The Miracle of Birth

(There are some graphic pictures of birth below this post. If you don't want to see them close my blog! Watch for littles peeping over your shoulder too!)

Friday night they put my best friend in the hospital to induce labor. She was 37 weeks and had just a few complications during her pregnancy. This was her fifth little one and she had some severe complications with her first child but only minor things in later pregnancies. Her blood sugar had a tendency to run a little high during pregnancies. It was only a few points high with this one but the doctors insisted on insulin anyway. With her last pregnancy a different doctor allowed her to wait on the insulin and all went fine. I know you never know in these situations but I just prefer to leave things as natural as possible. They were afraid she was showing early symptoms (very very early symptoms) of pre-eclampsia so they decided to induce her Friday night.

I arrived at the hospital around 10:30 pm. Melanie, my girlfriend-my best friend since we were babes, was very nervous. Melanie gets pregnant so easily. She was done at 3 but then 4 surprised her. 5 knocked her for a loop and she decided to get her tubes tied after this babe. The biggest reason being that she is terrified of labor. She almost panics, she dreads it from the day she discovers she's pregnant. I try my best to talk to her about it and calm her down. It really breaks my heart to see her fear to prominent though.

So, the pitocin started at 10:00pm and progressed every half to full hour. For some reason the doctors also decided to give her a magnisium drip, I never fully understood it. Something to do with pre-eclamsia. She was dialated at a 2 upon arrival, they checked her around 3 am and she was only a 3. Around 6:00 am they checked her again because the babe's heart rate was dropping during contractions and found her body was shifting into the next stage of labor and she had dialated 2 more cm in 30 minutes. They stopped the pitocin drip to slow things up a little. Waited an hour and started the drip again.

Around 9:45 she was in some serious pain with her contractions and she asked for her epidural. She was an 8 when they started. WoW!

The epidural was over around 10:45 and around 11:00 she told the nurses she was feeling pressure. The nurse called the doctor and the team began preparing for this precious life that about to be born. The nurses told Melanie that she was going to do some practice pushing. Everyone thought there was plenty of time. I snickered because I knew the pressure she was feeling was the baby slipping into the birth canal. We had lost the heartbeat completely and that was why!

When Melanie spread her legs the babe's head was already crowned and beginning to come out. The doctor would not arrive for 20 more minutes. The nurse didn't even have time to put on her gloves. The nurse reached and grabbed the babe's head as if she thought she could hold her in place keeping her from making her grand entrance into the world. Madalynn Danielle slipped her little body out of her mommy at 11:14 am. She weighed 5lbS and 8oz.

The reason I mentioned the magnisium was that Melanie was told that because she had been on this her baby would have to be taken to the NICU for observation for 4 hours. She knew this ahead of time so she was prepared because during this time they were suppose to be tying her tubes. Well the doctors didn't schedule her in so they told her that she would have to wait until Sunday. They left her epidural in. Sunday came and they still couldn't work her in. She finally told them she would have the procedure done somewhere else because if she waited for the operation it would have prolonged her hospital stay.

On top of the above they moved her out of the birthing suite on Saturday immediately after the baby went to NICU. She went to the 8th floor and it was after 7pm before she seen Madalynn and then it was only for 30 minutes. All was well with mom and babe except for the fact that they were seperated. They moved Melanie again on Sunday to the 3rd floor and finally Sunday night after 7pm baby and mom were united for good. Mom came home today with Madalynn.

I would have been livid with the way the hospital handled things. When I had my girls they didn't leave my room. No kidding. I refused. I even made the lab come to my room to take blood. I was also allowed to spend my entire stay in the birthing suite. I suggest when it comes your time ladies that you call these hospitals and find out what their precedures and policies are BEFORE delivery time comes. Melanie had no clue and now wishes that she has asked more questions. To me this is a time of celebration and mom shouldn't have been shuffled and treated so hostily. (There was so much more to this but it would get too long if I tried to share it all.)

Here are some pictures that I took. Notice the nurses hands on the top picture....no gloves. A nurse with gloves takes over below. The bottom pictures are her pictures after her bath and then her hospital pics. Again I say be prepared.





























This was an incredible experience for me! I was so honored to be able to be there at the birth of her fifth and possibly last child. I will tell you all this, I left praising and thanking God. I am so filled with hope. Almost a certainty. It's indescribable. I have such a peace. I'm praying nothing other than God's will and He has given me incredible hope. I continue to pray for everyone of you. I pray that you experience this first hand.

DON'T GIVE UP. HAVE HOPE!!!!!!!!