Birth

Ok, I am 5 months behind (she will be 5 months tomorrow), but in case this can help anyone. On 04/21/17 I woke at my normal 4am. I felt contractions, but decided to go to work anyways. She was going to be induced the next Tuesday due to my lack of weight gain and her small size at 36 weeks. I worked only 8 of my 12 hours. I was getting uncomfortable and had a slow leak. Went home and rearranged our room knowing she would be here soon. 9 pm rolls around and I am stopping every 5 minutes to breathe through the contractions. Finally I said time to go to hubby. I barely make to van. Got to ER was doing the side sit as a paramedic literally ran me 3 flights to L&D.; I asked to walk to the room, pulled clothes off, put gown on, and said um please put your gloves on and the nurse was oh wow you ARE crowning! Pelaiah (Hebrew for God's miracle) arrives and hubby comes into the room in time to meet her. The doctor was still in route to the hospital. I knew there was a possibility of needing a hysterectomy due to having an ablation over ten years ago. I didn't even have a period for ten years, it was even a funny story on how I found out we were expecting hence her name. The nurses were trying to get me to push the placenta out as we waited, they were debating on doing an IV, that's when I felt like I had pushed out the placenta and realized it was large amounts of blood. As a nurse myself, I said place it in. The blood started to increase and they were frantically looking for a doctor. She finally arrives and wants to manually try to pull the placenta. She reaches to try he scoop method and the pain was so excruciating I nearly vomit and pass out. I am starting to become dizzy and cold from blood loss. Seeing the pain she suggests an epidural so she could finish (not normal doc just the oncall) and I said you might want to just knock me out in case of surgery. She said no, I sat up and of course that was more blood loss (going on nearly 45 minutes now and to help you understand-the umbilical cord is a direct blood supply, the more my heart pumps the greater the volume of blood being spilled on the floor). As he is placing it in my back I pass out, I have lost too much. I came to within seconds and reminded her to order blood and I am O positive. She put stat order (of course they do not have any). I become tachycardic and my heart rate is dropping-I could feel myself slipping. By this time (nearly 2 hours) she figures we need to run to OR. I asked my husband to turn our daughter to me so I could say goodbye just in case. We were both pretty sure that was the last time I would see our family. You could even see the other nurses upset and worried as well as the anesthesiologist. I asked not to be knocked out since the epidural was in place and if I was going out, I was doing it my way. They refused and she had to start opening me before the meds were even drawn for my IV. Lights out. I was awakened by three very worried nurses within 15 minutes after surgery. Of course I had no ability to regulate body temperature due to blood loss and they were so stressed they forgot the warmer. I was shivering and barely able to speak. They enveloped me into the blow up warmer. I felt awful, but it was the most amazing relief at the same time. I had to be watched for couple hours before I could be moved to another observation room and be with my little girl. Finally I saw my husband and baby-it was amazing. I was never so thankful in my life. Then our teenagers arrived and I was even more humbled. Even though I had to have a second runner up for blood donation, I was thankful for those who donate. I was thankful God gives me another chance to see my children grow. I would like for anyone to take a lesson, yes being a nurse helped me, but listen to your instincts. Educate yourself on your body. I had a young doctor who waited too long and wouldn't listen, a great doctor, but needs a few more years experience. I now know everyday is a gift. I knew before, but truly feeling it is very humbling. I pray everyone is blessed and that this helps someone.