mrshenderson081807: Jamison's Early Arrival

Posted Tuesday, June 02, 2009 6:30 PM

"I couldn't sleep at all. I was 35 weeks exactly at this point and I didn't know if my baby would be healthy or not..."

How it all began...

It all started in the wee hours of the morning on November 26. I woke up to extreme cramps and vomiting. I called my OB and he said to go to L&D right away. I was 33 weeks at the time. To make a long story short, they were able to stop the labor and sent me home on strict bed rest.

Fast-forward to December 4. I was laying in bed watching TV and had noticed that the baby hadn't moved all day. I drank some juice and went to lie down on my left side. No movement. I tried this once more. Still nothing. I called my OB and once again was off to L&D.

At the hospital

The first nurse I had was very rude. She acted like I was making it up that I hadn't felt him move. Since his heart rate was fine and I was only having minor contractions, she wanted to send me home. I was very adamant that I was not going anywhere until I felt him move. 

Finally, she ordered for me to get an ultrasound. While the ultrasound was taking place, the nurse was very up front with me. She kept looking for pockets of amniotic fluid and couldn't really find any. The amniotic fluid was at 3.98 cm when it is supposed to be at least at 10 cm. She went to go discuss this with my doctor and then told me that one of three things was about to happen:

1. They would keep me overnight to pump me full of IV fluids in hopes of getting the amniotic fluid levels to increase.

2. They would start an induction right away.

3. They would perform an emergency c-section.

When the nurse returned, she told me they had opted for an induction. They said the fluid levels were too low to try and increase, and the baby was not in distress at the moment, so there was no need for a c-section.

Starting to worry

I got settled in to the L&D room and they started the Pitocin. I couldn't sleep at all that night, I was so worried. I was 35 weeks exactly at this point and I didn't know if my baby would be healthy or not. The NICU charge nurse came to visit me and told me different things to expect. By now I was really scared. I just watched DH sleep all night.

The morning came and the contractions were becoming more intense. I used the labor ball to help with the pain. Finally at about 1 p.m. I couldn't take the pain anymore and asked for an epidural. They broke my water at this time as well and checked my cervix -- I was 6 cm. By 2 p.m. the epidural would only work on one side, despite me changing sides to prevent it from doing that. The came in to fix it and also decide to check my cervix again. And there I was -- 10 cm. So it was time to push!

Here comes Jamison!

I pushed for about an hour but the baby was coming down sideways and was stuck. The doctor decided to use a vacuum to get him out... and at 3:22 p.m. on December 5, 2008 my son Jamison Matthew was born. He came out crying and received a 9 on both Apgars. What a relief! They put him on my chest and I cried tears of joy! He weighed 4 lbs 15.5 ounces (they rounded it up to 5 lbs even) and was 18.5 inches long. He did not have to go to the NICU, but he end up having to be re-hospitalized at 3 days old briefly. I am so in love with him.
 

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