I’m doing this in two parts. If you want more birth story goodness you can also read Rohan’s Birth Story
The night before Kaya’s birthday we took Rohan over to my mom n dad’s house. I came home and could barely sleep. (And not from the usual heartburny, constant peeing, always uncomfortable 9 months pregnant woes) I was so anxious. Convinced I was going to die on the table the next day. (I made John promise to live close to my mom so she could help raise the kids.)
I was scheduled to arrive at the hospital at 9:30. We arrived and after a bit of a delay (waiting for a completely unnecessary wheelchair) we made it up into the room where I’d be prepped for my repeat cesarean. I peed in a cup, got blood drawn, and was hooked up to an IV to receive a bag of fluid. My nurse gave me the run-down of what was going to happen and then we just had to hurry up and wait.
The doctor came in and I was surprised at how my black female doctor Brown had morphed into a white male Dr. Cohen. Immediately my nervousness commenced. But he seemed nice and again gave me the run-down and answered all 50-11 of my questions… Including: “Are you gunna go through the same hole or are you gunna put an equal sign on my belly?” Thankfully he didn’t skip a beat in saying he’d use the same or directly beneath. *whew!*
The anesthesiologist came in and gave me the full scoop on the spinal, and John was given his scrubs. It was about to get really real. We were told we had to wait a bit, but then 5 seconds later they started to wheel me out to the (freeezing) operating room. I got hooked up to more beeping machines, and the anesthesiologist started her spinal procedure.
I was curled over a pillow unmoving, barely breathing, and only mildly nervous. Until *prick!* she poked in her spinal juice and my left leg jumped so high. Immediately that leg was numb….and everything else was regular. Very, very slowly I started to feel a bit of numbness go do my other leg. But not fully and nothing happened to my tummy.
On goes the oxygen mask. (Honestly my first thought was, oh great now my nose is going to be chapped for days – and it was.)
“I’m not numb.” I said, and I was told by one of the nurses that I just needed to lay down and things would take effect.
The nurses all helped me lay back, and I got strapped to the table 
It was very scary for a moment and I just wanted John to be there next to me. I was laying and waiting for the spinal to make it to my tummy and chest.
No such luck.
The doctor kept pinching me (hard) and asking me if I could feel it. I was just like “OW! yes!” every time. (I wanted to kick him….but I couldn’t lift that left leg!) They couldn’t give me more meds because of my weight and the dose they already injected. So, they started carnival rides instead.
Yes, carnival rides.
There was some remote control that tilted the bed left, right, up down….everywhichaway and at one point I was almost all the way upside down. Head to the floor, legs to the sky. Naked. Strapped to a table. Drugged. Unable to move my legs.
Definitely my best moment in life. ::sigh::
So the bed tilting didn’t work, but just to be sure they did the annoying (and painful) pinch test for a while before they believed me. Then more carnival rides.
“Can someone get my husband please?”
We can as soon as we know you’re properly numb.
In that case, John’s never coming in here. I thought
“OK Fine.” I said
S-l-o-w-l-y the numbness raised to a level the doctor was comfortable with. But I wasn’t.
I saw someone lead John into the room.
Hooray!
I know from last time that I’d feel tugging and pulling and stretching feelings, but the sensation of my doctor’s hands on me was just too…acute. I just knew something was up, and I told them it’s not right.
“I think something’s wrong.” I said.
The anesthetist knew she’d effed up too, because she just kept on saying “she got the right amount.” “her back was perfect” “she got a good spinal” and things like that. I wanted to slap her. Thankfully the doctor listened to me and my intuition, and not that stupid chick.
I saw someone lead John out of the room.
Boo.
He waited longer, and did more carnival game bed tilting, until his pinch test was way less ‘ouchie.’ Once he was pinching me at my sternum but felt like a feather gently rubbing accross my skin I was satisfied.
The doctor was satisfied too.
John came in again and immediately I start tearing up. The doctor and his student get ready to go to work, and the anesthesiologist goes in explaining to John what happened with the pinch test, and levels of numbness….and she doesn’t forget to mention that “she got the right amount” “her back was perfect” “she got a good spinal.”
I just wanted her to shut up. The doctor was just like “Oh every person’s body is different, we take to certain things in certain ways. bla bla bla bla”
John and I locked eyes. He knew as well as I did, that I got a botched spinal and I was in for a brutal ride.
Stay tuned for part two….
What was your birth experience like?
I’m eating after 9pm though. Even as late as midnight. My schedule is all kooky with the newborn running the show.
