Joseph Aaron Taber and c-section not so bad (I know, you told me so)

 

Joseph was born on Sunday June 21, 2009 at 10:15 in the morning. He weighed 9 lbs. 5 oz. and measured 22 inches long.

This was a pretty special day. Father’s Day, our 12th Anniversary, and our son’s birthday all wrapped into one! Whew! We even managed to exchange cards in the hullabaloo.

We went in for a scheduled c-section as the concern was Joseph was too big and the worry was shoulder distocia, his shoulders getting stuck, which, if it occurred could turn into a very difficult and life threatening business. As most people knew, I’d been really concerned about having a c-section but had put that aside before Sunday. I really did want him to be born in the safest way.

The experience was different for sure. First, c-sections are obviously common enough that the nurses setting me up had assumed I’d done c-section in the past and were surprised when I’d said no. That was a little surprising to me.

Anyway, we checked in at the hospital and they put in my IV and pumped me full of fluids. They also put the heart rate monitor on the baby and we were able to listen while we waited. This was a little reassuring to me as it was the same as if I’d gone in in labor or to be induced and it was familiar. I’d even had a few contractions while we waited but nothing major – so no pain (except for the needle pricks but hey, what do you expect? Of course they hurt!).

After a while – all paperwork and questioning done, meeting the different people involved etc. etc. they had Alan change into some scrubs. Of course I had to take a picture:

He also has covers on his shoes. Make sure no germs go into that operating room!

When Dr. Levine finally got there they walked me into the operating room. I admit I got nervous then. This was totally different. The room was white and bright and sterile (of course and thank goodness!) with lots of equipment around me. Not dark and calm and relaxing like a delivery room.

I think also the process of setting me up was even more undignified than a regular delivery. But you know, when having a baby, dignity goes away with the wind. And you gotta just forget about it. ‘Nuff said…

They put in the spinal block. This is not an epidural but had the same and an even stronger effect. Also the needle is a lot smaller and there is less pain when it pricks. Then they laid me down and I waited for the medicine to work which didn’t take long. To test it they pricked me to see if I could feel anything. Nope, nada. goooood…

I have to retrace here a little. Alan and I were commenting on the drive to the hospital that it was Sunday and he’d said, half joking, that he might have time to duck into the Stake Center which was down the road a little and take the sacrament after the baby is born, depending on what time the wards have their sacrament meetings. I snickered at him but then told him that what we’re doing that morning was not far from the what the sacrament represents. That a woman giving birth is doing for her child something closely related to the atonement, as Christ’s blood was spilt so that we could live again. In child-birth we take on the pain and look death in the eye as he did, so that our child can be born and live. It was a nice thing to remember and think about as we drove to the hospital.

But then, in the operating room I found myself, and Alan saw it too, in the position that they had me rest in to do the operation – on my back with my arms spread out on either side of me and not at my sides. The table was shaped like a cross. Alan reminded me of our talk in the car and again we were able to remember the Savior and His sacrifice and see again the symbolism in this.

For that experience I am thankful and it made the whole c-section birth experience more significant to me.

So, back to the operating room. Of course they had a sheet put up so that I wouldn’t have to see anything and Alan sat at my head and talked to me. I half-joking told him to let me know when they started to cut so I could say “ouch!” but he couldn’t watch so I didn’t get to but I don’t blame him. (Actually, I could probably watch a c-section but not on myself). When they were ready to remove Joseph they invited him to watch and he took a quick peek but that was all he wanted. Again, I don’t blame him. That has to be weird. And well, slightly gross…

As Dr. Levine got more of a look at the baby he exclaimed that I had a toddler in there! I was thinking, are you serious?!? How big is he?!?

The whole process was pretty fast, at least the first part – getting the baby out. Alan went over to take some first pictures of Joseph and Dr. Levine estimated him at at least 10 lbs. (He was later a little disappointed that he’d over-estimated the weight. But only a hare…)

He did look pretty big but remember all those fluids they pumped into me (3 bags through the IV drip!)? The baby absorbs some of that too. By the time we left the hospital Joseph had thinned down having lost some of that fluid, as well as normal newborn weight loss. He’d gone down to 8lb 4oz at his check-up on Thursday.

