Quarantined: A Birth Story

It's been exactly 3 weeks today since the birth of our son, JR, and I'm finally sitting down to record the story of his birth. It's gonna be a long one...if you're not up to it, move on!

To begin the story I'm going to take you back to the last time I posted before he was born. If you recall I had explained that my last prenatal appointment would take place the next day and I was hoping to be scheduled for induction that coming Friday (Sep. 25, 2009). Well just for the record, the doctor was very kind and did schedule me for Friday at 6:00am. I also found out I was dilated to about 5cm and about 85% effaced. (This is my 38 week appointment.) At that appointment the doctor also stripped my membranes (too much information???). Anyways, if you don't know what that is it's basically a very painful technique they use that makes some women go into labor. I had this done to me 3 different times when I was pregnant with Adelyn and it never worked. And I had it done the week before with JR and it hadn't worked. So I really didn't think it was going to do anything this time either. My appointment was around 1:30pm and for the rest of the day I didn't have any contractions or cramps or anything so I really thought it didn't work. Also, my mom got here from California at about 7pm and we all went to bed around 10:30pm.

At 5:30am I woke up to a VERY strong contraction. From that very first one they were automatically two minutes apart and very painful. But I was induced with Adelyn so I didn't really know what it felt like to "go into labor" and I was scared they were going to go away. So we waited about an hour just to make sure. At that point I knew I was definitly in labor so we woke up our neighbors so they could watch Adelyn and went to the hospital. From the time we pulled into the hospital parking lot to the time JR was born was 45 minutes. Yes, you read that correctly. I had my first contraction at 5:30am and he was born at 7:33am.

1 hour at home + 15 minutes of preparation and driving + 45 minutes at the hospital

= My entire labor!

When we got up the elevator they took me straight to my room and Jared went to check me in...I was actually scared he was going to miss the birth because he was taking so long! When I got into the room I immediately asked for an epidural and the nurse said they had to get my IV in and put me on fluids first and all that. She also checked me and I was dilated to a 10 and 100% effaced. Right after that the doctor came in and broke my water...and gave me horrible news, I COULD NOT HAVE AN EPIDURAL! It was at that point I had a nervous breakdown and started crying and I believe I said I changed my mind and I didn't want to have a baby anymore. Jared came in shortly after that and I started pushing...without an epidural! During this I said some really crazy things...I remember begging for an epidural, begging for help, saying "Please get him out, get him out!" And then the doctor would say push and I'd say I didn't want to! ha ha I was kind of a baby.

A lot of people have asked me what it really felt like to have a baby "el naturale" and to be completely honest I don't even know how to explain the pain. I think the worst part is a tie between the really bad contractions and the moment that he actually came out. Pushing was not that bad, though that could just be because I was concentrating on the pushing instead of the pain. The only thing I really know is that the instant he was out I had complete relief. I also felt so much better during the hours after having a baby naturally than after having a baby with the epidural. But once again, that could just be because my first labor was longer so I was more tired. Who knows...but the look on my face in the picture below should be enough to tell you natural birth is hard.

Anyways, out he came and he was perfect and beautiful and healthy.

You're probably thinking the story is over, but we're just getting started.

Background info: Adelyn got a tiny cold about a week before this, she gave it to me, then I gave it to Jared. Adelyn was already better at this point, I had a stuffy nose still and Jared was still kind of sick. But none of us had a fever or EVER had a fever or any other flu symptoms.

After JR was born they immediatly gave him to me to hold. Then the nurses took him to the side to clean him up and check him out and all that stuff. After about an hour they gave him back to me to nurse (FYI: he was a champ at it...complete natural, he didn't even hurt me) and for Jared to hold and my mom got to hold him. After he nursed, the nurses then took him from me again to go down to the nursery to get his first bath and whatever else they do down there. He was gone for about an hour and a half when finally my nurse came back in to say we were changing rooms and the baby would meet us at my new room. So Jared took our stuff and went to the new room while the nurse was helping me go to the bathroom and all that other personal stuff. Then she told me she'd be right back to take me and my mom down to the recovery room. After about half hour later she came back (insert a dramatic musical "dun dun dun"). Oh yes she finally came back only she was dressed like this:

