Scottie’s Twice-Born Birth Story
Scottie Rose is here and healthy!
After 4 months of loving my baby girl I am finally ready to share the birth story! I’ve also posted an update about life since we’ve been discharged from the hospital here.
I feel like the beginning of my birth story is a little (totally) self-incriminating because I kind of (totally) put myself into labor by breaking bed rest. Whoopsy.
And fair warning, this may be a long one because I’m writing this for myself to read back on as well, like a diary entry, I guess. So I’m going the detailed route (but not medically detailed, don’t worry).
Approaching Her Birthday
During all of bedrest my mom had stayed with me at the Ronald McDonald house with the exception of maybe two or three weeks while Jared was able to get time off and visit me.
My due date was October 26th, but because I wasn’t allowed to labor, they scheduled my C-section for 37 weeks when I would be full-term. That date was October 5th.
Every single Tuesday for all of bedrest I would go in for my weekly ultrasounds and exams to make sure me and baby were healthy, and every single week I asked if they could schedule the C-section on October 4th instead (which is my birthday.)
They told me it wasn’t possible because even one day earlier than 37 weeks would make her a premie and they couldn’t willingly take her out before she was full term. Which made sense, but I just kept asking anyways because I wanted to share a birthday with her!
Even though I was asking for a day earlier the doctors and nurses kept telling me that it wasn’t likely that I would even make it that far into my pregnancy. Only a small fraction of patients who get this surgery make it all the way without having to get an early C-Section, with the majority of births being between 32-34 weeks.
Different hospitals have different guidelines for bedrest, CHOP is very conservative so their bedrest is strict and I followed it exactly and then some. I was the best bed rest patient they’ve ever had (I tell myself). Truly did not get out of bed besides my 15 minutes a day plus a shower. For 14 weeks…until the last few days.
So, the birth story…
Our Birth Story
September 30th
My mom was packing up to go back to Rhode Island. Jareds flight was getting in that evening so he could be here a few days before the birth and he was going to stay all the way until discharge, which would be a few weeks. Since I had made it to my surgery week I knew she was coming any day now.
Because of that, I was being a bit more breezy on the rules, starting to walk around more. And it was getting hard being in the bed since I got bigger.
I don’t remember if it was my idea or my moms, but we decided that before her flight on the 30th we were going to go for a longer walk than I was allowed to before she left. At that point I didn’t mind if the baby came. I was uncomfortable and it would be convenient that it was the day when both my mom and Jared were there.
We went on a walk around the UPenn campus, much longer than the ones I was used to (15 minutes). I’m not going to lie, I was REALLY trying to manifest that she would come while they were both here. Hard. See the pictures for proof. But I don’t think I actually believed it would happen because it was my first time breaking the rules. And it just didn’t seem real I think.
After we walked, which was not very easy for me, the time came for my mom to go back home. We picked Jared up from the airport, picked up some burritos (obviously) and headed back to the Ronald McDonald House. I said an emotional goodbye to my mom, thanking her for being there with me during this whole experience that was about to come to an end. The next time I saw my mom, I would be one, too. But I did not think that it would be the very next day.
Here’s the self-incriminating evidence that I am now ashamed of that put me into labor. I SWEAR I was a great, rule-following patient up until this very day. (and honestly, this was probably dangerous of me to do so if I wasn’t within 5 minutes from the hospital, I would not have done it.)
October 1st Day
That night was kind of chaotic. I started getting pains late at night, around 3am. They weren’t contractions (I don’t think) because they weren’t coming and going. It was just really really sore to move, or to even just lay there.
I called Jared to come into the room to sleep in there with me (we were in separate rooms because I was big, and hot, and uncomfortable, and restless at night at that point). He came to stay with me and I called the doctors and told them I broke bed rest and walked. We concluded that I was probably sore from walking since I hadn’t done that in months, and since I was laying down so much my abs weren’t used to holding up my pregnant tummy. They told me if it got worse then I should come in, but if I could sleep through it then do try that.
And then we smelt smoke. Like, pretty badly.
Not only was I in pain, but we thought the building was going to be on fire. We told the front desk and they smelt it too and the fire department came but since we never found out what happened, I think it's safe to say all was good.
That part was a bit more chaotic and scary than I can detail, but anyways…I was able to get some sleep. I woke up and felt a little better, still kind of sore. So I thought again that it was from my walk. Which it probably was. I slept all day.
October 1st Night
Around 5:30pm when I woke up I decided to call into the hospital and get checked out because I didn’t want to lose any sleep over wondering what was happening.
I packed my go-bag, took a quick shower, and was ready to go. I brought everything just in case I wouldn’t be leaving for a few days. Jared was in complete denial that was going to happen so he brought only his wallet. That’s it. A wallet.
Clothes, pillows, toiletries, baby clothes, my kindle, chargers, everything was in my bag and ready to go. At this point I started taking more videos than photos for memories so I don’t have as much to share yet until I get to editing all of that.
