Labor & Delivery and Discharge 5/15-5/19

We arrived at the hospital on Sunday 5/15. I was already dilated to 2cm. The doctor started the Pitocin (medication to make labor start) right away. Within a few hours I was at 3-4cm, so after that I received the epidural. Due to previous back problems I was not able to have it placed where they usually place them. They went a little bit higher. So I was numb and pain free for a good 6-9 hours. I then became really uncomfortable. Slowly I started feeling moderate pain and discomfort. The contractions! So now it is Monday, I am extremely tired and exhausted from everything going on and the pain. So throughout the time labor was progressing I had to receive 3 straight pushes of the epidural medication since I was feeling everything from about an inch below my belly button all the way down. It was awful! So finally on Monday around 3pm I was 10cm and ready to push. We began pushing and the doctor said I was doing great but every time I pushed or had a contraction my baby's heart rate went down. He was in distress and was still very high and we had already waited at 10cm for a few hours before pushing. So the doctor asked me if I wanted to wait 30 minutes to see if he would come down or if we wanted to go for the c-section. I knew the best thing for our baby would be the c-section. We had already prepared ourselves for what we knew of, which was his birth defect and we did not want to take any chances of being selfish or careless and for something else happen.

We went straight to the OR and the c-section started. I told them that I still was not numb and I didn't want to be in any pain. The doctor gave me really good medicine that basically put me out of it. I remember going in and getting the medication, getting scrubbed down and prepped , and vividly when my husband came in to sit next to me and the team of doctors standing against the wall waiting for the baby to be delivered. The rest is a a funny little story I will always be able to tell. I was literally in Mario Bros. land running around to techno music with a vision of the video game screen and all. I wonder to myself now, why it was that particular game or why it was even a game at all, but I will never know. All I do know for certain is that I am happy I have to recollection of pain or being terrified.

After the baby was delivered the team of Children's Hospital and Hollywood Presbyterian doctor's had him in the Hollywood Pres. Nicu where he was stabilized enough for transport. The entire process from delivery, being stabilized for transport, then being transferred to Children's Hospital right next door took about 8 hours total until my husband could see him.

I was in the hospital recovering for 3 days. It was the hardest 3 days not being able to see my baby boy. I knew he was receiving the very best care he possibly could and Daddy got to visit Stephen Jr. whenever he wanted to. The pictures that I was able to see really helped me mentally and emotionally until I was able to see him Thursday When I was finally released.