Jessy's Adoption Story Part 10

Part 10:

All this happened so fast that I will try to remember details.

They admitted L and started running tests. Jessica seemed to be holding up good. Her heart would rise and fall as “normal.” I think I remember the fear being that when the baby’s heart drops during a contraction, it has to come back up. An emergency C section would happen if the heart didn’t come back up to normal rates. Jessica did not seem to be under any stress. I was fearful of all this but they said they could have her out in minutes if they had too...and we basically had to just trust the Lord to direct the decisions of her doctors...

L’s mom’s memory is better than mine so here is her story:

After a few hours the doctor told us that the baby had a 50/50 chance, as she might have a heart problem. He stated the medication was not producing labor and he wanted to stop the meds until early morning to give L time to rest. He wanted her strong and not tired to deliver the baby. He also advised us that L was placed in the room next to the OR, a doctor was sleeping down the hall, and the baby could be delivered in two minutes if there were problems. We inquired why he didn't do a c-section now, but he danced around the question. You and Robert left, as not to hover over L. I know you checked on her status via the phone and were poised to come at a moments notice...

L was given meds to sleep and I sat and watched the heart monitor. I also watched the nurse wheel away baby bed, as she said "clear the way" if the OR was needed. It was a scary night.

The next morning they started the meds again. This time, L was in labor, but did not dilate for hours. When she did dilate, she did all at once! The nurse L liked assisted. (She was the nurse that gave L the tour of the maternity ward and shared that she had adopted her son and would do anything to support a biological mother -- She was a Christian too.)

Back to Tracy…As she appeared to be “fine” they told L she could rest for the night (like that happens in a hospital) and they would turn on the pitocin in the a.m. I was so afraid at this point. I remmebered the comment about the 50/50 chance and couldn't see how this was all good. We decided to get a hotel room. It was so hard to leave the hospital and go but we knew we needed to try and sleep if we could and let L be with her mom and get the rest she needed. L’s mom stayed by her side the whole time and was amazing. The nurses were mean at one point (earlier in the day) – the first nurse that is – they stripped her membranes and it hurt badly – she said L was being a baby – imagine that – a young girl about to go through what she was going to go through and the nurse telling me she was a baby! I called Patty and she laughed – she told me that hurts really bad and that the nurse was MEAN!!! I remember Bonnie calling and saying that she had to tell me (as the social worker) that I didn’t have to adopt the baby if something was wrong – I wasn’t mad at her but I remember being upset – we were okay with whatever Jessy had wrong with her – I thought it interesting at that moment that it came down to L’s question at the restaurant – “what if something was wrong?” We still felt that it was as if I was pregnant and we would have her as our daughter no matter what.

They put her on the labor inducing drugs in the morning. It was so hard to be there – I wanted to comfort her. I remember rubbing her head and she said I was patting her!! Ha ha! We still laugh about it – I was so nervous. Her mom was awesome – she was a rock through the whole thing. It didn’t seem to be progressing at all and we were going to go out to grab a quick bite to eat. They had told us that they were going to do a c section soon (I think in about 45 minutes) and that we should go right then. We decided to check in at the last minute…just in case … they were rushing her out to get her ready to deliver!!!

It was really hard to watch someone go through this for us. If you have done it yourself you know – although even when I had Nathaniel – it wasn’t the same thing – My drugs kicked in and worked completely. L had pain the whole time. She had pain for us – it’s an amazing thing. It is humbling and incredible.