Birth Stories

Pre-term birth story

I am going to try and make this as short as possible...

At 28 weeks, I did not feel LO move for 18 hours, so I went to the OB Triage unit to get him checked out. He was fine, just in a wierd position to where I could not feel him moving. The doctor on call made me stay in the hospital on the pp unit because my blood pressure was up, and he wanted a 24 hour urine. The next day, the 24 hour urine came back with 2 grams of protein.

I was in the hospital on strict bed rest for 3 weeks and was getting VERY depressed. My doc told me I could go home to strict bed rest and take the chances of me coming back. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would be back in that hospital soon.

In the car ride home, I became very queesy. My mom came and stayed with us that night to make sure I did not have to lift a finger. We were checking my blood pressure every hour on the hour. The following day (Sunday), at 6pm, my BP rose to 235/186. We went straight back to the hospital. As soon as I arrived, they started me on magnesium (I pray that nobody ever has to go on that crap!) to prevent me from having seizures...my reflexes at that time were 4+ everywhere...I was sick.

They also gave me my first shot of steroids, which is when I FREAKED, because I knew it would not be long until the delivered me.

They called in the neonatologist to talk to me, and I freaked even more. He gave me the run down of all kinds of numbers and statistics of a 30 week old baby. The most re-assuring part of that whole experience was the fact that the neo's son was jsut born at 30 weeks also, so that made me feel a whole lot more comfortable.

I had a severe headache the next morning when my OB came in to see me. He asked the nurse if I was in my steroid window, and as she nodded yes, he said we needed to get an ultrasound done to see how LO was laying to see if I could have a vaginal delivery. It was time, my body could not keep him in any longer. Any higher blood pressure would certainly cause the placenta to shut down and he was not going to let that happen.

I looked at my OB, and told him there was NO way I could push that baby out after being on magnesium for more than 24 hours. (It makes you like a limp noodle and you feel HORRIBLE). So he said, okay no ultrasound then, we will do a c-section this afternoon or whenever there is an opening in the OR.

Next thing I know, not even an hour later I was being wheeled into the OR to have my son. The whole thing was very emotional not only for me but my family as well. It was hard to think that my son would have to spend the first weeks of his life in the NICU, instead of my arms where he should be.

The neo had told us that he might not cry when he was born. As I was clenching to my husbands hand and praying to God outloud "Please Cry, Please Cry, PLease Cry" the nurse told me his head was out, and I heard nothing. next, I hear suction, and then a little man crying as hard as he could. The cleaned him up and since he was breathing on his own, the let me see him for just a minute before he went to the NICU.

He was PERFECT! I never though another man would steal my heart again, but that head FULL of blonde hair and that perfect face swept me off my feet.

As soon as the delivered him, my BP was normal again.

He has been in the NICU for 2 weeks now, and is diong great. The steroids really helped him. He did not have to go on a ventilator but was on CPAP and oxygen for about 4 days. He has an NG tube for feedings and has episodes where he forgets to breath, but with no stimulation, brings himself back up again.

When he was born he weighed 3lb 1oz and was 15 in. long. He now weighs 3lb 3oz. He is truly a miracle!

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