Ryne Carby Winsett - My Birth Story

If you've kept up to date with me, you know my third trimester was a rough one.  I think it was paybacks for a great first trimester!  In case you haven't here's a breakdown.....Gestational Diabetes, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, Swelling, and to finish it all off.....Pre-Eclampsia.  Here's my beautiful baby boys story!

I had been doing non-stress testing because of the gestational diabetes.  The last three non-stress tests I had yielded high blood pressure on my part.  We were able to get it down by lying on my left side and with no protein in my urine all was okay according to my doctor.  Three things that constitute Pre-Eclampsia are swelling, high blood pressure and protein in the urine and I only had two of the three.

On the 5th of August I went in for my non-stress test and my blood pressure was once again high and this time I had trace protein in my urine.  This was enough for them to call the doctor.  Two days before this I had a "trickle" that was definitely not urine but I was told that it was probably from effacing.  Bearing in mind my due date wasn't until the 20th and my induction wasn't scheduled for until the 17th.  I thought maybe just maybe he was going to come early!  I left the NST (non-stress test) with collection material to collect my urine for 24 straight hours.  

The next day when we loaded up the car to go to Norman to take my specimen in we decided we'd take our bags for the hospital "just in case" the lab results came back bad and I had to be admitted.  We had a grocery list as we needed to get groceries for "post birth" and also had other plans for when we left the hospital.  As much as we had hoped he'd come early neither one of us were holding our breath.

We stopped in Alex (the town we live closest to) to get gas.  I got out of the car to go in and get something to drink and said "uh oh" as a little trickle ran down my leg.  I then said "UH OH!!" as Rusty looked around the back of the car to see my water breaking in the parking lot of Chisolm Corner in Alex, Oklahoma.  I stayed very calm and went in to go to the restroom.  I got half way back to the restroom and realized I needed the key.  As I turned around to go to the counter for the key the cashier was bringing it to me.  I cleaned up and came out and got my Dr. Pepper and went to the front.  We asked for a plastic bag (for me to sit on) and they kindly gave us one.  Then the cashier's face got a little shocked and she said "oh, did your water break?!?"  I guess she thought I just peed my pants or had to pee real bad!

We made our way, calmly and extremely excited, to Norman.  We stopped at McDonald's on the way to eat lunch and then proceeded to the hospital.  We turned in my specimen then I was checked to see if I had "ruptured".  Apparently they think people pee on themselves all the time and they don't know the difference.  :o)  I KNEW this wasn't pee......come on people!  LOL

I was admitted and given Pitocin.  This was about 2:30 to 3:00 on Saturday the 6th of August.  Dad was called and he was on his way.  Mom was called and she was on her way.  We were going to do this!

I slowly progressed throughout the evening and night and finally hit a four before I stopped progressing.  We had ordered and received the epidural (heaven) and when I stopped dilating and the blood pressures went up that's when we had to discuss the c-section.  I will say the catheter was heaven too after all those nights of getting up 4 and 5 times to pee!  I had really hoped for a vaginal birth but I knew with all my complications anything could happen and I was willing to accept that.  It was whatever was safest for my baby.  Ok!  It's 3:15 am on Sunday the 7th and we are prepping for a c-section!  I called my dad (who had left to get some rest) and we also told mom (who refused to go home :o) ).  

When I was in surgery and Rusty was sitting next to me all I kept saying was that I was scared.  I think what scared me the most is that I could feel the pressure and being wide awake all I could do was IMAGINE what she was doing to me.  I could feel the pressure of the scalpel go across my belly.  No, it didn't hurt but I couldn't help but imagine what was happening.  We were very lucky and had a GREAT anesthesiologist and he told Rusty to stand up and look as they pulled Ryne out of my belly.  I remember saying "I need to hear him, I need to hear him" and then there he was right by me.  Honestly, I don't remember much more other than a LOT of pressure and pushing going on in my abdomen.  Of course Rusty was over there having all the fun with the baby!  :o)  Thankfully my friend Tammy let us borrow her Flip Video and mom video'd the first bath and all that in the nursery.  

Now, the bad part of that day.  My blood pressure just kept creeping up higher and higher and I just kept getting more swollen and more swollen.  I was put on Magnesium Sulfate and dear readers, that medicine just outright sucks.  You feel like you are on fire inside.  I was totally completely out of it for the rest of Sunday and then all of Monday.  I had to stay on the meds for 24 hours and honestly, I think I was on it longer.  I was kept in labor and delivery the rest of Sunday through Tuesday afternoon and one nurse was assigned solely to me as I was a high importance patient.  I always knew I was special.  LOL

I know there was a point when NO ONE was allowed in the room (other than Rusty) and another when I asked what my pressure was and was told by my nurse "you don't want to know".  Of course every time it took it (which was ALL the time!) I asked what it was.  I couldn't roll over and look because I was also confined to my left side for these two days.  That sucked too!  I know at one point it was 186/150.  According to the internet that is Severe Hypertension.  I will admit I was scared.  I was worried my time with that precious little boy would be short.  I worried about that for the last month though.  

The carpel tunnel syndrome symptoms let up almost instantly.  I still get some numbness but that will eventually go away.  I was immediately taken off of the diabetes regimen (thank you!!!).  I continue the high blood pressure medicine until I go back to the doctor.  I have done REALLY well with recovery other than some unwelcome constipation and gas pain (that hurts worse than anything else I went through).  My incision looks great but is a little larger than I expected.  I am assuming because we thought he was going to be big.  I think some of the reason his head measured big is because he had a cone head from being so low for so long. He had been head down for over a month!  Thankfully the cone head went away within the first day or so.  

We were finally released on Wednesday, the 10th of August.  Rusty was chomping at the bit to get home!  That first night was rough and then each night since then has gotten better.  It's still tough but at least I can nap during the day when he does.  

Breastfeeding has been good.  Not the "nightmare" I had heard about but it is painful in the beginning.  I hope we continue our good streak.  He's been such a good baby.  I just want to eat him up!!!  So, this is super long and I want to take a shower while my momma is still here so I'm gonna let this do.  Here's a comparison picture of just how swollen I was.  Let me tell you, I don't even recognize my own legs!

And of course, my precious baby boy Ryne!