Austin's birth story actually starts on December 30, 2003. Because I was concerned that he wold be a "big" baby, we were supposed to be induced when I was 38 weeks pregnant. We were to be at the hospital at 5:00 am. Everything was set and we were walking out the door when the hospital called (at 4:45 am) and said they were too full and had to cancel. They called again at 7:30 and said there still was no room. We were rescheduled to Jan. 5, 2004, a week later.
On Sunday, Jan. 4, 2004, I had contractions and a back ache all day. I thought that would be the day and maybe Austin would come on his own. Nope. On Monday, January 5, 2004, we arrived at Manatee Memorial Hospital at 6:00 am and filled out a ton of paper work. I was having regular contractions, but nothing that was too painful. Dr. Matta arrived at 7:45 am and broke my water. He had a difficult time and it really hurt. When it broke it wasn't clear fluid, it was blood and clots. (Probably from my previa bleeding.) About 5 minutes later I got really hot and couldn't breathe. Our nurse, Tiffany, asked if I was ok and I said no. Then the machine went nuts because Austin's heartbeat dropped from 140 to 60. I was put on oxygen and they turned my bed so my head was lowest. I was flipped to my left side. They called Dr. Matta back in. Here was there in a few minutes and Austin's hearbeat was coming back up. After a few more minutes they took me off the oxygen, but wanted to keep me on my left side. I kept thinking that we need to do an emergency c-sec to help Austin, but since his heartbeat was back up, we were to proceed. They started pitocin around 8:30 am. With my water broke, I was hurting with the contractions but Andy did a great job of helping me. At 9:00 our nurse asked if I wanted pain medicine and I said yes. I wasn't going to play a hero this time. At 9:00 am I got some stadol. I was able to nap a little off and on. I was loopy, but able to manage the contractions. At this time I was about 2 cm. At 10:45 I was checked and was to 3 and the nurse asked if I wanted the epidural, and I said yes. When the man came to do it he had bad news...my platlet count was only 81, and it has to be at least 100 to get the epidural! They couldn't give me one!!!!!!!!!!!! Boy, was I heart broken. Then the nurse said because I couldn't have the epidural she would give me a double dose of the stadol to last me a while. Thankfully Andy took notes, but I have absolutely no memory of the next part! He says that at 11:45 Dr. Matta came by and checked me. I was 4 cm and 80% effaced. He said Austin should be here at 5:00. (I honestly don't remember any of this!) With the drug trying to knock me out I would wake up during the contractions and try to breathe through them. Poor Andy, I would wake up asking for ice, then zonk back out. Then I remember waking up during one contraction and I felt like the internal monitor was falling out and I told Andy to call a nurse. (That was around 12:45) The next contraction I had a huge urge to push and I told Andy to get a nurse that Austin was coming now! The nurse came in and had Andy hit the call button to call for a nurse and to get Dr. Matta! I have never felt anything in the world like the need to push! I remember saying that I NEEDED to push and they kept telling me NOT to push that they wanted the dr. here. That is soooooooo hard to do! (Not to mention I was still loopy from the meds.) Dr. Matta finally arrived and as soon as he did the episotomy they let me push. It only took a minute or two, because he wanted me to push slowly so I didn't tear. Austin was 8 pounds 10 oz and 21 1/2 inches long, born at 1:18 pm. Apgars were 9 and 9. However, Austin broke his collar bone on the way out. (It's a good thing I was induced! A few more days of growth and he might not have fit!) The "family" came in and we passed him around, but because I had a "double dose" of the stadol, I was completely out of it. I barely remember holding him. I kept falling asleep. I had gone from 3 cm to 10 cm in only an hour, so the "double dose" of stadol was still effecting me. She had given me enough to last another 4 hours! Some time between 3:00 and 4:00 I had to use the restroom so they walked me to the bathroom. Next thing I know I was being lifted and then smelling salts. I guess my blood pressure dropped again and I passed out in the bathroom. The nurse grabbed 3 other people and they carried me back to bed and then used the smelling salts to bring me back. Needless to say I had to use the bed pan the rest of the day, as I was sooo dizzy all day I couldn't get up. I think I was able to use the toilet about midnight. Andy was really worried because they had such a hard time reviving me. Apparently they used the smelling salts in the bathroom and I wasn't responding. He was relieved when I came to in bed with the second dose of smelling salts.
Austin's pediatrician came by the next morning at 6:30 am and checked him out and did his circumcision. He asked that we stay another day so he could check Austin again in the morning. He was concerned he may be jaundice. Luckily, Austin was able to come home on time and didn't need special treatment for the jaundice.