Skyler Marina McCain's Birth Story - Part 1

When I started this "pregnancy/baby blog" a few weeks ago, I had no idea that the pregnancy would be over so soon and the "baby part" would be here so early! We had had a feeling that Baby McCain was going to be early so I was finishing up my baby preparations this week. Still I thought that maybe I'd be the typical first time pregnancy mom who delivers a little late and so my usual overachieving self was going to have to wait another seven weeks or even nine. WRONG. I should have followed my gut instinct because par for the course, my life took an unexpected turn with Skyler's birth.

Over the last few days I was slowly starting to shed my mucous plug (sounds like fun, eh?) and had phoned the doctor's office on Thursday morning after starting to lose it Wednesday night. They assured me that this was somewhat normal, no big deal, and they'd see me at my regularly scheduled appointment on Friday afternoon. When the doctor showed up to do the c-section at 12:30 on Friday, I told him that I had an appointment to see him that day, but didn't know it was going to be at the hospital OR!

I woke up at 7am on Friday, February 22, and discovered that my water had broken, climbed out of bed, and the waterfall continued. I woke a very shocked Drew up and told him "it was time."

I didn't even know where to begin on packing my bags. I had started to do it this past weekend, and had my checklist in one of them, but there was so much I still needed to buy to feel prepared for delivery and a stay in the hospital that I just stood in my closet in shock. I threw some of the smaller onesies and hats into the baby's bag, grabbed my makeup bag and some essentials (besides the makeup bag!) and tried to find a comfy outfit to wear. I had heard that once your water breaks you need to go to the hospital right away so that you can avoid an infection. I needed more time because I thought that the next time I'd be home, I'd have my baby and I still needed to wash all the walls! But we had to get going...

Drew drove to the hospital (but not too quickly, Erin :) and dropped me off at the ER - I think he was in shock, too, because usually we go to Labor & Delivery! He parked the car and we walked over to L&D which seemed like the longest walk I have EVER taken. They checked us in to L&D Triage and tested me to see if the water had indeed broken - of course it had and still was "breaking!" The triage nurse called my doctor and he ordered an ultrasound. I asked the triage nurse if the baby was still breech when she checked to see how dilated I was (3 cms.) and she said, "No, I can feel her head." Famous last words.

We went down for the ultrasound and discovered that the baby was indeed breech. Our U/S tech told us that she, too, had delivered at baby at the hospital at 34 weeks and did so naturally, without an epidural, and that her son was so small that he just "slid out." I thought, "Hey, if this baby can flip, I'll still have my natural childbirth and it won't be so bad since she's so early!" The tech told us the estimated baby weight was 4lbs4oz.

We returned to my birthing room and our nurse told us that since the baby was breech I would likely need a C-section. C-section?! Huh?! I can't even stand getting my blood drawn and having a needle in my arm - how would I fare during everything leading up to, during, and post c-section???

Find out in Part 2. To be cont'd....