A Baby Story....the arrival of
Taylor RenéeJanuary 19, 2000: Of course, this story basically starts on January 11, 2000, with our first trip to the hospital and ends up with the big arrival of my first grandbaby, Taylor Renée, on January 16, 2000 :-) But, I'm going to start with January 15, 2000, since I did omit those happenings from my diary page!
January 15th was a terrible day for my daughter. Renée and Francie had spent the night, so we tried to sleep in, as we stayed up late Friday night (went shopping and out to eat on top of visiting a good while). Well, around 8:40 a.m., my daughter woke us up, as she was in worse pain. This time, those pains made her cry and moan loudly. We started timing her, and they were every 3 minutes all the way up to 10, but more consistently at every 5 to 6. We decided to go walking...so off we went to Wal-Mart. It really did seem like she was in labor, but they just weren't regular contractions. Later on, we went for dinner and then took Radona to the hospital to be checked around 4:30. We really thought this was it. However, the doctor and the nurses said "it wasn't real labor and she would know the difference when it really hit her". We left for home around 7:30 in a very disappointed way. Renée and Francie decided to go and visit Renée's grandmother about three hours away, and we got Radona's prescription filled, came home, and timed her pains. This girl was in complete misery, but......
Around 11:00, I decided to get some sleep, but I couldn't fall asleep till around midnight. I was sleeping really well around 12:45 a.m. when Radona came and woke me up, screaming and crying in pain and telling me that this was different and it hurt so much worse. I was in a complete stupor, but I do remember washing and drying my hair, throwing some clothes on, and racing to the hospital. I have never driven that fast before in my life (50 mph through our city and 80 mph on the interstate). I was frantic. Afterall, they had just told us a few hours earlier that this was NOT real labor. I was thinking all sorts of bad thoughts....abruptio placenta, nuchal cord, etc. :-( I kept breathing deeply and staying focused on getting my child to the hospital, all the while she was screaming, crying, and begging for help.
We get to the ER at 1:10 or so, and I got a wheelchair and an attendant for her. When we got back up to Labor and Delivery, I told them that we were not leaving this time, come hell or high water, and that something better be done. I also said that we would even camp out in the parking lot if they turned her away again *grin* I meant it, though. Well, lo and behold, they hooked her up and checked her out, and she was now dilated to an "almost 3" and was in active labor. I think I started to breathe again when the nurse told me they would keep her this time *grin* They started an IV, and one of the doctors came in to check her out...the same one who had just told us to go home *lol* I had asked him earlier to explain to me what real labor is, but all he said was that she would know the difference!!!! We made phone calls to Cindy, Joy, Dave, my mom, and Renée....I couldn't reach Renée, however. Her cell phone service was defunct for hours, and she forgot to leave me her grandmother's phone number :-( Afterall, we were told this child was not in labor, so she felt real comfortable with leaving the area. I tried calling again a few hours later to no avail. So, I called her husband and asked him to help out. However, he also got no response from the cell phone, and it wasn't until late in the morning when he finally reached her grandmother...by the time he called over there, Renée had heard her messages (voice mail) and had split from there.
Joy and Dave came up around 2:30 and stayed the entire time. I was so glad they were there :-) Poor Radona was in terrible pain, and Joy lost it as soon as they arrived. That made me tear up, but then I swallowed hard and tried to keep a grip on things. I knew I had to keep my emotions under control, but I can't even begin to explain what was going through me with seeing Radona in so much pain. At one point, a nurse asked her if she wanted something for the pain, and she obliged. They gave her IV Stadol, and it wasn't but a few seconds later when Radona's eyes crossed and she went completely out of her mind *lol* She didn't think it would knock her out, but it did, and she was able to tolerate the pain a little bit. It was rather comical on occasion...she went from screaming and crying through contractions to snoring through them. At one point, Joy and Dave had left for a little while, and all of a sudden, Radona said something about $40 and then did a "double take" look at me like "what did I just say?" Then she told me that she didn't know what she was saying and that she was crazy. I had the video camera going, and that just made me crack up. The look on her face was totally hillarious. We have since watched the video and cracked up over that part :-)
During the time she was zonked on Stadol, she progressed to four, but.....since she was incoherent still, she could not sign the consent for her epidural and they needed her to wake up completely first. Well, it got rough again, and Lord Have Mercy....the contractions were pretty intense, and she was back to screaming and crying during them and sleeping after. At one point, she bolted at me and screamed "MOM, YOU GO OUT THERE AND TELL THEM I WANT MY EPIDURAL NNNNNNOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!" It wasn't funny, but Joy and I cracked up, cause this was a classic scene from The Exorcist *lol* She really put Linda Blair to shame with her very own portrayal of Regan possessed! *lol*
Finally, she was coherent enough, and in more than enough pain, that the CRNA came in and she signed the consent for the epidural. We all left the room (I had a bad epidural experience, so I was not about to watch my daughter get one) and went downstairs during that time. When we returned, we found Radona on the phone and SMILING from ear to ear :-) Dr. D came in and did an exam, and Radona was 4-5 cm. He broke her amniotic sac and added some Pitocin to intensify the contractions. The contactions were coming every 1-2 minutes and seemed very intense. However, Radona could not feel them. Joy and Dave left for home for a short time, and during that time, Radona started feeling her contractions again, so the CRNA came in and dosed her up again. This time, however, he dosed her up real good, and her legs were totally numb and tingling, and she freaked out on me. I managed to get her to calmed down and sleep, but it happened a second time and seemed to be worse :-(
Radona finally just tolerated the numb feeling....I had told her she really had to get a grip and just get used to it. She couldn't have "not feeling the pain without being numb" *grin* She ended up sleeping off and on, and at one point, I fell asleep sitting up in a chair for a few minutes. I woke up real fast when a nurse came in to check her and said "she only has a rim left". I said "What?!" Then she reiterated what she discovered -- Radona was 9-10 cm and ready to push.
