It is a miracle every time a baby is born. Every birth is individual, unique, and a new experience. Hazel's dramatic delivery was no exception. Although everything turned out fine and my beautiful baby girl arrived safely, her birth was not at all what I expected.
In the early afternoon of April 16th (4 days before my due date), I went to the doctor for my regularly scheduled appointment. In this office, they rotate you through several doctors, and it happened that I hadn't seen this particular doctor yet. Earlier in the pregnancy, I tested positive for Group B Strep, and needed 4 hours of antibiotics prior to delivery. Based on my two previous experiences, I am not usually given 4 hours notice before my babies are born. This was a potential problem. At this appointment, the doctor indicated that if I was favorable for induction, they would induce me the following week to be sure that I received the proper antibiotics. Although I wasn't excited about this in the least, I was willing to do it if it was the best approach. She then proceeded to do a pelvic exam to check my progress.
Her exam was extremely abrasive, but she told me the baby's head was down and I was quite possibly at a 2. She scheduled me for induction the following Tuesday (the day after my due date). She mentioned that if the baby came before then, we would figure it out.
10 minutes after I got home, my water broke at the end of a big contraction. I was alone at the time. I became a bit worried since with my previous births, the baby came minutes after my water broke. I immediately called Bruce, and he said he would leave his office immediately. I called the doctors office, and despite their disbelief that my water already broke, they told me to head to the hospital. I texted my friend, who was watching my other children, and asked if she could watch them for an unspecified amount of time.
It took nearly 25 minutes for Bruce to come home. The weird thing was despite having leaking fluid, I felt no more contractions. We finally arrived at the hospital at about a quarter to 3 in the afternoon. It was strange for me to fill out the proper paperwork, and be hooked up to a monitor (to measure the contractions and my blood pressure). I never had time for this with the other 2. It had been an hour since my water broke, and I only had 2 additional contractions - something just didn't seem right.
Here I am just waiting something to happen - so bizarre!
Finally at ten after 3, the hospital doctor came in to examine me. After her internal exam, she asked what I was told in the office. I repeated that the baby's head was down, and I was told I was a 2. She never confirmed my progress, but she suggested we do an ultrasound because she didn't think the baby's head was really down.
The ultrasound revealed the worst - baby was breech, significantly breech. The doctor said it was nearly impossibly to deliver her the way she was positioned. I opted to have them try an External Cephalic Version to try and turn the baby. They don't generally try this after 37 weeks because it can stress the fetus. After 30 minutes of trying, it was unsuccessful, she didn't move at all. At this point, I wasn't in labor yet, but they didn't want me to go into labor, so the doctor opted to do an emergency C section. I cried. I couldn't help it, I could only cry.
They wheeled me right over to the OR at about 4:40 and prepped me for a C section. The anesthesiologist asked if I had any questions. I was full of questions, but I didn't really have much time to get up to speed with what was going to happen. The anesthesiologist was surprised that I didn't have an epidural with my other children. He must have been very good, because the spinal tap took seconds, and I didn't even know that he had even started. Bruce came in the room, and minutes later, I was informed they had already started. When asked if I wanted to watch them pull the baby out, I said yes. It was fascinating to watch. All I could really see, besides some blood, was blue gloved hands. When they flipped my skin back, I saw a small, cute baby's bottom. After much tugging, my beautiful baby girl was born at 5:09 pm.
I wasn't at all surprised that the baby was a girl - I had thought she was girl for quite some time. A C-section is not at all what I wanted. But, when Bruce and a nurse held my baby girl up to my face for the first time, I was so overcome with happiness that I didn't care how she arrived - she was here! And what a beautiful blessing she is.
Although he didn't do much except stand by my side (which I was grateful for), he was the first one to hold Hazel.
When I could finally hold her in my arms, she nursed like a champ, and has ever since. We didn't have any problems.
Later that same evening, Bruce brought Eliza and Zabien in to see their new baby sister. Eliza was immediately smitten, and was so gentle with her.
Zabien was fascinated by her movements, but wasn't ready to hold her initially. After an hour, he warmed up to her and wanted to take a turn holding her. We placed her in his arms, and second later he said, "I all done." Now 2 months later, she is not deprived of affection from either one of them. Although they both mean well, they are a little too aggressive when hugging and kissing her. All affection ends with me "rescuing" her after she starts crying. It's a good thing she is a solid, tough girl in order to survive her older siblings.
Recovery was very difficult both physically and emotionally. My 4 days in the hospital were lonely, and the nights even more lonely. Bruce and the children came to visit every day for about an hour, but since we didn't have anyone to stay with Eliza and Zaby, I was alone at night and a good majority of the day. Honestly, I cried every night my family left the hospital. I just wanted someone with me (besides precious Hazel), and the night nurses were not very helpful. It took nearly 7 weeks for me to feel normal again (even now I still have some bursts of pain where my incision is), but my darling Hazel Mae was so worth it. I love her to pieces. Welcome to the family baby girl!
