From: esprit@netcom.com (Alan F. Perry)
Subject: Emily's birth story (LONG)
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 03:01:38 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

Since  I have had lots of requests for Emily's birth story
here it is. This is a long post, but I wanted to include
as much information as possible to help those who are
expecting, especially anyone with toxemia. My bout with Toxemia
had a very happy ending.   

Emily Edith Perry made her grand entrance into the real world
on Wednesday, August 12th at 5:30pm, Pacific Daylight Time.
She weighed 7lbs 12.1 oz and was 19.5 inches long. 

The birth story:

First, some backup information. I was showing signs of Toxemia
(preclampsia) for the last 2 months and my doctor was watching
my condition very closely. 3 weeks prior to Emily's birth my
blood pressure had stabilized and the swelling was down but
I was still spilling a trace of protein in my urine. My OB 
wanted to induce me by my due date if I didn't go into labor
on my own before that. My due date was August 14th. I got
freaked out and thought that all my expections for a perfect
labor were ruined.

The Thursday before the birth I had my weekly OB appointment and
a non-stress test. The baby was doing well and the Toxemia had
stabilized. I had finally started to dialate (1cm) and was about
20% effaced. My OB felt that I was doing well enough to wait until
the following Thursday (would have been August 13) to decide whether
or not to induce. At that appointment she had a doctor (who I think
was a resident doctor) with her who wanted to observe me because of
the Toxemia. This doctor had a great bedside manner to her and I
left the office in a much better mood than I usually would.

On Saturday, August 8th, my husband Alan, a friend of ours from
out of town and I took a drive up the California coast, from
Santa Cruz to San Francisco. We were in the car for about 6 
hours, which included stopping at some beaches along the way
and stopping for lunch. It was a wonderful day -  and at one
point Alan said that it would be really neat if I went into
labor that night because we had done the same car trip (almost)
the day that Emily was conceived.  Oh well - it didn't happen.

The trip was a bad idea for me because, by Sunday afternoon, my
feet and ankles were swollen up like balloons. I further aggrivated
the situation by shopping for nursing bras that day. Monday I took
it easy and stayed in bed but the swelling wouldn't go down at all.
Monday night I slept horribly - I couldn't find a comfortable position
and the apartment was too hot. I was waking up every 2 hours or so 
and going crazy.

I woke up late Tuesday morning with a headache and knew that it was
a sign to look out for with the Toxemia so I called my doctor. She
told me to come to her office right away. Luckily Alan was home - 
we grabbed my bag and headed over. My blood pressure was very high
again (140/80) and I was displaying all the other symptoms (protein
in the urine and swelling) plus the headache so my doctor decided
that she couldn't wait any longer. She sent us immediately over to
Stanford to start the induction.

Now for the birth story you've been so patiently waiting for:

We arrived at Stanford around 2pm and they started the pitocin drip
and I.V., hooked me up to the monitor and got me settled in. Alan
and I hung out and watched t.v. The monitor showed that I was having
contractions but I wasn't feeling anything and they were random and
far apart. By early evening I was famished and they wouldn't feed
me. Some friends of ours stopped by and brought us some board games,
some food for Alan and a hidden shake for me. I will be forever 
gratefull for that shake! My doc came in around 10pm and decided that
I wasn't progressing so she had the pit turned off at 12am and then
I finally got to eat (a depressingly small sandwich was all they could
get from the kitchen - oh well).

I was supposed to get some sleep so I'd be well rested for the pit drip
at 5am, but I couldn't sleep at all. My room was right next to the nurse's
station (I should have asked for another one) and I was listening to 
women moaning and wailing all night (it was a busy night). I kept thinking
that that would be me in a few hours. Very scary thought. Then I would
hear a lusty baby's cry and wish that was me.

The nurse on duty that night promised to bring me some breakfast before
the pit drip started at 5am. During the night she was reassigned or something
so I ended up being cared for by another nurse. I finally fell asleep around
4am and was woken up at 7am with the new nurse installing the pit drip. When
I asked about the breakfast (I was incredibly hungry) she said no one 
told her about it. She brought me a bowl of jello. Then, when she looked
at my chart and saw that the pit was supposed to start at 5am - she once
again said "nobody told me." I was really irritated with her and her
excuse, but couldn't do much about it.

The pit started at 7am and then I was moved to another room, away from
the main hall where it was quieter and more serene. My doc came in at
8am and broke my waters and then hooked up the fetal monitor on Emmy's
scalp. For the next 5 hours Alan and I hung out and I talked on the phone.
Contractions were showing up on the monitor, but I didn't feel them.

My sister called arounmd 1pm and I was starting to have uncomfortable
contractions so I cut the conversation short. I wasn't particularly
keen about civilities at this point. Our friends, who had been in the
night before, came in and brought Alan a sandwiche and a terminal for 
me to post to the net, but I had a feeling that I wouldn't be up for 
that so they took it home with them. I was using all of my energy to
focus on the contractions.

