Dean Walter Lewis was born Wednesday May 16, 2010 at 7:19pm. We had a lot of miracles that day and I am very grateful for the care the two of us received, I am going to try to write the day's events down, this blog is a journal for our family and I wanted to have this written while it is still fresh in my mind.
I awoke Wednesday morning around 5 to my water breaking, which was a big surprise because it had not with either of my other deliveries. Up until this point the pregnancy had been very difficult and trying on me physically and emotionaly. I had been having very strong contractions every 5-10 minutes for 12 weeks and I did not know how much longer I could go. My doctor had planned an amnio to see lung development two days later and then to admit me and induce labor, but Dean decided to come two days before the procedure. So, when my water broke I was a bit in shock, but excited. I kept waiting for the contractions to come, showered, called our dear friend Cassie, because she was taking Bryce and Caylee. I called my Mom and Emma, because they were going to be there with Jason and I and we headed into the hospital, still no contractions yet, which was very ironic considering the past 12 weeks. We got to triage and they confirmed my water broke and put in an IV and assigned me a room and nurse, still no contractions.
Around 9am we got our own room, were seen by the doctor and was on a monitor for Dean's heart rate, which was steady, but not ideal for a VBAC, because it was not great Dr. Morris wanted to keep me in bed and on the monitor for the duration of labor. I started to have some contractions every 8-12 minutes, but they were not close enough and I was put on Pitocin at noon, to try and speed up labor. I wanted a natural delivery and was very prepared for it, but full labor contractions with water broken and on pitocin was extremely painful. Jason was great at this time letting me squeeze his hand, while trying to have me relax. I was able to go to 5pm, the doctor checked me and I was only dialated to a 4. I think that if it was an 8 I would have pushed through, but it had been 12 hours and I knew it would take a long time to progress further and as I was crying I asked for an epidural. I was disappointed in myself a little, because I really wanted the experience, but I was worried I would be to tired to push when it came time and my body was just done.
We got the epidural, which took three different tries, in which I was not numb, so that was painful, but I knew an end to pain was in sight, Jason held me up while the doctor did the procedure and soon it was done and I was numb from the chest down. I had an epidural with Bryce and it had not been this strong, I could not move my legs at all, Jason had to roll me over from side to side when I wanted to move.
At 6:30 the nurse came in and asked me to move from my left to my right side, as soon as I was in place, my blood pressure crashed and I asked my Mom to call the nurse because I knew something was wrong. A staff member came in and saw my blood pressure and called my nurse and the anistigeologist, but there was some miscommunication and the doctor did not come right away. The nurses gave me some meds to lift my blood pressure and it did not work, the anistigeologist came in and was very concerned giving me a second dose of the BP medication. I evened out and became aware that there were three nurses in the room and Dr. DeHoff from my OB practice, he said he was concerned about Dean and wanted to put an internal monitor on him, I said that was fine.
Next thing I know, Dr. Dehoff is calling for assistance from his partner Dr. Morris (who was my normal OB) saying that we needed an emergency C-Section and the baby needed to be out in 20 minutes. At hearing this, I freaked out, Jason had been on a phone call and missed a lot of what was happening, but my Mom and Emma kept trying to comfort me as 6 nurses were in the room prepping me for surgery, giving me medicine to drink and moving very fast to get to the OR. They threw a gown and surgical mask and hat to Jason and told him to follow us.
I entered the OR at 7:04pm seeing Dr. Morris prepped, he tried to comfort me a bit, but he went right to work with the surgical techs prepping for the surgery. Once the shield was up a kind man named Hans leaned over my face, introducing himself as my new anisegeologist and talking me through the surgery, I was feeling a lot of pressure and anxiety and asked him to knock me out, but he said he did not want me to miss the birth of the baby. Dr. Morris started the operation as I had tears running down my face, Jason was not allowed in till the baby was out, because they were not sure what condition Dean was in. Hans gently talked me through what was happening attempting to calm me, Dr. Morris loudly said "one more minute and he will be out" I felt a lot, but not technically pain, it was a much rougher c-section than with Caylee.
I then hear my sweet boy's cry and everyone at the same time said he was out and looked good. Jason was then allowed into the room to be by my side and Dean's. Dean was out 15 minutes after I was rolled into to OR (which is very fast), Dean was then with one of us the rest of the time through recovery and into my new room.
Several miracles occured that day.
1. If I had not had the epidural I would have been knocked out and had a much more difficult recovery and not have heard Dean's first cry.
2. Dr. Morris was not meant to be on that afternoon, but due to several circumstances both he and Dr. Dehoff had been able to perform the surgery. I had full confidence in both of these men,
3. The surgical techs had no c-sections planned that night, but they said they had a feeling that they should prep the room just in case something were to happen, that something being Dean and I.
4. Dean had a knot in his ambilical chord and it would have been a much bigger complication had we tried to deliver him vaginally.
Despite all of my plans and preperation, things did not go according to my expectations, but in the end I have a healthy beautiful boy. I am grateful to the doctors and nurses who cared for me and Dean. If I had not been at the hospital, both Dean or I could have lost our lives. I am grateful for the spirit guiding decisions and those around us that they were able to be at their very best. I am honored to be a mother to three wonderful children and a wife to an amazing man. I grateful for my testimony and the priesthood that is in our home and that it blessed me in this pregnancy and delivery.
I did not write this as elequently as I wish I could, I have tears coming down my face as I am typing, but I am glad to have shared this experience.
We took these pictures on Friday, Caylee was really missing me and was in a bit of a bad mood. On Thursday, she held Dean and instinctively knew how to hold him, she took his pacifier away from Jason and put it in Dean's mouth and tried to comfort him. She is very maternal with him.
I was hesitant to put this one up, I look huge, but I did just have a baby and was very swollen due to all of the fluids and midicine I was given. I did try to do my hair though. I wish I could look like my sister Robyn after birth, but I am not that lucky.
I love this picture of my two boys
I like this picture because Dean looks like he is smiling, but it is just gas.
I am going to take some newborn photos soon and will post them as soon as I can.
