Henry's Life: One fine day

One Fine Day

(the 6 days leading up to Henry’s birth)

I apologize in advance for the length of this post. So much happened so fast and if anything this post is more for our family as a way to remember everything!

Thursday, October 16, 2014 started out like any normal day. We had a regular scheduled OB-GYN appointment, although we were excited about this one because it was our 32/33 week growth ultrasound. We were really excited for possibly the last opportunity to see our baby before he was born.

We went to the OB-GYN in the morning and had our ultrasound first. It was a great visit. Henry’s heartbeat was 131, they guesstimated him at 4 lbs 7 ounces (42^nd percentile), and we got to see hair on his head! Absolutely no issues at all.

We then met with Dr. Palmer (a new doctor to us- we were trying to mix up the doctor’s we saw so we could be familiar with all). As standard procedure, my blood pressure was taken. I normally have extremely low blood pressure- I normally average around 90/60. This time it was 155/100. I was then asked to give a urine sample and that came back with abnormally high protein. We were told 0.3 is normal and my came back at 5.0. My blood pressure was taken over and over again over the course of 10 minutes and it still continued to be high.

Dr. Palmer started discussing doing a 24- hour urine collection; the only problem was that we were leaving for Atlanta early the next morning for our baby shower. When we told Dr. Palmer this he was then worried about us traveling and my blood pressure being so high so he recommended we go to the hospital (literally across the street) to triage to see what they recommended before we left town.

As we crossed the street, I started to get nervous due to our impending trip to Atlanta and shower, but never once thought seriously at this point that it would be an issue. After quick phone calls to my mother and sister and our bosses and reassuring them I was fine, we made our way to triage. After analyzing my blood, my urine, and monitoring my blood pressure it was decided that they would admit me for 48 hours to monitor me. At this point I had a complete emotional breakdown knowing our trip to Atlanta and baby shower was cancelled. On top of this we had family and friends that had/were in the process of flying in. I was utterly devastated to say the least. On a side note I also felt completely fine. I had no symptoms or side effects that they kept describing. I felt fine and I felt like everyone was over reacting. At this point the doctors were talking about me having preeclampsia.

*I had been experience swelling in my feet for the previous couple of weeks but figured this was normal of pregnant women.

Once admitted I started the 24-hour urine collection. The result was my protein count was over 5,000 and normal is <150. All my other blood work came back normal and this time I still was not having any other symptoms associated with preeclampsia and I honestly felt completely fine (except utterly devastated still about our shower). On Thursday evening, I met with doctors whom discussed getting the 2 part steroid shot, for the off chance I had to deliver early, it would help Henry’s lung development. I was very hesitant about this and spoke to many people until Brian and I finally decided it would be worth it in the end. I received the steroid shot Thursday evening and Friday evening.

After 48 hours, Saturday, I convinced the doctors I was fine, minus my urine and blood pressure (which was dropping to 130s/80s), and I was given the okay to go home. I was told to monitor my blood pressure and that I had to be on bed rest- this meant I could no longer work.

Through all this I had so much support from both sides of our family. My mother and sister came down Friday to Sunday morning to visit and hang out since our shower was cancelled and knew I needed cheering up. I give a big shout out to my dad and Aunt Barb. My aunt had already flown in to Atlanta for our shower before I had been admitted to the hospital. My dad stayed behind with Aunt Barb and they spent a lot of time with our nephew and nieces.

Once I received the green light and was discharged Saturday afternoon, my mother and sister helped around the house, cooked dinner, and we had a mini shower (opened all the gifts that they had already received for our shower). They left that Sunday morning and Brian and I spent all day Sunday preparing for Henry. We had no clue when he would come and hoped he would not come soon, but we were definitely nowhere near ready for him to arrive (I was after all only 33 weeks pregnant and our two baby showers had not yet occurred). Brian went out and bought our pack n’ play bassinet (thanks to Brian’s dad for buying this for us last minute!), sheets, diaper bag, and boppy. I spent all day doing baby laundry and we packed our hospital bags. Although I was technically supposed to be on bed rest with my feet propped up, it was a little hard to follow the doctor’s orders when I suddenly had no time to “nest.”

Monday, October 20. My dad was driving down to spend the week with us; my Aunt Barb had left town and he wanted to spend time with me and help out while I was on bed rest. Brian went to work and I spent the morning on the phone discussing with my boss and HR how I would continue to work while on bed rest.

