Hannah(Part 2)

Here it is.  This is the 2nd part of the story of Hannah.

On Wednesday August 20 at around 3PM I called the doctor.  I had not felt Hannah move well but once at 9:30AM on Wednesday.  The last time I had felt her move actively and in rhythm with the norm was on Tuesday early afternoon.  I drank and bottle of cold water, laid down, and rested.  I figured that since that's what is suggested when baby is not felt that this would do the trick.  I talked to her.  I prayed.  I talked to her some more.  I started doing this around 1PM.  Finally my imagination started running away with me and I decided to call the doctor.  They wanted me to come in as soon as I could.  I went on to the doctor's office as soon as they said they needed to see me immediately.  I had time to call my mom and my neighbor to let them know what was going on.  I didn't even have time to call my husband until after I got out.  I went in and they monitored me.  When I heard her heartbeat I was so relieved.  I didn't let my kids go back with me because I wasn't so sure that we would hear a heartbeat and I didn't want them in the room if that happened.  It was so scary.  My mama had got on her knees and started praying when I called her.  This was a very scary 2 hours for me.  They monitored me for an hour.  Finally at the end of that hour I figured out what made her move and have good reactive heart rate.  Dr. Goldberg bangs together spoons on your belly when trying to stimulate baby and make them react.  So when he went out of the room the last time I would poke at my belly when Hannah would go to sleep.  Finally after 1 1/2 hours she passed the NST.  I was still a little concerned but Dr. Goldberg assured me everything was fine.  Since I had an appointment on that Friday he went ahead and seen me for my appointment that day, cancelled Friday, and made me an appointment for the next Wednesday. Hannah still wasn't very active but she was enough that it kept my worries down.  I was 2cm dilated and 50% thinned at the time of that appointment.

On Saturday August 23 Caleb had a karate tournament.  I had joked that if we could just get done with that without me going into labor we would be doing good.  I didn't want to miss his very first ever karate tournament. I got my wish.  Saturday night I started feeling like we needed to get really ready to go to the hospital.  Bags packed and ready to go with toiletries and everything.

On Sunday morning around sunrise I woke up to back pain. I went walking and it seemed to ease off. I was relieved. I got in the shower and the back pain got worse.  I laid down intending to take a nap and I started having back pain every 10-20 minutes coming and going.  At that point I told Larry we would have a baby that day.  I wanted to wait on our neighbor Mrs. Pat to get home from church.  At around 10AM my back pain became regular contractions 5-7 minutes apart.  I had told my mama, sister, and my friend Fran about them. My mom and dad went on to church and my sister was planning to go to work that day but asked for updates.  Fran was at home and offered to come sit with the kids if we needed to go sooner to the hospital.  I ended up telling her to come on at around 11:15AM.  She got here pretty quick and Larry and I headed to the hospital.  They checked me and I was 3cm and still 50% thinned. They monitored me for an hour with regular contractions.  They checked me again and there was no change.  They told me that I could go home with pain meds and something for nausea or I could walk.  I was aggravated because I felt like the contractions should be progressing me somewhat at least.  I told them that I didn't need pain meds and that we would just go home.  The nurse and Larry were like ARE YOU SURE?  I got aggravated and said well yall told me to do one of the two things and I made my decision.  Yes I'm sure.  Then they asked me again if I was sure.  I just said ok ok I will try walking figuring that I'd be going home anyways.  So she unhooked me from the monitor and gave me an hour to walk.  We found some stairs and I walked 3 flights and it was so painful that I couldn't do that. So we went downstairs to walk a straight hallway from the lobby elevator all the way down to the cafeteria. We walked that twice and my water broke.  A wonderful nurse(I call her my angel) was behind us and ran to get us a wheelchair.  She wheeled me back up to L&D.  They checked me immediately with the test for amniotic fluid.  It was questionable.  They checked to see if I had dilated anymore and when she checked me my water broke more. So I was staying until I had a baby.  Of course they started all of the routine stuff.  I wanted to not have an IV, just a heplock.  They informed me of risks that I would be taking should I have complications.  I gave in and got an IV.  I explained to them that I was given pain meds in my IV at that hospital with my 2nd delivery because my epidural did not work.  I don't want to go into more detail but I will say all of my fears were voiced because I had informed my husband of why I didn't want certain things.  He was my voice, my rock during this time.  He was also my voice when I turned down vaccines for the baby.  I just went ahead and signed the consent but he told nurses that I wasn't sure that I wanted her to have vaccines.  They brought paperowrk back in and I signed something saying that I did not want any vaccines.  Ok after my water broke of course they started getting a room ready for me.  They were full so I had to labor in a semi-private room.  I was starting to get really irritated because I wanted my own private room.  Finally we were moved to one.  My husband also had told them when I get to a certain point that I go really fast.  They informed Dr. Kane(the on call doctor) of this and when I got into a private room he came in and sat down. He started asking me questions about my other kids and pregnancies.  The thing that stood out to me was that he listened to every single word I said and took me seriously.  The nurses did what they could to fullfil my wishes.  They checked me again and I was only 3cm.  Since I was only 3cm he told me that I could hold off on anything and hope I go as fast as I have went.  At that point I was very tense and I felt like even though I was prepared and fully believed I could have an all natural labor that I needed to go ahead and get a little bit of help.  For the whole time I had known I was pregnant I have researched different methods, read blogs, read books, and really believed I could do this.  It was my full intention to have a natural labor and delivery.  I had prayed and believed that God made women to do this.  I was not forced or even encouraged to take anything.  I did tell them though if I was getting Pitocin, even a little bit to help me along then I wanted the epidural.  Normally they won't give one until 4cm.  Dr. Kane took us seriously about how fast I go and went ahead and ordered one.  I was good an comfortable before they began the Pitocin.  I quickly got to 6cm.  The next time they checked me I was ready to push.

Here is the miracle.  Remember I have planned the entire time to have a natural birth.  I was very tense and my labor had sort of stalled.  I was very adamant about having a natural labor and delivery.  I wanted this so bad.  I was not encouraged to get an epidural.  It was solely my decision.  When baby was crowning the doctor told me to stop pushing and he told us the cord was wrapped around her neck.  When he cut the cord it was wrapped still.  The cord was wrapped around her neck twice.  Not once but twice.  Had I pushed for a natural birth baby would have been in longer with pressure on her neck.  She was blue when she was born.  She didn't have a healthy color.  I am so thankful that I followed what I felt was right in the moment.  I had prayed for the Lord to guide me.  Even though I told everyone that asked that I was going to go natural.  Even though I was prepared, there are just some hunches that you follow even if it takes you completely off the path of where you feel like you want to go or need to go. My labor had stalled because I was so tense.  Yes I believe that I could have had Hannah natural but that would do me no good had I lost her through it.  Yes Hannah was born at 37wks and 4 days. She was early but she was right on God's time. He spared my precious baby. Also remember that I had went to the doctor back on Wednesday because she wasn't moving well.  I think that the cord being wrapped around her neck at birth wasn't something that was done that day.  I think that it was done earlier that week.  Had she continued to be in the womb, I don't even want to think about what could have happened.  So my God had His hand on me and my precious baby.  She had no complications.  No breathing problems.  She passed all of her newborn tests with flying colors.  This may not seem big to some but in my book it's a miracle.  My little miracle.