The Birth Decision/Having Ellie Part One

On Tuesday, May 21 at 12:42pm I gave birth to Eleanor Bernice Butler.  Our Ellie weighed 8 lbs 5 oz and came into this world on her own terms.

I went in at 7:30am for a scheduled induction.  I was 39 weeks and 3 days.  If you have hypertension, induction is standard in the 39th week as the placenta begins to fail...which it was with the baby...as her growth had slowed significantly.   They hooked my belly up to the monitors that measure any contractions and the baby's heartbeat after I changed into a gown.  She was able to get her heartbeat at first, but it didn't last.  I wasn't surprised as this was often the case with both this baby and Abbey.

Dr. Dasari came in.  I knew her the least, but she seemed nice.  She checked to see how much I had dilated.  Not only had I not dilated at all (which meant they'd have to start the induction with placing a pill there to soften it), she said the head seemed really high up (which didn't make sense to me because I had felt her low on more than one occasion).  She ordered an ultrasound to confirm the placement of the head and to help locate the heartbeat.

All during this my back pain increases, heightened by being forced to lay on it.  It feels like it will break in two.

They do the ultrasound and the baby isn't where she is supposed to be... she is transverse.  Lying horizontal with her head on my right side and feet on the left.  She is lounging  Todd says it looks like she is on the beach.  Explained why they couldn't get her heartbeat.  It was high, in my lungs.  And why my back was so painful. Dr. Dasari requests that radiology bring up a better machine to get a better reading.  I immediately feel sad and upset and anxious...I know what this means.

She came up with the newer machine.  And had a hard time with the head.  She told me it's in two places and jokes about twins.  NOT funny.  Turns out she was moving back and forth WHILE I was lying there.  Explains all the pain I felt in my back and chest.

Dr. Dasari gives me the options.  C-section.  Wait a week and see if she turn and settles.  Or come back the next day and have one of the other doctors flip her.  The nurse, Carol, stopped her on the way out and asked her what she recommended.  C-section.  She said even if she flips back she could keep moving, and move during induction and lead to an emergency surgery, which sounded awful.  Also, waiting defeats the purpose that I was there for a reason a week early.  The placenta was dying.  I knew in my heart what was the right thing.  My instincts told me keeping Ellie in my belly another week was impossible.  I knew we had to do a c-section, something I had been terrified of...