She was wearing a freaking hazmat suit. Ok maybe it wasn't a real suit like that but it might as well have been. A full mask covering not just her mouth and nose but her whole face, a full length bright yellow gown and blue rubber gloves. She then proceeded to tell me that we aren't going to the recovery room but to an isolation room because they are concerned I might have SWINE FLU. I think this is funny because I know that I do not have swine flu, I have a runny nose, not to mention she's wearing a freaking hazmat suit! I'm typically a pretty easy going person so I say ok lead the way. So she then gets my mother and I our own hazmat gear. Mask, gloves, gown the whole nine-yards. And then I ask her if my baby would be meeting us at that room. She casually says that he has to wait until the results of my H1N1 test come back before he can be with me. I say ok and think he'll be coming in an hour or two...no big deal. But then my mom asks how long the results take. The nurse then says about 48 hours but that will be a Saturday so you probably won't get the results till Monday!

She then takes us to our isolation room where Jared has been waiting this entire time in his own little hazmat gear having no idea what's going on or where his wife and baby are. (It's been about an hour since he had left.) So I start to cry and tell him they won't let me have my baby and that I don't have swine flu and all that. We wait in our isolation room for about another hour when that same crappy nurse comes in with a breast pump and says its time for the baby to eat and so I need to pump. (This is when Jen no longer remains an easy-going person.)

You see I'm pretty into breast feeding. Big advocate. Adelyn nursed until she was 15 months old. In that entire time she never had a drop of formula and the little devil refused to even drink breast milk out of a bottle...which I didn't even try to give her till she was about 4 or 5 months old. So when girlfriend walks in with a breast pump demanding that I pump, I was a little upset...I have a runny nose, I DON'T HAVE SWINE FLU! I explained to her that I wanted to breast feed my son, I said I'll cut holes in my gown and wear a mask and gloves if she wanted me to but I wanted to breast feed. She said I would have to talk to the Infectious Disease doctor about that (he was the one that put us in isolation and was calling the shots) so I asked her to please send him in. She comes back about half hour later and says he is busy and will have to talk to me later. So for now if I won't pump my breast milk, they would be giving my baby formula. So I do it. And now we wait for the ID doctor (infectious disease).

While we wait, the pediatrician comes in. He tells me that this whole thing is ridiculous that the baby is perfectly healthy and he should be in the room with me and says that he is so sorry that this is happening, etc etc. PS. We LOVE the pediatrician. After him the ID nurse comes and says she's sorry the doctor is taking so long (my baby has now been gone from me about 8 hours). She explains why everyone is freaking out. Apparantly swine flu is very dangerous for pregnant women and babies. Like when other people get it it's no big deal, but when pregnant women get it, they die. In the hospital that I delivered at they had a pregnant woman in intensive care that would most likely die and at another neighboring hospital had already died. So all the hospitals are really scared of this virus...and for some reason someone in my delivery room thought I might have it cause our whole family was sick, and that I'm the very first delivering patient they've had that might have it, so they don't really have any protocol for what to do. Lucky me! I say that I don't mind if they want to keep us in isolation and all that, none of that matters, I just want to be able to breast feed my baby. She says that she agrees with the pediatrician and that the baby should be with me. But that she is just the nurse and once again I have to speak with the ID doctor.

Finally after a total of about 10 hours since the baby got taken away the stupid man shows up. He says the same things and says the reason that they think I had it is because our whole family had it and it is uncommon at this time of year for a cold to be so contagious. I reply that our family shares everything (spoons, cups, not to mention my husband and I on occasion swap spit and every thing else and blah blah blah) and that every other time in our families 3 year history one of us has gotten sick, so has everyone else. (Isn't that how is works!?) He does not agree. Then he says that we will still be discharged on Saturday whether I have it or not. So I ask...will the baby be coming home with me whether or not I have it...he says yes! SO this is where I get really confused. Even if I have swine flu, they are letting me take the baby home in 2 days...so why can't I have him now? He says because if the baby comes in contact with me he can't be allowed to go back to the nursery where the other babies are. THAT IS THE ONLY HOLD UP!? Hello! I'm his mother! He can stay in my room, I can take care of him...I have the equipment! He says what about at night when you sleep? Hello I'm his mother, I will be sleeping at home! He can sleep in my room with me and when he wakes up, I will wake up! The doctor then says he does not want me to have the baby regardless. (This is when Jen gets fiesty.) He's about to leave and so I say, "What if I just say no! Am I allowed to do that? Can I just take my baby and go home now? Will you call social services on me?" He says that we cannot go home, but that I am allowed to "say no." He said that he does not recommend I have the baby with me but that if I sign a paper waiving the hospital of responsibility I can have my baby back. I smile and ask for the papers.

