Baby Liam Is Born: Delivery

Continued From Baby Liam Is Born: Labor

Before they took me back to the OR, the doctor had to make sure I knew what to expect. I told her that I belonged to a message board where I'd asked for tips, tricks, and information from mom's who'd been there, done that. When she found out what I'd learned, she was actually kind of impressed. Usually women get nothing but horror stories. I got real information that would help me be prepared. Then she informed me that she would likely need to perform a classical incision into the uterus. That means that instead of a small incision across the bottom of my uterus, she'd need to do a long cut vertically in order to have plenty of room to get Liam out safely with his encephalocele. I hadn't really thought about that, but it seemed reasonable. Low horizontal cuts don't offer as much room to pull baby out.

Then the anesthesiologist came by. She and her nurse would be in charge of my spinal block and drugs during the surgery. Because I have an allergy to morphine, I couldn't have it in my block. But I'd still get fentanyl.  I'd have good coverage for the delivery, but I wouldn't have the continued pain control that Morphine offers.  I also learned from my anesthesiologist (who looked about my age, and was thin and well caffeinated, so she told me) that I'm not crazy to think that fried pickles and a haagan-daas milk shake from SmashBurger is awesome. She said the Minnesota State Fair has the best food of any state fair. With very good fried pickles. I'm also not supposed to tell anyone that a doctor encouraged me to eat that food. So, everyone quiet, okay?

I was moved to a labor/delivery room and brought the proper consents to sign from my nurse Jari (who was freaking awesome). The perinatologist returned to say she would definitely need to do the classical incision. I was okay with that. She told me what the risks were associated with a surgical birth. I told her that I trusted her. After all, she'd done this a couple of times, right? Sure, she told me. She's even allowed to do it by herself now! Awesome.

I think we might have been a bit too deadpan. Dominic got scared that she'd really only done a c-section a couple of times. He was now very uncomfortable with this doctor cutting me open.  I had to assure him that in a specialty like perinatology, she'd done many many c-sections. In fact, I think she'd been doing them all day. they had several scheduled and several surprise sections before I got there. Hence the reason everyone was so well caffeinated, and warmed up. I preferred "warmed up" to "burned out" and it seemed to be more accurate. My team was awesome.

Around 5pm Dominic was given his scrubs and I was taken back to the OR for my spinal. The OR was smaller than I expected, and attached to a small room full of NICU equipment. I was positioned on the table, and talked to while I got the spinal block. A spinal, by the way, is so much easier to get when you're not between excruciatingly painful contractions. It was over very quickly and they had me on my back getting prepped.

Everyone was very upbeat and talkative. We discussed Liam, and families, and all sorts of things. Then Dominic was brought in and they got started!

I didn't get the shakes, cold, or nauseated. I'm very grateful. I could feel my body being moved around, pulled on, and tugged at. And then we heard it: the cry. Liam cried loud, strong, and hard. He headed straight for the NICU room off the OR and Dominic went with him. They continued on with me, rinsing, suctioning, and sewing me up.

Then they brought Liam to me, and he was still crying. I kissed his head and talked to him, at which point, he started to calm down and listen. Smart boy, knowing to listen to his Mama. After all, I'm the lady with the food. His head was all wrapped up in a turban, but I was told he had lots of dark hair. As quickly as he'd come, he was gone again. Off to Children's Hospital next door, with Daddy following along.  And of course, I was totally in love.

They finished stitching me up, and before I knew it I was all done, and on a gurney headed for recovery. My baby was here, and he was beautiful. I already missed him, but was grateful that his birth had been so uneventful. In the OR he'd weighed in at 5 lbs. So, I knew he was a good size for his age. Now I just wanted him back in my arms where he belonged.

To Be Continued...