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We arrived at the ER (going into labor during the
weekend turned out to be an issue) and checked in around 830 or 9am, went to a room and had monitors put on. The nurses confirmed that I was having
contractions and was in early labor, but I was not at all dilated or effaced
(and someone, please, let me know why that matters if I’m having a surgical
birth?). They hooked me up to a saline IV to slow down the contractions so they
could send me home because they “didn’t know how long it would be until she
went into active labor.” This was the beginning of poor decision-making by the
on-call doctor.
The hospital kept me for about three hours and then a nurse
came in and told me we could go home because my contractions had spaced out
again (not stopped, just gone back to 10-15 minutes apart instead of 8-10
minutes). What?! I started crying and asked to see the on-call doctor (who told
them to send me home without ever seeing me). This doctor comes in and tries to
explain to me that he has a mom attempting a VBAC and another at the same stage
I’m at (unsure if she will leave), so maybe he could do the surgery later –
but, he insinuated that I should just go home and that I wasn’t really in
labor. From there, he also asked about the date we’d chosen to do the caesarean
birth – he strongly alluded if we’d scheduled it at 39 weeks pregnant (like
they usually do) that the baby would already be here.
Fun side note, would anyone care to guess why we scheduled
at 40 weeks? Couldn’t be because our first baby came early and premature?
Because we know that a week makes a lot of difference. V also arrived after 40
weeks. Makes sense.
But not to the doctor. Through what he said, C got the
message that we should check out and go home because we were wasting the doctor
and hospital’s time. We left after we spoke with the anesthesiologist – who
assured me that I could still have a spinal if I ate lunch (I was very excited
about spinal anesthesia versus an epidural like I had with previous deliveries
– because I felt more of those than I should have + recovery is quicker). We
weren’t given any real instructions beyond drinking a lot of water and
returning if I was in “active labor.”
Another side note here – no one should have to “qualify” for
a scheduled caesarean birth by being in active labor. That’s bullshit. We were
fine waiting on a VBAC-ing mom (that was me last time) and until the OR became
available. I presented in proven labor and due to the caesarean birth
requirement, shouldn’t have even had my cervix checked. I am angry about this
still. Also, that they made me feel as if I was hysterical and an imposition,
when I presented to the hospital in labor at 39+ weeks pregnant.
C and I got Chipotle and route 44 cherry limeades and went
over to my parents’ house to watch movies for a few hours in case something
changed. Contractions kept up, but didn’t increase in spacing or duration, so
we decided to go home. At home, my mom came out and made a great dinner while
C’s mom had kept the boys this whole time (moms, tell me if I get this wrong –
it’s a bit hazy, I just know that the boys were safe and happy). And, not in a
way I could tell, but by this time, contractions were picking up. There’s a
terrible photo of me at the table, leaning over in pain.
[Part 3]
[Part 4]
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