My First Birthing Experience

Ellie 8 Months,  Kira almost 3 Years

I was lucky to have children at all.  In 1992 I got married, and in 1995 I suffered from a blood clot and bleed on the outer surface of my brain.  I spent a week in the critical care unit heavily sedated for pain and nausea typically associated with head trauma.  Fortunately, I made a full recovery and suffered no adverse affects as many people who suffer from stroke actually do.  Birth control pills were blamed for the clot.   Hormone based birth control was no longer an option for me. So my husband and I decided it was time to try starting a family.  I was blessed with a fantastic OB/GYN, and discussed with her my plans to get pregnant.  Dr. Vigil explained to me, that given my prior health history, any pregnancy for me would be considered high risk as hormones produced by pregnancy are very similar to the hormones found in birth control pills, which caused cerebral clotting in the past. She told me that her number one concern was my health and coming in as a close second would be her concern for the health of my child.   She also assured me that given all the available data, she was confident that I could successfully carry a child to term, if I followed the special protocols she set up for me.  One of those protocols was to take blood-thinning medication upon conception, throughout the pregnancy and 6 weeks post term.  I had been on blood thinners before with my blood clot… a small pill taken once a day and lots of blood tests to monitor blood clotting times.  Okay, I thought I can do that.  But no…. The only blood thinning medication deemed safe for pregnancy was one that could only be administered through injection.  So I learned how to give myself injections, in the abdomen mostly, of a drug called Heperain twice a day every day.  The getting pregnant part for me was easy.  At least I did not have to worry about that.  My pregnancy progressed without a hitch… other than double the doctor visits as recommended by my OB/GYN as she wanted a perinatal specialist on board as well to help test and monitor my progress.   My OB told me that if my baby did not turn over by two weeks before my due date, we would do a planned c-section.  She explained that given my condition, and the fact that I would have to go off the blood thinners for labor and delivery she did not want me going through the extra effort to deliver a breech baby.  By week 38 my baby had not turned, so we did a c-section.  I went off the blood thinners 24 hours before the surgery.  I went into surgery at 8:00 a.m. spinal in place.  I could not feel anything below my chest.  My husband was there, barely able to stand upon his buckling knees.   The anesthesiologist told him, prior to the surgery, that if he fainted and fell to the floor he would just have to lay there, as everyone else would be too focused on the baby and myself to be of any assistance to him.  She, the anesthesiologist, did say they would try not to step on him if indeed he did faint.  During the surgery he took several deep breaths and stayed on his feet.  Incisions made on my body and uterus were 10 cm in length; the same size of a normally dilated cervix during a vaginal birth.  After cutting my uterus Dr. Martinez, the other OB in the room pushed down with all his strength on the top of my abdomen forcing the baby down to the bottom of my abdomen where the incision was.  Dr. Vigil reached in and carefully lifted out my baby.  When she saw that the umbilical cord was tightening around my baby’s neck Dr. Vigil placed her back in my uterus and deftly lifted the cord from her neck.  Dr. Martinez pushed again, and Dr. Vigil lifted my baby, a girl, and handed her to a team of pediatricians who cleaned her off, and performed an Apgar test finding that she passed with flying colors.  I remember hearing my baby cry a lot and loud!  She actually sounded angry.  As quickly as possible a nurse laid her on my chest, where she immediately, and I mean immediately, stopped crying.  I caressed her and talked to her as she made contented little grunting noises. All of that took only 7 minutes! After the surgery, I went back on the heparine, which made healing from the c-section difficult and lengthy, but heal I did.  I have two beautiful girls who are growing into powerful young women.  My oldest is 15 years and my younger is 13 years old.

Kira 15 Years,  Ellie 12 Years