22 August 2013

Being in Labor Makes Me Sick

It's been a little while since I've linked up with the Finish the Sentence Friday crew. So, I'm pretty excited to be getting back in the groove with this week's link up.


And this week's sentence to finish is "I wasn't myself when I..."

...was in labor with our son. It's important to note that my pregnancy was fairly stress free - little to nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe a little swelling in the hands and feet towards the end, but that was it. I really can't say the same for the labor part - it was just a tad bit livelier.

I was induced on a Sunday morning. The Pitocin worked beautifully (I know that is not always the case). And as my contractions became stronger and closer together, I began to shake. It was like I was shivering and I couldn't control it. I was fine besides that. Then the epidural came and helped tremendously with the pain from the contractions. Unfortunately, it made me nauseous. Or maybe it was just my body's way of reacting to what it was going through, but nonetheless, I felt like vomiting.

So, what did they do? They gave me some medicine for that. The effects of the medicine were not only to quench the queasy, but they were also sedative. As the doctor came in to start the actual delivery, I was barely awake. How can you expect a woman in labor who is barely coherent to push and do so for enough time that a baby will actually come out? Well, I tried and tried and tried.

Finally, the baby's heart rate begins to drop a little, I'm not doing so hot, and doctor starts to worry. He suggests we head to the operating room and bring Little Man into the world via C-Section. I'm all for it - what sleepy, confused mother-to-be who just wants to see her baby wouldn't be all for getting baby out?

We are in the operating room. I'm laying on my back with my arms stretched out. The anesthesiologist gives me more meds and the cutting begins. "Excuse me, should I be able to feel that?" Of course, the doctor's reply is no - let's give her even more meds. So, here comes more of the pain numbing wonderfulness. Do you recall what this kind of medicine does for me already? I felt like vomiting before - well, now I really am vomiting. I can't move my body - so, while the doctor is cutting Little Man out, I'm back here holding my head to the side trying to keep my body still while vomiting in one of those hospital cups. Truly awesome - I'm certain my husband was thinking just how beautiful I was (actually, I think he was pretty worried).

Little Man cries, sweetest sound a Mama has ever heard, but I'm still vomiting. Husband goes with Little Man as they take him away to care for him. They sew me up, and I'm still vomiting. Did I mention they threw some more anti-vomiting meds at me? So, now the vomiting is coming to a close, and I'm pretty sure I don't know who I am or even care.

As I am hanging out in recovery all by my lonesome, I vomit a couple more times and eventually start to feel less like the plague. Husband shows up, tells me all about baby boy and all I want to do is see him and sleep.

Once in my room, I do get to see him. I won't go into how precious and awesome that moment is here, because this post is all about me and not being myself.

So, it's night time - I think night number two. Little Man is in the hospital nursery and Husband and I are trying to get some rest. I'm trying really hard to take advantage of him being in the nursery but at the same time am having a hard time separating from him. I am on pain medicine - I am thinking I'm about off of the morphine now and just on pain pills. I hear crying - it sounds just like his crying. I keep telling myself that they would bring him to me if it were him.

I cannot let it go. I still hear crying - why are they not bringing me my baby. He needs me. So, having just had major surgery and barely able to walk... I hastily get out of bed, walk into the hall and start finding my way towards the crying. Low and behold, it's in the room next to us. Why is my baby in that room? A nurse finds me looking a little disturbed and asks me if I need anything. I say, I need my baby and he's in that room. She says no, honey, your baby is in the nursery. Remember, I am not myself and I'm on meds, so I am convinced he is in there and needs me. Bless that nurse's heart, she was so kind and patient. I'm thinking she sees crazy new Mama's roaming the halls accusing other people of having their baby all the time, right?

Finally, Husband awakes and is alarmed when he realizes I am out of bed. He finds me in the hall confused and concerned about Little Man crying and the nurses not bringing him to me. Between him and the nurse, I finally realize, that's not my baby. I'm lead back to the room and am told to relax and sleep. Then, moments later, Little Man comes rolling in and he is crying, but it's a subtle cry - not the cry I was hearing and fretting over. They place him in my arms and all is right with the world.

I'm pretty sure that was the last of my strange behavior while in the hospital. Once the meds wore off and I no longer needed them as much, I returned to myself - a little strange sometimes but not vomiting constantly and accusing nurses of holding my newborn baby hostage.

Basically, I'm not myself when I'm taking meds while in labor.

Thanks for reading.

Kate

August 22, 2013

10 Comments:

Janine Huldie said...

Oh Kate, I remember labor all too well and even without a ton of medicine I wasn't myself. My heart felt for you here truly and just so happy it all turned out well in the end. And thank you for sharing and linking up with us this week. So happy to have you back in action with us!! :)

Kristi Campbell said...

OMG I remember labor too and your hospital sounds nicer than mine, actually because mine would not take my baby to the nursery. That sounds horrible. But you know. it was and it wasn't.

Jean said...

I have had two c-sections and the things I said while on those meds are mortifying to me. With my second, they gave me nausea and headache meds while during surgery and I started joking about how they had more drugs than a party. WHAT? Why did I say that? So, I'm guessing those nurses do have to convince women to get back in their rooms a lot.

and baby makes 4 said...

Oh man, I feel you. My first delivery (emergency c-section with HELLP syndrome) suuuuucked. And I was totally not myself for a day while I waited for the meds to wear off.

Kenya G. Johnson said...

Goodness - I know it was probably the meds, but I think it's a sensation mothers experience in general. I wonder if other new mother's have felt they heard their baby crying even when there was no baby crying at all. For the period of time that my mom was here with us, I would swear I heard my son crying while i took a shower. I would rush and get out and he would be sound asleep.

My son was with me the whole time in the hospital. So I didn't experience it there. When I did get up to take a shower there I can't remember if I heard the "phantom" cry then.

karen said...

I was sobbing while reading this. I had an emergency c-section too and while I didn't have a reaction to the meds, I was losing it when I couldn't hold when I wanted too and had to see him in the NICU...

The meds blew up my face, it was so bloated, more bloated than when I had preeclampsia. Motherhood is rough.

Anonymous said...

OMG, awful and funny at the same time. Reminds me of some of my Mom's stories after having back surgery a bazillion years ago. Gotta watch out for those meds! ;)

Stephanie @ Life, Unexpectedly said...

That's so funny, I was writing about a delivery as well, a little different though. I'm sorry you didn't have the best birthing experience, but all ended up well for the three of you. Hope you have a great weekend ahead of you!

Christy Garrett @ Uplifting Families said...

Those drugs do some very awful things to your body. I had to have a c-section with my youngest because he was breech and it was too risky to turn him. I had a spinal and let me warn you that medicine is horrible. I too didn't feel myself for about 6 hours after I had my son. I didn't even care that the nurse wanted to check my bleeding levels while I had a room full of visitors. Not to mention I was shaking uncontrollably for a few hours.

Unknown said...

Wow, that sounds rough. I can't imagine going through all that - ugh, the throwing up in the midst of surgery and giving birth! Then the scare of thinking that was your baby - yeah, those mess did a major number on you.

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