Cayman's Birthday!

It turned out as a good decision that we went back up to Ann Arbor on Saturday March 8th. They hooked me up to the moniter to evaluate Cayman and see if I was having contractions. It turned out I was contracting...about every 2 minutes. I was only 2 cm dilated and about 50 % effaced. The contractions weren't quickly or actively dilating me. This could be because Cayman's head was too large to make that drop that babies do during labor which helps dilate the cervix also. So it was difficult to know if I was in true labor or not. Two doctors had two different opinions. One wanted to send me "home" which meant a nearby hotel and just wait, and the other doctor said no, she wanted the baby born tonight, it was only a few days earlier than planned but the baby should be strong enough. That 2nd doctor was concerened that since Cayman's head would not drop and cover the cervix, if my water broke and I dilated more the umbilical cord could drop out of the womb. So they decided to do the C-section right then. So we immediately got ready for surgery. We called our families, and they soon set out to make the trip up to Ann Arbor. I was taken into the operating room to put in the epidural catheter. Mike had to wait outside while they did this. I was so nervous about this part. It was difficult sitting on the very hard narrow operating table in this cold room, hunched over my belly to round out my spine, while I was still having contractions. The epidural catheter went in just fine the first try. I was so glad because I was very tired and was ready to lay down. I had just used my nasal spray so that helped open my sinus up so I could breath because of my head cold, so I was comfortable there, but my back and right rib cage was hurting a lot. This had been bothering me for the past month. I think I blogged previously that I thought Cayman had her foot or something lodged up into my right rib cage. And it was definitely something like that because since she's been born I have no back & rib pain. So back to me, laying on the operating table. The anesthesiologists worked for an hour to try to get the medicine to numb me enough for surgery. Mike was able to come into the operating room and be with me during some of this time. They needed the epidural to numb me all the way up to T6, but after an hour I was only numb up to T9. So with much disappointment, they told us that I would be given general anaesthetic to put me completely under. It was amazing how fast everything happened after that. At that point it was 9 p.m. Mike had to leave the operating room, they finished preping me for the surgery, started administerating the anaesthetic at 9:20 p.m. and at 9:21 p.m Cayman was born. I was so worried about Mike. Our families hadn't arrived yet, and he was by himself during my surgery. I'm glad it was only about 20 minutes for him by himself before Cayman was born and then he got to be with her in the treatment room while they assessed her. Around 10:30 p.m. I started waking up and I was shown a picture of Cayman. Then around 1 a.m. I was wheeled from the recovery room into the NICU to see Cayman on the way to my regular hospital room. It was so amazing to see my baby. I was still very drowsy just coming out of the surgery, but I remember feeling alert and alive when I saw her. So that was the synopsis of our Saturday. It's time to rest now, and I'll write more later about Cayman and all her details. Please keep praying for her. She has a very long road ahead of her. The card reader on our laptop is not working, so this proud Mama can't post pictures of my baby yet...but hopefully soon.

Cayman weighed 7 lbs 12 oz., 20.5 inches long, with a head circumference of 48 cm.