Makenna Analise's Birthstory

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Being a " c-section mom " all my children have been delivered via scheduled

section. Now while I don't find a problem with that, I figured with this being

my LAST pregnancy/delivery I'd " make it last. " and wait for my baby to

choose her own birthday. I spoke with my HCP and she said she had no problems

waiting for labor to occur naturally but could only " give " me 10 days past my

EDD before she would have my c/s scheduled. I guess I always knew there was a

permanent date/end of 9/30 but hoped Makenna would choose her OWN day. After

a amnio, tons of BPP/NST which showed her " ok " not great, I admit I was

concerned. Concerned even moreso with my troublesome bloodwork issues.

It really all probably started on my due date, Monday September 20. 2004.

Warren was taking the van into work and so that meant I had to move carseats

around. Yes even with 7 carseats 1 is out of use due to recall and I had to

move one from one vehicle to another. Well as I was doing so, I fell. Of

course I went straight down onto a block of wood and didn't really " hurt "

myself just felt " odd "

Tuesday morning went by with no real excitement.. some contractions here and

there but nothing that made me stop and say WOW! I could feel Makenna

descending though into my pelvis and I can finally say that feeling is NOT fun

and

is actually for *me* quite painful. Tuesday afternoon/evening the

contractions that weren't really there seemed to increase in intensity but I

figured

I'd just ride them out. They weren't close together yet and would probably

stop, and I'd be heading to my OB/Peri appt the next afternoon. I mean I was

only 1 day past my EDD and my mother had gone VERY late with both my brother

and I so I assumed I'd either go late late or not at all and make it to my 10

day past EDD scheduled c/s. Well as the evening wore on my contractions

seemed to be more prominent and closer together so I called my OB to let her

know. Of course I'd just eaten before they decided to get " worse " and I knew

I'd

have to " wait " on my c/s anyway b/c they don't really want you eating before

surgery in case they have to do GA. So I hung out at home and putzed around

assuming all was fine. Makenna was moving, very slightly but moving

nonetheless to let me know she was OK. Around 2:30am I finally decided ok

these are

closer than I'm comfy with being at home, and we packed the kiddies up and

took them to their respective caregivers homes. I cried as I dropped them all

off.. SO sleepy and peaceful. Excited that their sister was more than

likely arriving SOON! The contractions were about 2-4mins apart at this point

and

I kept telling Warren (DH) that I swore she was trying to come out a

different way than intended My pelvic bone felt as if it were splitting in

two!

I arrived at the hospital, signed in downstairs (God even at 3am those

people are S-L-O-W!!!) I was then sent upstairs and changed into the lovely

hospital attire. They came and drew my labs for surgery, and hooked me up to

the

monitors. Sure enough the one nurse said I was definately in labor and was

having some " whopper of contractions " of course they weren't painless but

definately not *bad* to where I felt I was uncomfortable at this point. An

internal revealed I was at 5cms at that point. My OB was called (now 5am), I

was

shaved, catheterized, and still on those damn monitors. I swore sitting on

those things was the worse IMNSHO! They inserted my IV (the nurse tried

twice on my left hand, and was ready to give up (in fact DH was adamant that

the

anesthesiologist come and do it as I was not a pin cushion or practice dummy

:X) but I showed her on my right hand which spot usually works and asked her

to try one more time and it went right in. My IV fluids were started,

consents were being signed, labwork results back and my H & H, and platelets were

still dangerously low. The nurses had come in to do another internal and I

refused. I figured I was going in for a c/s not a vaginal delivery there was

no

need she keep " poking around " IMO! Eventually the anesthesiologist came in,

I gave her my rundown of my previous births and my wishes. She had no

problems with anything I requested (spinal with duramorph, benedryl when the

itchies started as long as baby was out and not until then, no bicitra as it

irritates my stomach and makes me get ill, and some anti-nausea meds in my IV to

prevent having DH have to hold the kidney pan for me as he did with my first

two births. It was great.. a step in the right direction. I explained to

her (anesthesiologist) that my OB had said I could cut Makenna's cord and

wished my hands to be free, not tied and she said NO problem. It was nice to

not

have to 'fight' for any of my wishes which I had to for my first two births.

