Stacey's Birth of Alyssa

Alyssa’s birth

My daughter’s pregnancy was definitely not an easy one but very worth it in the end. I must start at the beginning to tell our story so here it is. Sorry it is very long:

It all started July 15^th 2011. I had been on birth control for over three months. I was recently diagnosed with Degenerative disk disease and told to not have anymore children as it would be extremely hard on my back. I had also worked really hard over the previous months and had lost 60 lbs which I was very proud of myself for. I believe it was this weight loss that helped me get through my pregnancy.

Anyways I had just gone to the doctor to talk about an easier birth control. I was to come back the following week for my first shot of depo. Well he had said my period should have started but we would go ahead and start anyways because my periods were already irregular. My last one lasting three weeks. When I got home I kept thinking about the fact that my period was late and not just a day or two. More like two weeks. So I took a test and what do ya know, POSITIVE! I ran right back into my doctors office that day and they gave me a blood test. His receptionist called me the next day and confirmed. She also changed my appointment date for two weeks later and sent me for an ultrasound for dating and making sure the baby was ok.  After all I had been on birth control for three months.

I went to my ultrasound and was told I was seven to eight weeks pregnant and the baby looked great. I was given a due date of March 19^th, 2012.  I was very happy that my baby was healthy but I was extremely worried about my back. The risks they told me about and how come I shouldn’t have another baby. So at my appointment I had a very long talk with my doctor.  He decided that the right thing for the two of us would be a c-section as we feared that my back could barely handle the weight of the baby let alone contractions. This was proven later on.

Well from then on things seemed fine. Barely any morning sickness buts lots of cravings for pizza lol which led me to think I was having a boy. Boy was I wrong. Two months went by and everything was going good. Weight gain was perfect; baby was growing nicely, no extra back pain. And I found out on Halloween that I was having a girl. Then the whole family got sick with Strep throat, myself included. It would not let up. At 21 weeks pregnant I was so sick and could barely move. My friends whom are also my neighbors came over and decided I needed to go to the hospital. My friend drove me in and my other friend watched my kids. Well at the hospital they found that my strep throat was not just strep throat anymore. I had pneumonia. And as an added kicker I was leaking amniotic fluid from coughing so much. Here I thought it was urine.

So they kept me for five days on IV medications. A couple days after being admitted they started talking about sending me to London in case I delivered her due to the leak. Luckily that did not happen but I did get a scare one night when out of the blue I started contracting really hard. I kept thinking ok this is it. They didn’t do much which scared me more.  I remember talking to my mom on the phone curled up in a ball praying that my little girl was stronger than this and that this was not it. I passed out from complete exhaustion and woke up the next morning with no contractions. They were gone. I truly believe someone up there was watching out for us. Well after that my pneumonia seemed to be breaking down and healing and since I had no more contractions my doctor decided to let me go home on strict bed rest. I also had to come back at the end of the week for steroid shots just in case.

Well we made it to the shots and out of pure luck we made it to Christmas. I thought for sure I would have been two hours away for Christmas the way the doctors were talking when I was in the hospital. But here we were and we had a huge dinner with all my family and friends and I was even able to get all my Christmas shopping done thanks to a lot of help from my friends and family of course.

Shortly after Christmas I stopped leaking. It was unreal. It felt like things were going great finally. My doctor even told me I could go off bed rest. The next month went by quickly. I finished all my shopping for the baby and felt ready for my last month of pregnancy.

Well then went my back. My goodness I felt as if I couldn’t stand to live. The pain was unbearable. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for awhile now but they were stronger and with each contraction my back would scream. Finally I could take it no more. My friend brought me to the hospital. They gave me hot blankets and a shot of Demerol and gravel then sent me home. This was Thursday Feb 16^th. I had an appointment to see my OB on Wed Feb 22^nd. That whole week I was in so much pain and nothing would help. Contractions followed by horrible back pain. I could barely walk. Getting up and sleeping was the most difficult of tasks. I went to see my doctor on Wed and it was so jammed in there. I had to wait around two hours and by the time I got in I was practically in tears from the pain and my bp was elevated due to this.  After talking to my doctor he decided there was no reason to stay pregnant any longer.  So he stripped my membrane but just in case it didn’t work he scheduled my c-section for March 13^th. He was hoping my water would break and I would deliver my daughter in the next couple days. Well that didn’t happen. Instead my pain got worse and I ended up in the hospital that Friday for pain control. I was admitted and put on IV. Finally I got some relief.

