premature baby birth story....5 months later...(LONG)
Well, it all began 5 months ago on May 31....It was a normal day, me and my husband just spent Memorial Day having our own lil cookout dinner, and relaxing in our recently purchased home. I was 29 weeks 5 days pregnant.
That night, as I laid in bed, I started to have major indigestion. I ran to the bathroom, took some antacids, and laid back down...it didn't stop. I went downstairs to relax on the couch, and that's when the pains in my shoulders, and neck started...I decided to try to go back to bed to see if that would ease my back pains. Within minutes, the indigestion became so severe that I couldn't breathe, I yelled for my husband to bring me some milk (since that seems to work for him), it made the pain more severe. Now, I am not one to run to the ER for anything like this, since I have a history of stomach ulcers and reflux. However, that night, the pain was like nothing I have ever experienced. I started to scream in pain, and said, "Please take me to the ER!"
Thankfully the ER was only 2 miles away, because I don't know how much longer I would have handled the drive. I screamed the entire way, couldn't sit still, and just bawled. As we got to the ER, I was still screaming, causing a HUGE scene, which made the ER nurse push everyone aside and say: "we are taking her first!"
I couldn't breath, or speak, and all I was able to muster was "I HURT, and am almost 30 weeks pregnant!"
That was all they needed to hear to rush me to the back; however, due to what I could only imagine as my crazy antics and my inability to sit still (from the severe pains) they were unable to get my blood pressure, which delayed my exam. I was never concerned about my baby, because the pains were nowhere near my belly.
Once they were able to get me to sit still long enough for my BP, they took me to the back for ultrasounds...the baby was doing fine. They examined my gallbladder and noticed it was inflamed. The pain just continued to worsen. They tried to give me meds to help the pain, after awhile, the meds began to work. Since I was pregnant, and they assumed that my gallbladder needed removed, they were afraid to do any type of surgery, in case something happened to the baby. Mind you, the ER I was at had no affiliation to the hospital I planned on delivering (and were not equiped for emergency deliveries-if needed)..which was 40 min away. The ER dr contacted one of the dr's from my OB's office and they decided to play it safe and transport me to the other hospital..40 min away for surgery.
On the ride to the hospital, the pains began to lessen (thanks to the drugs), and I began to mentally prepare myself for gallbladder surgery. Once we arrived at the hospital (3am), and after many exams, and tests, the nurse on duty, and the resident, came in and hit us with news we definitely didn't expect...." you have what is called severed HELLP Syndrome, and your baby needs to come OUT."
I sat there stunned, while my husband turned white, ran to the bathroom, and passed out....
The dr tried to explain what was wrong, since neither one of us have ever heard of HELLP before. I never had any sort of symptom, or sign of preeclampsia, so we were comepletely thrown off when they were explaining everything. I was told that I needed two steroid injections for the baby's lungs, and after that...we would have a c-section. The staff kept reassuring me that our baby was going to be okay, he would be 30 weeks at the time of delivery, and that at that stage, he has a 97% chance of survival. Despite their reassurance, it was the most terrifying moment...and not what we had in mind for our first pregancy.
The next two days were terrible, let me say that receiving Magnesium is probably one of the worst meds that could ever be given. I have never felt so terrible in my life, even the severe pains I experienced was nothing like the crappiness I felt on the Mag. Thankfully, that was only for 3 days.
On June 3 (delivery day), the drs came in at 9:30, and said...we will be back at 10, and your baby will be here shortly after. Up until that moment, I thought I experienced the most dramatic, and emotional feelings..I was wrong. Since my platelets were so low, I was unable to have a spinal, and had to have general anesthesia, which meant, my husband was not allowed to be in the delivery room. I was terrified...as they wheeled me to the prep room, laying under the bright lights, I began to have a meltdown. The anestesiologist tried to calm me down, held my hand, and asked my baby's name, and suggested naming it after him if we didn't have one chosen. 
At 10:20 am, Noah J was born all 2.4 pounds of him. I was able to see him after I woke up from the recovery room, though, I do not remember that moment. Thankfully, my parents took pictures so I can 'remember' that I did see him. He was taken to the Children's Hospital across the street, and had to be intubated, due to respitory distress. Thankfully, his tube was removed within 24 hours....after the feisty lil man removed it himself.
