Finn

I was scheduled to be induced Monday, June 15th.

The weekend came and went, and no sign of Finn.

I called the hospital Monday morning at 7 am and they advised they had a crazy morning full of deliveries and to call back at 8.

Called back, was told to wait 1 more hour and to call if I hadn't heard from the head nurse by then.

At 8:45, I got a call telling us to go ahead and come in at 10 am to have a baby!

We arrived, they set us up in our room and started the Pitocin at 11am.

I was dilated to a 3 and 80% effaced.

I was already having contractions since the night before but they weren't consistent or super painful...yet.

Our nurse, Ellen, had been a labor and delivery nurse for 30 years, so we were in great hands.

The contractions started to get real intense, so at 12:30, I got an epidural.

I was not about to wait too long and risk the chance of no anesthesia.

The epidural was a breeze. The anestesiolgist was a champion.

Did not hurt a bit.

They jacked up my Pitocin some more.

I was told, "Oh this is your first baby. You are gonna be here for awhile!"

My doctor came in and broke my water and placed the catheter.

They checked me again at this point and I was dilated to a 5.

At this point, my legs were completely dead but I could still feel the contractions in my abdomen...BAD.

I had to really focus on breathing and could not open my eyes.

The contractions were so close together and I was REALLY struggling. 

Poor Dallin was trying everything to get my mind off the pain.

He called our nurse back in and she paged the anesthesiologist back into the room.

He was back in the room within minutes and adjusted the dosage on my epidural.

He said if it didn't work, he wasn't going to keep pumping me full of it, like some others do, but give me a whole another epidural as well.

It wasn't needed.

I noticed a huge difference, not 10 minutes later. 

I was on cloud nine.

Felt like a million bucks! 

At this point, Dallin's dad, his step-mom and little brother came by to visit and I was telling them how awesome I was feeling.

I don't know how women do it naturally. 

I was kissing the ground after that pain was taken away.

It was about 1:30 pm at this point and I knew Dallin was getting hungry.

He hadn't had breakfast, so I convinced him to just run across the street, because I knew, he wouldn't have a chance to eat later in the evening. 

He was adamant that he didn't want to leave me alone.

I insisted he go eat and that I was fine. Even thought I'd get a nap.

My mom was on her way to chat and hang out while we waited, so I expected her any minute.

Dallin left and promised he'd be back soon. I told him to take his time.

I called my mom and just told her how great I was feeling and gave her instructions on how to get into the Labor and Delivery unit. 

She said she was just gonna grab a Diet Coke and would be on her way.

I hung up and laid my phone down and noticed that the heart monitor that they had on my belly to listen to Finn, slowed wwaaayy down. 

I was on my side to help the epidural move through my body, so I couldn't see the heart rate count.

I figured the monitor had just moved on my belly and it wasn't getting a good reading.

My nurse walked in and said, "Ok, baby is not happy."

That worried me. 

She flipped me to my other side, and his heart rate dropped even more. 

Ellen quickly flipped me back over to my other side and put an oxygen mask on me. 

Within seconds, there were at least 10 people in my room racing around. 

There was a huge sense of urgency, but people were staying calm so that brought me some comfort.

A nurse walked up to me and said, "Where is dad?"

I told her he was just grabbing some food and would be back soon.

She told me to call him now and tell him to get back to the hospital now.

She said to tell him I was going in for an emergency c-section.

That was the first time they mentioned a c-section and it took a minute to sink in.

Poor Dallin answered the phone and I told him the baby's heart rate had dropped and I was going in for a c-section. He said ok and he'd be back asap.

At this point they were wheeling me out of my room towards the OR and my doctor and the anesthesiologist joined us in the hallway.

I knew my mom was on her way, so as I was going into the OR, I texted her: Baby's heart rate dropped. Going in for c-section.

Poor lady. I later came to find out that she received my text and dropped her Diet Coke all over her car.

The doctors and nurses all reassured me that everything was going to be fine.

Just needed to get baby out fast.

They just finished prepping me as Dallin rushed in with his mask and gown on.

I was so relieved.

The anesthesiologist advised they were going to cut me and if I felt anything, he'd have to put me under.