PS> Just so you all know, if there was any ligitimate reason I thought I could possibly have swine flu, or if I had had a single symptom, I would have been fine with all of it. But I KNEW I didn't have it. I had a runny nose! Plus if the baby was going to get it from me, why not get it now when I'm in the hospital and someone can save him rather than in two days when I'm at home?

About 2 hours later my same annoying nurse from all the other times comes back with the paper for me to sign...still no baby. The paper basically just says "I wish to go against the doctor's recommendations, and waive the hospitals responsibility if my child get's sick, or harmed, or etc etc." and then in the margin the nurse had written in in pen, "or death." She was such a biotch. So I signed the paper. She then informs me that they are transfering us out of the maternity ward (our isolation so far had just been that our room was down at the end of the hall away from the other patients -it wasn't a busy day.) I said I didn't care where we were. So they moved us to the main part of the hospital to a floor that was on complete lock down that had all the people that were dying of all the contagious diseases like pneumonia. It was finally at this time that they gave me back my baby!

The rules of our isolation were:

• The baby and I were not allowed to leave the room (funny that Jared, my mother and Adelyn were all allowed to come and go even though they were in contact with us!)
• The door had to be shut at all times
• If anyone was holding the baby or nursing the baby they had to wear a mask and sanitize their hands
• Anyone coming in the room had to have the hazmat suit on (i.e. doctors, nurses, cleaning people, lactation consultant, etc)
• JR and I had our very own nurse who was also banished from the maternity ward and could not come in contact with any other patients
• They strongly discouraged us from having any visitors

I had a special phone number that rang my special nurse if I needed anything. That was kind of cool. And I suppose that is kind of the end of the drama. Once I had my beautiful baby I was happier than can be. I was a little sad I didn't get to try out the amazing maternity ward showers that have 8 shower heads coming from all directions...and the maternity ward had a really good snack bar that was free and always stocked...I missed out on that too. Plus it did get a little boring being stuck in my room for 48 hours. But my isolation nurses (I had 4 in total, each had a 12 hour shift) were amazing. Since they didn't have any patients they would hang out with me a little, it was only slightly awkward because they had hazmat suits on. They each couldn't believe why I was in there cause they knew I wasn't sick too. Anyways, the rest of the stay was lovely...JR got circumsized, we both got some shots, doctors visited us a lot...we were always healthy...and then finally in the morning on the last day the nurse walked in with no suit!!! My test results got in earlier than they thought and I DID NOT HAVE SWINE FLU! I still couldn't leave the room though because the other patients around us were all dying of infectious diseases! And they didn't want US to get sick! But I got to take off my mask and kiss my baby! And that was pretty great.

It took Jared and I until about half way through the second day to decide on a name. We really had trouble picking this little guy's name. But we are happy with it now! Adelyn is an amazing big sister. She loved him from the second she saw him. She gives him tons of kisses, she is always snuggling with him and asks to hold him. "Hold!? Hold!? Baby? Hold? Me??? Hold???" It's really cute. And she really likes to help me burp him, which I think is funny. She get's a little frustrated before bed when she wants me to hold her, if I'm nursing him. But besides that she is so gentle and sweet with him.

And I guess that's all I really have to say about that!

First pic on left: JR is in isolation chamber while he was waiting for me in the nursery to save him

Middle: Getting his first bath, and the only picture I have of someone in their hazmat gear. All you can see is their hands. I'm so sad I didn't take a picture of someone.

Right: Our first family photo!

Left: Leaving the hospital

Middle: Adelyn watching JR the entire car ride home

Right: I can't believe Adelyn is so big already. I hadn't noticed.