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My Birth Story

“All I saw were lights & having the will to see my daughter.”

On Wednesday July 10th, 2019 we had a Cytotec set up to help induce labor. I was already 3 days past due & wanted more than anything for her to be here. We went in at 11 AM and they did the first Cytotec. They sent us home a few hours later with no change. So Thursday July 11th, 2019 we went back at 6 AM for induction with Pitocin.

We got to the hospital and were set up in our labor & delivery room. My mom, sister & fiancé were all there in the room with me. They started the Pitocin & the contractions quickly began to get stronger but manageable. Prior to being induced I had started having mild contractions on my own clear back to Tuesday night — so I had already been having contractions for what felt like forever and getting no where. After being on Pitocin all day my body had not progressed at all. My doctor decided to stop Pitocin for the night & let me “rest”. She decided to Cytotec me every 4 hours to help thin my cervix. In the morning they checked me again and I hadn’t done much or gotten any rest. I went from a finger tip to 1 cm. Around 7 AM they started Pitocin again. And again, the contractions became stronger but manageable. I laborered all day Friday July 12th, 2019 with little change. Around 11 AM they decided to do my epidural at 3cm to help me relax. Getting the epidural went well and not as painful as people had told me — so that was a plus! Once I received my epidural I started to dilate quicker. By 5 PM I was at a 5/6 and by 9 PM I was at 7cm. But at 10 PM I started having the worst contractions and realized my epidural was no longer working. The anesthetist came in 3 times before realizing that I was in fact not receiving any meds & the clip on the tubing had sprung a leak and was leaking all over my bed sheets. In the middle of him realizing this I had become tachycardic and my baby was showing signs of distress. They diagnosed me with Pre Eclampsia and decided the safest option was to deliver immediately. So around 11 PM on July 12th, 2019 I was wheeled into the OR for an emergency C-section. I told my doctor to get her out before midnight so she could have the same birthday as her brother (dog), Pongo, who had turned 1 that day! When they got me in the OR and pushed more meds they made me so sick and I threw up for what felt like my entire surgery! But, she was born at 11:51 PM on July 12th, 2019 & shares a birthday with her big brother!! They stitched me up and took me back to my L&D room for skin to skin. I immediately started telling my nurse that I felt like there was a lot of bleeding but was told it was “normal”. I must’ve said it 10 times but no one was listening. After about an hour they took me to my Maternity room. Vincent was holding the baby on the couch and I remember looking over at them and thinking how lucky I was. My nurse was getting me all situated when I started to lose consciousness. I remember seeing stars and then nothing. I heard people telling me to open my eyes and stay awake but I couldn’t. I had no control of my body. When they finally got my BP back up the nurse asked if I wanted to try breast feeding again. Just as she was about to hand me my baby girl I felt like it was going to happen again. I told her I thought it was happening again and she put the baby down and called everyone back in the room. When I woke the second time the doctor was in the room saying I was hemmoraghing and needed to go back to surgery right away.

Despite me saying I felt like there was way too much bleeding my hemmoraghing went undiagnosed for hours. Just before going back to the OR I had to sign a paper that gave permission that if a full hysterectomy was needed my doctor could do it. All I saw were lights & the will to see my daughter. When I woke from anesthesia the first thing I asked was if I could still have kids — and my mom told me yes, that Emmy would have brothers and sisters. However, me being on drugs went “the f*** she will”. I become a jokester when on anesthesia. But, the morphine they gave me for my C-section had made me so itchy I was begging for my family to itch my body. But also cracking jokes —they took videos 🤦🏼‍♀️. I found out that they only had to do a D&C as well. They finally got me back to my Maternity room and I was hooked up to all these machines and had 3 IVs in my hands. I couldn’t even hold my baby.

I don’t remember much after that from the medications but they gave me another blood transfusion after my D&C to make sure my blood count was good. That was my 2nd transfusion after hemmoraghing. They watched me all weekend to make sure my vitals stabilized and then Saturday night my blood count tanked again. My hemoglobin was a 3. So they gave me a third transfusion and kept me an extra 2 days in the hospital. They also did a CT scan of my abdomen to check for more clots — which there was but they were hopeful it would expel itself.

Sunday was the first day I was able to get out of bed and shower since Thursday. It was the best shower of my life! I finally started to feel a bit better after everything that had gone on. But I was still under watchful eye. They kept me in the hospital until Tuesday and they felt my blood counts were in a safe range to go home. I was finally released Tuesday afternoon & got to take my baby girl home.

My blood pressure was still a little high so I had to go in for a follow up BP check in one week. The following Tuesday my BP check was normal and they said I was healing good.

I am 2 weeks PP today & doing really well considering what I went through. I have not let what happen make or break me. What I have learned is to be my own advocate when something feels wrong. If my story could do one thing I hope it gives women a voice for themselves when they feel like something is wrong & to not lose your voice.

Emelyn Marie Magnifico

July 12th, 2019

11:51 PM

9lbs 1oz

21 in