Adam's Birth Story
I woke up early in the morning on Thursday, May 1st (sometime between 2-3 am) having contractions. I got up and had a drink of water, went to the bathroom and walked around the house a bit. I tried to go back to sleep but it was difficult. I had a bath and that helped soothe my pain. By about 5 am the contractions had become less intense and I was able to go back to sleep.
That morning, I had my 39 week appointment at 9 am. I was 39 weeks and 5 days. My internal exam showed that I am about 3 cm dilated and about ½ cm effaced but baby is very high. A non stress test showed irregular contractions, mostly mild so they sent me home. I was informed to come back when my contractions got stronger (even if they are up to 15 mins apart), my water breaks, I have any discharge or pain around my incision. If nothing happens today/tonight, I am to come back in the morning and they will admit me and break my water and monitor me. Everything else at this appointment looked good, weight gain is down a little again, so since I’ve seen the dietician, I have managed to maintain my weight for the last month or so of this pregnancy.
Back at home, while having lunch and talking on the phone with my mom, I felt like my water may have broke. Turned out to be just mucous plug (more sticky than wet) and when I phoned the hospital because it is discharge but they are not concerned as it can happen days to weeks before labor begins. Later in the afternoon, my contractions started to pick up again but I was still able to lie down and take a 2 hour nap while Brad watched Ryan.
Brad’s mom planned on coming out after dinner (around 7ish) and Brad and I thought we just might need to head out to the hospital then. But suddenly my contractions stopped again. I thought about going to my monthly Babies First meeting but something made me want to stay home and spend time with Ryan and make sure that I had everything in my hospital bag.
Brad’s mom and I took Ryan out for a walk in the neighborhood and while we were walking back up our street towards the house, my contractions not only started to pick back up but at about 8:15 my water broke also. We called the hospital and got everything ready to go in. Ryan cried as we were leaving because he knew Brad and I were going in the car and he wasn’t. It was heartbreaking to know my last memories of my son as an only child were of him crying like that.
We arrived at the maternity floor of the hospital at about 9 pm. They hooked me up to the monitors and took a swab but it was inconclusive as to if my water broke or not. My contractions were about 5 minutes apart with varied intensities. The most intense contractions were about 12-15 minutes apart. The nurse said I was still only 2-3 cms dilated and she calls my doctor. My doctor arrived at about 10 pm. He was not sure my water had fully ruptured but my contractions were now about 3-5 mins apart with the most intense being about 7-9 mins apart. My doctor did an internal exam again and baby was still high, with no change in dilation or effacement despite the progress of my contractions.
My doctor said then said the words I had been dreading for weeks, months even; it was time to consider a repeat c-section that could be more controlled rather than wait and have to possibly face an emergency c-section and any associated risks. I cried at the loss of my vbac dream but I was surprisingly at peace with the idea of a controlled c-section. I almost knew it was what needed to be done. I was happy that I had been given the opportunity to go into labor on my own and knew that baby was ready to be born and not being taken from me on someone else’s schedule.
The lab tech arrived then to do some blood work, and not surprisingly, he managed to bruise my arm. I almost always bruise with blood work or iv’s. My doctor told me a little secret; he also is not keen on getting needles but he likes to give them although he doesn’t get to do it often. So he stayed and started my iv himself since I was his “special patient”. This “special patient” became a bit a long running joke between us over the next couple of days. Amazingly, the iv never bruised although I still have a mark on my hand from where he stuck me. Once my iv was in, my doctor said he was going to treat me to a shot, similar to a tequila shot. This sounded very bizarre to a very pregnant lady but it turns out he was pretty true to his word. I was given a drink just over a one ounce shot size that was the foulest thing I have ever had to drink and it had a super salty aftertaste. I think it was to help keep me from vomiting once I had my spinal since I had been eating and drinking all day and evening.
I still had my glasses on as I was pushed into the OR. What a difference that made in my experiences. I also don’t remember them putting my hair back in one of those little hats but I also had my hair braided this time where as I didn’t with Ryan. I asked one of the nurses to take my glasses but told her that I would want them once the baby was out so I could see him. Even before the birth, when we talked about and I thought about a planned c-section, I worried on how/if I would be able to handle getting the spinal without any other medications already in me. With Ryan, by the time I went into the OR, I had had a shot of fentenol and laughing gas, lots of laughing gas. But I was also having contractions one on top of each other with severe back pain and this time, that was not the case.
