How I came to be...

The birth of Lowell, the Jupiter Bean!

Wow! So this past week has been one crazy roller-coaster ride.

My original due date was May 18th, but then it changed to May 5th, which made more sense, and believe me, it still makes more sense.
So, I had been "Imagining a beautiful birth" over the past months after I signed on with the Birthing Center. Needless to say, on May 4th, the day before I was due, they called to tell me they would no longer be able to care for me due to my low platelet count. That night I had to go to the hospital to meet Dr. Monks (who I adore now and must give him and his wife, Debra, major props for being some of the nicest people on the planet!) After a couple of appointments with the new doctor, I was set to be induced on the 17th of the baby didn't come sooner.
Well, as you probably all know, this baby had no intention of coming out on time, or even a week after due date. (We tried just about everything!)
So, we woke at 4:30 am last Thursday, May 17th, went to St. David's to be induced at 6 am. Due to some strange and curious circumstances (a nurse telling me she was in the wrong room, but then told me she was proceeding to start my induction - I hadn't even seen my doctor yet!), I waited until Dr. Monks was available to talk, and we started induction at 10 am.
By 10:30, contractions were starting and I was very excited. I went through the first few hours without any problems and things were going smoothly. Except, that at 2pm, I was only at 3 1/2 cm, so we decided to break my waters. And things begin to become a bit more intense. By 4:30, I requested some pain medication.
Now remember, I had the low-platelet problem so epidural was not an option, even if I was to have a C-section. Then I was told if they needed to C-section me, I wouldn't be able to breast feed immediately since the general anesthesia would not be good for the bean. So I was determined to do the best I could and as planned, deliver vaginally.
At nine pm we were at 6cm! Then, we got to 7 cm! Then, a check around 10:30, and my cervix was swollen from the uterus pushing my baby down so much that it had closed back to 6cm. I was tired - very tired by that time. The contractions were intense and had started 12 hours earlier, although the real ones had only begun 8 hours earlier.
At that point, I felt it was the best to go ahead with a C-section as I had been laboring for so long, I didn't want to cause distress to the bean.
I also had a low grade fever, and it turns out the baby was sunny-side up.
So, with about ten people in the room, I received a catheter (probably more painful to me than the actual contractions), and was wheeled to the operating room, still completely in labor. Then they knocked me out.
When I came to, twenty minutes after the bean extraction, my husband came to greet me with family and Michelle, and then they brought my bean to me and it was the most amazing thing in the world. And the good news was the anesthetic that was used was not contraindicated toward breast feeding (thank you Dr. Pillow!).
So, Lowell Roger Campbell, at 10 lbs. 7 oz. was put to my breast the second they brought him to me! And it was incredible!
It is so amazing to me how in the space of seconds, someone can come into your life and you are so ready to sacrifice anything, lay down your life for them and experience true and pure love for them.
So, the next four days in hospital, with all the medication, the tons of needles, the IV's, the enemas (for bowel impaction due to narcotic pain killers), the lack of sleep, the constant bleeding, the staples in my abdomen (also because of low platelets), some rubbish food: it was all worth it, and I would do it all again if I had to!
-Val
mama to Lowell Roger Campbell 10lbs 7oz