Introducing Caroline Anne McDonald!

July 15th was the day I was to deliver Caroline. I scheduled it several months ago, so we could have family come into town and also have a babysitter for the Little Man. This day literally turned out to be the longest day of my life...
A note of warning: This post is going to be long and will includes words like dilating, effacing, and other childbirth lingo!

July 14th:

Family was in town (or about to be on their way), bags were packed, and I was dreaming about my post delivery food. I was to arrive at the hospital at 5:30am to get things rolling. Caroline was ready to go. She had dropped, and I was dilated and effaced enough to get an epidural as soon as the Pitocin drip was hooked into my IV. Wahoo! That evening I was going over my final check list when the phone rang. Aaron handed it to me and told me it was the hospital, and I assumed it was to confirm my induction.

10:00 pm
Phone Call:
Yes, this is Nancy from Labor and Delivery... at this time we do not have any beds available and are not sure that there will be any availabe when you arrive in the morning. We are going to ask you to call us at 5:30 to see if there is a room open for you.

Me: Okay... and if not?
Nancy: We'll try to fit you in sometime in the morning.

This is when I nicely hang up without mentioning to her that I had scheduled my induction, so I would have a room. We go to sleep, and I am still prepared to leave at 5:30 a.m.

July 15th

5:30 am
Me: Hi Nancy, this is Amanda McDonald. I was calling to see if there is a room for me?
Nancy: No, there is still no room. Try calling back at 7:30 am. There are some girls who are close to delivering, and we will probably have a room then.

7:25 a.m.
Bags are in the car and shoes are on because I just know that they have a room.

Me: Hi Nancy, do you have a room for me?
Nancy: still no room available.
Me: *a little irritated* Well is there any progress on getting me a room?
Nancy: No, and it looks like it won't be this morning. We'll call you when there is one.

10:30 a.m.
Still no call, and I am very proud of myself for not having a total breakdown at this point. I decide to call again. This time 'Joanna' answers the phone.

Me: Hi Joanna, this is Amanda McDonald. I'm scheduled for an induction today, and I was calling for an update.
Joanna: There is still no room, honey... sorry.
Me: *trying to be nice* Well, will I get a room today?!? We have some family only coming in for 24 hours, and I have a babysitter already scheduled.
Joanna: It's hard to tell. Will call you when there is a room.
Me: okay.
*in my mind* Well can't you give those girls some pitocin and hurry this thing along for crying out loud?!?!? I'm supposed to have a baby today, and I refuse to believe that I will go to sleep tonight still pregnant!!!!

We all waited... and waited... and then waited some more. I had been up since 3:30 that morning and had not eaten or drank anything since midnight (doctor's orders for my induction). I finally had half of a sandwich and some water around 11:00. I came to the conclusion that not only would I not be going in that day, but that I would also be pregnant forever. Just when I was about to breakdown... the phone rang.

1:30
Me: Hello?
Joanna: Amanda? We have a room available for you now.
Me: I'm on my way!!!!

Last pregnancy pic as we were heading out the door!

1:40
Aaron and I almost to the hospital when my cell rings.

Me: Hello?
Mom: Amanda, has the hospital called your cell?
Me: No...
Mom: They called to see if you had left yet because a woman just came in and was in active labor.
Me: WHAT!?!?!

1:45
We walked into labor and delivery and the nurses told me there was no room for me anymore, BUT they were going to allow me to sit in the waiting room for the next available room.

3:45
We were sitting in a crowded room with a family wearing matching shirts that say 'Maw Maw' 'Auntie' and 'Grandpa' and I couldn't help but dislike them because I just knew that the family member they were waiting for took one of my spots! (Please keep in mind that I was starving, thirsty, and I should have had my baby at this point.)

My doctor walks past the waiting room and into labor and delivery. I was very tempted to crawl to her feet and beg her to intervene.

4:00
A nurse calls us back to labor and delivery and tells us there is now a room available. Hallelujah!!!
While I was changing, my doctor (Dr. S) came in and Aaron overheard her tell the nurses that I had scheduled this induction months ago and needed to be here. She then said that she had intervened and made them give me this room, which they were holding for a possible 'active laborer'. God Bless Dr. S!!!!

