Update on ECV

EXTERNAL CEPHALIC VERSION

August 28, 2012

Time Scheduled: 10am

Time procedure was done: 2pm-ish

Time I was discharged: 6:30pm 

Yesterday was interesting to say the least. We got to the hospital at about 9:15am, as Dr. Phillips requested, so I could be prepped for the procedure, but it was a VERY busy day on the L & D floor, so I didn't actually get back there until about 10:00, which I thought was really good, considering how busy they were. 

Once back there, I was sent to room high risk 1 and I met my very sweet nurse, Emily (who was WONDERFUL, by the way). She got me started by putting a line in my left hand. It was nice that she asked if I was left or right handed before just choosing a vein. It hurt to have it in my hand though, I must say, especially when it was dry and waiting for fluid to be administered. 

The picture below shows my hand AFTER the procedure...so it had been in from about 10:30 to 6:00 at this time. I have major sausage fingers from the three bags of fluids they gave me. :-( I think that and not being able to move around much due to the epidural, which I'll discuss momentarily, as it is what stole the show. 

SAUSAGE FINGERS! 

At this point I'm feeling good. I was actually not nervous anymore, my husband and I were passing the time with the Price is Right. I like that the set for that show is still pretty old-school looking. If it had been changed, I'd be mad. You just can't mess with the Price is Right. 

ANYWAY...

The next step in my adventure was having a bag of fluid started, which is no big deal once the line is in your arm. It's just attached, you feel a cold sensation in your forearm as it gets going and if you're like me, you eventually start to feel really cold all over. The heated blankets they bring are like sheer heaven. If you go through this and want one, just ask. I was brought two. 

Later, not sure what time, a resident came in and did an ultrasound to check the baby's position and the fluid levels. He said everything looked great and the fluid level looked beautiful. Baby's heart rate was fabulous and strong...although I was to learn just HOW strong this little girl is later on. 

Once this was done, I was supposed to have the epidural done, then the procedure. However, as I mentioned before, it was a VERY busy night on the floor. There was a baby born every 20 minutes, I swear! I kept hearing the amazing cries of the new babies...it was awesome. Just before I was to get my epidural, there was an emergency c-section about to happen and it involved the help of my doctor, the awesome, Dr. Stovall. 

She still came in to see me, along with a resident named Mike who was very kind as well....and he looked more nervous about things than me. :-) Dr. Stovall introduced herself, talked to me about the procedure, and then asked for the ultrasound machine again to see the baby for herself. She said, "It's not that I don't trust Dr. ________. It's just that I like to see my babies for myself so I know exactly what's going on." 

I liked hearing that for sure. 

So she checked her and she kept calling her baby girl and she kept calling me sweetie pie. Ha! She was wonderful. The baby was lying with her head at my fundal, her spine curled around my right side and her bottom at the well, bottom of my uterus. She was in an extended Frank Breech position and easily movable. Just using the gel and about 10 seconds of hand movement and the doctor already had her in an oblique position. This is when I asked if we could possibly avoid the epidural. 

She then explained again why she thought it was the safest way to go. If there was any sort of emergency with the baby, I could have a c-section straight away. Even though I was scared to death....

I have to insert a note here: you just have no idea how horrible my first experience was and I don't even remember the major details because it was 17 years ago. I just know that it scared me enough to know I'd never get another one. It made me vomit and I remember being numb for 6 hours after my son was born. I found that natural, very painful labor with accompanying back labor to be a far more pleasant experience than having the epidural with my first son. NO JOKE. I'm not saying that to sound like an amazon woman. It's the truth and maybe this blog post will help others to understand. 

When choosing an epidural, don't just think about pain relief and comfort. Remember, it's medication put in your spine. Medication can be great, but there is the chance that you can have an adverse reaction to it that can lead to complications. 

So, even though I was scared to death, I consented to the epidural. 

My anesthesiologist was another amazing woman, but I can't for the life of me remember her name (I met a lot of people yesterday). She was very kind & she gave me step-by-step instructions throughout the procedure so I always knew what she was doing. 

It started with her asking me to swing my legs around to the left side (she was behind me). I had to scoot back a couple of times to get in the right spot. Emily stood in front of me and I kept accidentally kicking her...I apologized. I must have given a sigh, because Emily looked at me and asked, "Are you nervous?" 

I looked at her and replied, "Yes, I really hate these things. I wish I didn't have to have one." 

The anesthesiologist said, "They are always better once they're in." 

We all chuckled a little. I mentioned how much nicer it was to get one without having contractions. 

Ok, so everyone knows they are great for numbing the belly and legs. What they may not know is that getting the epidural is painful. At least it was for me. The needle going in is not particularly painful as much as it is WEIRD. It just feels completely wrong and that's very uncomfortable. 

The parts that hurt are the injections to each side. How do I describe something that feels so completely unlike anything else I've ever experienced? hmmmm...It felt like having a Charlie Horse on each side of my spine, only instead of being able to stretch it out and move around, you have to sit completely still and NOT MOVE. Moving can lead to paralysis, as most people know. 

Breathing techniques are not just for labor. If you haven't practiced, you should. 

The next painful part was whatever she injected next. She said, "This will feel like a cramp." 

'Don't think menstrual cramp here. Think...you've been running and you get a quick, sharp, painful cramp in your calf....the kind that makes you stop immediately and stretch against the cramp, only this time you have to stay completely relaxed and NOT MOVE.

