July 9, 2007

It has been almost a month since Clarity Blue was born. My intention was to write about our birth experience the day after it all happened but my focus completely changed. It has also been very emotional to relive the c-section. So today I will do my best to get it all down so we will remember the best day of our lives.

July 9, 2007 started with breakfast out at Mike and Rhonda's restaurant in Flagstaff. I had biscuits and gravy. People really stare when you are that far pregnant and dining out with the general public.

0900 we went to see Dr. Cherry Anderson at A Woman's Place. Dr Anderson explained that she was no longer comfortable with letting me go any longer and wanted to start to induce labor by using Pitocin.

1000 I was admitted to the Flagstaff Medical Center. I ended up with a fantastic nurse named Tyrene. She immediately got me situated and started the Pitocin. She also called the DR on call to see if she could break my water rather than use the Pitocin. This would allow me to be off of the baby monitor and I could walk around and use the shower.

1200 I ate a hospital lunch of spaghetti.

1300 Dr Holly Vijil broke my water. From about 1400-1500 I went from being dialated to 3 cm to 9cm. That is 6 cm is one hour. Needless to say the pain was out of this world. I took a shower and was brought to my knees from the pain. I was vomitting and felt as if I was being ripped apart.

1530 I asked for an epidural. This of course was not part of my birth plan but either was being induced. Dr Peters arrived about 30 minutes later and gave me the sweetest epidural ever! I was relieved of all pain. Now I just layed in bed and waited for the time to start pushing.

1630 My blood pressure was getting dangerously low from the narcotics in the epidural. The baby was having heart rate decelerations and the nurse had to put a internal fetal monitor on Clarity's scalp. She gave me medication to counteract the narcotics and raise my blood pressure. We are still at 9cm.

1800 Dr Nasif came into the room and said I can start pushing. I made every attempt to push baby Clarity out but she was not turned the right way and was not able to make the turn around my pelvis. Her heart rate was accelerating which means she was stressing out. At this point my entire team of medical care decided it was time for C-section.

1900 Getting prepped for C-section. Steve got into his scrubs and waited until they called us into the operating room.

2015 Baby Clarity was born. Daddy was the first face she saw out of the womb! Steve went with her to the nursery to make sure all was well while I stayed behind to get my incision put back together.