The Split Second Panic After Delivery

May 7, 2008

I understood the definition of awkward in the delivery room when my son was halfway out and the doctor asked if I wanted to rest.

How does a mother take a break when her babe is stuck between the real world and the womb?

I pushed and delivered our amazing lil boy — all 9 pounds, 4 and a half ounces and nearly 23 inches of him.

In the midst of the excitement, being sewn up by a resident and the nurse announcing, "I think we've got a ten pounder," I realized he hadn't cried. To see what happened, read more.

I inquired and no one answered. Panicked, I repeated, "Why isn't he breathing?" "Why isn't he breathing?" like a broken record and watched the staff tend to my son, and the doctor hit a button.

Just as the crew called in for assistance stepped though the door, he cried. It was the best sound I have ever heard.

Though it was just moments, time stood still.

Did you have a situation that made you panic in the delivery room?

18 Comments

bluepuppybites 4 years 51 weeks

With my first pregnancy I didn't want an epidural but I was willing to try other things for the pain and when my contractions got to where I didn't want to stand, I wanted something for the pain so I got a Nubain shot. I loved it, I could still feel all the contractions and the intensity of them, but they were tolerable. And I was so loopy I laughed a lot. I labored at the hospital for about 7 hours when the nurse checked me and said ok you can start pushing I freaked! Every book and class tells you you'll know that time when you need to push I didn't so I panicked and I freaked out so much that I tore out my IV and the nurse and Dr wanted to slap me (they didn't of course). But I guess I was doing everything right cause she came out 30 minutes later, all of us fine and healthy.

anniekim 5 years 2 weeks

Yikes!

anniekim 5 years 2 weeks

Yikes!

graylen 5 years 2 weeks

Greggie- it's kind of funny that your deliveries were so scary for your husband, but you were kind of unaware- poor guy! Usually it's the other way around!

Greggie 5 years 2 weeks

My second son was born without a heartbeat and wouldn't breathe. It was awful for my husband (I was overmedicated from the c-section so I didn't realize any of this until it was all over and he was in my arms). Eventually they got him going, but it took awhile. The cord had been around his neck, and even though I was only having mild contractions that resulted in an earlier c-section, they were strangling him. With my first, I went into respiratory arrest during labor. But that wasn't scary for me, it was actually quite peaceful. Scary as hell for my husband, though.

Greggie 5 years 2 weeks

Kimpossible 5 years 2 weeks

Sarah my 3rd child,, our son had a similar situation. It was the day we were supposed to go home, they literally took him out of my arms and rushed him to NICU and yep first test - spinal tap. They were afraid he had Menegitis or group b, but it turns out he had a simple staph infection. It's scary when they just take them out of your arms like that and not say anything.

kikidawn 5 years 2 weeks

oh wow! I'm so happy of your babies are ok. I can't imagine going through something so scary!

TwistandShout 5 years 2 weeks

Sarah, the exact same thing happened to my little sister, but I don't think it was until she was a couple of weeks old. I'm not sure. They never did figure out what was wrong with her, either.

sarahinparis 5 years 2 weeks

I had a perfect pregnancy and super easy delivery, but they placed my little one on me and then quickly pulled her away after just a few seconds. There was whispering at the table and then they announced that she wasn't keeping her temperature up and her heart beat was failing, so they wanted to take her to the NICU. Forty minutes later they had me cleaned up and still not a word from NICU . . . we finally found someone and they told us that they had to admit her and we needed to sign a pile of papers to o.k. a battery of tests - starting with a spinal tap!! This was all made more shocking be cause we had such an easy pregnancy, I just wasn't prepared for it. Well after a week of terror, she was healthy enough to be released - and they never figured out what caused it all!

schnappycat 5 years 2 weeks

Wow, scary stuff here! I'm glad all of the babies are ok. My delivery happened so quickly that I scarcely had time to even think or realize he was out. He was crying before getting to the warmer. I was very fortunate. However, I did panic shortly thereafter when I realized that I had to take him home and the nurses weren't coming with me.

schnappycat 5 years 2 weeks

Wow, scary stuff here! I'm glad all of the babies are ok.My delivery happened so quickly that I scarcely had time to even think or realize he was out. He was crying before getting to the warmer. I was very fortunate. However, I did panic shortly thereafter when I realized that I had to take him home and the nurses weren't coming with me.

Kimpossible 5 years 2 weeks

My 4th baby stopped breathing after delivery. The suction machine wasn't working (there was meconium in the amniotic fluid and she was in distress but we did not know this until I went into labor 2 weeks early - had she not made her need to be born known, she would have died in me). She was born, doc cut the chord, machine wouldn't work and he had his thumb in her mouth to keep her from breathing (so she wouldn't get meconium in her), they used the manual suction bag, then our daughter's heart stopped and they had to resucitate her. Her delivery was so fast that the whole thing was nothing but panic. I mentioned in another post that each of my pregnancies had gotten worse and harder and the deliveries too, we decided then that we were done having children. We just didn't want to risk it again. The happy side, she is a healthy, happy, smart, thriving, 5.5 year old.

Kimpossible 5 years 2 weeks

My 4th baby stopped breathing after delivery. The suction machine wasn't working (there was meconium in the amniotic fluid and she was in distress but we did not know this until I went into labor 2 weeks early - had she not made her need to be born known, she would have died in me). She was born, doc cut the chord, machine wouldn't work and he had his thumb in her mouth to keep her from breathing (so she wouldn't get meconium in her), they used the manual suction bag, then our daughter's heart stopped and they had to resucitate her. Her delivery was so fast that the whole thing was nothing but panic. I mentioned in another post that each of my pregnancies had gotten worse and harder and the deliveries too, we decided then that we were done having children. We just didn't want to risk it again.The happy side, she is a healthy, happy, smart, thriving, 5.5 year old.

jessie 5 years 2 weeks

with my first son, he didn't cry. they were rubbing him and had oxygen on him while he was still on my belly. and i've got oxygen, tears are rolling, rubbing his feet, asking why isn't he crying, like you said over and over like a broken record. just as they were gonna take him off my belly he started screaming. freaked me out, since he was my first child. the other 2 came out screaming!

lickety split 5 years 2 weeks

oh my gosh! that would be horribly scary! no nothing like that. my first didn't cry, she came out and looked around like "what the heck just happend!" and looked right at me like "do i know you". we all started laughing and then she started crying. but it was a very sweet moment.

DesignRchic 5 years 2 weeks

Not yet! And what you experienced IS so scary! Interestingly enough, last night read about infants holding their breath. It sounds like it's common.

faerymagick15 5 years 2 weeks

My panic wasn't from my baby not crying or anything like that. My panic was after they took her out, I had a csection, they showed her to me and seconds later I started feeling the pain of them stitching me back up. I said, "Hey, I can feel that, am I supposed to be feeling that?" Next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery feeling very sore and very groggy. My epidural had started to wear off towards the end and they knocked me out quickly so they could finish. That definitely freaked me out!!!

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