After that, I was sprayed with cold, I repeat, COLD (haha!) spray and taped up so I could move about without risking anything terrible.

I remember saying, "Well, the worst part is over. Now hopefully this little girl will turn around easily." 

ME, AFTER EPIDURAL...see, the catheter is taped to my gown. I look so happy, right? NOT! 

So, after the epidural, it was a little while before the doctor came back in to check on me and the baby. The baby's heart rate was beautiful and I was becoming tingly, as the epidural began to take affect. 

I began to feel a heaviness in my chest, as my belly became numb. I felt like I couldn't breathe and I was feeling a little dizzy lying on my back. Thinking it was probably my vena cava, they had me turn to my left side. The numbness really had kicked in by the time I tried to turn over, so I had to have help, as I couldn't tell if my hips were moving! Ha. 

They checked my blood pressure and it had dropped, which was causing my dizziness and shortness of breath. I was also feeling sick, so I was given a little pan. 

At this point, the doctors were talking and I was simply focusing on my breathing. My attention became self-centered, as I tried to well, center myself. I didn't feel right, but I knew panicking was no help at all and while my blood pressure was low (I think low 90s/60s) at this time, it was nothing to freak out about. I also really didn't want to vomit. 

So, the doctors said to let me rest and stabilize and they'd be back in 15 minutes to see how I was. 

By the time they got back, I was ready to get the show on the road. My BP had climbed back up nearer to 100 on top...I forget the bottom number. I felt better and just wanted to get done. 

The doctors came back around 2. With ultrasound guidance, they flipped my little girl in about 30 seconds. It was amazing. What bothered me though and still does AND is the reason I'm up at 3am blogging this is that when the doctor moved her during her initial evaluation, she easily moved her to an oblique position with her head on the right. When she came back, She was in an oblique position, but her head was on the left side. My baby is a MOVER!

I mentioned this to Dr. Stovall as well. She said, "If you were at 39 weeks, we'd go ahead and induce you, but with you being 38, we just don't do that." 

I understand that and I totally agree, but now I'm worried that she'll turn back. Dr. Stovall said IF they can get them turned (only a 60% success rate, so we had that going for us) they generally stay there. That eased my mind. 

So she looked great. Only a very slight drop in heart rate, but she quickly recuperated from that and did beautifully. With happy goodbyes and good lucks, the doctors left. 

I was hanging out, being monitored by Emily to be sure all was well. I had to just wait for the epidural I didn't want in the first place to wear off. 

Within a short time, not sure...5-10 minutes, I started to feel really bad. Once again I felt like I couldn't breathe and I felt more dizzy than before. I asked to lie on my side with much more fervor than before. 

I suddenly had to fight the urge to fall asleep. I groaned occasionally as I did this, but I kept telling myself, Stay calm. You're in the hospital. If something happens, they'll help. Just breathe. That's exactly what I did. 

My blood pressure was being taken quite often during this monitoring, I felt the cuff tighten around my right bicep. Behind me, in a voice unlike the voice I'd heard her use before, Emily made a phone call, "Could I please have another bag of fluid and someone from anesthesia with an injection for low blood pressure to high risk one?" 

I could hear her trying to be calm, but I couldn't focus on it, because I was trying to do the same thing. It was hard...occasional groans slipped. 

At this point, in my head, I go from thinking just breathe, to please help me. 

I had my eyes closed. Someone, I assumed it was the lady from anesthesia was messing around with the IV. I couldn't raise my head or open my eyes to notice. 

Within a few minutes, I was able to breathe again. My chest began to open up again. The nausea dissipated, and the dizziness disappeared. Emily let out a sigh. Kevin, who was not aware of what was happening smiled at me and kissed me, because he simply thought I was finally over the nausea. I'm so happy I was able to stay calm for him. It was better that he didn't know what was happening. 

After that was over, he went for a walk to smoke. 

That's when I asked Emily, "Did my blood pressure drop?" 

With wide eyes, she replied, "Uh, yeah, you bottomed out. You were at 50/30." 

Wow. If you look it up, most people with this blood pressure are no longer conscious. I guess breathing techniques work for many different situations! That and one hell of a stubborn attitude, which I have always had and apparently my baby does too, because even though her mom was on her way out, my daughter's heart rate and activity didn't skip a beat. Her heart rate NEVER dipped at all. she was totally fine. 

After that ordeal, I felt just fine, except for the insane shakes I had as the epidural wore off. I wasn't cold, but I couldn't control my shivers and I couldn't stop my teeth from chattering. The epidural finally wore off at about 6pm and I was discharged at 6:30pm. I was offered a wheelchair, but with all the swelling in my hands and feet, I asked if I could just walk out and I was happy that they obliged. 

LESSON: 

When considering an epidural, remember that pain relief and comfort can sometimes come at a price. For me, it was nearly life or death. I have low blood pressure anyway, so that probably had an effect. If you have low blood pressure, I highly recommend you talk to your doctor before simply deciding you're getting an epidural. So many pregnant women only think about the discomfort of labor and they don't think about the side effects of medications. labor doesn't typically kill anyone, even though it can make you wish you were dead. 

The side effects of drugs, however have killed people. 

It's not something to take lightly. 

Do what's best for you and your baby: 

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