It all started on a Friday. I went to my regular doctor’s appointment expecting a quick in and out. Nothing exciting happening, go home and wait. When I arrived my blood pressure was very high. It was high enough that the doctor sent me upstairs to Labor and Delivery to be monitored. I wasn’t too worried about it, but there was mention of induction if it didn’t go down, so Michael came up to the hospital to sit with me. We were there four hours before they sent me home with orders to come back the next day with a 24 hour pre-eclampsia test. My blood pressure had dropped a little but I was laying around in a hospital bed. I was to take it easy. On Saturday, my 24 hour test came back negative and my blood pressure wasn’t looking horrible. The doctor recommended that I get induced on Tuesday, which would be 39 weeks. I was okay with that. I was a little worried that taking it easy wouldn’t be that easy and it wasn’t, even for a few days.
Tuesday morning, we headed to the hospital bright and early. The warnings about getting induced were a possible c-section before the day was over. I had spent the weekend preparing myself for that possibility. Everything was going very well with my induction. My blood pressure would spike every once in awhile, but it was staying down and then I got an epidural. When you get that it will cause your blood pressure to go down. It made mine normal. This was great. Not long later the doctor came in to break my water. Everything went downhill from there and fast. The baby was fine the whole time, but it was me that was not fine. I was talking to the nurse and all of the sudden I started seeing spots. I told the nurse. She pulled back my covers and I was sitting in a pool of blood.
The nurse immediately called for help from another nurse and called the doctor. My doctor was in my room in about 2 seconds. She checked me and said well it looks like we are going to have a c-section. My placenta was the cause of the blood. It all happened very fast at that point. It was a blur. I knew I was prepared for c-section before the day started, but I figured it would happen at the end of the day, after laboring all day. They threw clothes at Michael and told him to grab his camera. They had me in the operating room and were cutting within minutes. I was so nervous, scared, and worried for the little one in my belly. I kept wondering when are they going to let Michael in here with me. It felt like forever before I saw him again, but I am sure it was only a few minutes.
From there, it was quick. I was getting excited to know if I had a boy or a girl. The doctor told me the baby had lots of hair. I immediately started crying. I really wanted a baby with lots of hair. Then he was out. The doctor told Michael to stand up and tell me what it was. He was too funny. He said “I can stand up.” I then told him stand up stand up what is it. Michael got to tell me it was a boy and that made me very happy. I really wanted a boy. At that point Michael went to the baby and started taking pictures while they finished me up. He and the baby came back to me, so I could see him before they took him to the nursery. I kept asking how big is he, how long is he. I guess they do that stuff in the nursery, because I couldn’t get the answer. Michael went with the baby and I got left in the operating room alone. Thank goodness for the medicine to relax me.
They sent me to recovery, where I stayed two hours. My Mom came to recovery so I wouldn’t be alone. She didn’t even know what we had. I told her it was a boy and he had hair. I then told her to go tell my Dad and Michael’s Mom to go to the nursery. They brought Mason to me after about an hour, but I couldn’t really do much. We tried feeding for the first time, which is really hard laying flat and not being able to move. The rest of the day is a big blur. We had visitors, but I really don’t remember much. Just trying to feed Mason and sleep. The sleep was harder.
I have to say the next morning I was out of bed and walking around. The c-section really wasn’t as bad as I thought. My recovery has been easy minus the fact that I have had major blood pressure problems. We have finally gotten that under control, but it was pretty scary for a few days. Here are some pictures from Mason’s birth.
What do you do while waiting to see your wife? Take self-portraits. 
Oh he's just adorable!!
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