So here how it went.......

Rebecca started having contractions around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday. She went into work on Tuesday, but only lasted about an hour and a half before having to come home. She continued to have contractions through out the day. She was unable to measure/time the contractions, as they were pretty much constant. Around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, she told me that we better just go to the hospital, as Rebecca was in quite a lot of pain.

By the time we arrived to the hospital, Rebecca had given up on her demands of a natural child birth (no epidural) since she was exhausted and in pain. We were a little disappointed when the admitting nurse told us Rebecca was only 2 centimeters dialated. Rebecca was quite concerned we would be turned away when she was in so much pain and discomfort. They gave her iv fluids and monitored her for about an hour and saw that the contractions were coming every couple of minutes. Luckly they admitted us to the hospital, and Rebecca willfully received the epidural which provided much relief.

After awhile, the nurse said she was sure Rebecca would be more dialated now and checked her again. However, she was still barely 2 centimeters. Therefore, we settled in for what we thought would be a long day/night. We turned the lights off and both fell asleep. Then, suddently, the lights came on and five nurses rushed in, putting oxygen on Rebecca, starting to probe and prod, and messing with all the montioring devices. They told us the baby's heart rate had dropped to 77 (normal is 135-155). Obviously, this was quite concerning. They broke Rebecca's water to get a better read, and were able to get the heart rate up to 135. The midwife told us they would continue to monitor the situation and we should have plenty of time to let things progress. However, the on-duty physician came in and reviewed the baby's heart rate. She was concerned with the pattern and said the baby may be exhausted and in duress. The doctor pretty much told us she needed to perform a C-section immediately.

To complicate the matter more, Rebecca's blood work came back from the lab about this same time. There were new concerns that her platelets were low and liver enzymes high (Hellp Syndrome). Wasn't sure what that meant, but basically there was a concern that her blood would not clot, creating a potential problem for surgery, but the only cure for HELLP syndrome is a C-section. The doctor chose to go ahead with the procedure anyway. I was given scrubs to put on and Rebecca was taken in to surgery. I sat next to Rebecca, and a small curtain was put up, so we could not see them cutting into her. We were very concerned, because the doctor told us the baby may be unresponsive or exhausted upon birth. The doctor told Rebecca she would feel some pressure when the baby was born, and then the baby came out screaming. Jack's cry was a very good sound. I was able to go over and watch as they cleaned him off and checked that he was fine. They then brought him over to sit on Rebecca's chest for a few minutes. Then they put Rebecca back together while Jack and I went off to weigh him and check him over.

Since that time, Jack and Rebecca have done very well. He has been feeding well and is not too much trouble.