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Mallory Rae

Miss Mallory Rae, Feb. 25th 2011
This is her birth story as told by the luckiest woman around, her mother.  I was due March 22nd.  I had developed pregnancy induced hypertension at about 34 wks (with induction scheduled at 39 wks). This had me on bed rest.  It still quickly developed into severe pre-eclampsia by 36 wks (with induction scheduled at 37 wks). That meant my induction had been scheduled for Tuesday March 1st. I had been going to the doctor twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays for the pre-eclampsia. I had been to the doctor Monday that previous week, my liver functions were beginning to elevate and my protein count had risen to over 600, so they wanted me back on Wednesday.  On Wednesday they had elevated some more, but they said the plan would still be for Tuesday.
On Thursday afternoon at 2:30 I got a call from my midwife Katie saying that she and Sandy (the other midwife) had discussed my test results with the doctors and they were more concerned that the liver functions were elevating so quickly and that I would only get sicker, so they wanted to start induction, TODAY!  Katie warned me it would be a long night, that inductions on someone who was not dilated at all are long, and typically done first thing in the morning. She stated that the doctors were so concerned they didn’t want to wait until morning, they wanted me started this afternoon…remember it is 2:30 already!
So I went into the bedroom to wake up Eric, to tell him “It’s TIME!”  We showered and packed the bags (because of course we didn’t have it done yet!). Katie told me to eat something because I wouldn’t be fed at the hospital, so we went thru McDonalds and I got a fish sandwich and chocolate shake for my last meal.  We arrived at the hospital at 5:20 pm.  We were in room #367, suite 7.  Sandy came in and the first stage of induction began at 6:05 pm with the gel.  I began contracting within about 10-15 minutes. I was still at a zero. Sandy then began the list of bad news.
Sandy began by saying that since I was severe pre-eclamptic that the OB would do the delivery, “I am here now as just your friend for support or massage and your advocate.”  The OB came in and said that I would be hooked up to the IV for the Magnesium Sulfate to prevent seizures.  I argued that Katie had said I could be monitored first and possibly not need the IV. The OB simply said “It is ordered, you on IV”.  He then said that I would be on constant fetal monitoring. I mentioned something about laboring in the tub or walking. He said no, on bed rest, and on monitor. I argued again that there is a purse pack that the EFM can be worn in the tub.  Again his simple answer was “No, labor in bed only.” He then said that the baby would need to go to the warmer immediately as she would be groggy from the magnesium.  I again argued that my birth plan included skin to skin, and that skin to skin is just as effective as a warmer. Can you guess his answer, “No.” While all these conversations took place I was already hooked up to the EFM.
I vomited at 7:10 pm, good-bye fish.  The magnesium was added to my IV at 7:36 pm.  It made my legs very jello-y and difficult to move around.  So every time I wanted to use the bathroom, we had to unplug the machine for IV and take off the cords of the EFM and put around my neck, and then have help shuffling to the restroom. I did begin to lie to staff, saying that I had to go, when I didn’t.  It was just an excuse to get up to walk and to sit up for a few minutes on the toilet, anything to get away from the bed temporarily.
Sandy then inserted the Foley balloon at 10:10 pm.  That was painful and very uncomfortable. It definitely increased the intensity of the contractions. I felt at that point things were really progressing.  Sandy had said the balloon could take 6-8 hours.  2 hours later while I was going to the bathroom it fell out.  My first thought was “Oh no!” I was scared she’d have to put it back in, as I said it was painful!!  Sandy came back in and said that she wasn’t putting it back in but that we would start the Pitocin, 12:30am now.  This again increased the severity of the contractions even more; I thought we were definitely in business now! I got sick again at 1:00 am.  She checked me at 1:30 and I was 5-6cm, 75% effaced and at a negative 2 station. Sandy and Eric both then took a nap and I labored with the nurse.  At one point I sat in the bathroom alone, contracting comfortably with my back against the pipe, thinking.  I was thinking to myself how much of my birth plan had not gone as planned. I found humor though as I began to try and think what HAD gone as planned.  I thought and thought, well I realized I had the lights dimmed in the room, and I bet if I wanted my music on, they would let me.  Yep, that was all.  I laughed out loud to myself all alone in the bathroom having contractions.
