Elliot's Birth Story

24 November (due date)

If you'll recall, I had an appointment with my OB on Saturday, November 23rd, where it was decided that I'd be induced the next night - my due date.  I was told to call the labor & delivery unit after 3PM on the 24th to find out when we should go to the hospital, and when I did that, the nurse told me to come as soon as we were ready!

Mom, Jill, Devin and I drove over to the hospital - CPMC (California Pacific Medical Center) - around 5PM on Sunday.  We registered and the charge nurse brought us up to the room that would be home for the next 24 hours.  I changed into a hospital gown - very flattering - and we hung out for a little while before Mom and Jill decided to go home for the evening so Devin and I could spend some quality time together - watching TV.  (We get excited about such things as we don't have cable.)  First up - The Wizard of Oz.



The charge RN placed an IV in my left forearm but locked it to be used later.  I have to be honest, it didn't feel good and I have a new appreciation for my patients who always have at least one IV while they are with us.  (Just so I remember: I had two pokes; the first in my hand by my RN - that one blew and bruised.)

Around 7PM, my nurse and the doctor on call came into my room to place the transcervical balloon catheter (considered mechanical induction.)  Does it sound unpleasant?  It is.  It was painful to have placed and uncomfortable to maintain.  My OB wanted to start the induction with said balloon, and wait to start a pitocin drip the following morning.

Around midnight, after making sure I was as comfortable as possible, Devin went to sleep on a cot in the room - or at least he gave it his best effort.  Unfortunately I was uncomfortable with my balloon catheter, I was having contractions and I was extremely excited about the prospect of having a baby, so I ended up awake and watching the first and second "Shrek" movies late into the night.  I was expecting the 3rd but when "Married with Children" came on I knew it was time to turn off the television.  I got up to walk the halls a few times, but walking with the balloon was not comfortable and I didn't make it far.  (Prior to all of this, when I thought of myself in early labor, I imagined  walking the halls, soaking in the tub/shower and bouncing on the exercise ball like information packets and birthing classes advised.  Didn't happen.)

I watched the early morning hours tick by, having mildly uncomfortable contractions (which I didn't keep track of) but eventually fell asleep for a few hours...

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25 November (birth day)

At around 7:30 the next morning my nurse removed the balloon (also not fun) and once she did that my contractions stopped.  At that point I was dilated to 5cm ("mechanically") and just before 8 a pitocin drip was started.  Over the next six hours my nurses slowly increased and then decreased the drip rate as my body caught up and took over contractions...

*As a side note, we got a tip from friends to make popsicles with Emergen-C and bring them with us to the hospital; chalk full o' vitamins and less sugar than the generic popsicles the hospital has.  They were yummy and all I ate until after the baby was born. *

That morning and afternoon my support crew consisted of Devin  (of course) and my wonderful friend Kirsten Zimbelman.  Kirsten's husband is in business school with Devin and we met at the "partners orientation," becoming fast friends after we learned we had nursing and Minnesota in common.  She is a Labor & Delivery nurse with 10+ years of experience, and I'd asked her to be with us for the birth of our son to support both me and Devin throughout the process.  We are so grateful to her for being there.

The doctor broke my water around 10AM.  I had been curious about how that would feel - turns out, nothing special.   My contractions really started to pick up in frequency and intensity a bit before 2PM, forcing me to get back into bed and just breath through them.  Devin sat right next to me and held my hands and he, Kirsten and my nurse helped me focus and deep breath through each one.  It was painful but I was able to keep it together for a few more hours while I moved from 5cm to 7cm.  At my last internal check I was starting to fall apart and told Devin I was "loosing control."  With each contraction I was doing everything in my power to keep from crying out in pain.  The time for an epidural had come.

The anesthesiologist came at 4:45PM.  I was so nervous I wouldn't be able to stay still through the contractions while the epidural was placed but it was a smooth process and, Oh!, did it work!  It was heaven.  I remember laying back in my bed and asking if I could go to sleep - I was exhausted.  I rested for an hour, all the while having strong contractions without feeling them.

Meanwhile, the baby wasn't loving life.  While I was blissfully unaware of my contractions, he was starting to have decelerations.  I was vaguely aware of the fact that Kirsten and my nurse kept helping me turn from side to side, hoping to improve his heart rate.  Eventually the on-call doctor came in and I was placed on oxygen - for the baby, not for me.

My OB, Dr. Green, came in shortly after 6PM, monitored the baby's heart rate, and didn't like what she saw.  She told us she thought we needed to get him out, and soon.  I believe I just nodded; I was so tired.  Plus, I trust Dr. Green.

The decision to go to OR was made at 6:30PM and the little guy was born at 6:51PM.  Getting to the OR was a quick process - I was there in a blink of the eye.  A new anesthesiologist was talking in my ear as the rest of the team prepped the OR.  I am so grateful to him for letting me know what was going to happen.  Devin was at my side right before the doctors got started.

My epidural rocked, so with the additional meds for the surgery I didn't feel anything but slight pressure on my abdomen.  It all happened so quickly.  Devin was holding my hand, the anesthesiologist was talking about the procedure, Dr. Green said something about a tightly wrapped cord, and then... 

...I heard the sweetest little cry and my world changed forever. 

Elliot _?_ Christiansen was born on November 25th at 6:51 in the evening.  He weighed 6 pounds and 14 ounces and was 19 inches tall.  He was hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) - mostly likely from the stress of labor - and he needed a touch of extra oxygen.  Devin cut his umbilical cord and the nurses wiped him down.  I honestly don't remember if anyone brought him over to me before they took him to the NICU to sort out his glucose levels and took me to the PACU to recover from the anesthesia. 

In the meantime, Kirsten had collected our things from the labor room and brought them to our postpartum room.  She contacted my mom and Jill, who were at a theater watching the second Hunger Games movie, and told them to come to the hospital.  Jill, in turn, contacted Nancy and Jeff who had just finished eating dinner at a nearby restaurant.  I saw everyone as I rolled from the OR to the recovery room, but I can't remember if I said anything to them as we passed.

Devin went with Elliot to the NICU to make sure all was well, and then came back and hung out with me.  The PACU rule was that I had to stay there until I could wiggle my toes, so I focused my energy on achieving that goal.  I have to note that the nurses in the PACU were a riot!  The hospital was in the process of switching from paper to computer charting and they were vocal about what a pain it was.  

Devin took pictures of Elliot in the NICU for me.

At about 9PM, after 2 hours in the PACU, I was able to wiggle my toes = I could meet my son.  

I was in awe.  Here was this tiny person who'd been kicking me for months.  I could hold him now.  Having the ability to create a baby is such an amazing thing.  I didn't fully appreciate it until that moment and I feel so very lucky I had the chance to experience it.

Elliot had a great latch/suck on his first try and it was clear that he was hungry - he's been eating ever since!  Mom, Nancy, Jeff, and Jill each came into the NICU to meet the little guy, including finding out his name.  (Devin and I had two middle name ideas for Elliot.  Both were sentimental.  We chose Zane once we'd met the little guy.  Why Zane?  That's a good story for another time...)  And then it was time for all of us to go to bed.  We said goodnight to our son and Devin and I made our way to our new room.  I still couldn't move my legs much, so I was rolled there on a gurney and a team of nurses had to move me to my bed.  I kept telling them to take care of their backs!  

I still remember the glorious feeling of laying flat on my back and being wonderfully comfortable.  I slept so well that night because, 1) my baby boy was in good hands, and 2) I didn't have to flip flop from side to side like I'd been doing for months.

Devin and I had become parents.  Wow.