Bear's Story

Tuesday, July 10th.  It was late morning when I realized I hadn't felt the baby kick at all that day when I would normally feel him move around several times within an hour.  Just so happened that I had a doctor's appointment early that afternoon, so I decided to wait until then.  I tried poking and prodding my belly to get him to move without any luck.  At the doctor's, everything seemed normal, I was measuring properly and baby's heart beat sounded normal and good.  However, since I hadn't been feeling him move, Dr. Ollerton told me to go home and lie down for 2 hours and count how many times I felt him move.  If he moved less than 10 times, I needed to go to the hospital.

While lying down, he moved only a couple times, but then he got the hiccups. So I called the doctor's office and they said that if he got the hiccups, everything was fine and we didn't need to worry.  But, as the afternoon progressed, he still wasn't moving like he normally would, and I decided we needed to go the hospital to get tested because it just didn't seem right.

We checked into the hospital at 8:30 p.m.  I got hooked up to do a non-stress test.  Within a few minutes I had a contraction (that I couldn't feel) and baby's heart rate dropped significantly.  The nurse came in and said, "that might have just gotten you admitted."  It happened again with the next contraction, and the nurse said she was calling the doctor.  Not only would his heart rate dive with every contraction, but it was flatlined at 150 in between, rather than slightly varying.  It seemed like only a few minutes before Dr. Melendez was there.  He looked at the baby's tracing from the non-stress test so far and told us we were staying and having a baby.

Pretty sure I went into shock.  I started trembling and couldn't stop.  I changed into a lovely hospital gown and the Dr. broke my water.  He said we'd know within 20 minutes whether our baby would be able to handle a regular vaginal birth or if I'd need a c-section.  I started signing paperwork galore while  lying there and then our baby's heart rate plummeted and wasn't returning to the normal rate.  The nurse called out and I was immediately wheeled off for an emergency c-section.  

I felt like the whole scene could have been in a movie or medical tv show or something.  One of the nurses took Matt to get him covered up and another nurse was calling out to the others to get more help.    I was wheeled into the massive operating room that was already filled with several nurses prepping everything and the main nurse trying to keep me calm and keep me up to date on what was going on.  I could see the monitor with our baby's heart rate still dropping and could hear the beat getting slower and slower.  The mood in the air was very tense and I could tell everyone was moving as quickly as possible.  The operating doors were left wide open and the nurse cut my gown off (that I had just put on) because she couldn't get the knot undone quickly enough. 

I was doing alright until I looked over and saw Dr. Melendez's worried face.  He was making quick sharp glances between the baby's monitor and the anesthesiologist trying to get him to hurry since I hadn't been numbed yet.  Then the nurse yelled at the anesthesiologist, "Come on! We're in the 70's!" Yes, our baby's heart rate was now only beating in the 70's, from 150, and was not going back up at all.  I was pleading silently with God that our baby would be ok and that they would be able to get him out in time.  Then Dr. Ollerton walked in (found out later that Dr. Melendez called him and asked if he wanted to come in and help with my c-section).  The spinal anesthetic was done (they didn't have time to an epidural) and I was laid down on the operating bed.  Matt finally came in all gowned up and came and held my hand as they lifted the curtain just in front of my face so I wouldn't be able to see the surgery. 

My belly was sanitized as the anesthetic was taking effect and I was slowly becoming more and more numb.  Literally, as soon as I was fully numb, they started cutting.  They poked me a few times to make sure and then went for it.  It was like when your foot falls asleep; you can touch it and feel that something is there, but you can't really feel it.  I could tell where they cutting and feel the pressure but I didn't actually feel any pain or anything.  Matt stood up while holding my hand and looked over the sheet and watched the doctor's pull out our baby.  It only took them 3 minutes from the time they started cutting to get our little guy out.  And he was born at 10:08 p.m. (Remember, we checked into the hospital at 8:30 p.m...that's how incredibly fast everything happened). 

I can't describe the immense relief I felt when I heard his cry and I knew they had gotten him out safely.  Matt started telling me what was going on while the doctor's started stitching me back up.  He went over and watched the nurses wash him off and took some pictures, and then came back and showed me the pictures and video so I could see our baby.  It seemed like forever before the nurses brought our baby over for me to see.  I couldn't hold him but there's still nothing like seeing him for the first time after I had carried him in my belly for 9 months.  

They took our baby down to the nursery and Matt went down as well while the doctor's continued to stitch me up.  They wheeled me back to the room we had been previously and gathered all my belongings.  I had to wait in the room for about 10 min because they said they were still working on preparing my actual recovery room where I would be able to see our baby.  It was about 11:00 when they wheeled me into my actual room, where baby Bear and Matt, my step-mom Christy, and my brother, Mike were waiting.  I got to have my proud mom moment of holding our baby for the first time, a truly humbling experience. 

I feel so blessed and grateful to have Bear with us and am so thankful to the doctors and nurses.

Berrex Read Putnam

5 lbs 9 oz

17.5 inches

10:08 p.m. 

July 10, 2012