Well on Sunday it all began. My dad had come out just hours before for a visit. He lives a little ways out so it was a nice surprise. After my dad left I had dinner then went to the washroom. Well I got to get up and POP! And then it went all over the floor. I thought no way that wasn’t my water breaking. So I cleaned myself up and got back in bed. As soon as I laid down, there went another gush. Ok now that is definitely my water. I rang the nurse’s bell and my wonderful nurse came running in. She was one of my favourites.  She checked me and confirmed it was my water. She did an NST and it showed consistent contractions to go with. Yay! it looked like I would get to meet my little girl soon. Well she knew I was to go for a c-section so she brought down all her findings immediately to the doctor on call. Not mine. Mine was in Aruba on vacation. Lol. He failed to tell me this before stripping my membranes lol. Anyways no big deal. Well while my nurse was off doing what she needed to do she had told me to call my family before she left so that is what I did. I called everyone. My mother, brother and my son was there in minutes. So excited. My mother in law was on her way with my girls and my friends were also on their way.

Well next thing I knew I was in labor and delivery and they were preping me for my c-section.  Changing my IV, I was on the monitor. They said because I had dinner I had to wait five hours for surgery. Great. Well we were waiting for the anesthesiologist to come in to get me ready there was a shift change. And the most unfriendly nurse walked in. I remember my mom saying. Wow what’s up with her. Well after her being my nurse for all of a half hour she comes into my room and starts asking me all these questions. I was now only dripping not gushing but that was after five hours from the time my water broke. My contractions were still not going up in intensity but that’s fine because I needed pitocin for three of my other kids. She was really worked up over this. I really wasn’t getting why she was freaking out. She then announced to the room that she didn’t think my water is broken now mind you this was already confirmed by the previous staff. Anyways all of a sudden the doctor comes in. They put me on stirrups.  But don’t bother to lock them in so when the doctor asked me to move down I did but took the stirrups with me. The doctor put the speculum in and tests for fluid. It comes out the same color as before. Then out of nowhere he pulls the speculum out. Barely undoing it so yep I got a nice cut from that one. I remember letting out a nice screech. He then cleans up and says he see no fluid coming from my cervix so I wasn’t getting my c-section that night. He said that I could go back to my room, have a pain pill and I could deal with the doctor in the morning.

I kept saying I don’t understand, I don’t understand. I gushed, I’ve been leaking there is contractions light but there. They tested me and confirmed. The doctor was rude and came around and told I was not having the baby tonight and that was it. I was so upset. I looked at the nurse and said please explain this to me. She was so rude. She told me that the test can be positive if it was pee. I told her I was not an idiot and know how those tests work. She said well then it was a faulty test. I told her it was the same color as it was now and she brushed me off. All my family was at the hospital. The original nurse told me to call my family. I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink for hours. And for what? Nothing! I was devastated. But then things got worse. The nurse was getting crueler by the second. Basically calling me a liar. My mother mentioned that my doctor stripped my membranes and she looked right at me and said he didn’t do that. That he wouldn’t do that because I was to have a c-section. I yelled at her and told her she didn’t know what she was talking about. The conversation got very heated and she got right in my face. I just couldn’t take the crap anymore. I screamed right in her face to get the hell out mine. Just before this argument I had my mother tell the nurse to come take my IV out that I was leaving and going home. I was just so upset. They even tried blaming the sweet nurse that brought me in. Well the nasty nurse came in and took my IV out but she wasn’t watching what she was doing and just put a band aid on me and walk out. Well my hand ended up bleeding out all over me and the floor. After the big argument I grabbed my bag, walked out of L&D and asked my friend to drive me home all well my hand was bleeding out. Luckily I am a medical assistant so I fixed my hand myself quickly. Everyone was upset. I could still hear my family asking the doctor and nurse question after question.

