Well, duh! I know it wastes enregy, is annoying and breaks eardrums, but I couldn't help it.) I just said I was sorry. The doctor then said, "Hold your breath and push." I tried that while Bret held my head into my chest. I forced myself to open my eyes, and I saw her being born! (I didn't get to see Trinity, I was too loopy/drowsy from the Nubain crap they'd given me.) She was born within 7 minutes of the doctor getting there! It probably would have only taken 2-3 good pushes instead of the 4-5 screaming mimi's, but I did it. God is good. He knows there's no way on earth I could have gone through the whole day like that!
They left me in the delivery room for about two hours, which I guess was all right considering they left Temira with me. They probalby just had a busy moring and had to get rooms ready or something. Anyway, Temira nursed off and on the whole time, so we're pretty good at that. The nurses would come in every once in a while to push on my stomach to get the blood out. I guess that's what they were doing anyway, "Checking your bleeding." The took my blood pressure and temperature continually. I just stayed hooked up to the machine. Every once in a while they would check the IV bag. It was still full!
When they finally moved me to a room, the nurse said she wanted the bag gone, and then she'd take out the IV. I guess she turned it on because within about 15 minutes of being in the room, the bag was empty! (Hey! Can I get that epi now?) My doctor told the nurses that I would probably need something for the residual pain, since I didn't have anything during delivery. He said to be sure I got something every few hours. Well, I ended up having to ask for Ibuprophen around 4:00 pm. I think the swelling from the stitches was getting to me. They brought me one with a sandwich. The sandwich was good. That lasted until about 1:00 am when I asked the nurse for another one and some water. She said sure, and I never saw her again. Luckily, I was only feeling "mild discomfort." They had a c-section mommy next door that everyone was catering to--which I'm glad they were--and I'm even more grateful for how my delivery turned out, but you'd think they could get my water and pain pill, wouldn't you? I tried not to be too demanding. The next day when my doctor came to check on me I asked him when I could leave. He said I could go any time, I just needed to tell the nurses, so they could be sure all of Temira's tests were done.
See...I know where the Ibuprophen and water are at my house, and I could get as much help here alone with Bret working all the time as I was getting there--where they're supposed to lend you a bit of comfort. My mom was confused that I wanted to get out of there so bad. (It's not the Hilton!) That was just the tip of the iceberg what with being ignored when I first got there through all of this. OH! I forgot to mention that they didn't even stock my bathroom! I had to have Bret call the nurses' station so I could get toilet paper, towels, etc. Like I said, I know where everything is at my house--and I don't have to depend on anyone to get things for me.
Grrr! At least my daughter is here, and healthy, and beautiful with almost as much dark hair as her sister had! Trinity has still been going to my grandma's every day, so she can get her play time in. She's so funny with the baby. She seems to like her, so that's a good sign.
posted by Mom to 3 T's @ 11:47 PM
1 Comments:
At 8:40 AM,
Haven said…
You really did have some morons on staff with this one. Russ Saxton's wife was at the desk when we got there and they got us right in. Of course, they had been expecting us since 2:30 that morning, but that's another story. :OP
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