First, they froze my back a little, so it was not as bad as I had anticipated. There was a lot of time before Brad was allowed in. I don’t remember that from last time but Brad did, and he said that the first time, the long seeming wait worried him. With Ryan it felt like my arms where strapped in but everyone assured me they were not. I did notice this time that there are in fact arm straps but they didn’t use them. They did however, strap in my legs.
It was bizarre to watch them soak my belly with the yellow-orange antiseptic before they put up the big blue curtain. I remember feeling a little bit of pressure again as they cut into me and I could sort of feel the clamps they used. It was like a pull, pull, pull, rest, pull, pull, pull, rest. When Ryan was born, Brad said that the one thing about the c-section that he would never forget was the smell of burning flesh as they cut into me. He is right, it is a smell that will stay with you for life.
Brad said that this time, it seemed like they pushed and pulled on me a lot more than he remembered from last time. It seemed strange to him and I think it worried him a little. At 11:19, they took Adam out head first, and once his feet were out, he started to cry and didn’t seem to stop until they took him away to the nursery. He was 7 lbs and 3 ozs, and measured 22 inches. The doctor that was there for Adam said that he did great, so I assume that means his Apgar scored were in the normal range. They never told us the scores with Ryan either.
Before Brad went to the nursery with Adam, like he had with Ryan, I asked for my glasses so I could see my new son. It was great for me to be more alert this time and to have my glasses and be able to actually see my son once he was born. It didn’t seem to take too long before they had finished stitching me up and cleaning me up. Although I was tired, they kept talking to me through out the whole thing.
During the end of my surgery (cleaning up) they took the blue curtain back down and I got to watch them clean the yellow-orange antiseptic off. My doctor joked that if I was not clean enough, it wasn’t his fault as this was not normally his job but he was doing this because I was his “special patient”. I watched as the other doctor picked up what looked like a large, white chicken thigh. I was startled to realize that it was my white thigh he was holding as they cleaned up what had dipped down my sides and under me during surgery.
By midnight I was wheeled into recovery, where I stayed for one hour. I tried to stay awake to see if Brad and Adam would come see me in recovery like when Ryan was born but they never did. I drifted off for a little bit around 12:30. They woke me up as they wheeled me out of recovery and through the dark hallways of the ward to my room. They had just gotten me situated and were about to leave and go get Brad and Adam from the nursery but Brad was already waiting at the door with Adam.
Adam took to breastfeeding like a little champ and nursed right away and for a good while that night. Brad left shortly after I was taken to my room since it was already after 1 am. Adam and I stayed in the hospital for 3 days. My recovery this time was/is much easier in many respects. I felt and looked much more like myself even that first day. By 4 pm the next day I was already up out of bed and walking so they took out my catheter. The second day was even better and after he visited with me, my doctor changed my pain medication notations on my chart. I probably over did it as I got up, washed my face, brushed my teeth and hair and changed into my own pajamas. When I called and asked for something for the pain the nurse let me know that my choices were either extra strength Tylenol or a shot of morphine- nothing in between. I took the shot of morphine. I didn’t think the Tylenol would help.
On my third and last day, I expected my doctor to arrive early in the morning to check me before I was discharged. However, he had been on call the night before, so it was mid afternoon before he came by to check on me and sign my discharge papers. I was all packed up, washed up, dressed and ready to go. With Ryan, I had dissolvable stitches on all incisions. My outer scar with Ryan healed very nicely, much nicer than I thought it would. However, in the operating room my doctor discovered that I had more scar tissue inside than he would have thought given how well I had healed outside. It made him very glad that I had agreed to the controlled c-section when I had, since more scar tissue could be an indicator of higher risk for scar rupture during a vbac. The amount of scar tissue also made it so that this time I needed to have staples to close my outer incision. Before I was discharged, my doctor took a swab of my incision to test for infection and he removed half of my staples. The swab grew two different bacteria so I am now on antibiotics for infection again, and I had the rest of my staples removed last Friday.
