**If you want to know more of the nitty gritty details, and about all the gross bugs and everything else that went wrong...my mom or sister or mother in law would love to tell you about it! This post is mostly the basics of what happened.**
The date was July 2, 2015. I had my weekly appointment with my OB at 11, but it wasn’t my normal OB, Doctor Stone. She was out of town. I met with Dr. Guerra. My blood pressure had been elevated the previous three appointments, but would go down if I laid down on my left side. Dr. Guerra said that she wanted to send us to B-wing because of my blood pressure. They wanted to do some tests, and if there was anything at all off, I would be induced.
We arrived at B-wing, I was anxious and worried that nothing was going as planned. We didn’t have any of our stuff at the Hospital! Our packed back was at home, waiting. We had planned to do a lot of last minute things around the house today to make sure we had everything ready and finished for when Rory got here. Those plans seemed to be thrown by the wayside of a turbulent sea, as I got hooked up to blood pressure cuff and got my blood drawn. All the while, hoping I can get some food(I had only had a small bowl of cereal, planning on getting a bigger lunch out after the appointment). The lab results came back, and there was one result that lead Dr. Guerra to choose to have me induced. This being the case, The nurses did not want to give me food unless I go into active labor.
Karlie and my mom were on their way from Utah, and had been informed of the situation. We also called the missionaries so that I could be given a blessing. Just before the IV got put into my hand, the Elders arrived and were able to help Brandon give me a blessing. During that blessing, I felt a wave of comfort wash over me. In the blessing it said that Heavenly Father was just as excited for Rory to come down here as we were. I was blessed to have angels attend me throughout this process. I was also blessed with the ability to get through labor and that everything would be alright. The doctors were blessed to be competent and aware of what to do to best help me.
I was admitted to the Hospital to be induced at 5:00. Given food at 6:00. I had not eaten anything for that entire time, causing me to be worried about my hypoglycemia. But I was happy because my mom and sister were on their way!
Mom and Karlie get in at around 10:00, and stay in a hotel across the street. The medication to induce me had yet to take any effect. The entire night cramping and labor pains started slowly, with the blood pressure cuff going off every 30 minutes and all the monitors keeping track of baby and me--all of which made sleep pretty much impossible.
The next day the progress was very slow, 1 cm per 3 hours of labor. My blood pressure continued to be very high 150/90+. That night pain was such that I asked for the epidural. I was terrified of this. I remember crying and asking Heavenly Father for help. I was so scared that I would move wrong and that something bad would happen to me, or Rory. When it came time for the needle to get put in, I distinctly felt the presence of Don Morehouse, the man who was my second father who unexpectedly passed away in 2008, giving me a big hug. Letting me know that everything was going to be alright, and that I was going to be ok, and that he missed me and that he knew my son and knew that he was perfect for our family. I was still worried, but the fear was gone.
The fear was gone, but the pain, however, was not far from me. I never had an epidural, and I knew that they took the edge off the pain, but you still had to feel something...and being as tired as I was, I never told the nurse “I am in pain.” I just said that I felt a lot of pressure, and I was shaking a lot...uncontrollable shaking, while feeling like I was burning up like an oven. My body was swelling up like a little balloon, and my blood pressure skyrocketed that night. The only thing that got me through all of it was Brandon counting out my breaths, so that I could have something to focus on. It got so that his voice was hoarse from counting, and neither of us could get sleep. The nurse kept coming in and having me move from one side to the other to keep the baby awake and not asleep. I had no way of being able to sleep.
During this entire ordeal, I was only aware of one thing, that Rory was coming. I knew that there was pain, and that I didn’t know what was going on with my body, or the nurses, or the room around me. All I knew was that sometime soon I would be able to see my little boy. That was the only thing I could think about, or else everything would topple over around me like a pile of jenga blocks tumbling over. I was so overwhelmed, tired, and in pain, that my thoughts were not coherent. The question “How would you rate your pain?” became my worst nightmare. I didn’t want to overstate my pain, but I also did not know what a 10 was...so I didn’t know what my version of that would be. I had never been in a lot of pain before in my lifetime, so it was very difficult to gauge my pain when I had no baseline of top pain except for a stupid smiley face diagram that they all had to use.
Day two of no sleep comes to a close, with Karlie and Mom with me at 5 AM. Looks of worry on their faces. The new nurse that came in at shift change (7AM) immediately recognizes that I am in pain and practically runs to get the anesthetist to add a different pain medication. The effect of this was instant. I now knew that what I was feeling was pain up in the 9s and 10s...which should have been down in the 1 range, of just pressure and nothing else. The nurse the previous night had asked if I was feeling pressure or pain….I was feeling both, so my English teacher mind picked the one that I felt most often...the pressure. The pain only came with the contractions.
Meanwhile, Brandon eats the breakfast that was meant for me, but I was in active labor at this point and couldn’t have anything but ice (even though the night nurse kept giving me apple juice to get the baby awake). This breakfast causes Brandon to feel nauseated and nearly pass out due to exhaustion.
By 10:00 on July 4th, I was fully dilated except for a small lip, and I begin pushing to get Rory past it. By 11:00 I begin pushing every contraction. Each time, I would push, I felt the presence of a different angel helping me. However, all the heavenly and earthly help I got didn't change the fact that Rory was faced the wrong way. His head was sideways. Three to four hours of pushing later, my doctor came in and told me I had two options: C-section or the vacuum suction. I felt like I should get the c-section, but everyone pushed me to do the vacuum, and then if it was needed, the c-section would be later. So...that is what I did. The vacuum did nothing...just like I somehow knew it would.
That, compared with my blood pressure, meant that I went in for an emergency c-section. I do not remember much but Brandon sitting there trying not to look over the sagging blue sheet because I asked him not to. Next thing I knew I heard my son crying. My beautiful amazing son that took so much effort to get here. Hearing that noise made all that worth it. Rory was here. Rory was here, and the nurse placed him on my chest (skin on skin in the OR is a new thing our hospital was doing, we were the third birth to have it happen). They had their hands on Rory's back to steady him, his head right under my chin, and then...he pees on me(The little Dalek)! Meanwhile, the doctor is still putting me back together, and stitching me up...unaware that Rory was on the other side of the sheet, and he would often move to where he would bump Rory sitting on my chest. Brandon tried to be a barrier between Rory and the doctor, so that seemed to help.
Rory was here!
I didn't need anything else in the world? Right? Wrong...I needed to get my blood pressure back down. Below is a picture of my and my amazing sister, who I wouldn't have been able to get through this ordeal without. I don't recognize myself. I was so bloated. My blood pressure became everyone's main concern...everyone's but mine. My concern was Rory. Because of the vacuum they used to try and get Rory here, he got jaundice earlier than most babies, and we had to have the lights in our room, and he hated them, and was constantly crying. He cried himself hoarse.
The time came, my blood pressure was lower, and Rory and I were cleared to go home on July 6th, his due date! We could be a family AT HOME!
And thus begins the biggest and most amazing change in my life....I am now a mom, and I couldn't be happier, nearly two months into it. All that we went through is something I barely remember, and only remember parts because I wrote them down earlier. I am extremely blessed to have my amazing son and husband with me everyday and nothing could make me happier!
Last but not least, I am so grateful for these two ladies, because I couldn't have gotten past that first month without them!!! Thanks Mom and Tammy!!! You're the best Grandma and Giimaa a boy could ask for! He is so lucky to have you in his life!