Even being a section mom.. its nice to know your rights in delivery, which

I admit I was ignorant to with births 1 & 2 and while they were GOOD births,

they could've been better

My OB arrived and came to say good morning to us and explain what was going

on. She chuckled before she said anything saying I was such a good " repeat

customer " that I probably knew more about what was going on with me than she

did :X I reminded her we were using sutures (prolene) instead of staples, that

I wanted my placenta saved so I could view it, that I wanted to cut the cord

and be as involved in the birth of my child as possible. My DH wanted to be

able to take pictures as he'd done with our son 14mos before and she said no

problem to any of it. A great caring OB always.. never arrogant assuming

her way was the ONLY way. They hung my IV antibiotics and off to the OR we

travelled. I hopped from the L & D bed to the OR table, hugged the nurse as the

inserted my spinal, and laid down. I felt a little chilly from the spinal

and they gave me a blanket. Up went my drape (and my mirror so I could view my

birth) and my DH came in. He of course with camera.. at first watching the

whole thing and holding my hand. Amazing man, he's great The

anesthesiologist asked us what kind of music we'd like to hear (first time we

knew there

was an ability to HEAR music LOL) and they put it on for us. We all chatted

as they started my delivery and it was an AMAZING delivery. I got to view

it, I felt involved (well as much as one CAN), we really had a GREAT

time/delivery as weird as that may sound. The OB announced they were into my

uterus

and the baby was about to be born. DH got out the camera for pics but

unfortunately the flash had been messed with (ahem 3 older kids ) and he only

got

a couple pics of the birth. They lowered the curtain a little bit, gave me

scissors, and leaned the baby a bit so I could cut her cord. AMAZING is the

only word I can use to describe it!! Of course the pedi in the room was NOT

happy but it was not HER birth and I could careless. Makenna was OK, crying

and pink so it didn't matter to ME or my delivery team that *I* cut the cord

Just wish the camera had worked for that picture! I could see how teeny

my baby was, how sweet she was and then she was wisked away to the on call

pedi who was in the room attending her birth. They wiped her down, clamped her

cord, put arm bands on DH and I, and on Makenna's legs, diapered and swaddled

her and they came to stay with me for a bit. Then Makenna and DH

disappeared down to the nursery for a bath, weighing and measuring.

DH reappeared (as they kept Kenna under the warmer) with stats for me, and

to sit with me in recovery. I could move my toes before we left delivery so

all was GREAT at that point. I stayed in L & D until 1:30pm b/c the nurses were

waiting on 10 discharges to get me a private suite with a 2nd bed for either

DH or the kids to sleep on. It was GREAT knowing we had caring people

taking care of me. My friends came to visit and bring our older children to us

just a few mins before I was moved to my room. When I got to my room I was

still on a gurney, the nurses stated they were about to move me, and I looked

at

the one nurse and said " No thanks, I can do it myself " and DID! They sat

there shocked that I moved so well only a few hours after delivery. I enjoyed

my visitors after that and then sent my kids home with DH so they could go to

their soccer game that night. I kept begging my nurses to let me get up and

walk but one was SO witchy she kept saying " Not on MY watch " @@ whatever.

However I couldn't get up without her as to how they had my cathether tied

onto the bed. I just sat and cuddled my sweet newborn. My family came back

after soccer and we shared family time. It was nice. My DD didn't want to

leave when the time came though They went home and I went to sleep, baby in

arms.. only waking to nurse her!

The next morning however I woke and was aching to get out of bed. Just kept

asking till I annoyed enough nurses to get out. I had a pain in my left

butt cheek that I felt would be " better " if I could just STAND. So they

removed

my cath and I stood right up, went potty, freshened up while they changed my

sheets and then cuddled back in bed with my baby. I had no post op pain

whatsoever (2nd delivery for this and contrary to some belief it has nothing to

do with the fact that I'm obese.. my uterus isn't! and I have feeling in my

abdomen) and was moving around quite well till that afternoon. When things

started going down hill.. the pain in my left butt cheek had no progressed to

sharp shooting pains down my left leg and leaving the toes on that foot numb.

I just dealt with it till the next day when that pain was unbearable and I

laid crying in my hospital bed in pain. I wasn't able to sit or stand, or

really take care of my infant. So on top of having to take pain medication I

felt like I'd abandoned my baby b/c even changing her diaper was a task I was

unable to complete I asked for an anesthesia consult which said it *could*

be from the spinal but probably not, and then a neurology consult which she

came up with a CT scan of my lower body to check for blood clots or

infection. Neither of which showed up. They had me on IM demerol for pain

relief

(but it never relieved it, just lessened the severity where I didn't scare my

kids by crying in pain!) and a steroid pack. I was released on Sunday and poor

DH had to stop 5 times on the 15min ride home so I could get out and stand,

sitting was excrutiating!! They sent me home on tylenol 3's (that do

nothing!) and motrin. I've been in pain since the day after her birth and it

seems

no end in sight.. not normal delivery pain I expected but excruitiating nerve

pain that no one can seem to figure an answer for and I get really no relief

from. Waiting on MRI results to see if THAT found anything. Just sitting

hoping for a " break " so I can enjoy my new baby!! Still doing all of the

" mom " things now that DH is back to work (he was SO awesome when he was off,

and even now!! I miss his company and help when he's at work) but it feels

like a chore instead of being the " fun " thing to do :\ I think maybe I'll feel

" somewhat " better when I get an answer as to what it *is* rather than a

" maybe " answer!!

So beside this leg thing, we had another awesome AMAZING c-section delivery.

We got a beautiful baby girl out of it to add to our family of beautiful

kiddies

So... two days past her duedate Makenna Analise was born at 9:06am EST

weighing in at a " hefty " LOL 6lbs 10ozs and 20 " long, squished nose and some

moulding on her bald head (she was in my pelvic bone and I *had* dialated to

7cms.. never done THAT before!) and absolutely PERFECT

If you made it to the end... a cyber chocolate for ya

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A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on.

~Carl Sandburg

Joy and Warren

loving the ones who keep the world going:

, Saralyn, Hunter

and our newest love:

Makenna Analise

born September 22, 2004

at 9:06 a.m.

weighing 6 pounds 10 ounces

and 20 inches long