I tried calling Renée again to no avail. Dave and Joy came back with Lisa and Daryth, and we sat and waited. (They brought Radona a beautiful balloon and plant.) They told her she could start pushing with each contraction, so we started helping her along. The pain was really intense at times, despite being numb.
Renée called and was sooooo upset that we couldn't reach her. She was just outside of Lafayette but was stuck to a standstill in traffic on I-10 :-( I gave her a complete update on what was going on, but we knew she would not make it in time to be with us in the delivery room :-(
The nurses kept coming in and checking for progression, but there really wasn't any :-( The baby had moved down but stopped and refused to move further. I suspected something was wrong, but I didn't even think of the baby being stuck. For some reason, I had it in my head that the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck.
I really don't remember what time it was that Dr. D came in and checked Radona, but....he had her grab one of his hands and one of mine and pull as hard as she could then bear down with the contraction. We did that twice, and I could see in his face that something was wrong. Then he told us that the baby was stuck, as the head was too large to pass her pelvic bone. I immediately said "cephalopelvic disproportion", and he said you are right. Then he told us that he needed to take the baby via cesarean section. Radona got hysterical and said something like "Oh no, I'll never be able to try to have a baby normally." Dr. D and I both assured her that with the "bikini cut" (aka Pfannenstiel incision), she did have the opportunity to try a vaginal birth after cesarean the next time. Dr. D was wonderful and tried to reassure us all so much. The CRNA came in to start adjusting the epidural, and I had to leave the room and get hystercial in the hallway. Dr. D asked if I was going to the delivery room and I said "yes", and then he asked me if I was going to pass out on them *lol* I answered "No, that I just needed to get this out of my system." That was the second time I "lost it". I had held it all in earlier, and at one point, I left the room and just cried and cried. Radona kept begging me to help her, and there was nothing I could do. It got the best of me after a few hours of that :-(
Renée and Francie arrived at 1:30 -- she made it in time, but it was rather disheartening to hear things had not gone as planned. Only one person could be with them in the delivery room for a cesarean, so she couldn't go in afterall :-(
Radona was scared to pieces. I remember that feeling so well...even after my first, I had that feeling of being scared to death.
We went off just before 3:00 p.m., and I talked with Dr. D while we were getting "dressed". I've known of him and his reputation for over 20 years, but I had never talked to him before. I was highly impressed and felt really confident.
Radona ended up being in the same room I was in when Holli was born, but I never remembered that room being so small. I don't know if they "renovated" or not in the past five years, but I remember that room being huge. I snapped a picture of Radona on her way to the DR and snapped another when I walked in and she was on the table. I watched Dr. D and Dr. H prepare for the surgery, and I was completely overwhelmed.
I had told Dr. D that I didn't want to watch until the baby's head was "born", but curiosity got the best of me. Radona was so scared she would feel pain, but they assured her she would not. They informed her all the way through of what they were doing. The CRNA told her that when they were getting the baby out it would feel like they were standing on her chest. She later told me that it did feel like that. Anyway, Dr. D had already started cauterizing her (using a bovie to make the incision) when Radona said "Don't tell me when you start cutting me open" and Dr. D reached over the drape and said "Okay, I won't tell you." *lol* I did tell her they had started, and she was amazed "cause she didn't feel a thing" :-) I remember feeling that twice with the delivery of Jeremy and Holli. I had spinals, though, and I loved it :-) I was amazed while watching Dr. D open my child. Using the cautery technique is so different from the "knife", IMO. I didn't see any blood at all. He was mostly in my sight until the baby's head was delivered, but I did see more than I really wanted to see. I didn't pass out, though *grin* When I saw Taylor's head and face pop up and out of Radona's lower abdomen, I squealed with delight. I snapped a few pics, but I missed the perfect shot on it. There was one point when it was a clear view of her little face just sitting there, and it was priceless. On afterthought, it made me think of the movie "Alien" *lol* Dr. D suctioned Taylie's nose and mouth, and when he pulled her out, I was completely and totally amazed. I snapped another shot of her, and then he presented her to me, and I snapped another pic. He then showed her to her mama before handing her off to the nurse.