At 4:00 am Sandy broke my water. Again I had the thought, “I am in business now!” The contractions were much more intense and severe, closer together and longer. All my contractions were in bed, mostly on my side because of my blood pressure.  I could flip from side to side, sometimes delaying on my back for one, and of course my ‘bathroom breaks’.  I still felt decent and Eric was being very helpful.  He would watch the monitor during my contractions and tell me when they were almost done; I began to look forward to that so much. I could start to relax off of his words and survive each one.  I was getting tired, but I still felt like I was doing well, getting used to the pain level. Each time I felt that way though was when they would turn up the Pitocin. I would get to the point of handling it again and it would be time to turn it up more!
I had been steadily watching the clock, when I had talked to Katie on Thursday afternoon she had told me that Sandy was who was on-call that night, but that she would be in at 7:00 am to “see you and babe.”  So in my mind, I KNEW the baby would be born by 7! I watched the clock tick by and get closer and closer to 7:00 and nothing was happening.
It was now 7:00, no baby…just lots and lots more Pitocin and contractions, harder, longer and stronger.  Sandy left the room for awhile to do her hand-off to Katie.  When Katie came in the room she had lots of good news!! She said that the OB had handed-off to Dr. Hintz now and Sandy had passed off to her.  She told us that Dr. Hintz was fine with Katie doing the delivery.  Katie said that she would make sure I had skin to skin with baby. She said Hintz would be on the floor and available, but wouldn’t even come in the room if he wasn’t needed.  I was so very happy to hear all of this!
Katie let me try contracting sitting up, moving to the glider, etc.  I even think she knew I was fabricating my trips to the restroom; she came in with me and offered to put a pillow behind my back as I sat on the toilet! I declined because the cold metal of the pipes actually felt good against my spine.  In some ways time seemed to go fast as I was enjoying my labor with Katie more, but yet it was also crawling because it was becoming more and more intense, more and more exhausting.  I used many positions in the bed, going from my sides to my back to hands and knees and sitting up.  I was in the most pain on my side and was in the least pain sitting straight up.  Katie kept having me switch positions and I felt like I was on a circuit trainer at one point, “2 more this position and then we’ll switch”.  She was dictating which position I would move to and after how many contractions.  Katie checked me, it was now 9:30 am.  I was still at 6cm.  I was so disappointed; it had been 8 hrs since I was last checked, and no progress.
I didn’t realize it, but I was having back labor and the baby was posterior.  Eric had begun putting pressure on my low lower back with his fist during contractions.  It got to the point that he had to maintain that pressure constantly, contraction or not.  While laboring on hands and knees Katie would squeeze my hips together while Eric pushed on my back.  At one point Katie left the room for a minute and I was so scared knowing she’d be gone for at least 1-2 contractions.  Eric saved the day by squeezing my hips himself and using the top of his head to push down on my back.  It was quite a sight I’m sure!  If that isn’t love I don’t know what is!  Looking back I can easily recognize that I was in the ‘natural alignment plateau’.  I wasn’t ‘progressing’ in terms of centimeters because the baby needed to turn first.  We just continued as is for another hour and a half.  I had said a couple times, “I don’t know how much longer I can do this”.  I wasn’t looking for drugs, but I was looking for Katie to say something, to tell me it was right around the corner, to tell me the baby was on its way.  I had no time frame in my head now that I had passed 7:00 am, I was so exhausted and feeling myself wonder how much I had left in me.
At a little before 11:00 am I got up to use the restroom.  As soon as I stood up, I felt intense pushing.  I felt like from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet were melting through the floor.  I said “I AM PUSHING”.  I’ve heard the “urge to push”, there was no urge, it was happening.  I kept repeating it, as I knew I was pushing with all my might, and I was standing up.  For all I knew I was going to push the baby out right there and it land on the cold hard floor! Katie was right there with me and we got through that contraction and one more before I reached the toilet.  I then sat on the toilet, again PUSHING.  I said it again and again; still concerned I was going to have the baby in the toilet! Katie left me during the first contraction on the toilet.  As we returned to the bed, the overhead lights were on, and Katie was gowning up and putting on her mask…we were finally in business!! I looked at the clock as I settled into the classic position on the bed, 11:00 am on the nose!
Pushing was very easy.  I felt good actually.  It was good because I knew it was progress, but physically it actually felt good as well. I focused on the pushes instead of the contractions.  I began to crown just slightly and Katie encouraged me to put my hand down and feel the baby’s head, I could feel the hair on its head, which was amazing and other-worldly to me.  I only pushed about 20 minutes when I said I wanted to move.  I felt like I wasn’t helping anything laying in classic, gravity was not working for me. She asked if I wanted to go hands and knees. NO! I knew that for sure. “What do you want?” she asked.  I want to squat I told her.  I had heard the midwives are not fans of squatting because if makes you more likely to tear, but I just felt like it’s what I needed.
