A Complicated Birthday

As I mentioned before there were complications to giving birth to Eric. I am going to do my best to tell the story with the details I recall. I am sure Jason has a different version. : )

I'll begin my story about four weeks ago. I was seeing Dr. M. complaining about feeling flushed and weak. After looking at "Dash" on the ultra sound he said he would schedule induction due to the discomfort, that the baby looked very healthy was using his lungs and at about seven pounds. He was concerned about my condition. I was on a waiting list starting July 1st. If the hospital had beds, I'd be called to come in.

Well they didn't have beds available to take me in, but I was still on the waiting list and advised that I would have the baby by the first weekend in July. The hospital told Jason on the phone that very likely we would have a July 4th baby. This really made my patriotic husband happy. He did call out often his excitement, talk of fireworks every year for a birthday, and how great it was. I had hoped for July 3rd, my father's birthday, but seeing the joy July 4th gave Jason, I let it go to see his happiness. I like to think of my dad in heaven holding my son on his own birthday getting ready to send him to me.

My mom flew in on the 3rd to be here to help me. I picked her up that afternoon. That evening we watched fireworks that were going off here in Anthem. Jason cooked a nice filet minion dinner on the grill. Then I had to wait.

Needless to say I didn't sleep well, waiting for the phone to ring. Bags were packed and ready to go. On the fourth at 1am I woke up and couldn't sleep. I kept wondering if my phone would ring. After an hour on the computer I called the hospital. The charge nurse advised she was about to call me, and to eat a light meal and come in.

I woke Jason and ate some cereal and fruit. Jason and I stopped for a prayer and blessing, said good-bye to my mom and headed to the hospital. I remember holding Jason's hand as we drove, so excited and scared. We arrived at 3am and got registered at Arrowhead hospital in Glendale, AZ. I was taken to labor and delivery room five and started on the fetal heart monitor.


A video message I recorded for Tyler before the excitement, I should have knocked on wood.

With my first nurse Sharon, I was started on a gel the begin labor. The pains started in about ten minutes. This is when trouble happened, I began to feel faint and warned Sharon I was going to pass out. My blood pressure dropped drastically low. I did not lose consciousness, but when my pressure dropped "Dash's" heart rate dropped into the 60s for seven minutes. I wasn't aware what had happened to the baby, because all of a sudden I was surrounded by five nurses, getting poked and prodded like crazy. I was put on oxygen, given two IVs, They injected me with something to stop my labor, and they inserted an internal heart monitor for the baby. They took several blood samples from me for testing. I remember telling them I was coming back. It wasn't until the excitement died, that Jason informed me what happened to the baby's rate. Then keeping calm proved difficult.

My labor started again on it's own and at about seven am the magic no pain doctor was brought in to put me on an epidural. Due to the distress they hoped putting my on this would slow labor and give Dash more time to recover. Also I wasn't very dilated.

About an hour later, I told Jason to tell my nurse I was getting faint again. When the hoards of health care workers came in, I heard comments of how white I was. I was given another shot to stop the labor. The anesthesiologist was brought back in to watch me as well. I do recall hearing them call out each minute that passed, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes. I heard my blood pressure was 60 over 47 (normally 118 over 80). His heart rate was into the 60's again. 4 minutes, I hear the nurse Colleen say "call her doctor and have her prepped for a C section". Jason said this must have pissed me off, because my color came back and things started to turn better. After the call out of seven minutes, we were both on the mend.

The medication they gave me to stop labor would make me shake like someone who drinks too much coffee. I was dilating slowly and my labor again began on it's own. At this point the fetal heart monitor machine was driving me nuts and making me crazy wondering what was wrong, so I stopped watching it, as I could tell how Dash was doing by watching Jason's face.

Dr M. came in around 10:30 when baby's heart rate dropped again on it's own. He broke my water and then flushed my uterus with saline. Dash seemed to love it and his heart rate went back up. Dr M. advised that I might have to get a c section but he was going to try for a traditional birth. He thought Dash had wrapped himself in his cord.

Around 12 I was doing well, just uncomfortable. To stabilize the baby's heart rate I was being turned from one side to the other. This was making my epidural work on one side of my body only, so half of me was feeling labor pains while the first half was numb. I couldn't move on my own because I had so many tubes, monitors, and things coming in and out of my body, so it took two nurses to rotate me plus being half numb didn't help. I later sent Jason for lunch and a walk, I just wanted to be alone. I cried for about a half hour by myself, the rest of the time I spent praying.

Later around 2 Dash's rate dropped again. This time it was over 13 minutes and went as low as 47. Again I was given the shot to stop labor. My nurse Colleen called Dr. M again and requested I have a C section. Dr. M worked on me some more and said he still hoped for a vaginal delivery. I spent the next few hours trying to remain calm, which wasn't easy as my nurse Colleen kept stressing me out and I'd cry. I hated Colleen she wasn't nice. Jason didn't like her either. She kept using the phrase 'hes in distress'. I can't wait to complain about her to the hospital.

We continued to have drops in his heart rate through the afternoon. At this point I was praying for quicker dilation. I would request to be checked often. I was even put on all fours for a while, moved around and poked and prodded. It was determined by blood work I was not anemic, so the issues still remained a mystery.

I got a new nurse Kelli, wow, now on the third shift of nurses, and they work a 12 hour day! She advised that every delivery she had was a C section for the last week. I was afraid I wouldn't break her streak!

7:15 that night I was finally at 10 dilation. Dr M. was called and confirmed the same. Next thing I know he said we are a go, took the footrest off my bed and requested a vacuum. He said due to Dash's heart rate problems, this had to go very fast. It was now 7:35. Still thinking it was a cord wrapped around his neck they were prepared to cut it. I was told the key was to get him out fast and as I pushed the doctor would vacuum or suction to get him out faster.

I was put into a position for pushing that, I don't even like to think about. I even told Dr. M. they should hang stirrups from the ceiling, he enjoyed that one. A nurse gave me quick breathing and pushing instructions. I was told to push to the count of ten. Nothing like hearing all the nurses count, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, breath in and out and push again.

We began pushing and Dr M. announced my baby had hair, he thought blond. I then was firmly told by everyone to push, breath and push again. I wasn't given much chance to rest. Ten pushes in a row and the vacuum working, he was out.

7:47 Dr M. told me to put out my arms to hold him, I wanted him cleaned up first as I needed to rest, but they put my numb arms on me and placed my son on my chest. He had marks on his head on the top right side from the vacuum.


This is when we learned the issue. Eric (as we had picked out a head of time but wanted to see him first before sticking to it) had a very short umbilical cord.
His heart rate would drop due to it becoming taught. Had we not had him induced a week early and he dropped in me naturally the cord would have become taunt and he could have died inside me. I realized Dr M. was inspired to bring him early.

So while most of you watched fireworks I was performing my own show in the hospital. Great news is Eric is perfectly healthy with no issues from the heart rate dropping. I am so blessed. I was famous at the labor and delivery as being the bad case of the day and how wonderful it turned out with the happy ending.

Jason told me I did a great job. I am glad all my prayers were answered.