Day #19 Our Delivery Story

******I posted this on a website that I am apart of called Cafemom's the day after I came home from the hospital...I thought that those of you who didn't know would like to know our delivery story...Enjoy******

Friday I was on my way to school like every other day. In the thick of rush hour traffic I got really light headed and I felt one really sharp pain low in my groin. I pulled over on the median and waited for the light headedness to pass. I assumed the low pain was round ligament pain. The light headedness gave way to a cold sweat and labored breathing. So, I decided to call 911. As I heard the ambulance, firetruck and police car coming Isaid to the 911 operator "these people are going to be PISSES...traffic already sucks today" we both laughed and I hung up. They put me in the ambulance and I was off to the hospital. I fully expected them to tell me to eat something and send me on my way. The doctor had me hooked up to a fetal monitor as I described to him what happened. He very quickly became disinterested and asked me if I was feeling the contractions. "yes, of course" I said " I have been having those since I was 17weeks" I explained to him that I thought I was having braxton hick contractions because they weren't painful. I would just get this really tight feeling and it would go away. Sometime, they were so bad I couldn't move but not the painful, earth shattering contractions I thought I would get in real labor. I also, told him they happened 8-10 times an hour. The next thing I knew they were hoisting me up in to the examining chair to check me out. The doctor looked at the nurse and said "yep, she is 1cm" to my surprise. I then asked "well, is that normal" and of co uses they said no. They gave me a shot to stop the contraction and gave me some medicine. It worked. So, they send me home and told me to rest. Saturday the contractions came back, so they increased the medication. Sunday, they came back again and asked me to come into the hospital.

When I got to the hospital they gave me another shot. This time it dropped my BP to 50/30 and I really thought I was going to die. They decided to set me in a L&D room. Around 12am the contractions had not stopped and the nurse came in with a sad look on her face and an IV bag in toe. UGGGG magnesium sulfate. They hooked me up to the mag and the side effect came quick. Hot flashes, dizziness, nausea, head ache, vomiting. Around 4am the doctor came in and explained that I was in real danger of delivering and at 26wks 1day the baby needed a level III NICU. So, off I went to UC by ambulance at 4am.

10days ago, I was admitted to UC hospital with contractions. I was 1 cent dilated when I got there. They left me on the Mag for 24 hours. I have never felt that sick ever in my life but I knew it was for the good of my baby. I was hooked up for a FNST everyday. Several time for more then 24 hours. I was rushed to L&D a couple of time for false alarms when the baby's heart rate would drop. My contractions never really stopped but they still weren't painful. At some point I went from 1cm to 3cm. Tuesday, I woke up and felt fine. Took a shower, ate breakfast and at 10am I got hooked up to do a NST and at 10:15am the nurse came in and said how do those contractions feel they are coming every 1 1/2 minutes...I told her that they felt different the ones I was having before. Then all of a sudden they became pretty intense...They paged the doctor...It took him 30 min to get to my room because he was delivering another baby. We had developed a pretty good doctor patient relationship so....I cussed him out for taking so long LOL. He said you are fully dilated. and your bag is bulging, so it had not broken yet. I immediately called my husband and told him to drive as fast as he could to the the hospital. They rushed me over to L&D and assembled the team of peds doctors...Now, if there are any light hearted moments to this story this is where it happens.....I asked the doctors if I could get any pains meds and they said... "well, you are to far at this point and we don't want to make the baby sleepy" of course I agreed and for those that know me well, also know that I joke around and deflect alot when I am freaking out. So I decided that it was time to focus and something else....the nurses and I started talking about scrapbooking and how crazy this whole thing was and how fast I dilated. The doctors said to me " do you even realized you are fully dilated, wow you are handling this really well" Then the doctor said "well, we need you to push on the next contraction" My husband had not yet gotten there so my response to that was " It is my vagina and you can't make me" He didn't know what to say...and the room bust out in laughter...So, then the doctor was starring at the monitor and I said "stop being a doctor for just a couple of minutes, the baby is fine and we can wait"..I called my husband and directed him to the valet parking so he could get in faster and 2 minutes later he came though the door...They rushed him by my side and all 20 people in the room gazed at my vagina they said give us one good push on the next contraction and I did....well, my water broke but it shot across the room and spayed the ceiling, wall and all 15 people in front of me...Me and everyone else broke out in laughter in the room....I couldn't stop laughing. They checked me again and said well you are 6 cent this will be 2,3, or 4 hours...So,the nurse and I discussed weather or not to to get an epidural and ushered out the pieds dept...All of a sudden I felt a drop in my bottom and I said I have to push NOW!!! They asked me to wait and I said I can't 2 good pushes later and Christopher Carl Schaefer III (trey) was brought in to the world... I looked down to see him and thought he is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. The sound of his little cry filled the worry in my mind and heart with more love then I have ever felt in my life...I can't even describe it....They rushed him over to the pieds and then brought him to me...I briefly held him and a tear ran down my cheek. They took him to the NICU I felt scared and I wanted him close to me but I know his is in the best place he can be... Born at 12:40 4/28/09 2 lbs 10 Oz 15 in long...he is large for a 27 wk 3 day baby but still has a long way to go...My milk or colostrum came in not 1 hour after he was born which is very unusually for a preemie delivery. I guess my body knew best. We have no idea why I went in to PTL but I have to believe that everything happens for a reason and Trey will be just fine.