Thankfully, I did not feel a thing, so they started surgery.

Dallin is a bit on the queasy side when it comes to blood and needles, so he was with my on my side of the curtain and would peek over every couple of minutes.

In about 7 mins, baby was out and I heard him cry.
I immediately started bawling.
I was SO relieved he was ok, or at least, as far as I knew, he was ok.
The spirit in the room was so strong.
They quickly showed him to me over the curtain and whisked him away to check everything.

The doctor advised the cord was wrapped around his neck, he was face up, and he was super low.
Ellen later told me that she only sees babies that low when the mom was at a 10 and ready to push.

The anesthesiologist said to Dallin, "You go be with baby, I will take care of your wife."
He then wiped my tears with a tissue and rubbed my head.
We loved everyone at the hospital.

Finn Dallin Koski was born at 2:18 pm.
8 lbs. 3 oz. 20.5 inches long.

I could see Dallin and the team of people working on Finn off to my left.
They were stitching me all up and all I cared about was that the baby was ok.

After they ran all his tests, they brought him over to me and sat him on my chest as they wheeled me back to my labor and delivery room.

In the mean time my poor mom had shown up the hospital in a frantic state and the nurses told her I was still in surgery.
They showed her to my room so she could wait there and explained to her what had happened.
The nurses told her with how low Finn's heart rate was, and not coming up, they only had about 30 minutes to get him out before brain damage sets in!
So frightening.
She asked what those women do that have their babies at home and are not monitoring the baby's heart rate.
The nurse explained that about 95% of women are ok to have their babies at home, but there are those 5% that are not. Like me.
So scary that you don't know if you are that 5%.
I am SO grateful that everything worked out and Finn was born healthy and thriving.

We had to stay at the hospital for 4 days due to the c-section.
On the 2nd day, the nurses were doing routine tests on Finn, in the nursery and they found that his blood oxygen levels kept dipping below 90.
They told me that he was ok, and the levels would go back up, but that they didn't like that they were dipping at all.
They consulted with Finn's pediatrician and decided that he should go up to the Primary Children's unit upstairs, just to be monitored.

Later on we found out that he had mucus plugs in his lungs and that was what might have been causing the dips in his levels.
It can happen with c-section babies because they don't get that push to get everything out of their lungs.

He was upstairs for 24 hours and that was a rough time for me.
I kept reminding myself to count my blessings, because it could be SO much worse.
He was going to be fine.
Tell that to my exhausted mind and body, the raging hormones, and my incision.

I definitely feel like I was being looked after at this time.
My incision healed wonderfully and I had hardly any pain after my surgery.
I never had to take any narcotics, and I am not a tough person who will not take pain killers.
I will take those suckers in a hot minute, but there was no need.

During Finn's time upstairs, I walked up to feed him about every 2 hours.
I also attribute my activeness to my fast recovery and healing process.

Finn was cleared to come back down with us the following night and it was wonderful.
I just started feeling like I was getting a handle on his feedings and everything was good.

A few hours later, one of the nurses came in and advised that Finn had lost more weight than they like to see in newborns so they wanted to supplement him with formula.
I was to breastfeed him like normal, but then top him off with about 2 oz of formula.
I said of course. I was not about to have him hungry!

A few days later, we were able to stop supplementing him and he is a ferocious eater now!
We were released from the hospital on Thursday, the 18th.
It felt SO good to be home and I know Finn liked not having to be poked and prodded anymore.

My mom was a saint and stayed with us our first couple of nights home.
I would have lost my mind without her:)
She would watch Finn, let me sleep, and just bring him into me when he needed to be fed.
It was glorious and still so thankful.

The following morning we had to take Finn in to his doctor's to have his weight checked and everything looked over.
He had gained weight!
We then brought him back in five days later and he had gained half a pound.
I would have done a cartwheel, if it was allowed!
He is now weighing in at 12 pounds. He likes to eat like his mama:)

Having him in our home has been the biggest blessing.
I have to pinch myself every time I look at him.

I am so glad that I get to be his mama and that we are sealed as a family.
We are happy over here!

Thank you to all those amazing family and friends for your visits, meals, gifts, well wishes and many ways that you have served us.
We are forever thankful!