Christmas Baby! (Part 2)

Later on the 27th (the day we came home), my parents visited us for a little while that night. My neck was really bothering me; it seriously felt like whiplash from a car accident or something. It just hurt so bad to keep my head upright. So we exchanged Christmas gifts while I laid down on the couch and opened all of my gifts sideways. I was really starting to question whether or not I did have side effects from the botched epidural #1.

Peter and I decided that we would take “shifts” to get some sleep on the first night home, but I felt so weak that I stayed on the first floor with the baby. My neck was killing me, I had a small headache starting, I was exhausted, my boobs were soooo sore, and I remember thinking that this was the worst night of my life :(. It had nothing to do with the baby, but taking care of a baby on top of all of that made me feel extra terrible. How do you take care of a baby when you are barely taking care of yourself?

I know this sounds weird, but my neck hurt so bad that I really don’t remember a lot of the Christmas gifts that I got. I even tried to take a shower on the morning of the 28th, but I felt so dizzy during the shower that I had to sit down while showering. I was so nervous that I would fall over, and I had to call Peter into the bathroom to make sure I could get out of the shower without falling over. Worst shower of my life. When I walked into the bedroom, I actually fell face first onto the bed because everything started to turn white, and I got really tired and scared that I would faint.

We decided to call my mom and dad that night to babysit, so Peter and I could go to the ER. It just got to the point where I felt useless. Peter had been taking care of Emma all day, and I just laid on the couch in pain. I know this sounds dumb, but I really hate overreacting to things, and I hate when people are overly dramatic about things. I didn’t want to admit that this was a reaction to the epidural. I just figured, “Hey, it’s childbirth. Everyone says it sucks. This must be normal,” but it was so hard to see other friends of mine who have just given birth making posts on Facebook about how they are taking the baby on a walk, going to visit people, etc. I felt like if they could do it, I could to. I know, I know. I am stupid.

So we went to the ER around 7pm, and when we walked in, there were no seats open, and the place was PACKED. Everyone had the flu.

Peter checked me in, and they said it would be a while. I stood in the ER waiting area for about 20 minutes and cried in pain because my neck hurt so much to stand upright. The nurses and patients were looking at me like I was crazy. Finally, a nurse said I could lay down in the car, and Peter could call me when it was my turn to be seen. So I went to the car and slept in the front reclined seat for four hours. Yes, 4 HOURS. 🙁

Wet Tap (spinal fluid leak)

Finally Peter called my phone, and I went back inside. They took me to a room where I could lay on a bed. The doctor came in and said it definitely was from the “wet tap” epidural #1. Then she told me that the anesthesiologist wasn’t available to the ER at night, so I could either:

1. Stay overnight at the hospital. They would give me a caffeine drip and Motrin until 11am when he might be able to fit me in.
2. Come back to the ER tomorrow at 8am, sign in again, and wait to be seen.