Nov. 14, 2005 - Matthew's Birth Story
As well as his first week of life....as posted elsewhere on 11/11/2005...I'll update again tomorrow of our first few days home.
Thursday afternoon...hugged and kissed my 6 blessings and headed for the big city. Mom and I checked into our hotel rooms and went out for dinner. We ate at the Olive Garden....chicken fettucinni for my "Last Supper". 
After thoroughly stuffing ourselves we headed back to the hotel to veg in front of the TV and look through catalogs for Christmas ideas and open gifts!! GREAT gifts for mom and baby!! Don arrived about 9:30 and we all went to bed to try and get some restless sleep. All three of us were sick and coughing all night long. 
4am...up, showered and heading to the hospital. 5am arrive at the ER entrance and wheeled up to LD to begin prep work. I have to say it was pretty surreal. Everything just sort of floating around me, like I was watching it all happen but not really a part of it. They had some *rules* that were bothering me and made me really wish we'd visited both hospitals before we picked one. I tried to stay focused and positive about it all. My first nurse was not very *nice* and was a bit rough. I was glad when 7am rolled around and she left. The next nurse was the absolute best and was with me continually until 3pm, she anticipated my every need and made sure everything was "perfect". They decided to let me recover in my prep room vs. the recovery room, bring baby in there instead of the nursery and let my mom be a part of everything (bath, etc.) which they were originally not going to do....see above about the *rules*. Then off we went to the OR....
They had some trouble with the spinal (can you say OUCH!) possibly due to scar tissue or calcium deposits in the space he was trying to use. He moved up and presto...feet were tingling. Then everything moved FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I could see part of the operation in a reflection on the ceiling...that was interesting! I did not think I was numb enough but when she started cutting I didn't feel a thing. Lots and lots of tugging and jerking....she said I had some SUPER stomach muscles and they had to really work to get it all open! Could have fooled me...I thought those were gone 5 babies ago! 
I told them it felt like I was on the high seas they way my body was rolling around. Saw lots of fluid and then BABY was here! I barely saw him (just his leg) and the pediatrician and nurses took him to a nearby table. He was sqwaking and sounded great. Uterus clamped right down and dr said all looked GREAT (I was very surprised). The others kept commenting on how good baby looked and sounded, very pink, great lungs, apgars 9 & 9 which is not typical of a section baby. They showed me the baby again and Don got up to take him to the nursery while I was stapled up. Again, very surreal!
They moved me to another bed and wheeled me to my original prep room where my mom arrived and said she saw the baby on the way to the nursery and they would be here soon......
Soon didn't come.
The nurse came in and began to tell me what was going on, then Don came in and began all over again. I don't really remember much as I was in extreme pain and they had to give me more morphine and I was really woozey. Something about grunting when he got to the nursery, giving him oxygen, having a hard time....IV, something else...cannot remember.
I insisted on going to the nursery to see him, so I had to switch beds again (OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!) to be able to fit through the nursery door. I could only touch his hand and they didn't even want me doing that. I was hearing things like "premature", "36 weeks", "grunting", "premature lungs", "boys don't mature as fast as girls" and the one that kept surprising me "HE'S SO BIG!"
Monitors beeping, wires everywhere, tubes and noises and nurses. After 6 normal deliveries and 6 healthy babies, this was a whole new world. I really was unprepared. One thing I learned quickly is that "size does not matter". Though he was gestationally measuring at 39 weeks, was indeed 37 weeks and the size of a full term baby, he was NOT a full term baby. Over the next few days I learned the many indicators of prematurity that he had. Ears, areolas, testicles, eye lashes, and other things. In the end his prematurity was not the primary cause of his difficulties, but it was very evident it played a role.
By 11am the oxygen was removed, but IV antibiotics had been started and the wait began. Would he make his turn around? That evening we finally got to hold him for a little while. His o2 levels went up while we held him and he seemed to be improving. The next morning he began coughing up lots of fluid and his levels dropped. Back under the helmet. He remained under o2 throughout the weekend. Saturday night he nose dived, we had to call the dr in at 10pm and order new x-rays. We thought he'd have to be transferred to the Children's Hospital in Peoria...closest NICU. This terrified me, as I would not be able to go with him. The good news/bad news of Saturday's events was that they got a better x-ray (3 additional ribs were showing) and it showed the "spot" that they began to "watch".
Monday morning we were told they were treating him as if he had pneumonia, though not completely convinced that was what it was. We began to question did he need to be moved, could it be something else, etc. The dr felt like we were on the right track and he would be off o2 within 2 days, then we'd begin to see how soon he would fully recover. 2 hours later we went to the nursery and the helmet was GONE!!!! 
And it did not come back!!!!
That began our new road. Everyday we lost and gained something. Monday lost the o2 helmet, gained and OG tube. Tuesday pulled the OG tube out, gained the ability to actually NURSE!! Wednesday lost level 2 status, was able to bring him to our room. Thursday lost monitors, gained freedom of movement and beeps! Friday lost IV and gained a new baby at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last night we got a shocker at about 7pm.....babies were flooding in and we had to move. The hospital allows you to *board* with your baby, remaining in your room, but you are no longer a patient. You get a bed and 3 squares and a lot of freedom which is really NICE...but if they get full up to peds you go. At first they were not going to send the baby with us, but I was pretty adamant about us moving as a family. They called the director and the pediatrician and everyone approved the *move* and up we went. I will say it was nice and quiet on the peds floor (just a hives patient and a cellulitis patient on the whole floor). Another boarding family moved as well and I think I set the precidence b/c her baby got to come too. 
(I was told this was *not the way they did things*.) 
Last dose of antibiotics last night and this morning we were free to take baby home!! And how good it is to be here. 
They do believe he had pneumonia, it was not caused by my illness, but was complicated by his prematurity. Everyone felt we made all the right decisions in delivery and afterwards. This really was not something that could have been predicted (via amnio or u/s) nor prevented. As of yesterday his lungs were completely clear and his blood count (not a WBC something else) was normal as well. So he is WELL and hopefully there will be no long term effects of the illness or the antibiotics. We will have to have hearing screenings every 6 months until age 2 due to one of the antibiotics he was on.
Comments
Nov. 14, 2005 - Congratulations!!!
Posted by PatriciaWHunter
Wow, what a time you had! Praise God that Matthew is healthy now. I had a section with Emily and have a clear memory of all that tugging and pulling! Ugh! I can't wait to see pictures. You are going to post pictures, right? Love ~ Pat(ricia)
Nov. 14, 2005 - Untitled Comment
Posted by mistresninos
I'm so relieved he's going to be ok. The hospital with baby experience is not a pleasant one but I'm glad they were able to help him and that you are all home together.
Nov. 15, 2005 - curious
Posted by Bek
just wondering what meds he was on. my dd had complications after section as well and ended up being on antibiotics for 3 days round the clock. no one ever mentioned anything about hearing screenings, of course there was lots they did not mention. she is almost 2 now and several people have suggested i have her hearing screened because she is not talking much yet. congrats on the baby! he is really cute!!
