Kaitlyn's Birth Story

Copying & Pasting from my other blog:

Welcome to the World- Kaitlyn Nicole

I am happy to announce that Kaitlyn Nicole has arrived!

Stats: 5/8/10 @ 2:22pm via C-Section
7lbs 4oz and 19 inches long

Birth Story:

Friday evening about 11 pm my water broke at home, so we headed to L&D after my dad came over to watch the girls. We arrived around midnight and was admiited right away. I had been having a few contractions but nothing I thought was going to lead to a baby lol I had planned on trying for a vbac, so I did not want to be induced. The dr and staff was fine with it and supported me the entire time. I was 1 cm still when we arrived and after several hours of contractions, some painful, they checked me and I was about 1.5 cm but still only 50% effaced. We decided to keep going and see if I would dilate & efface more.

My contractions did start to pick up enough but not enough for progression. So I went ahead with a low dose of pitocin at 6 am but still was only about 2 cms and 50% effaced. At 10 am I decided to get the epidural since the contractions were becoming more painful and closer together. I was finally at 3 cm and they were upping the pitocin amts every 30 min, which lead to upping every 15 mins because I was starting to stall at 3 cm and only 60% effaced.

By noon the nurse and dr said we might want to start thinking about how long I wanted to continue to labor since I was at 12 hours by this point and not really progressing. We decided to continue for another hour and then check to see if I had any more progress and if not then we would make a decision. The contractions were still coming strong and were about 2 to 3 mins apart but at final check I was still just about 3.5 cm and 60% effaced. At 1, I decided to call it quits and have the c-section before my bp went crazy or Kaitlyn went into distress.

They began prep for my c/s, but the spinal meds were not working and did not numb me at all, so unfortunately they had to put me to sleep to deliver Kaitlyn. She arrived at 2:22 via c/s at 7lbs 4oz and 19 inches long. As you have seen me mention on facebook, Kaitlyn has a growth on her back/spine area. It's about the size of a small orange. It's called : Lipomyelomeningocele ( a form of Spina Bifida), basically a rare birth defect that happens in 1-2 of every 10,000 babies born. Short version is that it is a fatty mass that is located under the skin on a childs back and normally located in the middle. The mass goes inward to the spinal canal and covered by skin.

They transported Kaitlyn to HH NICU soon after she was born, I only got to see her for about 2 mins after I woke up in the recovery room. Leon nor I got to hold her before they transported her. That has been the hardest part, not seeing or holding her since being born. Leon was able to go to NICU this morning and visit with her and hold her.

We hope to have some answers about the surgery she is going to have sometime today and what kind of side affects will be possible from this both before and after surgery and how long her recovery will be, when she'll be able to come home. This has been a very difficult time for us so we really appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers. I will continue to update as often as I can.
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8/2/2010

I decided I wanted to add to this post in relation to my memory of Kaitlyn's birth. 

When I decided to go ahead with the c-section due to no real progression, I was at peace with the decision. I did not want to stress myself or the baby and felt like it was time. I truly think it was a blessing in disguise that she was born via c-section.  I left out part of the "story" when I originally posted the story, but not intentionally, I just wasn't in the frame of mind for a beginning to end story.

When they wheeled me into the OR, I was feeling anxious, and waiting on the meds to kick in fully before the c-section began. I remember thinking, in a few minutes I'll be fine and Leon will be in with me and we'll be holding our baby. That's not what happened, not even close. I  laid there, able to move and assist with moving from the bed to the table and they were like ummm. this isn't supposed to be happening.  They said can you feel everything, I was like yah. Then I hear a flutter of activity, mention of having to put me to sleep, and I started to panic. I suddenly was freezing, shivering, felt like I could not breathe, basically like I was hyperventilating. At this point, I feel like I had an out of body experience.  It is strange, I recall thinking in my head, I want  my husband in here, ask them to let him come in. I could not for the life of me make my mouth work and say it. I could hear the nurses talking to me, asking if I was Ok? but I couldn't answer them or if I did I just nodded my head. I remember them putting the oxygen mask on me and telling me to take slow deep breathes. I nodded but was still shivering and in my head I was saying I want my husband.

Next thing I know, I am woken up by the nurse, and look around and see these people standing there and I'm back out again. It was a moment later when I woke up again, focused on Leons face, then back out. I felt like I was in Groundhogs Day the movie.  Then I remember the Dr, which I later found out was a neurologist, tell me there was something wrong with my baby. He may have even told me what, and that she was OK, I do not know. I was back out again.

Awake again, they wheeled Kaitlyn in, she was already in this box thing strapped down. I could not even reach out and touch her.  I tried, but she was to far away. She looked fine to me, and the next thing I knew I was out again and woke up in a postpartum room. Then it dawned on me, that Kaitlyn wasn't there, and my sweet husband had to explain to me what was going on.  They had taken her to Huntsville Hospital NICU because she was born with a lump on her back. At this point, we had no idea what it was, if it was treatable, life threatening etc. It was horrible. I was in one hospital while my baby was in another. In my head all I could think about was what if something happens to her and I never got to hold her. What a morbid thought, I know. However I was still heavily drugged, no one to talk to (the Dr never came back to talk to us) and find out what was going on.  It wasn't until the next day when Leon went to see Kaitlyn in the NICU that we knew what was going on and that she had a form of Spina Bifida.

More to come on the diagnosis, NICU stay and more.