Peanut Butter's Arrival: The Story of a Girl

On Thursday, August 24th, 2006, I was a day shy of my due date. J and I went to the hospital for my regular appointment around 9-10 am. I was hoping they were going to induce me when I went in. My nurse practitioner had offered the week before, but I was willing to wait. This day however I was feeling horrible. I was nauseous and really tired. I was swollen beyond swollen and when I stepped on the scale I had officially gained more than 50 pounds and about 5 since the last week. I had to pee for the protein count since they were worried about preeclampsia. I had my blood pressure taken and the nurse just left the room. I told J that they usually tell me what my blood pressure is, it must be higher today. In a rush, the NP comes in and asks how I'm feeling. I said nauseous. NP, "Well we think we are going to induce you, your blood pressure is high and we don't want to take any chances." She said they were going to send me over to the ward and put me on the monitor and give me the pitocin that evening and I should deliver in the morning. Wonderful.

I get all hooked up, J runs home to get my bag, some movies, and take care of some stuff. I sleep. The RN comes in and checks on me from time to time. J comes back and we start watching a movie. The RN comes in and says, "Are you doing alright?" Yep, just fine. "So you aren't feeling any of this?" Any what? "You are having some pretty good sets of contractions, looks like around 5 min apart." Really?! I don't feel a one. J looks at the print out and says looks like you've been having them a while. She gets the NP who then checks to see how dilated I am, and decides we wont be needing to induce, but doesn't quite feel a head down there. The sonogram machine is brought in and yep, Peanut Butter is breech. I get the options: we can try and turn her, but at this point there isn't a lot of fluid to work with or a c-section. I'll let you decide. J said just do the c-sect, do you really want them to try and turn her? I give them the news and they said great, we'll call in a team and get you ready. I call my Mom and let her know the deal since she was driving down. She asked when are they going to do it, I said I don't know, when the team gets here. As the RN come back and says we're ready to take you. I then said to my Mom, I guess now and I get wheeled out.
I get on the operating table and they give me the spinal. I really hated the spinal, but the anesthesiologist was a great guy, he was very reassuring during the whole thing telling me what was going on under the sheet in front of me. After they get my sliced open and have my guts hanging out, they remember that J is still waiting to come in outside. By this time in my pregnancy I have seen enough birthing story shows to either a) scare the bejesus out of some one or b) be prepared for anything. Option a) is settling in. Since they had never shown the actual c-sect and when they were doing them it was always an emergency, I am a little nervous at this point. I ask J is they started yet and he said oh yeah, your insides are hanging out. All I feel is tugging and some big tugging and then I hear the crying. The NP said, "You have a beautiful girl." At 7:15 pm, my Peanut Butter was born weighing 9lb 6oz and is 20 inches long. J gets to cut the cord and they take her away to clean her up and get my insides back in. As they wheel me out the night RN shoves Peanut Butter in my face like I should start making out with her and is reluctant to let me hold her. She freaks me out a bit. I go to recovery and sit for what seems to be the longest period of time. I then get to go back to my room. As they are taken my down the hallways they said, "oh we've changed your room too since your had a c-sect," so I end up going from the huge beatiful birthing room for my stay to a regular small one. I then get to hold Peanut Butter and the torture of trying to breastfeed begins. I didn't have a very positive experience with it and I will leave it at that. I was also one of those crazy moms who never let the baby leave the room, except for the hour or so the RNs needed to do their checks. I wanted to be with her the whole time. J was a trooper and slept in this uncomfortable chair for 3 nights. My Mom was a huge help. By Sunday I wanted out. I desperately wanted to go home, they got the Dr to ok it and we went home Sunday afternoon.
This story is brought to you by the request of the wonderful author of Fishsticks and Fireflies.