Raegan’s Story

It was a blessing in disguise that I had a doctors appointment on Wednesday morning. I had a c-section scheduled for Sunday the 17th, Father’s Day, and I had a regular check up the Wednesday before and the doctor was suppose to confirm that the c-section was a go. I thought about canceling my appointment because I knew I was having her in a few days and it just seemed unnecessary to go to that appointment, but I went anyway. I had been having some really bad contractions and sharp pains by my scar from previous c-sections. So I told the doctor and he talked to me for a while and checked me and I had one big contraction that the doctor could feel and he decided I was in labor and he sent me straight up to labor and delivery at the hospital so they could watch me on the monitors and he said they would do the c-section that day if the contractions continued. It is dangerous for someone who has had previous c-sections to have strong contractions because the uterus can rupture, so he did not want me contracting. So I was driving to the hospital and I thought about going home first because my bags were not all the way packed I needed to put some last minute things in them. I also did not get to say goodbye to my kids that morning because they were still sleeping when I left, so I was feeling bad about that. But I decided to go to the hospital instead, and it’s a good thing I did. They hooked me up to the monitors and asked me to put on a gown and I told them that I didn’t need a gown because I didn’t think I was staying and the nurse looked at me funny and she said okay. So I stayed in my clothes and they watched me on the monitor for about thirty minutes and then the nurse called the doctor. I had not had very many contractions and they were very small ones so I thought for sure they would send me home. The nurse came into my room from talking to the doctor and she said the doctor would be there in forty five minutes and they were taking the baby. I was in shock!! I tried calling my Mom and my sister and Josh and I was in a panic trying to get someone to my house so Josh could get to the hospital. It was all just a crazy mess but my Mom got to my house in time and Josh got to the hospital just in time to put his surgical clothes on and they wheeled me back. I was so scared, I was not prepared for all that was happening. I didn’t even get a blessing from anyone because I could not get a hold of anyone to give me one and that really scared me. They started the c-section and it was taking a lot longer than it normally does and it was because there was a lot of scar tissue inside of me from my other c-sections. When they finally got to Raegan and got her out they noticed a hole in my uterus that had started to form. It was the size of a quarter and the doctor was very concerned about it. This hole could have gone to a complete rupture of my uterus within minutes and if it would have ruptured all the way he said they would only have had five minutes to get the baby out before it killed me and her. It was a blessing that they took her when they did! I started bleeding really bad during the c-section and they could not get it to stop. Josh watched this whole thing going on, he said they finally gave me a drug that stopped the bleeding. Because of the blood loss they wanted to do a blood transfusion, I did not want a blood transfusion so I decided to feel a little lifeless for a few weeks and take iron instead, right now I am not sure if that was the best decision or not. They took the baby straight to the nursery and Josh went with her. I went to recovery and a few minutes later my Mom and kids came in to see me and the baby. I was so excited that my Mom had brought the kids, they loved their new baby sister. It was a special moment that I will never forget. My Mom was a trooper for staying in the waiting room with four children. She thought it would just be a few minutes but I ended up being in there for a couple hours instead. I got to my room after recovery and a couple hours later the pediatrician came in to tell me that the baby was breathing to fast and they had to take her to the NICU and start an IV and watch her. They didn’t know why she was doing this but they thought it was from fluid in her lungs. So in order for me to see her I had to go to the NICU, and if any of you have ever had a c-section you know how painful it is to get up and move just a couple hours after being cut open. So they wheeled me to the NICU to see her and feed her and I got sick and it was terrible, being sick with a cut in your belly are not good things to have at the same time. Raegan’s breathing slowed down a lot and they decided it was better to not move me from my bed and instead Raegan could come to my room when she needed fed, this was so nice for me. After that first night they released her from the NICU and she was just fine so we could have her in our room. We could not have been more grateful for everything going the way it did. We are truly blessed to have this sweet angel in our lives. It is amazing how the spirit is strong when you bring a new baby home, it is worth everything to feel that love.

I know I am not looking so hot, this was a few minutes before getting sick and it was only a couple hours after having Raegan, so not doing the best at this time.