We arrived at the hospital at 6am and were told they were very full so we wouldn't be able to go to our room until after surgery. I was hooked up to the IV, given fluids and a space suit looking heating blanket to keep my body warm, apparently it helps healing and recovery from the surgery. Amma had come over to our house early to be there to get the big girls up and bring them to meet us at the hospital. A few minutes before I walked to the OR Hailey, Jailynn, Amma and Papa visited us in the triage room. I got to hug and kiss my big girls before I had to go in.
I walked into the operating room, climbed up on the table and got my spinal placed. I laid down on the table for what felt like forever while they draped, and counted and went over the surgery amongst the doctors and nurses. Finally, Husband came in and sat next to me. What felt like forever later Hannah Alynn Santopadre was born at 8:47am, but I didn't hear a cry. A few seconds went by and I heard a bark like cry. Everyone assured me that she looked great. Husband went over to the table where they were working on her and kept yelling to me that she looked so good. Finally I said "why isn't she crying? She's not ok!" The nurse explained that she was having a little trouble breathing but not to worry. Several minutes went by and she was still only making a barking cry, and no one had brought her to me yet. More doctors and nurses came in and they told me that she was having some trouble breathing were taking her to work on her some more. They held her up to show her to me as they wheeled her out of the room. Husband came over to see what I wanted him to do and I yelled "go with her!" So out they all went, I was alone, cut open and strapped down to the table.
Since I was advised this should be my last pregnancy I knew I was having my tubes taken out and my surgeon said he would try to "clean me up and make my incision nice and neat". Which meant it took about twice as long to get me sewn up that with my previous two surgeries. I kept telling my anesthesiologist I felt nauseous, finally he told me that he thought I was just having a bit of a panic attack and he said something he could give me, if I was comfortable with it, that could calm me down a little. I said yes! So moments after he pumped me full of Propofol I was in a good place, no longer worried. Finally, I was cleaned and bandaged and wheeled out into recovery. As they were wheeling me out, Husband and my parents were walking by, having just visited Hannah, back to the waiting room. I yelled "I'm good, he gave me Propofol. I like Propofol!" Which none of them could understand. Two by two everyone in our family came to visit me in recovery. At some point I asked the nurses how worried I should be about Hannah, one of them said "I haven't heard anyone talk about moving her to a different hospital, so I wouldn't be worried, this happens all the time with c section babies". This helped ease my nerves a bit too.
Finally, after nearly three hours, they brought me my sweet Hannah and laid her on my chest. She was not interested in nursing like my other two, she just wanted to lay on me. Almost immediately after they brought her to me we were wheeled into our room. I was allowed to eat and drink right away this time, which was different from the past. Everyone came to visit. My big girls came in and opened their new Cinderella dresses that Hannah had brought them. Then they went home to have dinner and go to bed with Amma.
Our first night in the hospital started with some sort of black ooze coming up from the shower drain after we flushed the toilet. So we switched rooms and all of the hospital staff was very attentive to ensure the rest of our stay went more smoothly. Husband stayed with us the first night, then he went home to stay with the big girls the second night. That way we knew at least one of us would be well rested and that the big girls would be in their normal routine. Amma came to stay with me and Hannah in the hospital. The nurses asked when I wanted to go home, I said ASAP! So they rushed my discharge and we were all home by 9am on Sunday. Hailey and Jailynn could not have been better big sisters from the get go. They loved Hannah instantly and were always eager to help.
