The Day I Became a Mother

Exactly five years ago today I became a mother for the first time. That means that today is Emma's birthday and we have lots of fun things planned for the day so I promise tomorrow I will post all about it. Today I want to write about the day she was born.

Emma was breech from about 16 weeks on and refused to turn. My doctor gave me two options at 34 weeks. I could have a c-section or they could try a procedure where they flip her. I did allot of research and I wasn't liking what I was finding about this whole flipping them around thing. When I went back to the doctors I asked him one if I was his wife would he have her do the flipping procedure and he said no. So we scheduled my c-section for exactly one week before my due date.

On October 5, 2003 Dave and I arrived at St. Ann's hospital in Westerville Ohio at 6 am. Neither of us really slept the night before so we were tired but too scared and excited to feel how sleepy we were. Being that early in the morning the hospital was pretty empty so they got me right back to a triage room and hooked up on the IV's and monitors. My doctor arrived shortly before 7 to talk to me about a few things and do an ultrasound to get an idea of how Emma was positioned in me. During that ultrasound they discovered they never would have been able to flip her anyway because she had one leg up and one leg down.



Shortly after that it was time for me to walk with a nurse into the operation room. Dave was not allowed to be in there while I was getting my spinal. I was not nervous about the fact that they were going to cut me wide open what I was nervous about was the spinal. I told the nurse this because as I walked in I was visibly shaking from my nerves. I wish I could remember this nurses the name because she was very sweet to me. I had to sit up on the edge of the table and lean forward. The nurse was in front of me holding my body as still as possible. They numbed my back first then the doctor starts the spinal. Oh My God it hurt so bad I let out a little scream and I peed all over the nurse. He missed the spot where the spinal was supposed to go, when that happen I could feel the medication shoot straight down my back and then out my left leg and it hurt more than I could ever explain to you. So they had to try again, and again he missed causing the same effects as the first time. Finally on the third try he got it right and I didn't feel a single thing.

When they finally had me laying flat on the table Dave was able to come in and at that point so did the other 4,000 people. I wasn't expecting there to be so many people in there but I was really didn't care I just wanted to see my baby. I was tired of waiting. For the first part of the surgery Dave held my hand but he stood the entire time so he could see what they were doing. It thought it was so cool to watch them cut me open. My doctor was having a little trouble cutting me because I was bleeding so much (I'm a bleeder, and I already knew that. One of the things I remember my doctor saying to me during all of that was that he was impressed with how strong my abs were.

The other thing I clearly remember was my doctor saying to someone else to catch and I see what looks like a ball of yarn go flying over my head. I found out later from Dave that they attached a clamp like thing to each side of my incision and then tied string to it. My doctor pulled from one side and the jerk that did my spinal pulled from the other side and this is how they opened my stomach up. Shortly after that my doctor tells Dave to get the camera ready because he has a hold of her feet and is ready to pull her out. I was debating on whether or not to include these pictures but you can't see anything so this is them pulling Emma out feet first at 8:04 am.



Once she was out they held her up very quickly for me to see and they also let me know that yes she was a girl. Then she and Dave were off to the table across the room for her to be checked out. I of course was crying my eyes out because my beautiful girl was finally here. Then I realized she wasn't crying and I started to get scared. I called over to Dave to make sure she was ok and he said she is just perfect. Then I asked why she wasn't crying and everyone laughed a little. I think that was a sign that she wasn't going to be a crier. I also think there was another sign that Emma was going to be a night owl because as soon as they put her hat on her she reached up and pulled it down over her eyes. I am so glad Dave was quick with the camera and captured this moment for me.



It seemed like the two of them were over there for ever but finally Dave walked back over to me with our little girl in his arms. I was able to touch her and kiss her but it killed me that I couldn't hold her yet.



It took just under an hour for them to stitch me back up. Once I was back in a room I was finally able to hold Emma. I don't think their are words to express the feeling of holding your baby for the very first time so I wont try to describe it. If you are a parent you know what I'm talking about here.



I also was able to feed her then and you would have thought she was a pro. She latched right on with no problems and chomped away for 20 minutes. I had made the decision early on to breast feed but I had many concerns. What if I couldn't figure it out and what if it was weird. Well after that first feeding I felt pretty silly because it was wonderful.



After Emma ate she was taken to the nursery to have all those test run and Dave went with her. We couldn't let her out of site now could we? I was not allowed to eat or drink anything from midnight the night before and I was starving. I also had a bit of a tummy ache so I asked the nurse if I could have something to eat. I was informed I needed to wait a little longer and I should really try and sleep. I did sleep for a little while. When I woke up my stomach really hurt and I was feeling very strange. I was wide awake but I couldn't keep my eyes open so I just layed there listening to my friends and family talk. When a nurse finally came back in I asked again from something to eat and this time I told them if I didn't get something I would end up getting sick. She said she would see what she could do. Not long after that I got sick. I was so made about this because if they would have let me I it never would have happen.

Since Emma was born on a Sunday just about everyone on both sides of our families came to see the newest addition. From the time I got to my room (about noon) until 9 that night there was as least two other people in the room. By the time everyone left I was completely exhausted and the pain of my surgery was kicking in. We decided to have Emma sleep in the nursery that night and only come in when it was time for her to feed. I missed her allot but I knew I really needed to get some rest so I would be ready for the many nights of no sleep to come.

So there you have the story of how Emma was born and what that day was like. It was on of the best days of my entire life and the only day that can match it is the day an was born.