Birthday

Ok...so I have decided after reading and thoroughly enjoying another special need's mom's blog that I would create one for Jackson...So what better place to start than his birthday! Jackson was born on February 8, 2007 at 8:14 a.m. via C-section, because he was breeched. Prior to my C-section at about 6 months along, we met with an anesthesiologist at the advice of my OB, as I have the metal rods in my back. This anesthesiologist told us that he would try an epidural as many times as I wanted (this was when we still thought we would not have a section). We discussed all the complications, etc. and we were set, I would get the try for the epidural as opposed to being put under, as Jonathan could not be there if I was under general anesthesia. So on the morning of the 8th, we arrive at the hospital at 6:30 a.m. we go in to be prepped and the nurse anesthetist (anesthesiologist assistant) comes in to talk to us about what is going to happen. Well when I hand her the folder with all the information about my back that the other anesthesiologist had told us to bring, she about faints! She apparently knew nothing about the rods, so she goes to get the anesthesiologist, who also flips out! But thank God we had a wonderful L&D nurse who fought for me and made the anesthesiologist at least try the epidural, so that Jonathan could attend the birth. The anesthesiologist told her that they had to get me to the O.R. NOW; about 30 minutes prior to when we were supposed to go back. So they roll me to the operating room and make Jonathan sit out in the hall. They make me climb on a skinny little table in all my glory at 9 months pregnant in a hospital gown! And I had read that you should lean into your nurse, so that is what I did. And let me tell you even though we didn't go natural as planned, I sure used the Lamaze class we had been to in order to breath through the epidural. In the middle of the procedure of putting in the epidural, they realized that they needed a hard needle, as they had to go through the rods. The nurse runs out in front of Jonathan, who told me he was praying so hard on the Hail Mary rosary I had left with him, but he couldn't remember the Hail Mary, so he just prayed real hard! Well, all those prayers and a wonderful medical team paid off---the epidural worked!


When my O.B. came back, she asked them to have the neonatal team ready, as we knew that Jackson had been given a diagnosis of Distal Arthrogryposis (meaning he would have club foot and hands) and that sometimes children with Arthrogryposis can need a trache. So they proceeded with the section and when Jackson was born, they all yelled "It's A Boy!" (this was the first time we knew the gender, we wanted a surprise) speaking of surprises, well Jackson gave all the operating team one, he peed on them! I heard him screaming and that was all I needed! Well, they whisk him away and we don't see him again! This being my first section, I didn't think it was that much out of the ordinary. So they fix me all up and tell me that they are going to take me out to see Jackson. And we wait and wait until finally my nurse comes back in and tells us that Jackson has some tubes and wires, but they are helping him, then they roll me out to see him. What a shocker! We later learned that Jackson had to be "bagged" (the green bag in the picture) to help him breath, as he had swallowed amniotic fluid on the way out. They let Jonathan and I see our family and then I went to recovery, being told that as soon as I could feel my legs, I could go to the NICU to see Jackson. Jonathan and our family went to my room to wait for me.