Carter's Birth Story: Part 3

Part 1 and Part 2 


At 6:40pm I heard the best little screams from the other side of the curtain and Carter was born! They lowered the curtain so I could see him and then took him to the baby bed to get cleaned off.  I remember crying so hard since he was screaming and meant that his lungs were developed, which lowered his chances of being in the NICU after he was born.  Matt left me and went to be with Carter.

Matt told me later that I kept telling the anesthesiologist that I couldn’t breathe and as soon as they took Carter out he gave me something in my IV to help me calm down.  Matt said I asked him if it was a margarita, lol.  Matt also told me that he glanced back my way when he was with Carter (on the other side of the curtain) to see if I had calmed down any and caught a glimpse of what Dr P was doing.  He said that was the only time he got lightheaded and it reminded him of a war movie where the soldier’s insides were open and the doctors all had their hands in my belly.

Shortly thereafter Matt and baby left since the temp in the OR is so low and went to the newborn nursery so he could have all of his vitals done.  Since they were in another room I don’t even know what his APGAR scores were and didn’t think to ask the rest of the time we were in the hospital.  So I was by myself at this point, with only the anesthesiologist to talk to on my side of the curtain.  I don’t think I ever really calmed down after that “margarita” he gave me.  I later learned that it was my body going into shock, which is completely normal.  It took them 35 minutes to get me sewn back together which was honestly, awful.  All I wanted to do was see the baby and have Matt back by my side to calm me down.  During this time the doctors were all talking about their vacations and another doctor they all knew who just had a baby.  It was surreal- just like Grey’s Anatomy!

Finally at 7:15pm they wheeled me out to recovery and Matt was there waiting for me.  I have never been so happy to see him! My favorite nurse, Laurie, was also there and was going to take care of me for the rest of the night.  She warmed me back up from being in the freezing OR and got me ice chips while Matt told me all about Carter and showed me all the pictures he had taken.  I kept asking Laurie when I could see and nurse Carter, but she couldn’t tell me since he was in the nursery.  He was finally brought back to me at 8:30, almost 2 hours after he was born! Thankfully he had no problems nursing and Laurie gave us some time to have skin-to-skin before I had to start the magnesium and he had to go back to the nursery.

We got moved to our L&D room and they started the magnesium at 10:20pm.  We were able to have visitors come back to our room so we saw our families and spent some time with them while we were waiting on Carter back in the nursery.  I remember being really tired at this point, and just so relieved that he was here and I was no longer pregnant.  And not dead, obviously.  

Carter was able to join us at midnight and I fed him again before he had his first set of visitors.  My mom and sister stayed so they could see him before they went to sleep, but everyone else went home.  My cousin Drew and his wife Kendall also got to meet him that night.  Carter had his first dirty diaper while they were all there, and I wish I had it on video.  Matt was changing his diaper (he has NEVER changed a dirty diaper in his life) and freaked out at the meconium.  He was having a hard time getting him cleaned off when Carter gave him another present- one they went all over Matt and his bassinet, lol! My mom and sister were both trying to help him and everyone was cracking up!

At 3:00am my BP spiked and they had the nurses move me onto my side (I still couldn’t move, plus I had in a catheter).  Of course, this was the exact moment the nursery nurse brought Carter in for his next feeding.  It was awfully painful having to be on my side after the surgery and try to nurse at the same time.  It was not a very successful feeding.

Carter stayed with us the rest of the night, which was wonderful.  We basically stayed up the whole time listening to him coo and watching him move around and just falling in love with him.

Carter is absolutely perfect and such a blessing to have.  We praise God that he was born healthy at 35 weeks and didn’t even have to go to the NICU at all.  He was 6 pounds, 7 ounces and 18 ½ inches long.