Noah spent 8 weeks in the NICU, it was the longest 8 weeks of our lives. Looking back, it seems like a dream. Prior to all this, I never was against a c-section, and secretly wanted one...after all of this, I don't regret that I had one; however, I get upset that I wasn't able to have a spinal, and was completely under, upset that my husband wasn't there when Noah was born, upset that I didnt' get to see him until hours later, but more upset that I don't remember that, and that my first "real" time seeing him was an entire day later. I cry when I watch tv and see people giving birth, naturally, or via c-section, and see their faces when their baby is held up in the air. That memory I will never have. I was robbed of a lot of experiences, and since this was my first pregnancy, it is really hard at times to listen to 'normal' birth stories.. I never really felt pregnant, only gained about 12 pounds at the time I had him, so it all just seems so surreal.
My one sister gave birth (her 2nd pregnancy) a month prior to my emergency delivery, and got to experience all the happiness...my youngest sister delivered (first pregnancy) 5 days after me, and was able to take her lil one home within 48 hours, while I remained in the hospital, while my baby was across the street-being taken care of by strangers, with no discharge date in site. Those moments and memories caused lots of bitterness...though it made me and my husband stronger and closer, I would never wish my experience on anyone.
5 months have passed, and Noah is thriving, he is growing so much, and is catching up to his cousins. It was an experience like no other, and until you go through a premature birth, it isn't something that anyone can explain to you for you to fully understand. The ups and down that come with it, the uncertainty of life in the NICU, no one can tell you what to expect, or how to feel...you can't explain it to anyone for them to understand, unless they have gone through it first hand. Even now, people don't get it, they don't understand how we have to be more cautious with Noah, and how he isn't viewed as a full-term baby, even though he may look it...it gets frustrating, but I look at our little miracle, and could care less about what others think or say...cause in the end, we have an amazing little boy..and a crazy story to tell him later on.
noah joined us 10 weeks early.
Re: premature baby birth story....5 months later...(LONG)
My son is a NICU miracle as well. Born at 37 weeks from a c-section and had surfactant deficiency (which means no oxygen could get to his lungs). So while he was in the Level II NICU and no one could figure out what was wrong with him....we were slowly watching him die. It was my first child and my soon-to-be-ex-husband at the time was busy sleeping around. He never came to the hospital and I was facing this horrible ordeal by myself. Yes, my parents were there but it's different when it's your baby.
I was told he was not meant to make it, to let the nurses bring him to me so he could die in my arms and no other hospitals had room for a Level III case. My entire world collapsed. How can this be? I did everything I was supposed to do. I read all the books, ate what I was supposed to...it was supposed to be an easy induction because he was too big for me to have.
Connor was allowed the ability to go to Texas Children's Hospital...an hour from me. He had a team of doctors and I got a phone call from them every 3 hours for a status update and verbal consent to try a different exploratory treatment to find out what was wrong. The surfactant deficiency wasn't found until he had a 15% chance to live and calls to a priest and funeral home were being made. He was 2 days old. By a fluke, one doctor on the team gave Connor surfactant. He turned around immediately, a cure had been found. I was told not to bet on Connor having a normal life, he will have difficulties, and understand this child was not meant to live.
Connor made liars out of all of them. He's 9 now and an enthusiast for history. NICU babies are fighters and people shouldn't discount what they can do. Where we see it's hopeless, they find a way to make it possible.
God be with you and your little Noah. If you think his birth story is amazing, just wait till later when he shows you what he really can do.
wow, your story is amazing, and I can't wait to see what it is in store for noah as he grows.
yes, nicu babies are true fighters, and seem to love to prove everyone wrong! congrats to you as well!
OMG the exact thing just happen to me 3 weeks ago, the only thing different was that my blood pressure was sky high and i had horrible headaches, my liver enzymes were elevated and also my platlet count was so low, so I had the symptoms of preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome.... They delivered my little girl at 29weeks and 5 days. She weighed 2lbs 1oz. She is currently in the NICU and its killing me, but I also know that she is getting better day by day and soon enough i will have her home with me.... BUT it seems like forever... I loved your story and it gives me strength to continue with the next long weeks....
Thanks,
Jennifer