Introducing....Thomas Harrison

If you're here for photos and vitals - here they are: :) Thomas Harrison Egg, 6 pounds 14 ozs (my littlest Egg!), 19 3/4 inches long. Born at 10:02a.m. (edited to correct time of birth...what a horrible mother I am!) He weighed a full pound less than what my OB had guessed (based on an external exam of the baby) and what the ultrasound had estimated about an hour before he was born!


Some of this is clinical - but it's so I'll remember it in the future...

Man oh man - was Friday a nerve-wracking day or what? I woke at 4a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep. The nerves hit almost immediately. I can't put my finger on exactly what made me so nervous beyond the thoughts of anesthesia - would I get a spinal headache? Would something happen that would require putting me under general anesthesia? I prayed and cried and almost got sick from my nerves. I calmed down some after we got to the hospital and all my prep started.

Let me just say, fourth c-sections are rough and never doubt that they aren't. I could tell from the moment they made the incision that it was not going to be a fun ride. It made me more and more nervous about the situation. Thankfully Brad was there holding my hand. I could not have done it without him there to reassure me and comfort me. Such a sweet husband. He would occasionally stand up and tell me where they were in the process, what was going on. I heard Paul throughout the section, "What color is our urine output?" The only time he didn't ask was when Harrison was actually being born.

I heard the resident say "Rupture!" and Paul said, "Get ready for a baby. Brad! Stand up!" Brad started snapping photos like crazy and got some great ones of Harrison being born. Harrison was really, really wet sounding when he was born; but once they got him suctioned on the warmer, he sounded great. APGARS were 9 and 9. After they did basic clean up, they took him to the nursery for a bath, immunizations, etc. Brad went with them and that's when I suddenly felt horribly alone. And frightened.

I heard Paul order them to push the Pit now and asked that they get him 600mg of Cytotec then ordered 400mg of it to be administered rectally (ACK!). Pit AND Cytotec? I knew then I was bleeding and at risk for hemorrhaging. My blood pressure took a nose dive from the Pit and I got sick as a result. Paul ordered more Pit and told the anesthesiologists to get me something now to stop the vomiting because they were trying to close, I was bleeding a lot, and they needed my abdomen still. I started apologizing for being sick and Paul said, "Gina, it's okay, hon. This isn't your fault at all. But let me tell you - you've made a very, very wise decision. This was a difficult section." They tilted the head of the bed down, gave me some meds to bring my blood pressure up and gave me drugs to stop the vomiting. I was petrified. I wanted my nurse (well, I really wanted Patsy or Wanda since I knew Brad was with Harrison) but since my nurse was busy cleaning all the baby equipment in the OR, the anesthesiologist held my hand instead. I could hear Paul and the resident talking about my tubal and making certain both tubes were done (thank you!) then they were ready to put me back together and get the final closure done. Then they dropped the drape, everything was finished and I was ready to go to recovery. They wrapped me up and lifted me onto the bed. Paul tucked the warm blankets around me and told me again what a wise decision he thought we'd made. The sweet resident, who'd not had a chance to meet me before the surgery started, stepped over to me and introduced himself then said, "Wow, you made us work for that baby!" Paul told me he'd come talk to me in recovery.

Again in recovery he reiterated what a good idea it was to stop, that we'd be facing significant risk if I were to get pregnant again (Lord, please let my tubal work!!) Dr. Burton stopped in to let me know I would be keeping my catheter for 24 hours instead of the usual 12 since there was some concern that my bladder might have been nicked. He said they weren't sure if they'd nicked it or if it was the trama from the delivery - but I was urinating blood. The 24 hours was needed to see if the bleeding would stop or would resolve itself.

Debbie (the lactation consultant) brought Harrison to me in recovery where our first job was to get him nursing immediately. Patsy and Wanda were about to leave recovery and I said, "Wait a minute! I really do NOT care that you guys are in here if you don't care. Y'all stay. " Immodest? Eh, I'm feeding my baby - doesn't bother me one iota. Thankfully they didn't hesitate to stay. Wanda ended up getting a very sweet photo so I'm glad she was there. I know when I look at it that I'm feeding him as my sister and the lactation consultant look on.

They were ready to move me to 5A - so Brad, Sammie, Wanda and Patsy went to the unit while I waited for transport. Sammie got to hold Harrison, got her "baby sugar," then she headed back over to wait with me - after the way I'd cried when she got there, she didn't want me in recovery alone. I have such a sweet sister.

As I write this it is late Monday night, a difficult weekend of recovery has passed and Harrison and I are both still in the hospital. He, because he's lost 12% of his body weight and is dehydrated. Me, because my bladder wasn't nicked but was severely traumatized from the adhesions and my delivery and is basically paralyzed. Hopefully, God willing, we will be going home tomorrow. I will be going home with a catheter; but better with a catheter than with a non-functioning bladder and no catheter.

I look at my sweet, precious son and think, just as I've done with his sisters before him, that he is wonderful and I'm so blessed to have him. Exceedingly, abundantly blessed. But at the same time, I am also thankful knowing that he is the perfect close for our family - a wondeful finale!