Photos of Stephanie, her husband (Jordan), and their daughter (Teagan).
It had been 3 long days of no sleep; I was 39 weeks pregnant, and I was exhausted. I didn’t have the energy to do anything physically or mentally. I remember thinking, “I’m done. I can’t do this anymore.” As I sat in the room at my checkup, I cried to my OB doctor. I needed rest and support, but I didn’t know how or where to get it. I thought if only I could give birth already, I would finally feel better. Little did I know that was just the beginning.
I was sitting on the floor of my bedroom packing my bag to leave for the hospital. It had been 2 days since the appointment where we had scheduled an induction. I was supposed to arrive at 8pm for them to start the process. My phone rings as I’m zipping up my luggage, it’s 6:30pm and it’s the hospital calling to say we had to reschedule. I felt defeat as I tried to hold back my tears on the phone, but I couldn’t, and I began sobbing.
Friday evening after having contractions for several hours we decided to head to the hospital. They started Cervidil and the next morning I got Pitocin. I labored all day Saturday into Sunday without dilating. By Sunday afternoon I had labored 27 hours and made it to 3cm when I finally asked for the epidural. The pain intensified, unfortunately, my body was metabolizing the epidural too quickly so it wasn’t helping. I could feel everything but I couldn’t move anymore; my legs were numb and they felt so heavy.
I was FaceTiming my mom, (middle of the pandemic, you know?) crying in so much pain. It was one of those moments where you just need your mom, but then... my water broke. That sent me into a panic attack, I couldn’t catch my breath and I started hyperventilating. They lost the baby’s heartbeat on the monitor so the room turned into full-blown chaos. I had an oxygen mask on and they had a blanket underneath me, rolling me from side to side trying to get the heartbeat back on the monitor. I was scared and no one would tell me what was going on.
By midnight Sunday, I had reached 6cm. At that point, the doctor told me she was hoping to see me continue to dilate 1cm per hour or we may need to consider a C-section. An hour later she came in to check on me and I was still at 6cm. It had been 37 hours and I was exhausted, so we decided it was time. They prepped me for a C-section and an hour later I gave birth to my daughter.
The first few days after a C-section it can be difficult just to get up on your own. Getting in and out of bed, going up and down stairs, or carrying anything other than your newborn is all limited. A postpartum doula can offer you emotional support as well as physical support. They can be an extra hand to help you move around or get things done.
More than 30% of all births in the United States are by Cesarean, also known as C-sections. They are one of the most common surgical procedures performed in operating rooms. A birth, whether Vaginal or Cesarean is still a birth. While recovering from a C-section it can be very difficult to care for your newborn, which can be 4-6 weeks. Having a postpartum doula can be a great way to get the support you need.
Stephanie Samson is the Co-Owner of Swaddled Newborn Care Concierge.
Stephanie's Daughter, Teagan Luna.
At Swaddled Newborn Care Concierge, our Newborn Care Specialists are trained and certified through reputable nationwide organizations. If you've recently had a C-section contact us to learn more about the support we can offer - we're here to help you.
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