SoBee's Arrival - part one

Upon our arrival at the hospital, we were ushered through the metal detectors and our bags were x-rayed- ok, they weren't but the security on the Mother and Baby floor of the hospital was TIGHT! Once I got checked in, de-robed, and into my gloriously hideous (oxymoron?) hospital gown, I was strapped in for a fetal non-stress test and the nurses tried to get my IV in. Yep, nurseS! I have a really good vein in the crook of my arm, but because this IV would be in for a few days, and I needed the use of my arm, they had to find another place for it. After 2 nurses painfully stabbed me twice in both hands unsuccessfully, they called one of the lab techs up to complete the job. It seriously took the lab tech a minute to put it in my forearm and get the IV going. Aaah. I was also very concerned that they were going to put in my urine catheter before I went to the OR, but the nurse assured me that they wait until the anesthesia kicks in before inserting the catheter. Whew. I was kind of more afraid of that than being cut open!

While waiting for an Operating Room to become available, I filled out forms (Arty was too nervous to write legibly), answered nurses' questions, met with both the nurse anesthetist and the anesthesiologist (who I believe was an octogenarian!) I was glad the nurse anesthetist would be with me the whole time, as she was my age, pregnant herself, and just super sweet. It was during this time that SoBee acquired hiccups in utero, and the NST went nuts for about 15 minutes. It was really cute to hear her hiccups, and it felt like she was giving me a sign that everything would be okay - that she was in there laughing about all the drama she's caused.

After being hooked up to the IV for an hour, I really had to pee, so I called in a nurse to unhook me from the NST, and I wheeled my IV stand as close to the bathroom as I could, but the stand didn't actually reach in there with me. While I was in there with the door open, my mom, step-dad and sister arrived just in time to watch me tinkle. It was a special time for all of us.

Finally, a nurse came in to say we'd be going to the ER in a few minutes, and she handed me a small bottle of antacid and told me I needed to drink the whole thing. I told her I didn't think it was a good idea - that it would make me throw up, especially since I hadn't had anything to eat or drink for 8 hours. She told me I had to drink it, and that it's to help make sure that I don't throw up. I was pretty sure I was going to be right, but I drank it anyway to get on our way to the OR. I got settled into my wheelchair, and was handed my hair cap. Arty was taken to another room to get into his scrubs while I was left sitting in front the doors to the OR. After 5 minutes, the nurse came back and wheeled me in by myself. She explained that only after I got the spinal anesthesia and was hooked up to the blood pressure monitor, etc, that he would be allowed to come in.

I'm told to get up on the table, and sit with my legs dangling over the side. One nurse comes up in front of me and tells me that I am to lean on her while the nurse anesthetist is behind me prepping my back for insertion of the spinal anesthesia. She tells me to relax and that she'll warn me before she inserts the needle into my spine. I'm very nervous at this point, not just because I'm going to have a needle inserted into my spine, but because I'm just so scared for my baby. There is nothing worse than being told that my placenta - something that is supposed to nourish and keep my baby growing and healthy- may actually be killing her. I start shaking from the fear that something will happen to her, and that I won't be able to do anything to help her. When I feel the first tear slide down my cheek, I hear the door to the OR open and the nurse calls out, "Hi Dr. J.!" Relief just washed over me, because I'd subconsciously had the fear that something would happen that Dr. J. couldn't be there on time and one of his partners would end up delivering SoBee. I heard his quiet voice say to the nurse, "I'll take it from here," and he traded places with her and was now the person I was leaning on. He grabbed both of my hands and told me everything was going to be all right, that he wouldn't let anything happen to either me or SoBee. We were in this together. By the time the nurse anesthetist inserted the needle into my spine, I had stopped shaking.