I got to the elevator and another gush hit me. Now I’m gushing again and in pain and bleeding everywhere and they wont do shit. My friend brought me home and my kids went with my mom. I was so upset I couldn’t talk to anyone. My family showed up shortly after and put the kids to bed and cleaned up. I fell asleep to the sounds of my family walking around the house and talking about what had just happened. That night was horrible. Contractions, bleeding, light leaking, then waking up soaked. I really didn’t know what to do.  8 am on Feb 27^th 2012 my mother convinced me to call my doctors office. My doctor still wasn’t back in but his partner was and since I had an appointment that day I called in. They already had all the information and begged me to come in immediately. I was hesitant but the nurse was so upset over what had happened and promised me I would be in good hands. So I agreed.  I brought my mom and asked her not to leave me for a minute. I was scared to be treated like I was the night before.

Well the doctor came in shortly and helped me on the table. He said he had to put the speculum in but I started crying. It hurt badly last time and told him this. He promised to be very careful. Well I was so nervous and must have cramped up my stomach that I leaked all over him. I thought I peed on him from nerves at first but he assured me it was amniotic fluid. He also did an in office ultrasound and confirmed that my fluid was dramatically down. He told me that my c-section was being bumped up and he would be right back in to tell me the time. Well he came in and my mom and I were talking. He said ok I scheduled you for 5pm tonight. My mom just turned around and said really? He smiled and said yes.  I remember just before he went out to schedule the c-section I was tearing up and said I wish my doctor was here and that I thrust him he is really good to me. My doctors partner looked at me and said its ok but you need to thrust in me now. You can thrust me. He made me feel so much better. Well this was early morning so now we needed to get my stuff together and set up someone to pick the kids up from school so my mom could be there for me when I went in. I had to be at triage for 2:30pm to prep for surgery. I was so excited but nervous. I told my mom I was exhausted and needed to sleep. So I went home tidied up a little and went to bed. Mind you still in alot of pain. My mother picked me up for just after 2pm and we headed to the hospital. It was so nice to be doing this with my mom by my side.

We got to triage just after 2:30pm after registering downstairs. They brought me up by wheel chair as I was still in pain and it was just easier and they insisted. I was handed over to a woman whom introduced herself as Alyssa. When she said her name I asked her to repeat herself and when she did I told her what I was naming my daughter. Wow what a coincidence. Then the nurse came in. Alyssa and I had been talking but last night’s events had not come up just yet. Not until the other nice nurse came in. She brought up that I had been there the past few days but didn’t understand why I was coming from home. I assumed they already knew so I said I left last night after what happened. The nurse didn’t understand and asked me to explain. Recalling that night was difficult and so I was tearing up while telling her. The nurse looked like she was going to hit someone. She apologized for what I went through and told me that would have never happened on her clock. NEVER! The nurse looked at Alyssa and asked her to get to the bottom of this. I was then let in on the fact that Alyssa as young as she was, which I thought she might have been a student was actually in charge of the whole department. Unreal. She was so nice and told me she wanted me to report the nurse and the doctor and promised that my experience from here on out would be as pleasant as possible and she would make sure of it. She never left my side. What a wonderful women.

I then met the nurse that was going to be in the operating room with me and we went through the details of my surgery. Then the anesthesiologist was brought in to do my IV and to find out a few more things from me. We decided on spinal intravenous. He said it would do no harm to my back condition. He was right. If anything it helped. They then brought me in. My mom on one side with the operating nurse and Alyssa standing next to us. The whole surgery went by so fast. But I remember them having me sit on the edge of the table to put the IV in my back. Laying me down then having a warm fuzzy feeling that I can only describe as wearing very warm heated pants that covered my feet. It was a little much for me at first. The warm feeling climbed a little and the anesthesiologist showed me how to breathe so I would be comfortable. Once I got the hang of it I was very comfortable. I was very nervous though. I had heard horror stories and people saying how they could feel alot of pressure and felt them cut them.

