It all started the morning of July 30. While I was getting ready for work, I started bleeding. We decided to drive in just in case I wasn't able to go to work. I called the OB Triage nurse line on the way in, and the nurse said I should come in to get checked out. After some poking and prodding, it was determined that I was 2 cm dilated, my cervix was short, and I had a placental abruption. They wouldn't let me go home until the bleeding stopped.
The next couple hours were a little blurry. I started getting contractions at some point and went to Labor and Delivery around 11:00 a.m. I received a steroid injection for the baby's lung development in case he/she was going to be born soon. The contractions were painful and peaked at 5-7 minutes apart. They gave me lots of fluid and the contractions subsided by evening. Brandon went home to get me clothes and to take the dogs to our friends' house. Around 7:00 p.m. I was moved to the antepartum unit.
July 31 was uneventful, but on the morning of Aug. 1 my water broke. I was not going home without having my baby. They gave me antibiotics to prevent infection and scheduled an induction for Aug. 8. I would be 34 weeks. Studies show that at 34 weeks there is no benefit to keeping the baby inside. So I had to wait until I went on my own or until Aug. 8 to have my baby. The Olympics were on, but I was so bored with watching them. Baylee came to visit, which helped my mood.
Mom and Amanda came to visit me on the weekend and give Brandon a break from sitting with me.
Brandon got the dogs for the weekend and was dropping them off at our friends' house again on Sunday night, when I called to tell him that I had a very painful contraction. That first contraction was at 8:20 p.m. and Everett was born at 2:00 a.m. the next day. The doctor came to check me right away, and I was 5 cm dilated, so I was ready to go to Labor and Delivery and get an epidural. I think I got the epidural around 10:00 p.m., started pushing around 11:00 p.m., got some pitocin at some point because my strong contractions weren't regular. At about 1:30 a.m., I was moved to the OR to have my baby. I needed to deliver there because the respiratory equipment is next to it and the chances of my baby needing breathing help was high. Everett was born at 2:00 a.m. and was immediately taken to the respiratory room. Brandon went back and forth between him and me while I was getting stitched. He weighed 5 pounds and 15 ounces and was 18 3/4 inches long. I was able to see him before I went back to my Labor and Delivery room.
Everett needed a CPAP for 2 hours and was then able to breathe on his own. Before he went to his room in the Intermediate Special Care Nursery, he came to see me.
After a couple hours, my nurse tried to take me to a postpartum room, but that didn't go well. Every time I stood up I fainted. After lots of tests, including an EKG, and lots of fluids, I was finally able to go to a postpartum room around 9:00 p.m. Since Everett and I were in seperate rooms, I was able to watch him on my TV.
I went to Everett's room a couple times the next day and the next and was discharged on Aug. 8.
Every day between Aug. 8 and Aug. 31, I slept at home and spent all day in his room. I stayed overnight a few times, but it wasn't necessary because Everett was receiving all of his milk through a feeding tube. It also left me exhausted because his nurse came in often and his monitors would beep and keep me awake. Brandon didn't work the first week, but he went back the second week until he came home. He came to see us at lunch and breaks and stayed until I went home in the evening.
The last week he was there I stayed with him to nurse since he was consistently waking up for his feedings and learning to suck and swallow. One of the requirements for him to go home was that he needed to completely feed orally and still gain weight. They took his feeding tube out after he fed orally for 24 hours on Aug. 30 at 6:00 a.m. He continued to do well without the tube, and he was discharged on Aug. 31 at 5:00 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds then, and I'm guessing he weighs about 8 pounds now.
Since then we haven't been doing much besides care for Everett. He had newborn photos taken on his one-month birthday at Candid Joy Photography.
Baylee and Odie are doing well with Everett. Baylee doesn't blink an eye when he cries, and Odie lays at his feet when he is fussy.
Grandma came to visit and help for a couple days.
He went on his first dog walk.
He went to church for the first time and slept through the whole service in his car seat.
My maternity leave is already half over. I am scheduled to return to work on Brandon's birthday, Oct. 29. I'm already not looking forward to that day. I'm not sure I could be a stay at home mom, but working full-time doesn't sound fun either. I think half-time would be perfect.
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