The Situation Finally Revealed-Welcome Kai
I’m finally getting around to posting this story. Between trying to get in some sleep with ‘the situation’ and running around behind my pre-existing conditions, I haven’t really had a chance to get to typing. But you’re in luck, I have time tonight but I will warn you, this will be long. I’ve long confessed that I am not a writer, I just blog to share the stuff I like. Even worse, I am a horrible story teller so for your sake, I hope this all makes sense. So here goes:
The Labor of Love:
I had been having contractions for a few weeks leading up to my due date, November 20th. A few days earlier, let’s say around Thursday, the contractions were getting more intense and I kept saying to myself, if it remained like this, I might could do this with no pain medication. On Saturday, my actual due date, the contractions were heavy and becoming more frequent. At around 8pm, they were starting to come every 8 minutes. The doctor says, don’t make a move until they are about 5 minutes apart or if your water breaks. I didn’t do much that evening and I got in the bed really early. I remember feeling contractions through the night but at midnight I felt a sharp ass contraction that woke me from my sleep and about a minute or two later, I felt the warm gush of water. I couldn’t frigging believe it. I still can’t believe it. My water broke. I waited for this moment forever!!! In the history of my pregnancies, my water never broke on its own. You always see the movie where the water breaks and people break out in mass hysteria-yes I wanted this. I wanted to gently wake hubby from his sleep and say with a slight crack in my voice “Honey, I think it’s time”. But it didn’t quite go like that. I yelled out “get me a towel, I think my water just broke” but the hubby sleeps like a euthanized elephant so I had to scream, “yo, get up and grab me a damn towel, it’s time.” Useful information: Macy’s had a nice Veteran’s Day sale and I indulged in some wicked sheets. yup, those sheets were on the bed and I was so stoked that I didn’t get a drop of fluid on them. I can’t say the same for my brand new Restoration Hardware towels. Of all the towels he could grab, I’m still shaking my head. Moving on….
My bag was already packed and in the car from the day we did the version at the hospital. I threw on some old clothes and got in the car to leave. I know, my look wasn’t very Phaedra-ish (you do watch Real Housewives of Atlanta, don’t you?) but who the hell goes to the hospital all dolled up? You are in your clothes for about 5 minutes before they make you undress into a hospital gown. Seriously. We went through the emergency room because they have valet parking and when we got there the valet attendant kindly brought me a wheelchair. He was all huffing and puffing as he pushed and I started to feel a little heavy. When hubby started pushing me through the hospital, he observed the brake was still on. Duh! I knew I wasn’t that heavy. LOL
The contractions were still bearable at this point but they did hurt. It’s funny how you don’t remember pain but during the worst of the pain, I started to recall how bad it got. It’s quite possible that having Kennedy naturally increased my tolerance for pain and just as I wondered if it would get worse, in came the technician with the ultrasound machine to check her position, yet again. I knew why I called this baby ‘the situation’. Ever since I knew it was a girl, I knew I was in for a doozie. The girls in my life never just breeze in like the boy did, it’s always dramatic. What does this mean for our future? Lots of punishments. Sigh.
After this, she delivered the harsh news, the situation turned yet again and was now transverse in the womb. The doctor came in not too long after to see for herself. ‘Twas true; in order to have a vaginal delivery, she would have to be turned again or I would have to get a c-section. I was torn between being pissed and being done. I just wanted to have a baby, I really didn’t care anymore how she got out, I just wanted her out. I agreed to have another version providing they gave me an epidural. I couldn’t bear turning her again in between the once bearable contractions. All was agreed upon and we put a call in to the anesthesiologist.
This is where it starts to get hectic. With my first, I had an epidural but I also had a birth plan-drugs. I went in asking for Nubane which is like high dose Ambien and that knocked me out pretty cold. I didn’t remember getting the epidural at all with that delivery but I did. This time however, I was wide awake and this wasn’t cool. I don’t like the idea of needles and my spine. I was nervous and when he did his little “test” I flinched, which sort of made him get stern with me. With hubby’s help, epidural was in and we were setting up for a version and a c-section at the same time. The doctor informed me that if anything went wrong, we would be going in for a c-section so they were calling ahead to get the OR ready-as a precaution.
They started the version and although I couldn’t feel much, I could see all the excitement happening in my tummy. She wouldn’t stop moving. Every time they turned her, she turned another way. her heart rate dropped and the doctor no longer wanted to continue with this procedure. In addition, as they were reviewing the ultrasound during the version, it appeared as if she was stuck somehow so a c-section was now inevitable. I was relieved. Finally, a baby.
Operating rooms are cold as hell, or so I thought. I had the chills, majorly. Not sure who all the other people were in the room but I do know the anesthesiologist was there and he told me the chills were a side effect of the epidural. DAMN SON! I was freezing and trembling like crazy. I couldn’t feel anything below and this meant all systems were a go. It was hard laying there with a drape blocking your view past your chin and people stirring around in your lower parts. The doc did a great job of narrating the whole thing for me. Oxygen is flowing through my nose, I’m trembling like a mad woman, and then I hear, “I need Dr. (whatever the name was) now” Insert panic icon here. I started to get delirious and my brain is telling me to kick my legs up and get up but nothing was happening. I started to have problems breathing with the oxygen tube in my nose so I asked for it to be removed. I needed to know what was wrong. The doctor she requested arrived and she proceeded to talk to me about the situation. Baby girl was stuck, in my uterus. Apparently, I have something called a Bandel’s ring which is a muscle at the tip of the uterus that contracts and unfortunately now held my baby’s hand and leg in it’s tight grasp. I couldn’t help her and I was scared.
Moments later, with the assistance of the requested doctor, my baby was free and I heard her cries. I was so relieved. I started to cry, it was instantaneous-not sure if it’s from hormones or what but as soon as you hear that cry, you get overwhelmed with emotion. There was a lot of hustle and bustle, I could hear them talking about how pretty she was (which is such foolishness because all babies look weird at birth) and I really wanted to see her. They brought her over but I still had a ways to go to get all closed up. I couldn’t hold her but hubby was able to chill with her for a bit and he sat right next to me so I could look her over. She was perfect. So without further adieu, I present to you, Kai.
I really wanted to avoid another “K” name but Kai resonated with me. Her name means “sea” in Hawaiian. It’s symbolic of so much having to do with her birth, it just fits.
I don’t plan on using this blog to gush about her and her siblings (unless they’re rocking some hot ass gear that I must dish about) so if you want to see them, be sure to check out my Flickr or our home blog, Doing Sowell. Thanks for all the emails checking up on us. I appreciate you guys so much for reading my little space on the internet! I will follow-up with a post about the recovery from the c-section. Interesting stuff. 
Tags: baby, bandel's ring, birth story, c-section, kai, labor
