Where to start? It’s been an absolute roller coaster of a time here at Chez Bellaziza for the past week and a half. I wanted to write and share with all of you the experiences surrounding our sweet little Camilla’s birth – just one week ago last Friday. It was a glorious and beautiful day filled with joy and thankfulness, but also one in which both of us came incredibly close to losing our lives.
As a parent, we strive to always make the best choices in everything for our families. It’s one of the reasons I’m sure that you find yourself here so often:). When it comes to medical care and health related decisions though, it’s at an entirely different level than the question of which stroller or crib mattress to buy in your quest of keeping up with the Cruises. As responsible parents we do our research, weigh our options and make our decisions based on what we learn…and what we feel is right for us and ours. That’s where this all began.
With Isabella’s birth almost 3 years ago, I felt somewhat tricked into a c-section by my then obstetrician. I myself am more of a “I trust my body” kind of gal when it comes to these things and was really against anything but a natural birth, barring any complications, in which case I’m all about saving lives. That just wasn’t the case first time around and I hesitantly and regrettably went with what they advised…hoping for the possibility that the next time around could be different.
Earlier last April when I found out I was pregnant, I immediately set out on a mission to get all of the facts on VBAC Births (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). After finding that the risk of serious complications from a 2nd c-section were greater than the risks of serious complications from a VBAC, I made my choice that that is what I wanted to try for. I found the most incredible medical practice here in Dallas, Women’s Health Alliance at Baylor University Medical Center, that supported VBAC births. In addition to having eight incredible doctors, they also had two midwives who absolutely turned out to be my angels.
Thursday night I went into labor and was at the hospital around midnight. Within the first hour we were “comfortably” (haha!) in our room, I was on the monitors and everything was looking good. I chose to have an epidural so that just in case I did have to have a c-section, I wouldn’t have to be completely knocked out (like last time) and could be awake for our baby’s birth. It was so smooth I could not believe it. I was absolutely elated that the epidural worked this time around! I was without pain AND my labor was still progressing! It was looking like everything was going exactly as we had hoped. Lindsey, my midwife, told me to get some rest so I took a little nap.
A little while later I started to feel some pressure and tightness in my chest. It was minor at first and started off being barely noticeable. Within the next minute or so it got more intense and I was getting confused. I pushed the call button and when Lindsey came in with the nurse less than a minute later, it was downright painful. She very calmly asked me to describe what I was feeling. I said it was hard to breathe and it was very tight…that was all I could think to say. She asked to describe the feeling and I was afraid to say what it really felt like because I didn’t want to mislead her, but I gave it a shot. I told her it felt like the baby was pushing up against my lungs…like it was moving up instead of down! For a moment I felt ridiculous. Then she told me I was going to have an emergency c-section.
It turned out I was right. My uterus had ruptured and the baby had exited and was moving up into my rib cage! It was one for the textbooks from what I am told, from what happened to how it was handled. Lindsey’s incredibly quick diagnosis and response, and the team of over 20 that rushed me in and met us in the operating room are what saved our lives. We thank God…so much! We thank God for Lindsey, Dr. Matthews – our wonderful surgeon, their team, their care, their talent and the zillions of angels that surrounded our family that day! Many times it’s the baby’s life or the mother’s, medically, that they attempt to save in this situation. Also, the likelihood of avoiding a hysterectomy is dismal at best. We are so incredibly blessed to have come out of all of it completely healthy and without any further complications for either Camilla or myself. When they were finally able to retrieve her 
, she came out crying and absolutely full of life. The sight of her being held by my husband just off to the side while they worked on me was one of the sweetest memories I will ever have. That was the day we became ‘the statistic’, but also the day that our family was reborn with a new sense of just how precious life is and how it can be forever changed in an instant…just when things appear to be going right.
So now we’re all home and recovering happily as a new family. Isabella is in love with her new little sister and we are all very very blessed. I am feeling pretty great considering everything, and Camilla is just wonderful. In the end, I don’t live in regret of my medical choices. Though we became the statistic and it nearly cost us our lives, it is what brought us to the people who saved our lives, and the experience that changed our lives forever in a good way. I know that as a parent I try so hard to weigh my options and chose the absolute best choice, whether it be clear or not. Sometimes we get to trust God’s protection…and sometimes we are blessed with that and more. I am so unbelievably thankful.
It meant so much to come back to soooo many of your emails and comments wishing us a safe, happy and healthy delivery! It was so touching to see how many of you sincerely care so much about our family. Thank you for your prayers and warm wishes! I believe these things do make a big difference.
Crista and Family
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