The nursery nurses weren't in there, so the L&D nurse took care of Taylie, and I snapped pics from across the room. Then, she asked me if I wanted to go over there. You bet I did :-) Then, she asked me if I would mind watching the baby while she walked to the other side of the room. I tried focusing on the baby and not what was going on with the doctors and my daughter. I did get a glimpse several times, and "Ugh" is all I can say. It got really graphic after the baby was born, and it's pretty vivid in my mind :-( The nurse weighed Taylie, and I snapped a picture of that :-) I think I snapped another picture of Radona before I left the room, and this time, she was smiling :-)
I will never forget this experience - it's priceless!!! I remember crying so hard that I could barely see. Taylor's eyes were wide open, and I talked to her the whole time, kissed her through my mask, and touched her.
When the nurse gave Taylie to me, Taylie burped *lol* Nothing has changed since that moment *lol* She is always burping and eating :-) When I walked out of the DR, I was fine....until the doors opened and I saw everyone coming towards me. My knees buckled, but thank God, I didn't fall. I was totally overwhelmed :-) Nanny Renée was taking pictures like crazy. I can't wait to see them :-) The nursery nurse was waiting to take Taylie off to the nursery to measure her, bathe her, and warm her up. From there, we rushed off to the nursery to see the baby there. Radona looked good and felt pretty good when they brought her back to the labor room, where she stayed for about an hour. We all kept racing back and forth from her to the nursery window :-)
My mom and my other kids came up to visit later on, along with Cindy and Joy, and Renée and I took lots and lots of pictures. It was wonderful seeing Taylor with Radona for the first time :-)
Radona had a really rough night with the Pitocin drip and the epidural wearing off, but she wanted the baby to stay with us. I had one hour of sleep during all of that time, and around 1, I fell asleep in the chair and could not wake up for a while. Poor Radona....she tried to wake me up, but I was lost somewhere. She couldn't get out of bed and was kind of helpless. Radona suffered so much with the Pit drip :-( How I remember that too well :-( She had a nasty reaction to the Demerol PCA pump (extreme nausea and vomiting), so she demanded they remove it. She refused shots of any kind, so she just took some oral Percocet.
Taylor was due to have her first bottle (glucose water) around 8, but she was sooooo hungry that she pacified herself with her hand and fell sound asleep till around 9:30. When she did take the bottle, she drank 2 1/2 ounces :-)
Since I was so zonked, Radona fed her the first formula bottle, but it really didn't go too well. It was around 4 a.m. when I finally had slept enough to "wake up fully", and I was able to help out. It was great taking care of the baby -- feeding, changing, and holding her. I don't remember ever changing those first messy diapers with my children, so that was a new experience to me. This may sound gross, but.... (*lol*)....that little baby was totally full *grin*
Later during the early morning, two doctors and one of the RNPs came by for rounds, and Dr. M told Radona she would probably go home the next day. I sat there in total shock....a day and a half after major surgery?! I could not believe this!!!! That evening, however, the same RNP returned for rounds, and when I told her what he had said, she said "Hmmm....we shall see, but I doubt it." *lol* Oh, and ironic as it is, this RNP saw Radona a lot throughout this pregnancy, and during a visit in the hospital, she asked Radona what the baby's name was. She was in awe. Her six year old granddaughter is named "Taylor René"! Isn't that something! Anyway, around 9 a.m., they had Radona get up, and that was pretty rough going, but she did MUCH better than I ever dreamed of doing. She sat in a chair for a while, took a shower, and then we walked the halls some. I knew from experience that what they said was true...the more you move around, the better it gets. It is painful and rough, but.....it works, because it prevents you from being so stiff. They had removed the Pit drip and turned her IV access into a Heparin lock for periodic antibiotic dosing. Once that Pit was gone, Radona didn't hurt quite as bad. That stuff is a killer!!!!!
My first cousin and his family came by to visit and brought Radona a beautiful yellow rose! Many thanks to Steven, Linda, Tosha, and Nicole :-)
I had gone down to the gift shop (and almost missed my cousin and his family) and bought a cute door hanging, a baby bootee pin, and an "it's a girl" water globe (See the yellow rose photo to see those two items) :-)
We had a rather upsetting experience that morning. The clerk came in to finish the birth certificate on Taylor and have Radona sign papers, and she was extremely congested with a runny nose. Mind ya, she should NEVER have come into any room like that without a mask on, MUCH less wipe her drippy nose and then touch all those papers and such. I was highly UPSET about that. Renée and I cringed! Thank God, Radona and Taylor didn't get sick. However, Renée did. I also got a scratchy throat and got hoarse. I felt like I was feverish, but my immune system must have kicked in, cause it didn't last but a few hours. Thank God! I felt so bad for Renée, though. Thankfully, it didn't last too long, and she was able to hold Taylor soon :-) Needless to say, I complained about this girl!
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