They wrapped him up and brought him over so I could see him. I couldn’t hold him though and that was tough but Alan was able to and it was really sweet to see him holding his newly born son and start bonding with him.

The second part of the process – stitching me up – took a while longer, about a half hour. In the meantime daddy and baby went off to the nursery to have Joseph weighed and measured.

    Look how tiny that butt is! He’s all legs!

They wheeled me into the recovery room where I needed to be monitored for an hour and where my feeling in my legs began to return. They put pressure boots on me that pumped every so often to help drain some of the fluids from my feet and helped to restore feeling. I have to say it is so strange to not be able to move your legs when you want to. Try as I might, I could not even get my toes to wiggle. It was a little taste of what it’s like to be paralyzed. That thought was not lost on me!

Alan came by to check on me and tell me about Joseph – who was cracking the nurses up with his cool chillaxin’ manner:

 

You know, looking at this picture I just realized this is how Alan likes to sleep – on his back, hands behind his head – if I would let him. But I don’t. He snores way too loudly this way! :D

But Alan told me that they were having a hard time getting him to cry and to breathe. They nearly took him to the NICU!

Which is also why I didn’t get to hold him for the first time until about 3:30 that afternoon. In the meantime, I discovered I had internet access in my room:

Alan had to take a picture of me “facebooking” from my hospital bed. Well, I had to do something while I waited for Joseph. Of course, sleep would have been the obvious choice…

But finally they brought him to me. And shortly afterward the family came to meet him:

 

His sisters adore him. Katherine took one look and then, putting her hands to her mouth, said “aww! He’s so cuuuute!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some more pictures in a photo album. Please take a look!

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And here we are, mommy and baby, mommy in some better clothes instead of that horrid hospital gown and not nearly as swollen as I was the day before, and of course, facebooking again…we’re pretty content.

We went home on Wednesday, a day early for c-section. I was so bored and so ready to be back home with my family. Alan and the girls all came to pick us up. It took us longer to get out of there than expected because the nurse had noticed bruising on Joseph’s legs so she ordered a couple blood tests under our pediatrician’s directions. It took so long that I sent Alan and the girls back out again and they went out for Rita’s while they waited. But the blood tests were fine and we got to go home.

We took Joseph to his doctor the next day to check on the bruising. He believes it was rough handling by the people who took his blood. They squeeze it out of a prick in the heel and he thinks they squeezed too hard and bruised him. Poor baby!

I have to say the c-section experience wasn’t too bad. I’m still on the fence about which way is better. One thing I have to say is that if having a c-section for safety reasons is a probability, it’s better to do it this way and avoid the labor altogether. The nurses were telling me that women who have to have c-section after going through labor were pretty bad off. I was grateful to have avoided that pain.

The incision pain was not too difficult to manage and I had some good pain killers. As long as I stayed on top of it I was fine.

The first week it was hard to move. I felt like I had no lower ab muscles so it was difficult to get out of bed. It was also hard to walk around much but by Tuesday the nurse had me walking the hall to help regain my strength to walk. But at home I couldn’t do much of anything for a few days. The hardest thing was having to tell Katherine she couldn’t sit on my lap for a couple days because I was afraid of her elbowing me or something and I couldn’t pick her up. But, Alan was so thankfully able to take time off from work and even do some work from home so he was always here. He took over the care of the other kids and making dinner, playing chauffer etc so I only had to worry about myself and the baby.

Recovery has been pretty fast. A week and half later I was able to quit taking my pain meds. A funny side effect was I actually went through a mild withdrawal from the Percocet. Would I take it again after something like this? Yes. It really helped manage my pain and helped me to rest. I was pretty drowsy but that allowed me to sleep when I needed to. I did however flush the rest of my Percocet when I was through with it! haha!

Now, two weeks later, Alan is headed back to work and it’s time for me to take over care of house and kids again. I’m feeling pretty good. I’m even talking about getting some exercise again. Of course I know I have to take that slow but I am ready to start walking. I can do that much.

Yesterday was the 4th of July. I celebrated it by running some errands and leaving the baby with Alan for a couple hours. It was nice to be out and about again and on my feet. This wasn’t as hard as I’d feared.

Thank goodness!

But the best thing about this is we have a healthy and strong little boy delivered to us safe and sound!