Sunday, January 20, 2013

Emily's Birth Story

If you haven't already heard, Emily Rebecca arrived on Jan. 17 at 5:17 pm (that's 17:17 military time!) and weighed 8 lbs. 5.6 oz and was 20 3/4 in. long.

I had my cerclage removed on Jan. 14 and while the procedure went ok a little piece was stuck in my cervix.  My doctor told me that it was still in there but that the knot was out so when I started dilating it would simply fall out.  I had contractions pretty regularly at first and was beginning to think we might just have a baby that day or at least in the next day or two when they just slowed down and then went away.  The next day my doctor checked me again just to make sure everything was ok and she said I was only dilated 1 cm.  I have to admit that I was somewhat depressed because I knew that in order for my doctor to induce me at 39 weeks I had to be 2 cm dilated.  I love being pregnant but the last few weeks are difficult and I was very ready to meet my little girl.

On Wednesday we walked a little at the mall and that night I had a few contractions but as soon as I laid down they went away.  Thursday morning the contractions started pretty early for me but I didn't want to get my hopes (or anyone else's) up.  So I timed them by myself until they started coming every 3-4 min. for about 30 min.  By the time I told my mom they were pretty intense and very regular so we warned Doug and called the doctor's office to find out when I should go to the hospital (since I have the issues with my cervix I'm a little different).  The nurse suggested that I go ahead in and just get checked so mom and I headed to the hospital and called Doug to meet us.

Here's where the story gets a little crazy and a lot miraculous.  I was having tons of very painful contractions but they weren't showing on the monitor as strong as they felt.  In addition, every time I was checked (and they checked several times because I kept complaining) I was still only 1 cm.  Just as the nurse was coming to tell me that because I wasn't progressing I had to either go home or walk around the hospital my water broke.  She checked me again and said my water was definitely broken but I was still only 1 cm dilated.  She told us she was going to get me a room (I was in a recovery area to be monitored) and would be right back.  In less than 5 min. I told Doug he HAD to get her back in the room because Emily was coming.  She came in, checked and said "how is this possible, you're complete" then she told Doug to go get help.  They got me in a room, the doctor walked in, introduced herself (mine was out sick that day) and said "ok, you can push next time you have a contraction".  It wasn't long before the next one hit me and out Emily came.

Once Doug cut the cord the doctor set to work on me.  We learned that my cervix never dilated past 1 cm.  My uterus actually ruptured, allowing her birth.  It took quite a while and another doctor to repair the damage that was done.

At first I really had no understanding of how serious it was but then I started to catch on and notice all of the amazing little miracles that led to me holding our beautiful little girl.

First the second doctor who came in just happened to be in the hospital at that moment.  He is a very experienced doctor and was able to repair my uterus without giving me a hysterectomy and without even having to take me to an operating room and sedate me.  Doug and Emily were with me the entire time.

Second, according to one of my nurses I didn't lose nearly as much blood as would have been expected considering what happened.  She said that red-heads tend to lose more blood than others but by a miracle I lost less and they were able to make the repairs instead of removing my uterus.

Third, I was still at the hospital even though I had been there for several hours without progressing at all.  All of the measurable signs said that I was not actually in labor, but the nurses could look at me and tell something wasn't quite right, even though they didn't know what it was.  I was told by several nurses that they had never seen anything like what happened to me in their entire careers.  They said they had seen uterine abruptions but never any that ended without an emergency c-section.  The nurse practitioner from the NICU (who just came to visit us because she had treated Logan) told us that most uterine abruptions don't end with such good results for both baby and mama.  And everyone, including both doctors, told me over and over again what an amazing job I had done with as little medication as I received.

We still don't know the full implications of this experience.  There's a chance that Emily was our last miracle.  But I know that God was there and orchestrated the entire thing.  And however it all works out I know His plan is perfect... down to the verse we chose for Emily before we had any idea that any of this would happen.  I personally feel like it ties this whole story together with a nice little bow:
"For You created my innermost being: You knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."  --Psalm 139:13-14