I kept saying in tears I don’t want to feel them cut me. Please don’t let me feel it. My mom was holding my arm gently and Alyssa was holding my hand. Alyssa then announced ok your baby is coming out your going to hear her.  I said what they already cut me. She smiled and said yes it’s almost all over.  She later told me she didn’t want to tell me when they were cutting me because I was so nervous. She definitely made the right call. Well just then I heard my baby girl let out her first cry. I was in awe. The feeling I had at that moment was of complete love. It was so overwhelming. I just kept saying I wanted to see her. They said she was small which was weird because my uterus was measuring so large and she was estimated as 7-8 pounds through ultrasounds. Just shows how off those machines can be with weight. Anyways I could hear her being taken care of and my mom and I were all teary eyed waiting for her. Alyssa then told me that they were almost finished and my placenta was out. She then started giving me the play by play which was nice now that I knew I wasn’t going to feel much. They brought my daughter over and handed her over my mom so I could see her. My hands were strapped down so I couldn’t touch her at first. The nurse immediately released my one arm so I could touch my daughter’s sweet face. I kissed her and then they handed my mom my daughter.

They called over that she was born at 6:07pm and weighed 5 lbs 12 ozs and was nineteen inches long. Wow I really did think she was alot bigger than that. So my mom and I drooled over my precious daughter for a little while, while they worked on me. I was holding my daughter when Alyssa said she had to hand her to my mom for a minute that I was going to start feeling some pushing and pulling and pressure because they were about to tie my tubes. My little girl is my fifth so I had decided since I was going to have a c-section they might as well tie my tubes at the same time. Sure enough I did but I wasn’t uncomfortable. It was just a weird feeling. It kind of felt as if they laid a box on my upper abdomen and was rummaging around in it. Seriously did not hurt just was a weird sensation. They were done this in a short time and the next thing I heard was the operating nurse saying they were stitching me up and my doctors partner saying good bye and congratulations. What a nice man. I never did meet the other doctor that assisted but that was ok I didn’t need to I know his name and he obviously did a good job.  They then took the curtain down from where my head was and a nurse told me she was cleaning me up. She smiled and said the operating stuff they put on my belly was sticky and everywhere and just didn’t want to come off. LOL and said she hoped she wasn’t making me uncomfortable as she knew I could feel a little now. It just felt like she was rubbing my belly. No big deal and I told her that. 

My daughter was brought into another room to check her over for a moment. I was 37 weeks on the dot when she was born so they just wanted a quick stat report on her and would bring her back by the time I left the operating room. I told my mom to go with her.

The nurses were so sweet. They moved me very quickly and got me dressed in record time. Just as they were about to wheel me to recovery my beautiful daughter was handed back to me. We went straight into recovery and we were checked over in there.  I couldn’t move which was really weird to me. The nurse asked me to try moving my toes but nothing I did would move them. She said that was fine and it would come back soon enough. She then left me saying congratulations. Alyssa left then too. I thanked her for being so good to me. That she really changed my view on the hospital for the good once again. They washed my daughter up a little, changed her bum and handed her back to me. My mom then told me that the waiting room was jammed with family and friends and that the kids were there.  My dad, my friends, my kids, everyone. I was so excited and apparently they were too. They just couldn’t wait to see her so my mom took a quick video of my daughter Alyssa (I will refer to her by her name from here on out) I asked if I could nurse Alyssa and the nurse said if I was up for it that I could for sure. She put me to a semi sitting position and handed me Alyssa. I went to nurse her and squirted the poor girl in the eye. Both the nurse and I were very surprised. She said in all the time she worked in there she had never seen a new mother squirt out milk like that. That usually it will take a few days for that to happen. Funny that happened several times in the hospital. (Poor kid, lol) Well Alyssa latched on like a champ, like she knew exactly what she needed to do and filled up quickly. It was a lovely experience nursing my beautiful girl for the first time. Well after I finished nursing they decided to clean me up again and Alyssa and wheeled us out.

Oh what a sight it was to be wheeled out of recovery and past the waiting room. The whole room came alive when we passed the waiting room. Everyone circled my bed. I felt we were so loved. All these wonderful people here to celebrate my little Alyssa’s birth. What an amazing day this had become. Especially after the night before. I was in a state of awe.