I had been to the hospital a few times for some scares throughout my pregnancy and each time was monitored for about 3 hours and then sent back home. So I thought that was either going to happen again, or they were going to keep me in the hospital for the last few days before the baby came.
Another possibility was that my membranes separated (the amniotic fluid separating from the uterus) which would have made me feel extremely guilty for breaking bed rest. That wasn’t the case though.
We get to the hospital and shortly after I stopped being mad at Jared for only bringing a wallet, I was hooked up to the monitors so they could see if I was having any contractions. They took my vitals, all was good. I wasn’t having any real contractions and was not in labor. As the doctor came in to discuss and discharge me she wanted to do a cervical check to make sure it was all good.
I know I said I wouldn’t give medical details, but if you don’t know what a cervical exam is, the doctor inserts her fingers way up into your cervix to measure if you are dilated. It took a good half of a second and then this is how it went:
“Oh her head is super low. Looks like you’re having a baby!”
I actually do not know how Jared didn’t break his neck by how quick he whipped it around and said “NOW?!”.
The doctor said that she was also surprised and did not expect me to be dilated, but I was 2cm and that even though I was in the safe zone now, they didn’t want to send me back to Ronald McDonald house and it go any further. She left the room for about 10 minutes, then a few nurses came in to prep me and explain what was going to happen, and they told me that I was going to the OR in one hour.
Things that went through my mind:
Jared didn’t pack anything but a wallet.
OF COURSE this baby is coming the day after my mom leaves. She spent 14 weeks here and within 24 hours of her leaving the baby comes, in true fashion of what I would expect out of my daughter.
WTF I can’t believe I went on that walk and actually did what I was trying to do but didn’t think would actually happen.
Jared left the hospital to go back to RMH and pack a bag and while we called our families to tell them what was going to happen. At this point it was about 8pm. My dad got on a train right away to come down to Philly and my mom decided she was going to drive back down in the morning for the day.
To the OR
I was so nervous and had like no time to be. Jared got back just in time and they prepped us to go into the OR with the gowns and as much information as I could handle. The first step was getting the spinal to numb me from the chest down, and I have vasovagal responses to needles and procedures almost every time so I really didn’t handle it well. But we had no choice but to continue and we moved forward.
They let me play whatever music that I wanted, so my album of choice was Folklore and it was the perfect choice for me and just about the only thing that could calm me down. The nurse was teaching Jared about acupressure and how to help calm me down, and he was doing so great being there for me.
The C-section experience was not pleasant but it was much better than I expected it to be, and honestly I would probably choose that over laboring and a natural birth if I was able to choose again. (which I am not able to).
They did cut over the scar on my stomach from the previous surgery, but once they were entering the uterus, they made a different incision, since the last one was on the back of my uterus to get to her spine.
At 10:58pm, October 1st, Scottie was born! (again)
The nurse took Jared’s phone as they were pulling her out because I said I wanted photos, so I have footage of the whole thing. It is very graphic so I will not be sharing that here because somebody would definitely pass out, but it is so incredible.
They showed her off through the clear curtain and it was so surreal. Immediately they brought her to the next room over, as they told us they would be, and Jared got to go with her. The doctors and nurses examined her, her scar, her vitals, and did their thing while my surgeon was closing me up. I did lose more blood than expected, and they had a harder time than usual closing me up. They told me it was because my abs were so strong and the most aesthetically perfect ab muscles they’ve ever seen and I will literally hold onto that for my whole life, even if it’s the lie that I think it is.
I wasn’t loopy from the medication but after a few fits of panic I think they gave me something to calm down and stop. They must have because at that point I was pretty relaxed. Since it was taking a while I facetimed my mom while I was still on the table and I sent snapchats. Which I feel like is a really weird thing to do but I would have done anything to get my mind off of the fact that I was opened on the table and couldn't move my toes even though I was telling them to move.
Once Scottie was cleaned up and taken care of, they wheeled her into the OR for me to really get to see her. Luckily Jared got this on tape and we got some pictures taken, because I don’t want to ever risk forgetting those moments. The wave of emotion that came over me was one that I have never felt before, and could never explain. I had about two minutes with her before they brought her down to the NICU and Jared was allowed to go down with her. They told me she was healthy, her legs, feet, and toes were working, and there were no immediate concerns.
Not being able to do any skin to skin and not being able to latch right away is something that was upsetting but I knew was a part of the program.
Around 1am they brought me back to my room and set up a bed for Jared to sleep so he didn’t have to go back to the Ronald McDonald house. And we were officially parents.
I couldn’t say enough amazing things about the staff. The nurses, the doctors, the assistants, every single person made the experience go from terrifying to incredible. We went through so much with this pregnancy and every single step was so worth it. It’s still funny looking back and remembering how the birth happened. From almost being discharged to being told the baby would be here in an hour.
I’ve posted an update about our time in the NICU/Transfer Unit separately, including an update on how Scottie is doing now. We are so proud of her and ourselves and the story that we have.
If you’re ever looking for a good charity to donate to I highly recommend donating to the Ronald McDonald House. So many families, including ours, could never have done this without them.
