The Aftermath
INTRODUCTION: This is the PART SIX in a series of blog posts about my pregnancy and birth experience with a j-pouch. Please keep in mind that I’m not a healthcare professional (read my disclaimer for details). I cannot advise you on your medical care. I wrote these blog posts to share my own experience. I wanted toshow that you can have a successful pregnancy and childbirth with a j-pouch. Please consult your healthcare team to find out if a natural childbirth is safe for you. Then get a second or third opinion! Do your research. NEED RESOURCES? ASK ME! I’m a firm believer in women being allowed to choose how they want their pregnancy and childbirth to go. If you’re in good health, then I don’t see any reason why you cannot give birth naturally. Find a healthcare team that best suits you.
WARNING!!!
THIS IS THE MOST GRAPHIC PART OF THE STORY. If you have a weak stomach, I would not recommend you reading any further.
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August 20th, 1:16am
Baby Ninja was born at 1:16am. I waited patiently to hear baby’s first cry. The midwives were busy checking baby over front to back, top to bottom, wiping her off and cleaning her lungs out. According to Dave’s notes, baby was turning blue. She was still attached to the umbilical cord.
“Why isn’t she crying!?” I asked in alarm. “Tickle her feet!”
“We are. Don’t worry,” Kristin (my midwife) assured me.
Finally, at long last, I heard Baby Ninja’s cry. It wasn’t for very long and Kristin put Piper (Baby Ninja) in my arms for the first time. Now it was time to get the placenta out.
My Body Gave Up
My body had stopped contracting. Kristin gave me a pitocin shot to try to restart contractions. Then she gave me oral pitocin. We tried massaging my abdomen. We tried nursing Baby Ninja. We tried everything. After 29 hours of hard labor, my body had had it. It was done.
Meanwhile, Dave was happily introducing Piper to my parents. I didn’t want to have to worry about my stupid placenta. I wanted to hold my baby. For several hours we tried to get my body to release it.
Time to Go to the ER
She ended up having to transfer me to the ER. (Insert exasperated sigh.) We got there around 4:30am. I went inside to check in while Dave took Piper and parked the car. My midwife met us there, ready to help out any way she could. She stayed with Dave and the baby while they wheeled me to a room. Something I was all too familiar with.
The nurse, who I really liked, despite her rudeness, attended to me very quickly. She put me on fluids. I remember my mouth being bone dry and asking for a cup of water. Which the nurse refused me just in case they had to take me to the operating room. Dear God, I prayed silently, Please no. After she massaged my abdomen, she left the room and I waited in silence with another nurse for the doctor.
Do You Know What a J-Pouch Is?
Finally the doctor arrived and we made small talk. He asked me questions. I detailed for them my medical history. Told them that I was diagnosed in 2011 and that in 2014 I had my colon removed and was now living with a j-pouch. This is where I paused.
“Do you know what a j-pouch is?” I asked, expecting the answer to be no.
“We absolutely do!” The doctor and nurses said.
“Oh, thank goodness! Most medical professionals don’t.”
The doctor continued to massage my abdomen. And let me tell you, it hurt. He asked me if I wanted some mild sedation.
“I’m breastfeeding!” I protested.
“It’s ok! You can still breastfeed!” The nurse assured me.
I looked at the nurse who had prepared my IV for fluids. “Do I want to be medicated?”
She looked at me with a face that told me it wasn’t going to be pleasant and nodded.
I looked back at the doctor who was still trying to remove the placenta and he said, “Nevermind! We don’t need it!”
He slammed down on my abdomen and yanked the placenta out. It wasn’t pleasant, but I didn’t care! We got it out without meds or surgery so I was relieved.
Dave’s Here!!!
Just after the placenta was yanked out, Dave walked in with Baby Ninja and informed me that he told Kristin to go home and get some sleep. I held Dave’s hand and Baby Ninja while the doctor stitched up some minor tearing. Finally around 6:30am, we signed the release papers and they wheeled me out the door.
Violence Postpartum
We got into the car, thankful for the whole ordeal to be over. Dave drove us to the gas station to fill up and just before he got out to pump the gas, I noticed that Baby Ninja has dimples! “Dave, you have to see this! She has one dimple on each side of her mouth!” After refueling, Dave began the 45 minute drive home. Dave was nodding off the whole drive home. I was in the back seat with the baby. To keep him awake, I slapped Dave upside the head with my ER release papers all the way home. We finally got home where my parents were waiting around 7:30am. Then Dave and I tried to nap while Mom and Dad watched over Piper.
