and that would be for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost being that I had the baby!!!
Colin Anthony arrived on July 13, 2009 at 6:37 p.m. weighing in at 7 pounds 1/2 an ounce and 20 inches long!
Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, here goes “the rest of the story” as Paul Harvey used to say…
As of 34 weeks, they stopped checking my cervix but I was not relieved from bedrest. I was allowed to take a shower every day but that was about it. At 35 weeks, the Perinatalogist told me I could move around a bit more and drive myself to the Dr., but I was only allowed 1 outing that week. So, I cheated a bit and took 2 outings – 1 was to go and get glasses as I had broken my last pair and the second was my (our) baby shower.
I shared the baby shower with my sister. I think I’ve mentioned before that she is due 3 days after me. So, on Sunday, July 12 we had a joint shower at my house and it was amazing!! We had a really wonderful time, the weather was perfecct and so many people came it was incredible. I believe we ended up with over 60 people at the house. Everything went just perfect and we got more gifts than I possibly could have expected. The generosity was incredible.
Afterwards, we just piled all our stuff in the empty bedroom of our house to be gone through later. I went to bed at 9 p.m. exhausted and happy. I had my first internal the next day and I was going to talk to the OB about removing the stitch at 36 weeks since the Peri was stopping the Procardia at 36 weeks.
Well, I go to the OB the next morning still riding the high of the day before. They put me in the exam room and tell me to undress from the waist down. My Dr. comes in and I talk to him about the stitch. He says he’s going to take it out that Friday as it will be over 36 weeks and since I’m coming off the Procardia he doesn’t want to take any chances. He then sits down to start the internal. He inserts the speculum, takes a look and says “Oh no, you are unbelievable”. He then removes the speculum and tells me to get dressed. He leaves the room. I get dressed and sit on the table waiting for him. He comes back in and asks me what I am doing. I tell him waiting for him. He responds that I should go in his office and he’ll meet me there.
In his office, he asks where my husband is and I tell him working. He tells me to call hubby and tell him to come home, I’m having this baby today!!! He then proceeds to tell me that I”m 4cm dilated and the membranes are bulging through the stitch. I am sent to L & D, where they hook me up to monitors that tell me I’m contracting very slightly every hour or so. Doc comes in at noon to remove the stitch. As soon as he takes out the stitch, I start putting my legs back down and my water breaks.
They start me on Pitocin at 12:30 and the contractions start to get stronger. I’m now 5/6cm dilated and still alone. Finally, around 1ish my sisters and mother show up. Followed shortly thereafter by Dan. Now the room is full and my brother and his wife show up. I am now 7cm dilated and contractions are a few minutes apart. My OB tells me if I want an epidural now is the time, so I get the epidural. It’s not nearly as bad as some people think and it takes the pain away instantly.
At 5:30, I’m fully dilated and they tell me it’s going to be time to push. I start pushing somewhere around 5:40 and let me tell you – it’s no easy task. You are pushing with all you have trying to get this baby out, but you don’t know where and how to push. Every time the Drs. tell you to push like you just did, it’s all you can do to remember how you pushed.
Anyway, after pushing for almost an hour – BabyMack appeared!! He scored a 9.9 on the APGAR, but was “grunting” after a few minutes and they told us they would try him in the regular nursery but if the grunting continued he would be transferred to NICU. Lo and behold, the grunting continued and by 8 p.m. he was in NICU – where he stayed for a week.
The first day he was on CPAP, which is a respirator to help him breathe. The second day, he was just on oxygen. The third day he was in an open crib and we thought he might be going home in the next day or so. But, then his bilirubins came back high and he had to go under the UV lights. He spent a day under the lights, bili’s came down and he was put back in an open incubator. He was then circumcised. We thought we’d be bringing him home Sunday – and then his bili’s went back up again….and he went back under the lights. By Sunday night, his numbers were back in the normal range and Monday we were told we could bring him home!!!
He’s been home for almost two weeks now and is the most wonderful baby ever! He really doesn’t fuss all that much and when he does, he is easily satiated. Wether it be food or just someone to talk to him, he quiets right down. He still has yellow in his eyes and I”m kind of worried about that, but there isn’t much I can do at this point. If it doesn’t go away, I will call the Ped and see what the deal is. He also had an abnormal newborn screen, but the Ped said not to worry yet as this comes back abnormal a lot the first time around. Then the second time, it comes back normal. So, I’ll know more about that next week.
I’ve changed – when I took him for the second screening and they had to prick his foot – I cried like a baby. I hate seeing him in any kind of pain or even unhappiness. I want everything to be wonderful for him…after all we’ve been through I want his life to be perfect. I know this is unattainable, but one can hope right?!
Anyway…that’s my update for now! Here are some pics….and the big question is – Do I continue this blog? I probably will…..I can go on with his life and/or move into my Mom’s story which is a whole other fiasco……..
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