ngdawg

after 10 years of surgeries and fertility treatments, I became pregnant with twins in June, 1991. At the beginning of my 2nd trimester, I began bleeding-son had placenta previa-so I was on complete bedrest for 12 weeks or so. After 8 weeks of being mobile again, I started preterm labor and again, placenta previa-back to bed I went for what was supposed to be 4 weeks with meds to stop contractions.
I ended up not only going full-term, but induced that 40th week. Pitocin I.V. was started on-of all days-Friday the 13th! But nothing happened, so the next day, the doctor broke my water. THEN the fun really began!
Labor was intense and I asked for the epidural, but was told it was too soon-had to be over 5cm. But the nurse took a peak and ran out-I was 7cm in just a couple hours. I got the shot, then a resident said it was time for the fontal monitor and reached in and said to the nurse 'I'm not getting a pulse'. Nice, eh?(of course, I panicked) He instructed her to get the mobile sonogram while he kept his hand where it was. (didn't even buy me coffee first). The sonogram revealed that he had been holding my son's scrotum! We knew he had been breach, but my daughter had been head-down and effaced at 38 weeks, so we all assumed she'd be first out. She had other ideas, went back up and left my son to be pushed ass-first.
My doctor was called in and I was now an emergency. Husband, who had just gone home to call everyone, being told it would be a few hours, was now being called back after 45 minutes.
When the doctor entered my room, he was laughing and shaking his head. In his sweet Fillipino accent he says, 'Twins, 40 weeks, not common, but good. Twins, 40 weeks, induced, very rare. Twins, 40 weeks, induced, now c-section?? I think this is first for me'.(He was near retirement!)
They forgot my husband out in the hall-had to ask where is he-I felt the first cut, so more epidural went in. I was numb as in no pain, but could feel my poor son being pushed, pulled and moved since I had pushed the kid down into the birth canal and now he had to go back up. When I mentioned that I was feeling nauseous, the anesthegeologist(sp) massaged my temples. I passed out from exhaustion and missed my daughter's birth entirely-last thing I remember is seeing my stringbean of a son and saying, 'how'd something so long come out of me?' The nurse holding my daughter slipped on the water, landed on her knee but held the baby up in the air (I was told this by my spouse), looking like she'd caught a football in the endzone.
Four hours later I was introduced to these perfect beings, wished them Happy Birthday and passed out again.
I nursed the boy in the hospital, but my daughter had 'immature gag reflex' and didn't nurse til she was 11 days old. Don't believe that 'nipple confusion' crap. Babies can and will both nurse and take bottles.
Also, I found this out 3 months after my experience: should you find yourself in the position of needing a C-section, ask(or have someone ask for you) for a Plastic Surgeon to do the stitching. My doctor stated he hated doing C's and I can see why-my abdomen is a freaking mess from it.
It is true, the pain goes away and you can't describe it afterwards. It is the hardest, most rewarding thing you can do, though. Be your own advocate at all times. You will know what is best for you and the baby when you need to know-motherly instinct is very powerful.
One other thing we did-it wasn't really well received by family, but we felt it necessary-we did not allow anyone over the first week home. We wanted bonding time, rest time. It was wonderful. I highly recommend it.
Good luck, Congrats and Enjoy!