Brian came home for lunch to check on me and we went to Wal-Greens and had my blood pressure checked. The first time it was taken it was 162/107 and the second time was 178/108. Needless to say at this point I knew this was not good. And I had to admit that I did have a bad headache (a classic symptom). I called my OB-GYN who told me to go back to triage at the hospital. After a quick shower and a stop to get lunch (best decision ever- I was not allowed to eat after that for 3 days!) we went back to the hospital. Upon arrival my headache was becoming unbearable and I finally felt like maybe there was something wrong. I was admitted and about that time my dad made it in to town. At this point there was talk about waiting until that Friday, October 24 and then inducing. Although I did not want Henry to be that early, I think after previously being admitted, having the weekend to mentally and physically prepare, and being admitted again I was more at ease with the decision. And to be honest it never occurred to me that he would have to be in the NICU (even after meeting with NICU doctors) after he was born. Throughout my stay in the hospital they monitored Henry’s heart rate and one doctor even told us it was “textbook perfect” and she was even going to use it in her class to teach with. Henry was doing just fine, it was me that apparently was not.

Wednesday, October 22 came. On the doctor’s rounds that morning they said they wanted to go ahead and start inducing today. They felt two days would not make a big difference and my symptoms were not getting any better. I was transferred to a delivery room and they put in a balloon to dilate my cervix. They figured this would be faster than waiting for the Pitocin to do it, although once I was about 3-4 cm dilated they would start the Pitocin. The balloon was inserted (something I wish not to have repeated again!) and about 5 minutes later the doctors are rushing in and start telling me about how I will be prepped for a C-section. Apparently Henry’s heart rate was dropping and they decided that since I was not even dilated at this point and it was dropping he would not be able to tolerate the possible remaining 19 hours of labor.

When I was told this I was surprisingly okay with the decision. I had been adamant about not having a C-section previously but something deep down told me I would always have one anyway. I was told I would have to be on Magnesium Sulfate (due to my preeclampsia, this medicine would help prevent me from having a seizure if my blood pressure got too high during surgery). Due to being on this I was now considered a fall risk, which meant I could not move from bed for 24 hours after his birth.

I was prepped for surgery quickly- I was given a spinal tap. Brian was not allowed to be around for most of it. He was allowed to come in the operating room once I was already prepped. Once they pulled out Henry (I heard Henry cry!), Brian got to cut the umbilical cord and watched all the weighing/measuring, etc. He left with Henry for the NICU.

HENRY WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 22, 2014 AT 4:47 PM WEIGHING IN AT 4 LBS 5 OUNCES AND 17 INCHES. And he did have a full head of hair just like the ultrasound! And I forgot to mention that our favorite doctor during our hospital visits, Dr. Henry, delivered our Henry Carter! He was 6 weeks early (delivered at 33 weeks 5 days).

I did get a chance to see the placenta- the nurses joked with me that this was the only request I had before surgery started. It was pretty nasty but pretty amazing too. I was then stitched up and taken to a recovery area for 2 hours. Brian and my dad came in and out and showed me pictures of Henry. I was only able to see him for about 2 seconds before he was taken away. I learned at this time too he was in the NICU being looked at.

After 2 hours of the recovery room I was taken to my own room to find out that I could not move from bed (I had a catheter placed in me), could not eat (this was the case though from being admitted on Monday- I went 3 straight days without eating), and could not see my baby for 24 hours due to the magnesium sulfate (fall risk)/bed confinement and him being in the NICU and not being able to come to my room.

Needless to say this was devastating. I’m a brand new mom and I’m not allowed to see or hold my child. I had been told for a week by doctors and nurses about how important skin to skin contact is in the first hour and how I will get to do that and I did not due to his prematurity.

My mom had arrived later that night and somehow between my mom, dad, and Brian they must have harassed the NICU nurse enough because at 2 am Brian went down to give them a bottle that I had pumped and he returned with the nurse and Henry! It was the most amazing thing ever. For about an hour both Brian and I got to hold Henry (skin to skin) and it was fantastic. I did not get to see him again until the 24 hours was up. I later learned that it is not policy for babies for to leave the NICU and we kept this as our secret that ours did leave. One nurse told us in her 13 years of working there she had never seen this happen. I am truly blessed to have not had to wait the full 24 hours.

24 hours after Henry’s birth I was taken off the Magnesium Sulfate, given food, and allowed to see my baby boy! I was in the most excruciating pain ever due to be confined and not moving a muscle for 24 hours after major surgery. I am convinced this made my recovery 1000 times worse. My morale was also not very high due to the emotional turmoil of giving birth and not seeing my child for that long. But I was also the happiest person now getting to spend time with him.