Kaden Franco's Birth Story

Kaden has been a dream come true since the first moment we learned he existed. What a miracle he is and how lucky I am to be his mom. I simply could not ever ask for a more perfect baby. He's so beautiful. From top to bottom - every finger and toe are just perfect. He's got a perfectly round little head lightly covered with straight, dark brown hair. His eyes are a dark blue-grey color. I'm pretty sure they're going to be brown in the next few months. His nose is more like mine than like daddy's. He definitely has daddy's chin though with that little dimple in it. Many people have commented that he looks like his big brother Khaled.

Now, on with the story of Kaden Franco:

On Saturday, October 16, 2004, we arrived at the hospital at 9:00 am. The c-section was scheduled for noon, but we got there early so that they could do all the necessary paperwork and get me prepped without having to rush. At the time we had no idea just how much extra time we'd given them! I was brought into the pre-op room where I was put on the monitors. Kaden's heartrate was "textbook" the entire time and the monitors even picked up some small contractions here and there. After the IV was put in my arm, the anesthesiologist came into the room to do my epidural. He had a very difficult time placing the epidural in the right spot and it took a long, painful time to finish the procedure. I have no desire to go through that again! The anesthesiologist and the doctor both agreed that they wouldn't mind if my mother came into the room with my husband and I. So, they both got suited up in those cool blue scrubs - booties, hats and all. Most of the time in the pre-op room I had been laying in a semi-reclined position and had been doing fine. However, after doing the epidural and starting a "test dose" of the epidural medicine, I was laid flat so that the nurse could shave me and put in the catheter. After laying in that position for a minute, I started to feel very light headed. I told the nurse I was feeling faint and that I couldn't lay flat on my back. She told me there was a wedge under my right side tipping me to my left a little bit because "that's when babies are the happiest". I tried to explain that just wouldn't be enough for me. I didn't have to though. My blood pressure dropped and they went into action. My poor family was out of the room at the time and were coming back right as they were trying to stabilize my blood pressure. They could see through the door the nurse squeezing the bag attached to my IV trying to get it to drip faster and then the door was closed on them. They put several doses of epinephrine through my IV and finally got my heart rate back up to a more normal level. For months I had been worrying about passing out on the operating room table because I'd have to lie on my back - my fears obviously weren't unwarranted.

My doctor was doing a delivery at another hospital close by while all this prepping was going on. We were just waiting for a phone call from him to let us know he was on the way so my c-section could get started. Being that we were having an "elective" c-section because it was on a Saturday, however, we knew that we could get bumped around. And we definitely did get bumped around. He finished the first delivery, but then a woman in the same hospital I was in had a baby in distress. They had to do an emergency c-section on her. After my doctor performed that c-section, we were notified that another woman at the other hospital was getting ready to deliver and he had to go there first. It was about 3:00 when we got the call from my doctor that he was on the way and that it was our turn. Everyone at the hospital kept thanking us for being so patient. I was just thankful that they were going out of their way to do an elective c-section on a Saturday. I didn't mind what time my baby was born. I was just glad it would be on the 16th.

At a little after 3:00 I was wheeled into the operating room. I could still move my legs and could feel my toes. It scared me to death! I kept asking the anesthesiologist if it was okay that I was still able to move so much. He told me that it happens sometimes. Still, I was just sure my epidural was done wrong. They tested me several times though, pinching me with their little clamps, making sure I was numb in all the right places. Fortunately I was. As soon as I was transferred onto the operating table and my arms were tied down, my blood pressure dropped again. Again, out came the doses of epinephrine to get my BP stabilized. Fortunately they were able to keep it stabilized throughout the c-section so I never lost consciousness.

I don't know which of the medications caused it, but I had such a hard time keeping my eyes open on the OR table. My eyelids were SO heavy. I kept wondering how I could be so incredibly excited and nervous about what was happening to me and still be falling asleep! The blue cape was put up in front of my face so that I couldn't see the incisions being made. My husband and mother came into the room. The doctor told me he was starting. I was going to see my baby boy in just minutes! I could feel the doctor tugging and moving me around. I could hear tools clanging and machines beeping. My husband was sitting beside me holding my hand and my mother was standing behind him. The anesthesiologist kept asking me if I was feeling okay. It's all so dreamlike. There are so many things that go through your mind at a time like that. And I just couldn't believe that I was really there and that it was really happening to me.

I heard the doctor say, "the uterine wall is very thin. It's a good thing we did this now." Then I heard someone say, "here comes the head!" Again I heard my doctor's voice, "we have meconium here." My husband said at that point they just started suctioning Kaden a lot trying to get all that yucky stuff out of there. Someone else's voice, "okay, you're going to feel a lot of pressure now." The nurse and the doctor both leaned their elbows into my body right under my ribs while the doctor pulled... and then he was here. My baby boy. He was crying and kicking and breathing air from the outside world for the first time. He was beautiful. The time of birth was 3:30 pm.

My doctor mentioned that it appeared as though my left tube had grown back together. He said it was very thin, but "it only takes one cell." I can't tell you how happy I am that that "one cell" found its way through that tube! After I was all closed up I was wheeled into the recovery room. My nurse who'd been there from the beginning stayed with me the entire time to keep an eye on my blood pressure that still wasn't stable without help. My nurse referred back to what my doctor said in the operating room about the uterine wall being thin. She said, "that means, no more babies for you." So, even though they didn't redo my tubal ligation, I won't be able to have any more children. As I understand it, I was very lucky my uterus didn't rupture while I was carrying Kaden.

They brought me my baby so much quickly than I thought they would! My husband came into the recovery room just minutes after they'd gotten me all settled. He wheeled in with him the baby bassinette with my sweet boy inside! I held him and kissed him and drank him in. I breastfed him right there in the recovery room. He took to it so quickly. I fall more and more in love with him every minute. I can't believe that he's here and that he's mine.


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