Now is the time…
There was much debate about how I would deliver. It started off that we would wait for a spontaneous vaginal delivery. As the push through the birth canal is good for a CDH baby and there is no benefit from a c-section, unless obstetrically needed. I really liked this option because it made me feel like I was having a regular pregnancy.
On our August 12th appointment Dr. Menticoglou (a genius in my book) stated that the neonatology team would like to do a c-section at the Children’s Hospital because they feel it would give the best chance for the baby not to have to travel through the tunnel system for a ¼ mile. And this c-section would be on August 27th. My original due date was for September 9th, after the long weekend. They were afraid that I would go into labour on the long weekend and not have enough staff was available for this type of high risk case.
So I went home and made a list of why this was the best route to take. We prayed about it and God gave me peace. I gave my notice at work that I would be leaving sooner. I had planned to work as long as possible. Work had been my therapy, and a good distraction. I loved my job and everyone was so very supportive.
Just as I was comfortable with the c-section idea, the next week they changed their minds. Carl and I were speechless. Dr. Shesa and Dr. Menticoglou went to lunch and discussed my case with all the other neonatologists, and respiratory therapists. Now I would be induced on August 27th hoping that the baby would arrive early on the 28th. I was advised that this was the best plan for me and future pregnancies, and that it would have no barring on the survival of my baby.
On Wednesday, August 27th Carl and I left Winkler at 5:30am. I had to be at the Women’s Hospital by 8:00am. We did not know when we would return home, or whether or not it would be with a baby.
By 4:00pm my labour had started. By 7:00pm I needed drugs, and lots of them. I laboured all night long. Various OBs came by to check my progression. It seemed to be working out fine, and I was 8cm by 7:30am. Dr. Menticoglou came back on shift at 8:00am and stated that, they had been wrong, I was only 6 cm dilated. He offered a c-section, his words were; “this isn’t a marathon.” I told him I was fine as long as the baby was fine, and I could have more drugs.
The reason I mention this part of the labour in my story is because God was starting to show me how He works. My experience is that God is always on time. He is never early, nor late. I continued to labour though the day on the 28th and the nurses started prepping me for c-section. At 3:30 pm an OB came to check my progression and found that I was 9 cm. Dr. Menticoglou came in to assess and stated that I was ready to push. At 3:59 pm our precious Madelyn Jodene came into this world. She was whisked away by the respiratory therapist to another room where they intubated and ventilated her.
The timing was so important, and God knew what he was doing. The staff had just changed over at 3:00pm. Everyone was fresh, ready and waiting in that room for our Madelyn. The best of the best, respiratory therapists, three primo neonatologists, and numerous highly trained NICU nurses, all in one room just for our baby. The labour and delivery nurses couldn’t believe all the people that had come to work on Madelyn. Dr. G, one of the neonatologists, described it best on the day Madelyn left NICU. He said if there was ever a team of neonatologists going to the Olympics; that would have been the team. They had been the gold mental winners; the “A-Team”. Never had there been so much brain power in one room, working so smoothly to save a life of a newborn. That is my God at work!
There was much debate about how I would deliver. It started off that we would wait for a spontaneous vaginal delivery. As the push through the birth canal is good for a CDH baby and there is no benefit from a c-section, unless obstetrically needed. I really liked this option because it made me feel like I was having a regular pregnancy.
On our August 12th appointment Dr. Menticoglou (a genius in my book) stated that the neonatology team would like to do a c-section at the Children’s Hospital because they feel it would give the best chance for the baby not to have to travel through the tunnel system for a ¼ mile. And this c-section would be on August 27th. My original due date was for September 9th, after the long weekend. They were afraid that I would go into labour on the long weekend and not have enough staff was available for this type of high risk case.
So I went home and made a list of why this was the best route to take. We prayed about it and God gave me peace. I gave my notice at work that I would be leaving sooner. I had planned to work as long as possible. Work had been my therapy, and a good distraction. I loved my job and everyone was so very supportive.
Just as I was comfortable with the c-section idea, the next week they changed their minds. Carl and I were speechless. Dr. Shesa and Dr. Menticoglou went to lunch and discussed my case with all the other neonatologists, and respiratory therapists. Now I would be induced on August 27th hoping that the baby would arrive early on the 28th. I was advised that this was the best plan for me and future pregnancies, and that it would have no barring on the survival of my baby.
On Wednesday, August 27th Carl and I left Winkler at 5:30am. I had to be at the Women’s Hospital by 8:00am. We did not know when we would return home, or whether or not it would be with a baby.
By 4:00pm my labour had started. By 7:00pm I needed drugs, and lots of them. I laboured all night long. Various OBs came by to check my progression. It seemed to be working out fine, and I was 8cm by 7:30am. Dr. Menticoglou came back on shift at 8:00am and stated that, they had been wrong, I was only 6 cm dilated. He offered a c-section, his words were; “this isn’t a marathon.” I told him I was fine as long as the baby was fine, and I could have more drugs.
The reason I mention this part of the labour in my story is because God was starting to show me how He works. My experience is that God is always on time. He is never early, nor late. I continued to labour though the day on the 28th and the nurses started prepping me for c-section. At 3:30 pm an OB came to check my progression and found that I was 9 cm. Dr. Menticoglou came in to assess and stated that I was ready to push. At 3:59 pm our precious Madelyn Jodene came into this world. She was whisked away by the respiratory therapist to another room where they intubated and ventilated her.
The timing was so important, and God knew what he was doing. The staff had just changed over at 3:00pm. Everyone was fresh, ready and waiting in that room for our Madelyn. The best of the best, respiratory therapists, three primo neonatologists, and numerous highly trained NICU nurses, all in one room just for our baby. The labour and delivery nurses couldn’t believe all the people that had come to work on Madelyn. Dr. G, one of the neonatologists, described it best on the day Madelyn left NICU. He said if there was ever a team of neonatologists going to the Olympics; that would have been the team. They had been the gold mental winners; the “A-Team”. Never had there been so much brain power in one room, working so smoothly to save a life of a newborn. That is my God at work!
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