Here are a couple of other pictures of Ryan, Adam, Brad and I.
Adam in the hospital the day after he was born:
Coming home from the hospital:
Ryan holding his little brother:
Assorted photos:
A special gift from some special friends:
Don't know how I haven't managed to kill the plant yet though. I do not have a green thumb at all. But it is such a beautiful plant that I am trying really hard to keep it alive!
You would think someone was surprised we had another boy...this balloon bouquet was so big!
Since our previous 2 boys were born via c-sections after unsuccessful labours, we went the planned c-section route with Anthony. So early (5am) on the 18th of March, Brad and I woke up and headed to the hospital. I was officially 38wks and 6 days. It had snowed/sleeted the day before and through the night so the roads were wet and a little slick. They had told us to be at the hospital, registered and upstairs on the 3rd floor for 6 am so we could be in the operating room first thing- but it didn't quite go that way.
Even with a planned c-section, apparently they need to hook you up to the monitors and check on mommy and baby before surgery. They needed to take blood again (two days before hand they took 3 or 4 viles of it), and start an iv. I've always been afraid of needles. I remember when they put in my iv with Ryan I thought to myself "Yay! My last needle for a long time." Little did I know they would draw blood again a couple of days later- or that I would get a spinal a couple of hours later when we went into the operating room for c-section #1. I don't think anyone tells you about all the needles during pregnancy and birth. There are a lot...at least I've always had a lot. But that is besides the point. My point is starting an iv. I've gotten used to needles. I even had myself more or less pumped for the spinal again (more about that in a bit!). What I was not prepared for, was the botched attempts at starting an iv at 6 in the morning. This was not the first time I have been on the unsuccessful side of starting an iv. Long story short...freshman year of University, week one, parents in Florida, middle of the night trip to the ER at the U of A hospital and three attempts at starting an iv...my hands and arms were black and blue for weeks. This time, two third floor nurses, two attempts each and still no iv. They brought up a nurse from the ER and she finally was able to get my iv in...weird spot too I thought, in my hand, by my thumb. 
It was frustrating and alarming for me that the iv was not going well because I was afraid that meant the spinal wouldn't go well either. Maybe my own nerves were playing a part in it, but I was trying to be as calm, cool and collected about it. But after failed attempt #2, I started to loose it. And if you've never had a failed iv attempt or a blown vein, let me just say, I don't recommend it. My dr. came in then, and asked why we weren't already in the OR. We just left it at, "we're having a couple of issues this morning". They tell me I was even having contractions; I don't know if that was to make me feel better, or if it was true but I do know I wasn't feeling them. Although that wouldn't be a first for me either! 
Once we were in the OR, it was time for the spinal. I had a different anaesthesiologist this time and after our pre- op meeting I was a little worried. It's not that I doubted her abilities, it was just she was someone new doing this to me, and since this was a scheduled c-section for the first time, we had the pre-op meeting and she went over all the "what if's" and worst case scenario- these were things I never had been told previously. For instance, I was informed that she would only try twice to get the spinal in, and if she wasn't able they would put me under general and because of the small size of my mouth, that might mean the loss of a tooth or two as they tried to put in the breathing tube. For me this was a scarier than heck thought! I couldn't stop thinking about it for the days between our pre-op meeting and my c-section. When the nurses started having difficulties putting in my iv, I grew less and less confident that things would go well in the OR. 
I am extremely happy to report however, that things went amazingly in the OR and the anaesthesiologist was an excellent member of my surgical team. I had a brief wave of nausea before they began but she was able to give me something for it. I felt a little more this time than the other times but it wasn't painful. With Ryan I couldn't remember feeling anything; with Adam I felt the cutting open but it didn't hurt (it felt more like someone drawing on me); this time I could feel the cutting again (again not painful) and I also felt the pulling and tugging as they took the baby out. Just after 8 in the morning, baby Anthony Murphy was pulled out. (You may notice that some of the pictures are time stamped for 7:41am but that is because I had the settings on my camera wrong.) 
