Above: Andrew and me before we left for the hospital
We arrived at the hospital and went straight to maternity. The nurses put us in a room where I would stay for the duration of our time there. I changed into a hospital gown and awaited what was to come. The nurse came in and put in an IV for warm fluids. They hooked me up to the monitor to monitor the baby's heartbeat and to see if I was having contractions. His heartbeat was great and I wasn't having contractions.
Above: Me enjoying my belly for the last time!
Not long after getting the IV, my OB and the anesthesiologist came in to talk to us. They both discussed what would happen and what to expect. In no time it was 9:15 and I was about to walk to the operating room. I said goodbye to my parents, Andrew's mom, and my best friend and kissed Andrew. He would be joining me in the operating room after I was given the spinal, the medication to numb my body from my rib cage down to my toes so I wouldn't feel any pain.
Above: Andrew and me showing off our stylish outfits!
The room was cold and bright and buzzing full of nurses. In no time I was sitting on the edge of the operating table, hunched over, getting the spinal. It wasn't too painful, just a lot of pressure. Suddenly everything started to numb and they laid me back on the table. What happened next was the scariest moment I had experienced to date. I felt as though I couldn't breathe. I thought I was being suffocated. The doctors and nurses reassured me that what I was feeling was the medication moving throughout my body and it had spread into my chest, making it feel as though I couldn't breathe, although I was breathing completely normal. That feeling felt like it lasted an eternity, but it was only minutes.
Above: My last picture before Jacob was born!
Finally I saw Andrew walk through the doors. He sat down by my head and held my hand. Time suddenly stopped for me. I was laying in the OR holding my husband's hand about to bring our son into the world. All of those feelings of sadness about not having a vaginal birth were forever gone. I asked Andrew about twenty times what was happening. He kept looking over the screen that was placed between my head and my belly to see what the doctors were doing. Then his facial expression changed. I knew at that moment the doctor had made the incision and it would be minutes. Before I knew it I heard my doctor say, "here he is!", but I didn't hear a cry. I tried not to panic. Within seconds I heard the sweetest sound in the world, Jacob's first cry.
Above: Some people might think this is too graphic, but I think it is an amazing picture!
The nurses whisked him away to clean him, weigh him, measure him, and bundle him up. Andrew stayed with Jacob. My doctor leaned over the screen and said something I will never forget. "Sarah, you made the right choice. The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. Not once, but twice." So much for my "elective" c-section.
Above: Andrew "cutting" the cord. (The cord was already cut, but the doctor left it long so Andrew could have the experience of cutting it. They don't allow anyone to cut the cord above the incision because it is a sterile field).
There are many babies born with the corp wrapped around their neck that have had no complications, but in most instances the doctors are prepared for it. However during my ultrasound two days before his birth it was not there. So if I went vaginally my OB said I would have had to have an emergency c-section anyways. Before you say, "it is common for babies to be born with the cord wrapped around the neck, you still didn't need a c-section" based on everything my OB told me while she continued to discuss his positioning and how the c-section was the best decision, I knew I made the right choice for me and for my son. Many people are very judgmental about women who have "elective" c-sections, so I guess that is why I am going into so much depth explaining this.
But on to the good stuff! Jacob Andrew was born at 10:04 am weighing 7 pounds 5 ounces and 20 inches long. As I stared at him in his daddy's arms everything in my world fell into place. The tears of joy streamed down my cheeks. Everything in our world was right.
Recovery at the hospital was fast. My body was healing and Jacob was thriving. So in three short days we headed home, the three of us, as a family.
Stay tuned for more posts! Upcoming: My baby shower, My experience with breast feeding, and much more!
~Sarah~
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