This posting is for your entertainment, however it is mostly for myself. Below is a copy of my lucid birth plan with Ian that I copied and pasted from the blog in 2007, followed by what really happened. My apologies in advance for the horrid grammatical errors. I am simply typing in a stream of what I can recall.
Beloveds:
Today marks 28 weeks I am with child; weight gain: plenty. The baby is moving a lot. It pushes extremely hard on my right side, I feel as though I could pass out. Now that I am officially into the third trimester, I am beginning to have delusions of how my labor and delivery will be. Allow me to entertain you with the vision of how I intend to choreograph the auspicious occasion...
Stage 1 - Labor
Lighting - dim
Music - classical and reminiscent of my ballet days, and the theme song from the movie 2010.
Mood - calm, yet anxious
Drugs - plenty
Stage 2 - Delivery
Lights - show time
Music - variety: Diana Ross, "I'm Coming Out;" Stevie Wonder, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered;" Gloria Gaynor, "I will Survive;" etc. I am taking suggestions, though I plan to have this baby out in 3 songs.
Mood - freaked out and spastic
Drugs - keep 'em comin'
Stage 3 - Post Delivery
Lighting - bright
Music - still working on the selection, but I do know "At Last" will be playing...
Mood - parched, I'd like a martini... extra dirty, please.
Drugs - are you kidding? Insurance is paying for this good stuff, keep 'em coming.
As with any production, I reserve the right to modify this work in progress.
Today marks 28 weeks I am with child; weight gain: plenty. The baby is moving a lot. It pushes extremely hard on my right side, I feel as though I could pass out. Now that I am officially into the third trimester, I am beginning to have delusions of how my labor and delivery will be. Allow me to entertain you with the vision of how I intend to choreograph the auspicious occasion...
Stage 1 - Labor
Lighting - dim
Music - classical and reminiscent of my ballet days, and the theme song from the movie 2010.
Mood - calm, yet anxious
Drugs - plenty
Stage 2 - Delivery
Lights - show time
Music - variety: Diana Ross, "I'm Coming Out;" Stevie Wonder, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered;" Gloria Gaynor, "I will Survive;" etc. I am taking suggestions, though I plan to have this baby out in 3 songs.
Mood - freaked out and spastic
Drugs - keep 'em comin'
Stage 3 - Post Delivery
Lighting - bright
Music - still working on the selection, but I do know "At Last" will be playing...
Mood - parched, I'd like a martini... extra dirty, please.
Drugs - are you kidding? Insurance is paying for this good stuff, keep 'em coming.
As with any production, I reserve the right to modify this work in progress.
What REALLY happened...
It was our 39th week check up. We met with my OB, Dr. Weinstein, in the morning. He did the usual OB questioning and prodding.
Dr. Weinstein asked, "So, what week did the Maternal-Fetal specialist say they didn't want you going past?" "39 weeks," I replied.
Dr. Weinstein followed up with, "And what week is today?"
Matt and I responded in unison, "39 weeks."
At that point, I was connected to a monitor to see if I would be admitted to the hospital right away, or later in the evening. My mind was racing. I couldn't be admitted then. I was working from home that day and was already logged into the network. I had laundry to finish, groceries to shop for, my hospital bag still needed to be packed. Matt and I still hadn't decided on a name for the baby. We liked "Ian" for a boy. What about a second name for a boy? And girl? We liked "Morgan" well enough, but never decided on a second name for a girl. It was in the OBs office that Matt asked, "What do you think about the name 'Walter'?" Ian Walter. Ian Walter Hills. I loved it; absolutely loved it. Still, we didn't come up with a girl name because Dr. Weinstein came in to let us know I would be admitted later in the evening. We were told to go home and wait for a call when a hospital room would be available.
So, while at home, Matt and I did more pacing than packing, pondering, or preparing. Time tick-tocked by until Matt finally suggested we have a nice dinner out since it will be our last as DINKs. We went to Violette's, French cuisine, and I got to indulge in a "last supper" since I was to be starved prior to the giving birth. Just as we finished our dessert, we got the phone call from the informing us that a room was available and we should make our way to the hospital.
Once admitted, the room I was in was a birthing suite, ie large TV, DVD/VHS, radio, bay window, wood floors.
10P - An IV was started immediately and I was given Cervidil (aka dial-o-cervix thanks to Matt) to start dilation.
6A - the next morning, the Cervidil was removed and I had dilated 2 cm.
8A - a Pitocin drip was started to kick up the contractions. I was also given two Ambien CR to get more rest in preparation for pushing. I could not, for the life of me remain awake. By that point, my mom, my sister, my brother, Daniel, and Matt's mother arrived. The birthing suite had plenty of room to accommodate everyone comfortably. When I WAS awake, I did attempt to talk to everyone present only to fall back asleep. When the sleeping pills wore off, Matt and I strolled the hallway to in attempts to speed up dilation (as we were told). I did feel some contractions throughout the day but not anything too painful. I thought to myself, "I can handle this! This isn't as bad as I had expected."
6P - the doctor came in to check my progress. The doses of Pitocin drip I was on since 8A had been increased throughout the day until 6P, that's ten hours. In that ten hours I had dilated ALMOST another .5 cm. I wasn't even 2.5 cm after ten hours of the magic potion! I never went beyond stage 1 labor. Not only that, the baby was getting bigger. According to the doctor, he predicted the baby would be well over 8 lbs. He said, "Well, we've given it the ol' college try." In the end he said they would do a c-section. A C-SECTION!
