The Bad...and the Ugly

They said the second time around would be easier.

I was sooooo banking on that thought when D day came. What started out as a bloody show Saturday afternoon eventually progressed into a cramping marathon on Tuesday. By Tuesday afternoon, I knew it was time to go to the hospital.

So imagine my surprise when the doctors told me that it was all a false alarm, and that I am to go home and wait for my contractions to progress. So I sat up to get dressed, and the moment I did, I felt my waterbag break.

"Why is the water greenish?" Mike asked.

Hooooo nooooo, I thought. Is that meconium? Nooooooo.... I don't want meconium. That will mean delivery by CS!! NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOO!!!

"Call the doctors!" They were all outside attending to the other patients.

Good thing that they said it wasn't meconium. It was just good 'ol plain amniotic fluid. Whew.....

Then the contractions started becoming more intense. Mike was there to hold my hand through it all, but eventually, he had to leave, leaving me all alone in the labor room, with only the interns and the resident OBs as my companions.

I was admitted to the labor room at around 7.30pm. By 9.30, I was at 4cm. By 10.30, I was at 5cm. And baby was dropping. So through the pain, it was the relatively easier and faster labor that kept me holding on to the thought that hey.... the second time around IS easier.

I lost track of the time after that, as the pains became more intense. I held several doctors' hands, held the bed rail, muffled my face with the pillow, covered my mouth.... I did everything to keep myself from losing control.

At 5 cm, I started asking for the epidural. That was how I remembered it with Chloe - the epidural was given to me at 5cm. But the resident doctors said they will wait for my OB's advise. Fine... let's wait.

By the time my OB arrived, I was at 8cm already. No hand holding, muffling or covering my face helped. Margaux was ready to come out, and she was ready NOW! I screamed as each contraction racked my body. At its peak, the contractions felt like several elephants stomping on my uterus all at the same time!!

"ASAN NA UNG ANESTHESIOLOGIST!!!!!!" I screamed.

"She's in the parking lot na..." my OB replied.

So I waited and waited and hoped she'd hurry up.

2 cms later, she was still a no show!

By this time, I was screaming like a pig. To hell with what everybody in the room thought. They aren't the ones in pain!!

Finally, the late (and not great) anesthesiologist arrived. It took her four attempts before the epidural was successfully administered. All this, while I was curled up like a shrimp.

Where was my hubby, you might ask?

He was waiting for the signal to go inside the DR. But he heard my screams from where he was, and requested that he be allowed inside. I felt his hand stroke my forehead, to signal his presence, for which I am grateful for.

Then the urge to push became too great to control. The epidural was useless!! It was the sedative (given when I was still lucid) that was taking over. I couldn't keep my eyes open, but I could feel each contraction. I could hear small parts of conversations taking place, but I couldn't open my eyes to see who were doing the talking. I could hear my hubby's voice, but I didn't know exactly where he was.

Then the doctors and nurses began the countdown.

Inhale...1...2....3..4...5...6..7..8..9..10...PUSH!!!

Exhale.......

Then they repeat the countdown.

I didn't feel any numbness. There was just pain. Great, unbearable, inexplicable PAIN.

I heard someone saying she'll put a gas mask on me, to help me cope with the pain. (Mike later said it was the anes... explaining away why the epidural wasn't taking effect.) Again, useless!!

After several death defying pushes, Margaux was finally out!! YAY!!

BUT, it wasn't over!

Since the epidural didn't take effect, I could feel each needle prick as the OB sewed me up.

After a few stitches, I blacked out.

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I don't know exactly what happened after that. Either I passed out from the pain, or the gas mask made me fall asleep.

When I was transferred to my room later that morning, the first thing Mike and I talked about was all the screaming I did. We couldn't help but compare it with our first delivery, where there was no scream fest whatsoever.

What went wrong?

Based on what we recalled, all we could agree on was that the anesthesiologist was late.

I remember being at 8 cm and still no signs of the anesthesiologist.

I know she arrived when I was in the DR. Mike wasn't called in until the epidural had been administered. And he said, all we did in the DR was wait for the epidural to take effect. My OB began pricking me to see if I could feel the pain. I could feel each prick no! Then Margaux came out then eventually she had to sew me up, and until that time, I could feel the needle pricks pa!

So many of my friends said not to pay the anes. One even said to sue her.

The anesthesiologist visited us twice while we were in the hospital. I was so surprised (and shocked) to see her the first time, I didn't know what to say. Do anesthesiologists usually visit their 'patients?' She kept explaining why the epidural didn't take effect agad. No apologies (which was what I wanted). All explanations. None of which made sense to me, nor seemed acceptable din. But as I said, I'm just really relieved and happy, so I didn't say anything na lang.

Mike, on the other hand, had a lot of things to say. And talk away he did on the anes' 2nd visit.

Must have caught the anes by surprise. She finally apologized to my husband (none pa din to me as of today). And gave us a discount on her rates. Big discount daw. But when we saw the statement, eto na ba yung big discount?

So my second labor experience, sad to say, was uber traumatic. I wonder, if we do decide to sue, do we have grounds? :( Plus we paid na din. :( Was it the wrong thing to do?