The Ongoing Birth Of Zuperfliegen Baadasssss O'Brien!

Friday, 8 April, 2011 (Zuperfliegen's 41-week anniversary of embryo to fetus)
(All times are Brisbane Time)

Earlier this week, we decided to induce labour (Australian spelling) on Friday or the weekend if a space could be found at the hospital (Mater Mothers Private Hospital in South Brisbane). Yesterday we were told that there was an opening on Friday (today).

7:30 AM - We got to the hospital for our 7:00 appointment. Just a little too much to do in the morning, so we had not left on time...

8:30 AM - The doctor arrives. (Guess it wasn't such a problem that we were late...) Ann is dilated to 3 cm and fully effaced. Her waters are "broken" and they start the administration of syntocinon. Afterwards, Kevin is exhausted from not getting enough sleep last night - trying to get too much stuff done on the computer in preparation of leaving home for four days - so he takes a nap in the chair. (First step of any big project: take a nap!)

10:00 AM - Kevin wakes up, feeling totally refreshed. Ann is having mild contractions every three minutes.

11:00 AM - Ann says "It hurts." (But she's really taking it well, I think!)

11:15 AM - Ann says "I'm no longer smiling...!" Things are getting serious. Time for Kevin to get off the damn computer!

11:45 AM - Ann is feeling a lot of pain. Only 4 cm dilation. Drat! An epidural is requested.

12:01 PM - The epidural is applied. A short time later, Ann is feeling much better (that is, much less pain). Now it looks like we just have to wait a number of hours before something else happens. Kevin eats some lunch. Ann's not feeling hungry.

1:00 PM - Time for a nap for Ann. Kevin will either browse the web or nap, also.

(And then it took me about six hours to get back to the computer to tell the rest of the story...)

1:30 PM - Ann is relaxing and I'm doing web/blog stuff. I frequently look up to check on the monitor showing Zuperfliegen's heart rate. I notice that he keeps going down below the preferred range (110-160 beats per minute). I point it out to the midwife, who has already noticed it. She has Ann try a variety of positions as that often affects heart rate. Nothing really seems to make a big difference. There's a thought that maybe Ann has rushed to the next stage. The midwife does an exam and declares that Ann is almost entirely dilated at 9 cm! Golly! About this time, the doctor comes in and does another exam. The issue is that Zupe hasn't moved down into the pelvis as far as he needs to - probably because of his "freakishly large head" (true) - and the level of syntocinon seems to be stressing him.

1:45 PM - The doctor decides that we need to move to an emergency cesarean! Suddenly, the room is awash with a bunch of new people, all moving very quickly! I see Zupe's heart rate "crash" a couple of times - which was scary - though it's not clear what's happening because they are also disconnecting Ann from the monitors. Ann needs to sign a consent form; I read it over quickly, just to be sure. (It was all fine.)

2:00 PM (or thereabouts) - Ann (bed and all) is wheeled from the room to the operating theatre. I'm rushed along, as I'm able to be with her during the operation, but I have to quickly grab any valuables (like this laptop) to store in a locker, as well as change into sterile scrubs. When I eventually get into the room, they are about to start. I'm given a chair by Ann's head. She's totally conscious, because they're using a local anaesthesia for the lower part of her body. They put a sterile cloth screen up below her neck and we're not able to see anything! I feel disappointed, as I was looking forward to the new "life experience" of witnessing a live operation. Overall, the event is scary for Ann and I - things are moving fast and there's a lot at stake - but we reminded ourselves that C-sections are done all the time, frequently as voluntary procedures.

2:47 PM - NEVER A DUDE LIKE THIS ONE!

Ladies and Gentlemen of The World, I present to you: Zuperfliegen Baadassss O'Brien!

Legal Name: James Steven Victor O'Brien
(obviously, it was, indeed, a boy!)
Weight: 3340 grams (about 7 pounds, 6 ounces)
Length: 54 cm (21.25 inches)
Head Circumference: 38 cm (15 inches; "freakishly large")

Wow, babies are messy-looking when they first come out. My first thought was "blood-covered zombie!" Nonetheless, he cleaned up nicely and got a 6 (out of 10) on the APGAR scale upon emergence and then a 9 after he was pampered a bit by the paediatrician. Apparently, no one ever gets a 10... In the 90th percentile already; that's my boy!

THEN, A LITTLE LATER - We got whisked out of the operating room fairly quickly. Then we just hung out in the post-op for a little while, as Zuperfliegen and Ann were looked after - checking that they were recovering nicely from the procedure (which they were). After about an hour, we were taken up to our (private; yay!) room.

Mother and son (and father) are all apparently healthy and feeling OK! (As of 8:30 PM, anyway.)

And so The Adventure continues!

(Pictures to be posted tomorrow in a new, separate blog entry, most likely.)