Birth Story - Gregory and Abigail West - Feb 22/09

We had our last appt on Thurs Feb 19th, we knew we were going to be induced as the twins were at full term at this point and the OB would not let us go past 38 weeks.

The induction was scheduled for Sat Feb 21, 2009. The way it works here is that you know the date you're going, however there is no set time. You have to be up at 630am ready to go as you can receive a call at anytime throughout the day. The reason for this is that the hospital doesnt know at any given time when a woman will come in, in active labour. Therefore when a bed is free, you will get a call.

So Ben and I were up and ready to go at 6am .. had breakfast and were waiting for the call.

FINALLY at 230p we were called to come in for our induction. We arrived at the hospital at approx 4pm since we live about an hour away ...

We got settled in a really nice labour and delivery room, (although we knew we had to go to the OR to deliver) I was allowed to labour in a nice room with a TV etc.

At St Joe's hospital in London, you are assigned one nurse who cares for you for her entire shift. My first nurse was Colleen, (who I swear up and down is the same nurse who took care of me Christmas Eve when I fell). It's nice one-on-one care. It felt like you were being catered to, I was offered popsicles, gingerale, chicken broth, jello, you name it ...

At 430p the resident doctor came in and broke my water, at this point I was 2cms dilated and 80% effaced.

The water breaking didnt hurt like I thought it would ... the smell however is disgusting!!

Baby A (Gregory) had a scalp clip put on his head internally, to monitor his heartrate, and Baby B (Abby) was being monitored through my belly, so moving around to pee etc was going to be a challenge.

Labour started out like light period cramps .. then progressed into stronger ones, but they werent that bad ...

In fact Ben and I brought our laptop with movies on it and watched "Baby Mama" to pass the time.

At 630p there was no change so I was started on the oxytocin drip to help me progress.

At 7pm, Colleen's shift was over and she was replaced by Bonnie. Bonnie was a very nice older lady. Colleen said to me on the way out, not to be rude but I hope to NOT see you here in the morning. Im like oh trust me, I dont want to see you either ..lol

I was checked by the resident doctor every 3 hrs or so. At 930pm still no change. Cramping was stronger but still not bad .. I kept being offered the epidural but refused since I wanted to feel relief when I actually needed it. Also it was hospital policy I had an epi, in case I needed an emergency c-section.

Finally around 11pm I asked for the epi. I told the nurse to call the anesthesiologist , she said, are you sure? I responded no wait, hold off. I waited for 5 contractions to see how bad they really were, finally I couldnt stand it any longer and said, okay you can call him now.

He was in my room within 5-10mins ... great guy, super nice, Dr Armstrong.

I was petrified of the epi, all I could think of was spinal cord injuries ... which freaked me out!

Ben held my hands and everyone put on masks as the doctor got ready to administer. I thought it'd be terrible but it wasnt as bad as I anticipated. (just like the labour).

The worst part for me was I could hear the grinding as the needle entered my vertebrae in my spine. Made me cringe but I would NOT move a muscle I was so afraid of being paralyzed.

Finally it was done, and there was instant relief, however it was replaced by pressure.

At approx 2am I was finally 8cms, at 3am, 9cms, around 330am I told my nurse I NEEDED to push NOW.

She told me not to push as I was not fully dilated and it would send my labour backwards.

So she gave me a drug to take the edge off, which was a "birth order", meaning that as I was entering the delivery room, I was to receive this drug in case I needed to have an emergency section.

The drug worked WAY too fast for me. By 4am I was fully dilated and ready to go, they wheeled me to the OR and on my way there I felt like I was going to be sick. (but never did get sick)

I get to the OR room and shimmy myself over onto the table .. they asked me to put my legs up into the stirrups, I couldnt. I was one limp noodle. I couldnt hold my head up, I couldnt feel contractions, I couldnt lift my arms/legs but yet I was 10cms and ready to go.

So Bonnie was telling me when to push, she could see the contractions on the screen, and I THOUGHT I was pushing, but nothing was happening. Ben was holding one leg, Bonnie holding the other.

The resident doctor told them to let me rest, while my OB Dr Natale finished up with someone else and came in.

I rested for 2 hrs, from 4am-6am, I kept trying to push but was so out of it, I couldnt feel to do so. The whole time, Gregory was resting on my bladder. They were monitoring both babies heartbeats .. the entire labour, and at 530am I heard Bonnie tell the resident that Baby A's heartrate had been decel with every contraction. I asked what that meant and she said it kept dropping.

The resident I guess got freaked out, because in walked Dr Natale at 630am. I heard him and it's almost like I sprang to life. Suddenly I HAD to push. He barely sat down and he's like PUSH!!!

In came the same anesthesiologist (Dr Armstrong) who was prepping me for an emergency section.

He kept asking me if I felt this or that ... to change the drugs he was giving me a little bit at a time.

