Lynnlee Pearl was 2 weeks early. My due date was June 17th and she made her appearance, much like her brother, in her own way by completely foregoing any birth plan I may have had. Tuesday, June 5th I had an ultrasound appointment with the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor at 10am (I ended up having to see them once a week after being in the hospital with pneumonia after Easter because my fluid was low and they wanted to keep an eye on it).
The nurse took me back to the room and then the sonographer came in to do her thing. She finished up pretty quickly because they were only looking at certain things and she gave me her report. Fluid was at a 5. I knew what that meant. I started to cry.
The previous weeks visit reported that my fluid was at 8.5 and at that time the doctor gave me a choice to have the baby that day or wait to see what the next appointments measurments said. I told him I would wait and then told my OB at my regular check up that HE was fired and I was NOT going back. He did not know my birth plan and was seriously nonchalant about sending me to Labor and Delivery to have my baby. Just to fill you in I was hoping and praying for a VBAC. I found out later that once you have a C-section you can't be induced so if I did not go into labor on my own the only option was another C-section. So I took offense to his flippant nature of "oh just go have your baby now if you want". Picture steam puffing from my ears at that point...My OB encouraged me to go back and even called personally to switch that awful MALE doctor (I think his name is Dr. Bauer but don't quote me on that) to her friend Dr. DeStefano.
So I am crying, the sonographer is trying to comfort me and tell me that the doctor may let me wait but I knew differently. She led me to the conference room to wait while she filled in the doctor.
I cried more, a lot more.
And if you have not gathered this yet...I was alone. It was supposed to be a routine check up. In and Out. No need for Jimmy to worry with rearranging his work schedule for a 20 minute appointment.
So Dr. DeStefano walks in along with a med student. Poor med student. Bet she didn't plan on getting a lesson in sitting patiently while your patient crys uncontrollably trying to gather herself to some extent so that she can actually speak...Anyway Dr. DeStefano told me that I needed to walk over to L&D to have my baby, they would be waiting on me.
Me: Um. Yeah. No. I have to go home first.
Dr: This is a pretty serious situation. You don't have a lot of fluid left and we need to get the baby out.
Me: Right but I'm going home first.
Dr: Don't you have someone that can go to your house and get the things you need and bring them to you.
Me: Yes. But. I am going home first. I NEED to go home.
Dr: I highly suggest you go straight over to L&D. A lot of things could happen right now with low fluid. (I'm leaving out what she said could happen because I am well aware that it makes me look like a huge jerk for going home but I knew nothing was going to happen to my baby. God had this and I had to go home)
Me: Ok but I'm still going home first so I will check in after I get back. I am not going staight over there.
Clearly she doesn't know me and she didn't believe me because an hour and a half later when Jimmy and I were almost back to the hospital I got a phone call from my OB's office checking on me because I had not checked into L&D yet! I told them I was sorry for making them worry but I told the doctor I was GOING HOME FIRST and then I would be there and to let y'all know that. Leave it to me to get in trouble by a hospital!
I was crying so badly at the doctor's office that at that point there was no stopping. I knew if I went home I could get myself together. I took a shower. I did my hair. I put my make up on and packed my bags. Jimmy got home and packed. I got Mac's present from Lynnlee wrapped and packed. Then we left and headed to the hospital have Lynnlee Pearl.
We got checked in (and when I said my name the admitting nurse and the 3 others behind the counter turned to look at us and one said "oh you're the one we've been waiting on") and taken back to the "waiting room" where there were 4 gurneys. Not happy. I thought I would get a room, like when I had Mac. I was given a paper gown. PAPER?!! With plastic lining. Angry. Seriously hot, almost sweating because of the stupid paper/plastic gown. Completely irritated. A nurse that commented that I must be hot because I didn't have the covers over my legs like most people...got an ear full. She then told me that I could refuse to wear it and she could get me a regular cloth gown.
I REFUSE TO WEAR THIS! And she handed me a cloth gown. She was so nice and so helpful and the only one that seemed to be paying attention to ME and that I was not exactly in my happy place and that I was not getting the birth that I wanted and that I just might be a little scared and I just needed someone to take an extra second to try and make that ok. And she did.
So it came time to go back. I was not and am still not excited about the C-section. I don't like it when I am not in control and when they 'paralize' you from the waist down you are definitely not in control. The anesthesiologists were great. Everyone had been made aware that this was not my choice of birth plan and that I had a HUGE problem with not being able to move from the waist, actually chest, down so they were very attentive to me and kept checking on me to see how I was doing. I was actually able to move my arms and that helped my mental state so much. I have to say that I prefer the emergency C that I had with Mac to the unscheduled C that I had with Lynnlee. The emercency surgery was obviously much faster and I did not have to listen to the nurses do their equipment checks and prep or witness them building the curtain stucture around me so I couldn't see what was going on.
But then... they were ready. And then... I had a baby (or as I like to say they hacked me open and I had a baby).
And she was perfect.
And beautiful.
And healthy.
And amazing.
And so loved...
Off to recovery for an hour where Jimmy stayed with me which was awesome. He had to leave towards the end because Mac had arrived, haha. I finally made it to my room and was welcomed by lots of family. And then they finally brought me my baby! :)
