Apostolic Friends Forum

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - 11:34 p.m. AZ time, my daughter was born via c-section. What began as an ordinary day became anything but.

During a regularly scheduled weekly dr's visit, we asked about the possibility of having the membranes stripped. My wife was having terrible back pains and had been sick on and off the past week, so the dr agreed to said membrane stripping.

Well, during the process, the water broke and we were told to take our time to get some things together, but we needed to check into the hospital that evening to have delivery induced. My wife took it literally ... went home, took a shower, ironed some clothes ... even went to In N Out for a last greasy meal before having to fast for delivery.

At the hospital, we were taken to the "Princess Suite" in the labor/delivery room ... which I later found to be a cursed room or something, because it seems that a large amount of complicated deliveries are from that room.

My wife was having contractions by now and they found meconium (baby stool) in the uterus, which was causing the baby to be distressed and put my wife in a lot of pain.

After starting my wife on Petocin, she started having worse contractions almost one after another ... and this was supposed to continue for at least 12 hours according to the nurse. Unfortunately, with each contraction, the baby's heartbeat of 150+bpm would dive to below 70bpm.

I have to admit, I was really worried ... and annoyed. Worried, because of the baby's heartbeat and complications; and annoyed because my wife was in such pain and all I could do was let her squeeze my hand and offer pitiful words of encouragement.

That's probably the worst feeling in my life thus far ... being absolutely helpless (physically) to do anything for either my wife or the baby.

The Dr gave us two options ... one was to agree to a c-section then and my wife would be prepped and given an epidural to help with the pain; or wait an hour and if the complications continued, they would perform an emergency c-section without the comfort of prepping and pain medication.

Needless to say, we opt'd for the first choice.

25 minutes later I was watching my daughter's birth.

Mom and daughter are fine and had no other complications after the c-section.

Yesterday (Wednesday), I heard of a mother who came into the hospital 19 weeks pregnant ... but the baby had died in the womb and had to be delivered. My heart went out to the family. Having to go through complete labor knowing the baby is dead ... I can't imagine the pain.

I'm grateful. It was a long night that was incredibly stressful, but in comparison - we're so blessed.

Anyways, long story short ... I'm very happy and proud - both as father of a beautiful baby girl, and husband of an amazing wife.