When we got to my room they quickly moved me over to my bed and put warm blankets on me as I was shivering from the anesthetic. I was starting to feel pain in my stomach so they gave me a little pain medication before leaving me to visit with my family.

For the next few hours people were pouring in. Everyone wanted to see Alyssa. It was a great experience. Then I met my nurse that was going to take care of me on afternoons the duration of my stay. Oh my I couldn’t stop smiling. I was the nurse that brought me into L&D the night before. The one that told me my water broke was moved over to take care of me. Alyssa the head of the department made sure she was brought over and also made sure she was not hurt over the night before as they were blaming her as well. It was so nice to have her there. She stayed and talked awhile. Told us how she didn’t understand what happened that she gave them all the evidence they needed and talked directly with the doctor. She was very upset over it all and apologized for the ordeal although I told her that it was not her fault she felt so bad.

Well the first days after surgery were a little difficult. I pushed to move though and only six hours after surgery I was getting up and going to the bathroom myself. My catheter was out and so was my IV. I felt so free. I did have a hard time getting around still but my nurse came in and helped me to the bathroom as much as possible. Also my mother and brother stayed the night to help me out with Alyssa. It was so nice to have my family there. In the morning they asked me to walk around. It was so difficult but I did it. I walked the hall. I had to stop every so often though. When I got back I was so sore. They gave me a shot for pain. That night the pulling of my incision was really bad so my mother asked my neighbor to bring me some control underwear from my house when she came up to see me. Thank goodness they did.  That night I walked the hall twice. Those panties were a life saver. Any woman that gets a c-section should have a good supply of control underwear. They hold your stomach up so your incision isn’t being pulled downward. Oh it was so much better than regular underwear.

Alyssa and I bonded in the hospital for 30 hours then were released. Alyssa is nursing great and I am feeling better with every day. Alyssa’s birth to me was an overall good experience. Her pregnancy wasn’t the greatest although feeling her move inside me was amazing but her birth was perfect.

However I did end up with a sinus infection and had major fevers right afterwards and Alyssa dropped twelve ounces from being sleepy from all the medication I was given but she started to gain afterwards very quickly and my sinus infection is pretty much gone.  At eight days old.

When Alyssa was a little over two weeks old tradagy hit home. I was asleep next to my little girl when I was woken up by horrible pain in the left side of my chest. The pain started off feeling like a pin then grew to what I can only descrribe as a pole going through to my back and radiating down my left arm. It was unbareable and I was barely able to call 911 before the pain got worse and I started getting this squeezinf feeling that caused me to have a very hard time breathing. When the EMTs arrived they realized that I had no feeling on my left side and absolutely no mobility. At the hospital they sent me for test after test, CAT with and without blue dye, chest x-ray, blood tests, ultrasounds and this weird blood test that required tweleve vials, etc, etc... He said they were checking for cloting I think. I was on a heart monitor all night long and after two weeks I am at home with a heart monitor. They confirmed through testing that I had a TIA(Transient ischemic attack )and that it was caused by a blot clot. Thank goodness there was no damage done by the stroke I only have weekness but they said they will need to do alot more testing for my heart. They are not sure what if any damage was done to my heart but they believe that the clot caused a mild heart attack as well and that the stroke came directly afterwords.

Today Alyssa is one month she is beautiful. Her back is so strong and tries to pull her head up while sitting on mamas knee she is a very happy healthy baby that is gaining weight perfectly. She will soon catch up to her siblings.

Tomorrow I turn 31 and I am having yet another test done. This one they are putting me under for and then giving me a scope to gain access to the back of my heart. My day tomorrow may not be fun but today has. My girl is one month old. We never thought we’d get here but we did. I love you very much my sweet pea.

Ladies if you have a c-section make sure to walk as much as possible. Blood clots CAN happen. I remember the nurses telling me to get up and walk around that if I didn’t I could get a blood clot. I never in a million years thought it could cause this and I did walk around just not as much as I should have I guess.

Moments after she was born all goopy from birth

Our first time nursing (in recovery)