The story of Titus' birth starts with knowing that he was breech. For us this means attempting to do an External Version in the hopes of avoiding a c-section. This was scheduled for early Tuesday morning with the same doctor who successfully "turned" Jedi. I should also say that I was COMPLETELY dreading the version and everything else to with labor and delivery.
We arrived at the hospital and was brought back to the pre-op because if the version was not successful or was too distressing to me or the baby I would be brought immediately into the OR for a c-section. As I mentioned I was dreading every aspect of labor, even getting the IV in. So they put it in and I thought, "That wasn't so bad." Then they gave me fluids and put in the epidural, which I was also dreading, and I thought "That wasn't so bad." After the epidural my blood pressure went down and I needed some medicine to help. Then they gave me another drug to completely relax my uterus.
My version with Jedi was successful and quick BUT very painful so I was expecting a lot of pain but in God's kindness when the doctor starting working on my belly I couldn't feel it at all- truly amazing because she was really working on my belly. Unlike Jedi, it was not quick. After a few minutes with no movement they stopped to check the baby's heart rate, which was really low. The doctor looked at Erik and gave the, "This is not going to happen look." The nurses started prepping me for surgery, the OR was ready to take me and then Erik said, "Doctor can you give it one more try." She said, "Let's see how quickly the baby recovers." He did recover pretty quickly and she called in a PA to help work on my belly for try number 2. Again she started working on my belly and I couldn't feel it (praise God). After several minutes she got his head down, checked his heart rate which was OK BUT right next to head was his foot. Can you imagine how uncomfortable that position must have been!?! So now, his head is down but I still can't actually deliver him. The doctor then proceeded to stick her whole hand inside me and tried to push his foot out of the way, after a few minutes he pulled it up and the version was done! Amazing. There was a moment in there, can't exactly remember when that the doctor was asking for his heart rate and nobody seemed able to find it, after 10 seconds the doctor in a firm tone says, give me that (meaning the sonogram thing) and she found in right away, I think the other people just didn't know where to look BUT it was a pretty intense moment for Erik and I.
Next they broke my water and discovered he had passed the meconium, which can add complications later. They started pitocin and continued to monitor me in the pre-op room for another 20 minutes or so, trying to make sure we were both OK and stable and then they moved me over to labor and delivery. I think we got to L&D around 11:45 ish. I was around 3 cm and they would gradually increase the pitocin making labor harder and harder, at this point I did NOT say "Oh that wasn't too bad." I started saying, "I can't do this, I can't do this." When they checked me at around 2:50 I was 7 cm and then 10 minutes later I could feel his head ready to come out and I was 10 cm. I started pushing, and said again, "I can't do this!" But in God's kindness after 9 minutes of pushing he came out, covered in meconium (yuck). They had to have the NICU doctor there to check him and then they had to do "deep suction" out of his lungs and he was having a hard time clearing this lungs for about 45 minutes and I had to wait to feed him because of this but then he just started breathing fine and was great.
Through all of this I have come away again freshly reminded of God's faithfulness and kindness. In my lack of faith and in my complaining HE is faithful, HE never changes. As I was getting my very first bag of fluids in the pre-op room I listened to this song by Matt Redman, which encouraged my soul and brought my eyes upward:
We arrived at the hospital and was brought back to the pre-op because if the version was not successful or was too distressing to me or the baby I would be brought immediately into the OR for a c-section. As I mentioned I was dreading every aspect of labor, even getting the IV in. So they put it in and I thought, "That wasn't so bad." Then they gave me fluids and put in the epidural, which I was also dreading, and I thought "That wasn't so bad." After the epidural my blood pressure went down and I needed some medicine to help. Then they gave me another drug to completely relax my uterus.
My version with Jedi was successful and quick BUT very painful so I was expecting a lot of pain but in God's kindness when the doctor starting working on my belly I couldn't feel it at all- truly amazing because she was really working on my belly. Unlike Jedi, it was not quick. After a few minutes with no movement they stopped to check the baby's heart rate, which was really low. The doctor looked at Erik and gave the, "This is not going to happen look." The nurses started prepping me for surgery, the OR was ready to take me and then Erik said, "Doctor can you give it one more try." She said, "Let's see how quickly the baby recovers." He did recover pretty quickly and she called in a PA to help work on my belly for try number 2. Again she started working on my belly and I couldn't feel it (praise God). After several minutes she got his head down, checked his heart rate which was OK BUT right next to head was his foot. Can you imagine how uncomfortable that position must have been!?! So now, his head is down but I still can't actually deliver him. The doctor then proceeded to stick her whole hand inside me and tried to push his foot out of the way, after a few minutes he pulled it up and the version was done! Amazing. There was a moment in there, can't exactly remember when that the doctor was asking for his heart rate and nobody seemed able to find it, after 10 seconds the doctor in a firm tone says, give me that (meaning the sonogram thing) and she found in right away, I think the other people just didn't know where to look BUT it was a pretty intense moment for Erik and I.
Next they broke my water and discovered he had passed the meconium, which can add complications later. They started pitocin and continued to monitor me in the pre-op room for another 20 minutes or so, trying to make sure we were both OK and stable and then they moved me over to labor and delivery. I think we got to L&D around 11:45 ish. I was around 3 cm and they would gradually increase the pitocin making labor harder and harder, at this point I did NOT say "Oh that wasn't too bad." I started saying, "I can't do this, I can't do this." When they checked me at around 2:50 I was 7 cm and then 10 minutes later I could feel his head ready to come out and I was 10 cm. I started pushing, and said again, "I can't do this!" But in God's kindness after 9 minutes of pushing he came out, covered in meconium (yuck). They had to have the NICU doctor there to check him and then they had to do "deep suction" out of his lungs and he was having a hard time clearing this lungs for about 45 minutes and I had to wait to feed him because of this but then he just started breathing fine and was great.
Through all of this I have come away again freshly reminded of God's faithfulness and kindness. In my lack of faith and in my complaining HE is faithful, HE never changes. As I was getting my very first bag of fluids in the pre-op room I listened to this song by Matt Redman, which encouraged my soul and brought my eyes upward:
How Great Is Your Faithfulness
Now unto the king who reigns over all,
and never changes or turns
Unfailing justice, unfading grace,
Whose promises remain,
Yes, Your promises remain.
The heavens ring, the saints all sing,
Great is your faithfulness
From age to age we will proclaim
Great is your faithfulness,
How great is your faithfulness. Yes
Everything changes, but your stay the same;
your word and kingdom endure
we lean on the promise of all that you are,
and trust forevermore
we will trust forevermore
From generation to generation
you never fail us oh God
Yesterday and today and tomorrow
until the day you return
and this is now my favorite little kitchen gadget, guess I might have to start buying cherries after all.
