The Birth Story.

Just so you can see the difference in a month here are some brand new baby pics. For those of you who don't know how the scary crazy birth happened here is a sort of short (not really) version. Robert and I went to our regular 36 week doctor appt. it happened to be on the Friday of Labor Day weekend so our doctor as well as just about everyone else was on vacation so the doctor on call checked me out. Nothing happening, not dilated etc. everything seemed fine but because of my advanced maternal age as the doctors like to call it and the fact that we had 1 artery in the umbilical cord instead of the normal 2 she had us take a non stress test. Test was o.k. but because of a few dips in baby's heart rate even though that is pretty normal she still sent us up to the hospital for an ultrasound. The u.s. showed everything in good shape but I started getting really bad pain in my lower stomach so they decided to admit us to the hospital and observe for awhile and most likely induce us because of all the previous factors and the fact that my pregnancy had been so hard. We were really surprised that they would consider inducing and were warned that Scarlett might have underdeveloped lungs and have to stay in NICU for awhile but that it was probably a good idea anyway. Seeing as how it looked like we would be at the hospital for awhile I sent Robert home to get a few things like my phone with everyones phone numbers in it (the downside of cell phones is not knowing anyones numbers in case of an emergency), camera, some clothes for me and baby etc. We had nothing with us I had even forgotten my glasses and couldn't see much. We also had no plan for Ellie at the time and no ones phone numbers to call for help so Robert also needed to pick her up from school and then hopefully hook up with someone to keep her for awhile. Ten minutes after Robert left I started bleeding. A little at first (the nurse didn't seem to alarmed) but still bleeding 20 minutes later they called the doctor in to check and as she walked in the blood came gushing out (sorry so graphic but can't think of any other way to describe it). She looked at me and said we need to do an emergency c-section right now. She said we have about 15 to 20 mintues to get the baby out. I started bawling, Robert was still gone, they as usual couldn't get an i.v. in my pathetic vein and everyone just started running around like crazy. The hospital staff was really sparse because of holiday and as they are wheeling me into an operating room I hear the doctor say she can do the c-section by herself but it would help if they could find a nurse or midwife to help. I am panicked at this point and beg them to let me call Robert. They tell me I can but that he won't get to the hospital in time so I am kind of freaked and in shock and sad at the same time. I call Robert, who had just picked up Ellie and had not yet gotten any of our stuff and tell him they are doing an emergency c-section and he needs to come back right now at which point the nurse hangs up the phone. I can only imagine what he and Ellie are thinking on the frantic drive to the hospital not knowing who or what is happening but that they have no time and it looks pretty bad. Meanwhile I am alone scared to death hanging on to the fact that I could hear the babies heart beat on the monitor and that as long as I could hear that I would make it. Honestly the doctor whom I had never met and the nurses did an amazing job because I was prepped, given a spinal and oxygen, etc. within 10 minutes. Robert came running in terrified 1 minute before they pulled Scarlett out still having no idea what had happened. It was crazy. Neither of us could really talk or comprehend that we had gone in to a routine doctor appt. and 3 hours later had our baby. Poor, amazing Ellie was left at the nurses station while Robert was whisked away to the operating room and I feel horrible about what she went through sitting there all alone thinking the worst. Thank goodness my sister showed up shortly after and reassured her that things would be o.k even though she as well had no idea what was happening. We will be forever grateful that we were at the hospital when my placenta ruptured because as the doctor told us if I had been at home we would have been calling 911 (which I probably wouldn't have done until it was to late) and not had good odds of getting her out in time. Someone was watching out for us I am sure and even though I was really bummed my doctor was out of town I feel like the doctor we had was the one we needed to see that day to be at the right place at the right time. Obviously we have no pictures or videos nor did we have to many family mambers there for the time during or immediately after she was born and that wouldn't have been my first choice but we are all happy and healthy and that is what counts.