It was almost 7 years ago. I was in labor, having been induced due to preeclampsia in my 39th week. I had been put on Magnesium Sulfate, which caused my BP to drop, and resulted in the Pitocin being stopped and started a few times. Plus, the Mag sulfate was making me very sick!!! I was throwing up all night, while my hubby and my mom got to sleep!!! Don't get me started on the BP cuff going off every 15 minutes either!! I was expecting to be able to get some sleep while I dialated, but that didn't happen!!
After 16 hours, it was not progressing well. My little girl, Rachel, wasn't ready to make her grand entrance into the world.After watching me for a while, my doctor decided it was best to have a c-section, as Rachel's heart rate was dropping with each contraction. I wasn't pleased, I wanted to go vaginal. But the health of my baby was more important, so even though I was disappointed, I agreed. The nurses and staff mobilized very quickly. I was given more medicine in my epidural, which made me numb from the chest down, and felt really weird!! I was placed on an inflatable transfer sling (I don't know if that is the official term) and wheeled down the hall to the OR all within 30 minutes.
I was transferred to the operating table and it seemed like it was only minutes before they were shouting to my husband to stand up!!! They pulled Rachel out on July 30th, at 9:51am, and the doctor said "She's so tiny!" He had predicted she was going to be 9 lbs, she was just shy of 7 lbs, and only 18 inches long. They didn't hold her over the drape, they whisked her over to the baby warmer. No one let me see her, they blocked my view pretty well. Whether this was intentional or not, I'll never know. My husband went over, and got to see her, and cut her cord. He took a few pictures, but didn't show them to me right away.
He came over, and had tears in his eyes, as he told me she's beautiful, but there's something wrong with her hands. A few of her fingers are stuck together. I was in shock. We had no indications at all that there was any problem with the baby. We only had one ultrasound, at about 16 weeks, and everything was normal, and she was developing perfectly, albeit on the tiny side. That didn't worry me, I'm not even 5 ft myself, so I wasn't surprised. I don't remember who said Amniotic Band Syndrome to us first, my OB, while I was on the table in the OR, being stitched up is vaguely in my mind.
They brought Rachel over, all bundled up, and let me see her. I think I was still strapped to the table, and couldn't hold her. They were taking her to the NICU, not because of her hands, but because her blood sugar was low.
That was the last I saw of Rachel for the next 29 hours.
