Ryan Lincoln Woodbury July 16, 2013 Mom's version

It all happened so fast there are multiple points of view of what happened when. Here is my story of what happened July 16th, 2013. 

I woke up early (4:45am) Tuesday morning due to the excitement of knowing I'd be meeting my little man within 24 hours. I took a nice long shower feeling perfectly fine and called the UofU hospital to check that we did still have an induction time. There had been a big thunder storm Monday night and I was sure all the pregnant women in the valley were going to go into labor due to the weather change. They said to come in at 8:00am. So in we went. 

If you look on the back wall you can see the time. They got us in fairly quickly and started me on Pitocin right away.

We then started a very long waiting game. They started the Pitocin right away and around 10:00 I was having small but regular contractions. We met our doctor for the day who checked my cervix (2cm 80%) and then tried to break my water. He decided that I was still too tight and he'd come back in 2 hours to try again. 2 hours later he showed up to check me again. I was still at 2cm but was 100% effaced. He made 2 attempts to break my water. The second time around he felt like he had created a small hole and that I'd start leaking slowly.

The contractions continued in a nice pattern and got a bit more intense.  I was still managing my pain fairly well. At 5:30pm Ryan decided it was safe to step out to the cafeteria to grab a bite away from his starving wife. The doctor had said he'd be back at 6:30pm to do another cervix check maybe do an internal monitor since baby's heart monitor kept slipping. 

My neighbor who is a nurse, Christine Esplin had taken over my service which was such a wonderful blessing. She'd come in to check my vitals and then we'd just shoot the breeze. She was also amazing at stopping the doctor and making him explain everything that was going on in easy terms for me. 

At 6:00pm the doctors' changed shifts so I met my new night doctor. She checked my cervix and decided to go ahead and break my water since it was still intact. Ryan was still away from the room. They asked me if I wanted to wait but I said I could handle it on my own. The doctor broke my water, stated that it was a clear color and went on her way. Christine stayed behind to talk to me more about doing an internal monitor (why they'd do it, what it'd be etc). She checked my 'puddle' and then things got interesting. 

She immediately stopped all the pleasant talk and called for a doctor and a second nurse to come into my room. She assured me that everything was fine but baby's heart had been very very low and she wanted another opinion. The doctors and nurses started filing in like bees to the hive. I could tell by how many people they had in the room that things were not fine. Christine and another nurse kept me completely assured that they'd all be well trained and I'd be fine. Meanwhile nurses and doctors were plugging things in and out, poking and prodding, pulling off robes, and putting masks on me. My cell phone was just out of reach but I managed to have a nurse hand it to me so I could send Ryan a text "Come Quick." 

Christine told me that they'd be taking me to the OR to do an emergency C-Section since baby's heart rate was so low and I was losing lots of blood. As they wheeled me out we passed Ryan on his way in. I can only imagine the shock he received. 

We rushed down a short hallway to the OR. The whole time doctors and nurses were talking back and forth over my head. They were putting on surgical scrubs like firemen going to the fire. We got to the OR room to find it full of people who had gotten the page and set up. The anesthesiologist who had talked to me before about an epidural was there and ready. They got me to the table and started pinning me down and prepping me for the C-Section. Since I hadn't had an epidural they had to put me completely under. I had my eyes closed trying to stay calm and work on my breathing. When they started prepping me I freaked out. I was terrified that they'd be in such a hurry to get Lincoln out they'd start cutting before I was out. I then decided to keep my eyes wide open so they'd know I wasn't out.

One nurse stayed right next to my head and kept assuring me that things were scary but in control. She kept complimenting me on my ability to stay calm. She saved me from freaking out completely as they poured a liquid on my stomach and draped me with a blue sheet. The kind anesthesiologist assured me that I'd feel a small prick and then I'd fall asleep. Which I did.

When I woke up my first thought was "Man! that was the best sleep I've had in a long time." Then my aching belly reminded me of the real reason I was asleep. I opened my eyes in my delivery room to find myself surrounded by my family. Dad, Darla, Clayne, Melanie and Mark were all there for me. Christine Esplin was also there and her calming presence once again assured me that things were fine. Baby was out and doing fine in the ICU. Ryan was no where to be found. He had gone with Lincoln to watch over his care.

There then proceeded to be some intense pain in my tummy area every time I moved or breathed. Christine had to press my tummy every hour but she did it in such a way that even though it hurt like h*** I still was able to smile through it. 

Doctors, nurses, and other staff members then filed in to tell me over and over what had happened and why it happened so quickly. I was pretty out of it thanks to some wonderful pain medicine but here is what I understood happened.

1. After my water broke Lincoln's heart dropped off the radar it was so low. There was also too much blood to be safe.

2. They rushed me into the OR because Lincoln was loosing oxygen, blood and time. They had him out within 60 seconds of putting me under. He was born at 6:25pm. (They broke my water around 6:15)

3. When he came out he wasn't breathing so they performed chest compressions and gave him oxygen.

4. He was revitalized and sent to the ICU to start on a cooling bed to slow down his organs and stop any damage to the brain since he had been without oxygen for a given amount of time.

5. I did wonderfully and would recover just fine as long as I kept up with my pain meds and allowed the nurses to press my tummy painfully every hour. 

After spending some time in my delivery room recovering (Ryan showed up within 8 minutes much to my relief  and the family all got to go see Baby Lincoln in the ICU) they wheeled me out to the recovery floor. Before settling me in my room they took me on a detour through the ICU. It was very cramped. They had about 6 incubators in there along with my huge hospital bed. I was in too much pain to sit up and see him properly but the nurse held him up for me to catch a glimpse at. He is beautiful.  They got me settled in my room with my pain medication and let me sleep for 10 minute segments. Every 10 minutes I'd have to wake up to press my medicine button that released the pain killers to my body. I got very good at crashing in about 2 minutes and waking up in 1 minute. 

At 5:00am they woke me up to move me around. They had me go sit in the bathroom while they did their checks just so I'd move. Since they had me up I asked them if I could go see baby Lincoln. They went to find me a wheelchair while I tried to wake up Ryan to see if he wanted to come with. He was dead to the world so I went alone. I got to stand by my baby's bed and just look at him. I'm already in love.

Here is Ryan on his amazing bed. He was so tired. We all were.

Today I've spent the day recovering and getting to know my new post baby body. Ryan, Dad and I were able to go to the ICU and touch Lincoln. They had a chair all set up for me so I could sit by his bed and just rest my hands on his body. I can't believe this little man is mine. 

The first look I got of my son via Ryan's cell phone.

Our first family photo. 

He doesn't like to be stroked or rubbed you just have to put your hands on his body so he can feel their weight. 

Today lil' Lincoln got an EEG to test his brain activity. Because he is on a cooling treatment he is shivering a lot but they wanted to check to make sure it was just shivers and not any seizure systems.  

He'll probably stay at the UofU ICU until his cooling treatment is over (72 hours) then they will transfer him to Primary's where he will wait for his heart surgery.