A Hospital Stay

Raven Lileas

Me after a shower in my recovery room less than 24 hrs after delivery.

Bundled up and snuggled.

Raven has Papa Clyde's  feet and monkey toes!

Tom and Raven in the nursery.

Our recovery room and large ribbon info.

Raven's Jaundice, Light Treatment.

Caught Raven smiling!

Grandpa and Raven

My contractions were five minutes apart so we left for the hospital. We arrived at about 1 am, Saturday, June 7th.   My water hadn't broke yet so we waited until morning.  I tried to sleep but my contractions strengthened so I couldn't until they gave me some pain killer.   The later morning came and still no water braking though I was dilated more.  I reached to 7 cm with no water broken.

  The doctor was going to do it himself.  So, in a very painful way, the doctor broke my water bag.

Then I hear, "Oh, no," from the doctor. 

The cord prolapsed.  

The doctor jumped on my hospital bed and held the baby as they rolled me to an OR.  Have something push out from there is painful, having someone have to hold something in there is near the same if not the same.

So I had an emergency C section.  I did a vaginal birth the first time and planned on doing the same this time around.   Sometimes things don't work out the way you birth plan.   

Post partum: spent two days unable to do anything but sit up to eat and feed Raven.  Raven had two missing heart beats and started to get jaundice.   She later did and received 24 hours of light treatment.

One day, they tested my blood, I was missing too much.  I wasn't filling up a pad enough to say it was being lost from there.  Had a CT scan and chest X-Ray.  No spots or clots to indicate internal bleeding.   They gave me two liters of blood.  By the next morning, I was missing more blood than they gave me.   That night, the started to give me two more liters.  Ten minutes into the first liter, my arm started to burn, I could hardly breath.  They stopped the blood immediately and said we would wait until morning to see if they would give me more blood.  In the morning, I had another CT scan and still nothing was found.  They didn't give me more blood. Later, on the phone, my mom told me she was talking to one of my dad's sisters and she said that she and my cousin had the same problem with each kid they had.   I felt fine.  Scans showed things were fine.   So it was left alone. 

My swelling was horrible.  I had to stay another two days for it.  Then an extra day after that because the nurse I had ran the clock on her shift when I was supposed to be released.   The doctor had gone home without leaving perscriptions for me since the nurse didn't let him know I was ready for them.  She was sweet, but seemed as if she didn't feel she needed or maybe couldn't do all the work she is supposed to do as a nurse.  My husband and mother in law are in the medical field so I do know what is expected and required, I'm not just saying this blindly.  She was an older woman.  Back to post partum. 

I was in the hospital for just over a week.  Raven was released before I was by about three days.  

This hospital experience was much different than the last.  This time, the nurses listened to me better.  I was more verbal about everything I felt.  I had a C-section.  I had a catheter (note: It maybe weird, but I liked not feeling the need to get up to go to the bathroom.  After five months of getting up twice a night to pee, it was a nice change.)  I had to receive blood.  Received three different IVs.  Had my first CT scan.   Had my first x-Ray that wasn't for dental work.   My baby was released before I was.   My baby had medical problems.

It was another adventure in 

the Land of Motherhood!