Within thirty minutes my water was broken, pitocin hooked up, and anesthesiologist was on his way. Everything was going perfectly well and very fast. I was going to have Caroline in just a few hours!!!

5:30
Nurse came in the check and me said she 'felt something weird.' Called in another nurse to check, and the nurse and that nurse said, "WHOA! Um... your baby girl is gripping my finger right now."
Apparently, Miss Caroline decided her arm needed to be over her head, and even though I was not ready to deliver her. They immediately called for my doctor because they were scared that her hand would come out... so they held it in while they waited for Dr. S. They told me that if Dr. S. couldn't maneuver Caroline's hand, I would have to have a Cesarean. I was a little concerned but in denial that a C-section was possible. Dr. S. came in and managed to maneuver Caroline's arm away from her 'pageant wave' and back into delivery position. Hooray!!! I was dilated to an eight and Dr. S told me that I would be having her soon!

7:45
Dr. S. comes in again, but I am still at an 8-9. She is a little concerned at the lack of progression, but I'm not. I labored for 18 hours with Camden, so this was still going fast for me. Dr. S. decides that she wants me to push a couple of times to see if we can bring Caroline's down. I push four times, and Dr. S. suddenly stops things.

Dr. S.: Amanda... You're not progressing, and I think you are going to be in this same position four hours from now.
Me: Okay...
Dr. S.: Caroline's heart rate has dropped, and I really think we need to do a Ceserean now.
Me: What??? Are you sure???? *thinking* Give me a chance because I know I can do this! I will not need a C-Section!!!
Dr. S.: *calmly* I really think there is something that is stopping her from coming down. It might be her arm... I don't know. We really need to do a Cesarean.
Me: If you're sure...
(She would tell me later that she knew how big Camden was when he was born, and there was absolutely no reason why I should not have already had Caroline. At this point, I did not understand the severity of the situation. She was very calm, and they did not tell me how low Caroline's heart rate had fallen.)

Aaron went to update everyone on the situation while four or five nurses rushed in and started taking things off, putting other things back on, giving me meds, etc. It was overwhelming, and I started shaking from the upped doses. I remember telling Dr. S. that I felt terrible because I was the one who wanted the inducement and things might have turned out differently if I had just waited to go into labor naturally and not rushed Caroline. I also remember instructing Aaron that no one (besides him) was holding my baby before me. They gave Aaron scrubs, and he was to meet me in the operating room. Within ten minutes, I was in the operating room being prepped. Within a few minutes, they began the delivery.

The Delivery:

8:25 pm.
I had no idea they had even made an incision when I heard Caroline's loud cries. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Dr. S: Oh you poor thing!!! No wonder you couldn't come out! Poor sweet thing!

I was confused because she sounded fine, but the doctors were making a big deal out of something. After a few seconds, Dr. S. came over and told me she was okay, but Caroline's umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck three times, another time around her stomach, and then twisted around her legs. There was no way I could have ever delivered her naturally.

Caroline Anne 7lb 2oz 19 1/4 in

9:30
They let me hold Caroline for the first time. Of course I thought she was perfect and absolutely beautiful. We got to spend some time with her in the recovery room before they took her away again.

How's that for a long 24 hours?

A couple of times I've caught myself asking the What Ifs? How long could she have gone with the cord around her neck? What if I hadn't scheduled the induction for that day and just waited to go into labor on my own? What if they canceled my induction because there was no room? What if I had put up a fight about C-Section? Right now, I'm choosing not to play on those fears. Caroline's birthday was chosen long before Dr. S. and I picked out that day on the calendar. It was no coincidence that Dr. S. came in to force Labor and Delivery to give me a room, and it was no coincidence that Dr. S., knowing how much I was against a C-section, still went with her instincts to immediately deliver Caroline. I'm sure I will have a little breakdown at some point when I think how close we might have been to losing her, but for now we are just thankful and happy to have her with us. Have I mentioned how adorable she is? We're completely in love with her!


I leave you with Caroline's first bow experience...

Rockin' a little ribbon and completely adorable!

More news and pics to come later...

• Camden's first time to meet Caroline
• Caroline's Birthday party! (One week old)
• How the Little Man is dealing with his world being rocked