After having Harmon, we often talked about missing out on the surprise water-breaking incident and the subsequent frantic drive to the hospital. With Simon, we finally got some drama. Simon was due Dec. 13 and I had a repeat c-section scheduled for Dec. 5. On Nov. 19, I had my pre-op appointment to review all the surgery stuff and we were all set. On Nov. 25, I had my final check-up and all was well – or so we thought.
It was a normal Tuesday so Kevin picked up Harmon from school and me from work and we all headed home. We started dinner and, after Harmon had a successful trip to the potty, he came to me for help pulling up his underwear. As I kneeled down to help him, I felt a small gush. I ran to the bathroom and then felt a HUGE gush. At that point, I was pretty sure my water had broken so I called Kevin, who was in the basement. He didn’t respond so I had Harmon (who was by my side the entire time) call him too. Kevin thought we were just screwing around so it took him forever to come upstairs! When he finally emerged, I told him what had happened and he grabbed the phone so we could call the hospital. The nurses at the birth center assured me we had time so, instead of taking Harmon with us to the hospital, we planned on waiting for my parents to get to town to take care of him. As I coordinated with my parents, Simon – who was crazy in the womb – decided to stop moving and it freaked us out. So, I called the nurses again and they suggested I lay on my left side for 10 minutes and, if I didn’t feel any movement, to get to the hospital ASAP. I felt a few small movements but wasn’t completely comfortable with them so we decided to meet my parents en route and then we headed to the hospital. With most of my water now gone, I looked considerably smaller and Simon had dropped a ton. I could barely walk because it felt like he was going to fall out! When we arrived at the hospital, all the nurses were waiting for us (it was a slow night) so I got in my gown and they quickly hooked me up to the fetal monitor. After the panic about Simon, it was the BEST sound to hear his little heartbeat!
After getting my vitals and talking to all the nurses, doctors, and anesthesiologists, I was wheeled to the c-section prep/recovery area. Kevin and I hung out here for a while – the anesthesiologist couldn’t start my spinal block until 10:30 p.m. – so we watched some TV and I called and texted with my Mom and sister, Stacey (who was now en route from Chicago). The biggest task while I was waiting was getting my IV up and running. I have small, rolling veins and it’s ALWAYS a challenge – this time was no exception. After two failed attempts on my left side, the nurse sent for reinforcements. The new nurse then was successful with her first attempt on the right side (thank God). At 10:15 p.m., I was wheeled to the OR to get ready for the spinal block but another Mom-to-be took cuts and I had to wait until she was stabilized. We FINALLY got on with it and the anesthesiologist did an almost painless spinal block ( the IV hurt more). Within seconds, I felt that familiar warm sensation and then I began to go numb. After MANY tests to make sure I was good and numb (and some meds to fight the nausea), the doctors were ready to cut.
While I was strapped down and shaking like a leaf, Kevin stayed with me behind the big blue curtain. The anesthesiologist was wonderful – always checking in with me, talking Kevin and me through the surgery and keeping us updated on the progress. In what seemed like a much faster time than with Harmon, I heard the anesthesiologist tell Kevin “here he comes” and – at 11:32 p.m. – I heard a ton of crying! The doctors lifted Simon over the curtain for me to see before they whisked him away to make sure all was well. After he was checked out, Kevin was able to snatch him up and then the anesthesiologist was kind enough to take our first photo! Now that Simon was out, I swear it took 100 years for the doctors to put me back together and we FINALLY got to recovery around 1 a.m. Even at this late hour, it was no surprise that my Mom and sister were waiting in the lobby very excited to meet Simon!
While Kevin was able to grab some sleep in the hospital, I was pretty much up all night. The next morning, I finally was able to eat and Jell-O never tasted so good! My parents and my sister visited later in the day AND brought Harmon to see me. I missed him so much and it was very emotional for me to see him, especially now that he no longer was the only child. While Simon and I had visitors, Kevin went home to shower, make some baby calls and post some baby news to the web. He returned in time for dinner – I was craving McDonald’s fries and he obliged – and then we spent the rest of the night just hanging out with our new baby boy. On Thursday, we were told we could go home if we wanted to so we took our time getting ready, had lunch and then headed home.
It was a quick stay – almost two days – but an eventful one to say the least. I am thankful for the great care Simon and I received at U-M. I had great doctors and, most importantly, wonderful nurses (what they do is SO underrated). Thanksgiving 2008 will always be a special one!
