Until 30 weeks my pregnancy was pretty much uneventful( except normal milestones like kicking and such). At 30 weeks I started having contractions at school. After they went on for about an hour I decided to call my doctor. By the time I got to the doctor they had stopped and I wasn't dilated. So I went home with instructions to only get up to the bathroom for a couple days. After that everything was fine and went on normally.
At 35 weeks, I couldn't sleep for some reason one night. At about 3 in the morning I found out why. I started vomiting. After the first time I started having strong contractions. I waited to see if they would stop and they didn't. I called the dr and went to the hospital. They checked me and I was 2 cm. They gave me an IV and the contractions stopped. I went home. That evening the contractions started again. I waited and they wouldn't stop so on to the hospital again. I was still 2 cm when I got there. They gave me an IV again and waited. The contractions weren't stopping this time. They checked me again and I was 3 cm and 50% effaced. I was then admitted for observation. I had to stay all night. Overnight the contractions stopped and I was allowed to go home.
For the next 4 weeks I stayed 3 cm. I was so over being pregnant. I wanted my baby! Coop was growing fast. At 38 weeks my doctor did an ultra sound and decided he was ready to come out. My induction was scheduled for the following Monday at 2 am.
We got up and headed to the hospital that morning. I was checked in, put in a hospital gown, and given an IV and cervidil. It was supposed to get my cervix ready for labor but it threw me straight into labor by 3 am. My contractions were one on top of the other with no break between. A nurse came to my room with pain medicine and asked if I wanted any. I didn't want it but I needed it so I took it. My doctor broke my water and advised me to get my epidural before she started pitocin. The epidural was awful. It hurt SOOO bad. The needle wasn't what hurt though; when the anesthesiologist was trying to postition it he kept hitting nerves in my back and sending waves of pain down my legs and through my back. This was the worst part of the whole thing.
By this time I was 5 cm but Cooper's heart rate kept diving with my contractions. They thought it was because the cord was being compressed because of the lack of fluid and to put in a monitor that would also pump in more fluid to cushion the cord. When a nurse was checking me to do this she got a strange look on her face and asked me or my husband to push the call button. I did and she told the nurse that answered that she needed more people and to call my doctor and get her over there. Then she said the word I will never forget: prolapsed cord.
For those of you that don't know, a prolapsed cord is when the umbilical cord is coming out before the baby. This means when the mother has a contraction, the babies head cuts off all of its blood flow and oxygen. It is a very dangerous emergency situation.
The nurse that found it stayed between my legs holding Cooper's head up off the cord. Other nurses ran frantically around the room unhooking monitors and such. They threw a sheet over the nurse between my legs and she stayed there on the ride to the operating room. When we got to the operating room, Jerry had to wait outside while they got me ready and he had to put on scrubs. I saw my doctor in the next room washing her hands, putting on scrubs,etc. When she came in the room she came straight over to me and said, "You and the baby are going to be just fine. We are going to get him out." This made me feel a little better, even though I was still bawling like a baby. They let Jerry back in and get stood by my head. They put the curtain up in front of my face but they did it so quickly if I had stretched my neck a little I could have seen everything they did! I did NOT want to see that! Just a couple minutes later I heard a baby cry. At first it was so surreal I didn't think I was Cooper, but just for a second. Then Jerry put his face against mine and we both cried. Then Jerry brought Coop over to me so I could see him. I was shaking all over and a little sick so all I could do was smile. from the time the nurse found the prolapsed cord to the moment he cried took only 7 minutes! Cooper was born at 12:05 pm. He weighed 8 lbs 2 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long.
About an hour after he was born I was wheeled into recovery. By this time I was only shaking slighty and was way more alert. I was handed the most beautiful bundle of blankets I had ever seen. I will never forget those first precious moments with my baby boy. He then got a bath and I nursed him. His oxygen saturation levels stayed at 100% but he was grunting a little so they did lung xrays. I went back to my room and 3 hours later (really only about 30 minutes) they brought him back from his xrays. Jerry and I held him and our families held him then he nursed again.
We spent 3 more days in the hospital because I was not sleeping. Cooper wouldn't sleep in his bassinet and they won't let you sleep with your baby in the bed so I stayed up and held him so that he could sleep. I was so exhausted and had a couple panic attacks so my doctor made me stay an extra night and let Cooper go to the nursery. It killed me but I let him. On January 15 we brought our baby boy home. We are so happy to have him and almost losing him made us extra thankful! He is the most wonderful blessing!
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