Ironically, Bonnie's shift was now over and in came Colleen again! She said, I saw your name on the chart and said to the girls, that's MY patient, Im helping her. She was definitely an angel, but she said to me, I thought you werent supposed to be here still. I said trust me, this wasnt the plan. LOL

Then it got serious again. I looked over at the heart monitor and Gregory's heartrate had fallen to 93. Dr Natale told me I had to get him out in 2 pushes, or we were going to lose him. Gregory had turned himself sideways and they couldnt get forceps in to help him out. I remember saying to Dr Natale, OMG you're going to cut me arent you, no no please dont. He said, we have to or he wont make it, he's stuck and wont turn, he said just a little snip. I didnt feel it at all, I hear the forceps go on, and slip off, I remember praying they could help him and asking my dad to help us.

Finally they turned him, they told me to push NOW and out he came at 7:18am.

Ben was supposed to cut the cord for the babies but never got the chance, he did however see the entire birth of our children, and part of our birth plan was to have him tell me the sex of the babies, I asked him, OMG what is it???? He looked at me full of tears, "It's a boy!!" Im like no way are you sure? (I was certain we were having 2 girls) .. he's like yes Im sure .. we have a little boy.

He was whisked off right away to the NICU (there were so many doctors, nurses standing by it was crazy) - I said to Ben, "I didnt hear him cry!!!" Ben said, he did, it was quiet but I heard him, he did.

Within 2 mins the nurses had assessed him and were walking around to show me.

Then was Abby's turn, they were born 6 mins apart, she was at 7:24am and a piece of cake, she was out in one push.

The nurse said to Dr Natale, the father is supposed to cut the cord, he said, no time.

I saw her when they held her up, she was a limp noodle. I thought, she's not breathing. I asked Ben, what is it?? He said, it's a GIRL!!! I was thrilled and so was he. They took her into the NICU room and before they even opened the door I heard her wail. I was never so happy!!

I then said to Ben, so we're done right?? lol

Afterwards, they told Ben to wait in the recovery room for me with the babies. So off he went around 730am to wait for me.

Dr Natale came to talk to me, and gave me the good and bad news. Good news, 2 healthy babies.

Gregory William Ross - 6lbs 13oz - 19" long - 7:18am
Abigail Faustina - 6lbs 5oz - 19" long - 7:24am

Bad news, I had a rough labour, 15 hrs long, and I had a 4th degree tear, my entire rectum would need to be repaired. I had ripped so bad birthing Gregory. Plus that I had hemmoraged a ton, my hemoglobin levels were pretty low so I'd be very weak for a long time. So Dr Natale started repairing me. Oddly enough with all the drugs in me, I could still feel the needle as he was sewing, so they upped the drugs again .. I guess I was going to be in there a while!

I found out later poor Ben was completely freaked out. When they told him to wait for me, he thought I'd be about a 1/2 hr behind him. Here he was all alone, in the recovery room with these 2 little babies .. and no mommy. All he could think of was how he never told me he loved me before he left the room. He said he thought he'd never see me again.

He waited a long time alone with these 2 little ones ... 830am came, 930am, 1030am, finally at 11am they were done stitching me up and I was brought to the OR recovery room.

I have never seen a happier husband in my life. They brought the babies to me immediately to try to feed them. Gregory did a great job at latching, Abby wasnt so great. She kept pursing her lips instead of opening wide.

Dr Natale came by the recovery room to see me, apologized for how things went, and all I could do was thank him for saving the babies life. I really do believe if it wasnt for him, Gregory wouldnt have made it with his heartrate so low.

He told me I'd have a very long recovery, approx 6 weeks. I was then sent up to my room, cathetered and hopped up on lots of drugs. We were put into a semi-private room first, and by 1pm were in our private room (thank god because the semi's were TINY and there was no room for Ben to spend the night)

For 3 days I was being drugged and cathetered. By discharge day (Wednesday Feb 25th), I was a mess. I stood up to go to the bathroom, and had lost all control of my bladder.

So here's where more fun news comes in. The doctor comes in and tells me, because Gregory sat on my bladder for 2 hrs, they are unsure if my bladder is just "Asleep" right now or if there is permanent nerve damage and I will need reconstructive surgery. We wont know the outcome until the 6 weeks is up. So here I sit wearing my diapers (I thought the kids were the only one wearing diapers) lol ...

A week has passed and it's slowly getting better I think. I actually have the "urge" to go but dont always make it. They are hopeful that since I have the urge, the feeling/sensation will come back over time. Im hopeful too!!

I have to see Dr Natale again in 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks for assessments.

It's not all bad though, I was very blessed with having 2 beautiful healthy children, a boy and a girl - the million dollar family.

I would go through it all over again to have these little ones from beginning to end, I guess it's true what they say, there's nothing like a mother's love.