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VBAC
Week by Week

Alexander Ricciuti

In June of 1993 when My husband and I found out I was pregnant we were not sure how to act. He had just been hired full-time at his firm and I was still working part-time. So needless to say there was not much money, but we had health insurance. Our insurance company was very cautious and gave me every test known to man kind. When we went in for the first sonogram, we were estatic!!! It was a boy just what we wanted. But then the technician ran out of the room to get the doctor. My heart jumped in my throat "what is wrong?" The doctor came in and looked at my son again and explained to us that my placenta was very low and this could be a problem later on and the placenta moves as the uterus grows and since I was only 16weeks they were not worried. I was to go back the next month for another sonogram.

Next month I was told the same thing. When I came back at 24 weeks and the placenta still had not moved the doctors became concerned and started talking C-section. I did not want one my doctor told me we would take one day at a timw and we would see. Also if I had any bleeding I was to call the doctor immediately. The next month I went for another sonogram and the placenta had not moved. This was right before Christmas and my due date was Feb 7, 1994. I was beginning to get very tired and anything I did sent me into contractions or Braxton-Hicks( I did not care they were still painful!!)

I began to cut down on my work hours and on December 29, 1993 I just did not feel right all day. I was tired, achy and just out of sorts. I went to the grocery store and left the heavy stuff in the car. It was just too much to deal with and I was not to be lifting anything heavy anyway.

Later that night my brother-in-law came over to check on me because my husband was working late. My husband came home around 10:30pm and I was sitting on the couch and all of a sudden I felt wet. Iwent to the bathroom and there was blood everywhere!! I screamed for my husband, he called the doctor and we were told to get to the hospital ASAP! I remember getting there and being whisked away while my husband filled out the paperwork. The put the fetal monitor on and the heartbeat was very strong and steady. They tried to do an pelvic exam but there was too much blood. I was taken to the L & D suite and told to rest. Yeah Right!! The doctors detemined that the blood was not the placenta and it was slowing down so I would just stay in L & D in case they needed to do any thing. THe next morning my girlfriend who is a nurse arrives and I started to go into contractions. My husband is called and told to get to the hospital. By the time he gets there I am in another room having an amniocentisis done to see how mature my son's lungs are. They are not quite ready. By this time the bleeeding and contractions have stopped, I am ready to go home. NOPE I am in the hospital until my son is born.

This incident has ruled out natural birth and I am going to have a C-section. I have nothing to do but sit in the hospital and wait, THe nursery is not ready, all the clothes and things I bought are still on lawaway. My husband now has to run around and do all these things while I sit. Finally, 2 weeks later, January 11, 1994 arrives. I am to have my c-section. I am hysterical I do not want surgey and I am scared to death. I am told to roll over and hug my knees!!?? I look at the nurse like she is crazy "My knees? I have not seen them in months!" She laughs and helps me pull them up. The nurse inserts a needle in my back and then another. First I feel very hot then nothing, they gave me a spinal block, I can not feel anything from my chest down. Everything is progressing normally until my blood pressure sky rockets! My son is quickly retreived and I am shot full of morophine to lower my blood pressure. I remember hearing him cry but I don't remember him until the recovery room.

Then I saw him the most beautiful creature. This is the only time I became angry at my husband, he said to me "Look Babe, look at his legs are kicking like wild" I turned and said "yes I have felt them for the last couple of months!!!" "Oh" he said " I guess you have been, sorry about that."

Everything I went through was worth it. Everytime I look at that little boy I think I can do this again. We are now trying to get pregnant and are looking into VBAC. But either way it will be worth it.

KRicciuti@aol.com