After they left Alan and I got down to business. I was using the breathing
exercises to get through the contractions. Alan would watch the monitor
and let me know when they were peaking and subsiding. I was counting 
each breath so I knew that by the fourth or fifth breath the contraction
was winding down and I felt confident that I could handle it. In between
contractions I forced myself to relax as much as possible - and visualized
myself sinking back. 

By 2pm the contractions started to change and were becoming increasingly
painful and closer together. They started getting longer and longer
and I was having a hard time maintaining my breathing. The monitor freaked
out and Alan was no longer able to tell me when they were peaking and that
really threw me off. I felt his presence as I was going through the 
contractions with my eyes closed, but I really wanted to know when they
were peaking because they felt like they would last forever.

Around this time (times are hazy for me at this point) my labor nurse
did an internal and I was only 3 cm dialated. I nearly died. I knew
that you normally dialate a cm an hour and didn't know how I was going
to last another 7 hours with these contractions. My doctor came
in and asked if I wanted an epideral. I replied that I wanted to stick
it out but then a really bad contraction hit and I screamed "make them
stop." So, the nurse went to get the anesthesiologist.

It was really hard waiting for the doctor to come and do the epideral.
I think that they should be waiting outside your door so that if you
decide to go for it you can get instant relief. I thought that once
I asked for it the pain would go away and waiting for him and then
having it placed and then waiting for it to take effect  was incredibly
difficult. I wanted relief NOW!

The installation was the worst part of the labor because I was having 
absolutely horrible contractions, Alan couldn't watch the monitor and
I was having a hard time coping and staying still for the catheter.
I was hunched over a table and somehow managed to keep my back still
and dealing with the contractions by only moving my head. Everyone
was impressed (atleast they appeared that way) that I did so well
during the installation. I was poked twice with the needle and then
it was over. The epideral wasn't nearly as bad as the contractions
I was having.

I was still having the bad contractions after the edideral was in place
and was told that it would still take a few minutes to set in. I had
2 major contractions before my legs went numb and the contractions changed.
The nurse did an internal (it was around 4pm) and discovered that I was
10cm and 100% effaced! She went to tell the doctor and I sat back to 
enjoy the buzz. All of a sudden I felt wonderful. I called one of my
sisters and told her I had the epideral and she told me, in a rather
disgusted way, that I chickened out. I got really hurt. Out of everything
that I went through this was the negative highlight of the experience.
(later she told me I didn't need to apologize and then the next day she
said that I didn't experience the real labor pains. I still can't believe
her insensitivity, but that's a side issue. I set her straight anyway)

Around 4:15 or so I started feeling a burning sensation on my perineum
and I could feel Emily moving down. My legs were totally numb but
I could still feel the labor progress. I am forever in awe of modern
technology. They really have that epideral down! It might not be for
everyone, but in my case, it worked for me.

My doc came running in "did you deliver the baby?" And I laughed. I was
in a super mood. She had her resident side kick with her and the resident
started to do a perineum massage. I was shocked! Not in my wildest dreams
did I think I was going to be so lucky as to get massaged since my
doctor is very pro episiotomy. 

Things started to move very quickly and Alan said that he could see the 
head bulging. The nurse found a mirror and then I used it to focus
my pushing. The pushing was awkward since I couldn't feel my legs and
I was having a hard time coordinating the right muscles, but Alan
was holding me up and they finally installed stirrups with handles
and that made an incredible difference. Towards the end I was watching
in the mirror, the doctors and nurse were encouraging me to push and 
hold my breath and I was trying with all my might. I thought my head
was going to explode. I saw the head crown and then the head was born.
Everything happened really fast and it was really positive - everyone
was pushing me on to get Emily born and it was really great. 

Emily was a big baby so I got 3 minor tears (one internal and 2 external).
As soon as she was out they had her wrapped and there was a flurry of
activity around my bottom and everyone talking so I couldn't hear what
she was. I had to check for myself and saw the imbilical cord and
thought for a second that she was a boy and then they said it was a girl
and I started crying. I really wanted a girl (but would have loved a 
boy just the same :-)  and she was so perfect. 

Within 10 minutes of being born she was at my breast. I was pretty 
uncoordinated, but now with a good milk supply, we've
got the hang of it.

If you've read this all the way through, I commend you! I really can
start rambling when I get started.  Postpartumly, Alan, Emily and I
are doing great. He is off from work and is really getting into being
a dad - he's totally smitten with Emmy. So much so that it's hard
getting her away from him! I am recovering from the stitches, which
really aren't as bad as I thought they would be, but they
have their moments. I have oodles of energy and am totally in love
with my new daughter.

Thanks for hearing me through!
-Ali Perry, proud mom to Emily Edith, one week old TODAY!



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