*pause*
Wait a minute. I did not do any research on c-section, ie how to prepare, what to expect, what the recovery will be like, etc. I was expecting preparations would start immediately. Not so. An emergency c-section came up, and I was pushed back. However, when my time came, preparations happened quickly.
Enema! Yes, enema. As soon as I got up to use the bathroom, my mucus plug dislodged. Greeaat.
Shave! Yes, shave, to prepare for the incision. Bikini cut, please.
Epidural. Wasn't prepared for the shakes. I was told to give into the shakes.
In the OR, I'm placed in "Easter Position." I hear tools clanging and voices speaking over head. Where is my husband? Where is Matt? I think to myself no one is minding me. So, I speak in a loud voice, "BIKINI CUT, PLEASE!" Next thing I know, Matt is at my right, and the anesthesiologist to my left. I'm told that I will feel some tugging and pulling but no pain. The tugging and pulling happen without pain. I assume this is when the baby's head is birthed. Then a few minutes later, I am told I will feel some more tugging and pulling. I assume this is the rest of the baby. Then the doctor announces "this is a big boy!" A few moments later I feel a really warm baby's face next to mine. Then I pass out. I wake up in the Recovery Room. I touch my stomach assuming it will be bloated, but it is flat! I have no idea how long I have been out. I'm crying. I've never been through major surgery before. Matt dares to say in a hopeful tone, "Well, I guess we aren't going to do this again." How can he say this in the heat of the moment??? After that everything else is a blur. I recall Matt showing me pictures of Ian. I couldn't believe we were blessed to bring a new soul into this world. Ian was born at 10:11P. I don't recall what time it was by the time I was actually placed in our room. Obviously, it had to be late. I don't even recall if I saw my family after the surgery. According to my sister, they weighted a long while for me because there wasn't a room available yet to transfer me from the recovery room. However, they did get to see Ian in the nursery. The first time I saw my son and held him in my arms wasn't until 6A the next morning, when Matt told me the nurse had brought "our son" to us. "Our son." I still get a warm fuzzy each time I recall Matt saying those words to me.
10P - An IV was started immediately and I was given Cervidil (aka dial-o-cervix thanks to Matt) to start dilation.
6A - the next morning, the Cervidil was removed and I had dilated 2 cm.
8A - a Pitocin drip was started to kick up the contractions. I was also given two Ambien CR to get more rest in preparation for pushing. I could not, for the life of me remain awake. By that point, my mom, my sister, my brother, Daniel, and Matt's mother arrived. The birthing suite had plenty of room to accommodate everyone comfortably. When I WAS awake, I did attempt to talk to everyone present only to fall back asleep. When the sleeping pills wore off, Matt and I strolled the hallway to in attempts to speed up dilation (as we were told). I did feel some contractions throughout the day but not anything too painful. I thought to myself, "I can handle this! This isn't as bad as I had expected."
6P - the doctor came in to check my progress. The doses of Pitocin drip I was on since 8A had been increased throughout the day until 6P, that's ten hours. In that ten hours I had dilated ALMOST another .5 cm. I wasn't even 2.5 cm after ten hours of the magic potion! I never went beyond stage 1 labor. Not only that, the baby was getting bigger. According to the doctor, he predicted the baby would be well over 8 lbs. He said, "Well, we've given it the ol' college try." In the end he said they would do a c-section. A C-SECTION!
*pause*
Wait a minute. I did not do any research on c-section, ie how to prepare, what to expect, what the recovery will be like, etc. I was expecting preparations would start immediately. Not so. An emergency c-section came up, and I was pushed back. However, when my time came, preparations happened quickly.
Enema! Yes, enema. As soon as I got up to use the bathroom, my mucus plug dislodged. Greeaat.
Shave! Yes, shave, to prepare for the incision. Bikini cut, please.
Epidural. Wasn't prepared for the shakes. I was told to give into the shakes.
In the OR, I'm placed in "Easter Position." I hear tools clanging and voices speaking over head. Where is my husband? Where is Matt? I think to myself no one is minding me. So, I speak in a loud voice, "BIKINI CUT, PLEASE!" Next thing I know, Matt is at my right, and the anesthesiologist to my left. I'm told that I will feel some tugging and pulling but no pain. The tugging and pulling happen without pain. I assume this is when the baby's head is birthed. Then a few minutes later, I am told I will feel some more tugging and pulling. I assume this is the rest of the baby. Then the doctor announces "this is a big boy!" A few moments later I feel a really warm baby's face next to mine. Then I pass out. I wake up in the Recovery Room. I touch my stomach assuming it will be bloated, but it is flat! I have no idea how long I have been out. I'm crying. I've never been through major surgery before. Matt dares to say in a hopeful tone, "Well, I guess we aren't going to do this again." How can he say this in the heat of the moment??? After that everything else is a blur. I recall Matt showing me pictures of Ian. I couldn't believe we were blessed to bring a new soul into this world. Ian was born at 10:11P. I don't recall what time it was by the time I was actually placed in our room. Obviously, it had to be late. I don't even recall if I saw my family after the surgery. According to my sister, they weighted a long while for me because there wasn't a room available yet to transfer me from the recovery room. However, they did get to see Ian in the nursery. The first time I saw my son and held him in my arms wasn't until 6A the next morning, when Matt told me the nurse had brought "our son" to us. "Our son." I still get a warm fuzzy each time I recall Matt saying those words to me.
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