Like always Brad went with the baby while I was stitched up, cleaned up and moved to recovery. I was very tired in recovery and tired to rest a bit but I watched the clock very carefully and hoped that the nurses would allow Brad to bring Anthony in to see me (with Ryan, Brad was able to bring him into recovery with me but not with Adam). I was moved from recovery to my room and thankfully one of the daytime nurses remembered me and got an electronic bed for me (much easier for me to get in and out of) but it wasn't quite as nice as the electronic bed I had with Adam (but much nicer than the crank style bed I had with Ryan). Brad was still in the nursery with Anthony and so I sent one of the nurses to go find them for me. I began to get very nauseous back in my room and in fact did get sick a couple of times. Brad stayed for a little bit but then he went home to let everyone know Anthony was here and to let us get some rest. He also needed some rest since it had been a very early morning. 
Later that day, Brad came back and brought the boys and my mom to come visit us. They were officially our first visitors. Adam was very happy to see me. Ryan and Adam were very happy to meet Anthony and fell in love with him instantly. We had a nice visit but I was very tired and I was ok with them leaving once the nurses brought me my supper. I was surprised that they brought me a sandwich for supper since I didn't think I was allowed "real" food yet and was still feeling a little nauseous. I did eat the rest of my supper though as it was liquidy (soup, jello and milk). The nurses agrred to take my sandwich and put it in the fridge in case I wanted it later. Anthony and I had a more or less quiet night alone getting to know each other. There were a couple of "code reds" that I remembered hearing later in the evening and that put me a little on edge. I did ask for my sandwich a little later that evening. 
The next day, the nurses came and removed my catheter and they put a lock on my iv and unhooked me allowing me to get up and move about a bit. I put on my own pyjamas (so nice, thanks mom for the cozy pants), and watched a movie. After lunch, I read a little of one of my books (more Christmas gifts) and had a nap. Then Brad's mom arrived to visit her newest grandson. We had a nice visit with her alone at first before Brad, my mom and the boys arrived again. Brad was surprised to see me up and moving around and that I had even gotten dressed. Again, everyone left as the nurses brought me supper but thankfully my mom bought me a couple of snacks from the snack vendor lady before they left. Brad came back later that evening and we watched a movie before they made him leave. I was so hungry later that night, I was glad for the snacks mom had bought for me. I watched another movie or two that night and read a little in my book.
I don't know if it was all the movement that day, but I just couldn't get comfortable in bed that night. I hated bothing the nurses to help me all the time and sometimes I would push the call button and it would take a long time for someone to either come help me or bring what I asked for- if they came at all. I was very greatful that at one point after I had nursed Anthony, they took him for a bath and his stats and kept him with them for a bit at the nurses station allowing me a little sleep. I was a little apprehensive about having him away from me, but the sleep was welcomed.
The rest of the night did not go as well. I still had difficulty getting into a nice sleeping position while Anthony was with me, I couldn't put him in the bassinet on my own and the nurses wouldn't come and help me with it because they didn't realize that I couldn't reach it properly on my own. Before breakfast came the next morning, I had already called Brad and begged him to come and help me sooner rather than later. I also warned him that if Dr H came by I was going to ask to be released. As nice as the quietness of the hospital was, I felt very alone at the hospital and was anxious to get home where I could get help when I needed it. And there is something to be said about sleeping in your own bed, even if it isn't an electric bed. 
When my doctor came by to check on Anthony and I that morning, he was ok with releasing me since I had help at home. He gave me a prescription for some pain relievers and my discharge papers, including when to come and get my staples removed. Brad and I still had some paperwork to fill out, including officially naming Anthony, and I still needed to shower before we went home. A shower is not an easy thing to do after surgery like this. Especially when you are trying to remove all the sticky tape residue. We dressed Anthony in his coming home outfit and then we left. As an aside note- while dressing Anthony, his little ankle bracelet slipped off his foot. The same ankle bracelet they are supposed to compare to my bracelet before allowing us to leave. Thankfully I was able to slip it back on him. 
We stopped to fill my prescription on the way home and grabbed lunch from the Tim Hortons drive thru. The boys stayed up (it was nap time) until we came home (and I had brought them home a treat from Tim Hortons) to welcome Anthony and I home. After a light lunch, everyone had a little nap. Home sweet home- to begin our journey as a party of five!