Katie quickly obliged though and began breaking the bed down.  I scootched to the middle section while she completely dropped down the lower section. I then put my feet down on the bottom and scootched forward to the edge of the middle.  Katie squatted down on the floor in front of me and I balanced myself hands on her shoulders as I squatted freely on the bottom piece of the bed.  I only pushed a couple more time and I felt it happening.  I was looking down and I saw the baby begin to fall, I instinctively let go of Katie’s shoulder with my right hand, still balancing with my left.  I reached my right hand down and helped ‘catch’ my new little baby!  I saw this beautiful screaming, squirming thing, our baby!!
The nurse was on my left and Eric on my right, they both picked me up from my armpits and sat me back on the bed as I got to bring my baby up to my skin.  The umbilical cord was short so the baby only made it to my stomach, I was crying so hard.  Katie said ‘Dad, tell her what you’ve got!” Eric was looking at the curled up little mass, I heard him say, “boy?” as I pulled the legs apart and saw it was a girl! I laughed saying it’s a girl, it’s a girl! Eric laughed too saying he couldn’t see and was trying to guess. I looked at Eric, he was crying.  I was crying, this beautiful baby girl was crying.  It was finally here, the moment had arrived.  We were a family, at 11:30 am Feb 25th, 2011.
I was so happy and engaged with our baby, I really wasn’t paying attention to much else. I know Katie was telling me to push and I knew I still had the placenta to birth.  It was now noon and a full half hour had passed and I had not birthed the placenta.  I then met Dr. Hintz as he entered the room.  He explained that we needed to get the placenta out now.  I had two choices, manually or surgically.  I asked what that meant.  He demonstrated what manually went putting his forearm up in the arm and making a fist as if he was grabbing something and pulling down. As horrible as that sounded, he said surgically was under general anesthesia into the operating room now.
I was not going to leave the baby, so manually it was.  Katie got to try first with Dr. Hintz walking her through it step by step.  It was excruciatingly painful.  It was also to no avail.  So Dr. Hintz then had to do it, with his much larger forearm and hand.  I actually screamed the worst curse word at the top of my lungs, here I had survived 17.5 hours of natural childbirth, but this was ridiculous! He was successful though and I began my long afternoon with just my husband and new child.  We spent the entire time together, no visitors.  We ordered lunch and we enjoyed our private time all day, intending to go to sleep soon.
Intending was the operative word for me.  Eric napped, the new nameless baby girl napped.  I was so uncomfortable, I kept having to pee, which meant waking Eric and having help unplugging the machine and shuffling to the restroom. I had to remain on the magnesium until 8:00 the next morning.  I would use the restroom and no sooner than return to the bed, have the urge to go again.  This went on for hours.
I started paging the nurse, explaining something wasn’t right.  I did everything, I even took a bath trying to urinate in the tub, because the nurses said that I may be fearful of peeing because of pain and that peeing in the tub is more comfortable.  Nothing was working and I was in so much pain.  I finally had Eric ask the nurse to call a Doctor.  It happened to be that Katie had just called in about another patient so the nurse talked to her and she suggested putting in a catheter and taking a sample to see if I had developed a urinary tract infection.
The nurse did so, and it was discovered that my bladder was extremely distended and over filled, not allowing itself to drain.  The nurse explained that a normal bladder holds 400 cc’s of urine, that at about 6-700 the bladder is FULL, that the person is doing the potty-dance! She said the worst she had ever seen was 1400 cc’s.  Mine was at 1800 plus the sample, so probably around 1900+.  Needless to say I felt much better. (It was now about 6:00am on Saturday). I had not slept since Wednesday night before I was called in on Thursday afternoon).
I was then to have my bladder scanned after I urinated a couple of times to make sure it was emptying.  I did so, and each time there was still 4-500 cc’s still in my bladder.  So I was catheterized again and had to stay that way until 8am Sunday morning, but I was able to sleep finally.
On Saturday afternoon we had finally named our little girl.  Mallory Rae was officially a named member of our family.  She was happy and healthy except for some jaundice which is normal in preemies.  We then all left the hospital together on Sunday evening about 7:00 pm to go home as a family!
Mallory Rae
February 25, 2011
5 lbs, 2 oz.
​18 in.

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