delivery story (part 4)

wednesday we went to lydia's doctor appointment.  she is weighing in at 4lbs. 8oz. the doctor says that she is looking good.  quite a few people have asked if we have to go to the doctor more often with her.  the answer is no.  the next time she has a routine appointment is in a month.  they are treating her like a regular newborn.  the only things the doctors say they will treat differently is her weight, size, and development.  development, as in talking, crawling, walking, etc.  she could be up to six weeks behind in those things because of being six weeks premature.  with her being the "pistol" that she is, i kinda doubt she will be far behind, if at all. 

this next part of the delivery story is pretty lengthy, but it's the final section and i didn't want to break it up.  enjoy.

Around 1:30pm Sunday afternoon, I felt like my water had broke. I called in the nurse and asked her to check. She said that it wasn't my water but a little bit of blood, and that she needed to get the doctor. Dr. Madden came in and took a quick look. Looking at your dad and I, he told us that blood at this point was not a good thing. He described it as a placenta abruption. He further explained that he had no idea how the bleeding would continue and that we could risk losing me and you by continuing with the regular delivery, or we could move onto his suggestion...c-section...right then. Your dad didn't even look at me before he agreed with the doctor. I am sure the thought of losing both of us was one of the worst thoughts that had ever gone thru his mind.

I will take a time out of the delivery story to brag on your dad. I cannot tell you in words how much he means to me. The entire time I was in the hospital, he didn't leave my side. He slept on an air mattress for the entire 10 days that I was there. And he has been here everyday that you have been in the NICU. He loves me so well. As I am typing this story, you are a week old. The way that I have watched him express his love for you is amazing. It only makes my love for him stronger. He is both of our first loves, Lydia. I am so thankful for him and I pray that we will not take his love for granted. He is an amazing man of God. Please allow him to be a good standard of what kind of man to look for when you get older.

Back to the delivery story. Once we agreed to the c-section, it only took about 10 minutes before they were prepping me in the OR. Apparently, I have tiny veins. This caused a problem the entire hospital stay when it was time for them to take blood for my lab work. It was worse when the anesthesiologist was looking to put in another IV for the medicine to numb me for surgery. He couldn't put it in either arm, so he had to put in a "central line." That would be an IV in my neck. I was pretty scared. Your dad couldn't be in the OR as they were prepping me, so that made me even more anxious, but luckily the anesthesiologist was really nice and talked me thru the process. 

Once I was prepped, they brought your dad into the room. He sat beside me while they began the process of bringing you into this world. On Sunday, May 20th, 2012 at 1:59pm, the doctor pulled you out. At that moment, I heard the most amazing sound. You were crying! All 3lbs and 1oz of you was crying!!! That was the best sound I have ever heard. You see, I think Dad and I had half prepared for the possibility of you needing breathing support. The neonatologist had come into the room earlier in the week to explain what the possibilities and risks were with a preterm baby at the size and age you were. The need for breathing support was one of those. I am so thankful I heard that cry from you. I knew that you were ok. The doctor called you a "pistol," because you were kicking and screaming, yet you were so tiny. 

Dad stayed with me while the nurses rolled you to the NICU. Nonnie and Granny were in the hallway as the nurses wheeled you by, so they were able to see you for a second. I am sure there were tears from both of them. After they got me stitched back up, your dad came to the NICU with you. I had to be in recovery for a little while before I was able to see you. During the time that I was in recovery, you were doing so well that they moved you out of the NICU and into the Intermediate nursery. You never had to be on any type of breathing support or oxygen. Glory to God!!

After my recovery stay, they moved me to a different room in the Antepartum side. As they were wheeling me to my room, they took me inside of the nursery and let me reach in the incubator that you were in to touch you. You looked perfect!

I had to stay on the magnesium sulfate for 24 hours after I delivered you. With preeclampsia, the symptoms don't go away for me immediately. It could actually take up to a month for everything to regulate back to normal. Because of being on the mag and the epidural, they made me stay in the bed. This caused me to have to wait awhile before I was able to hold you. Friends and family were coming up to visit, and Dad was able to show you off to everyone. In the nursery, they had you right next to a window where we could open the blinds for everyone to see you.

Once the medicine was out of my system, I was able to be wheeled down to the nursery in a wheelchair and see you. You were so beautiful! It was Wednesday before I was able to hold you. The first time that I held you, I was able to feed you some of your bottle. Drinking the bottles really wore you out because you were so tiny. Every other time you ate, they gave it to you thru a feeding tube so that you could gain weight and get stronger.

As I write, I am sitting in the room with you. You have been in this nursery for 12 days. You are getting a little stronger each day! Dad and I are so ready to bring you home!! We pray everyday for you! We cannot express our love for you. You are truly a gift given to us by God. Our lives are better with you in it.

We love you very much!  Love, Mom 

part 1, part 2, and part 3...so you can read the whole story