January 27, 2009

• Rewind 2 weeks

  (I can’t believe she is two weeks old already!!!)

  We were told to be at the hospital at 10:00 AM as I was scheduled for a C-Section at 12:30

  We hung out in Labor and Delivery Pre-op just talking and joking, my parents were on the way up from FL.

  The nurse told me I would be getting an epidural or a spinal depending on the anesthesiologist, she said one of them does exclusively spinals.

  At about 12:10 the anesthesiologist came in and introduced himself and told me he’d be doing a spinal.  He said the difference was needle size, and I’d get numb in 2 minutes as opposed to 30 minutes with an epidural.

  They brought me over to the OR where I had to sit on the table.  Lynette the midwife was there to assist Dr. Kitchen the OB.  She was rooting me on as they numbed me to give me the spinal.  LOL  I was crying during that, so I couldn’t imagine the surgery.

  They finished giving me the spinal and put a drape up, then I felt dizzy all of a sudden.  “John” from Anesthesiology was behind me and told me my blood pressure had plummeted which is normal with a spinal, they gave me some oxygen and some medicine to bring it back up.  I turned my head and saw Freddie walking in.  A vision in powder blue.  LOL.  He was all sterile, (well not sterile… hee hee) “John” told him he could hold my hand on one side of the drape but not past it. 

  Fred held my hand as I cried and kept telling me it was going to be okay.  My parents were in the waiting room, they got there after I was taken into the OR so I didn’t get to see them beforehand.  I could smell flesh burning, it was some kind of cauterization I think.  It all happened so quickly.  “John” told Fred he could stand up and look over the drape to see the head.  I was warned I’d feel a lot of pressure, like someone was sitting on my stomach.  I heard Dr, Kitchen say, “I’d say she’s just at 9 lbs.”  Next thing I knew, I heard her cry.  It was the most beautiful noise I’d ever heard.  It was 12:46 PM she weighed 7lbs 14 oz, and was 19 inches long.

  They were looking her over and giving her the APGAR test, (which was 8 and 9) and “John” told Fred, he could go over, Fred looked at me and asked, “Do you mind?”  Obviously I wasn’t going anywhere. So he went over to her.  He exclaimed (Mind you, Freddie is a joker) 13 lbs 6 oz!!! Next thing I knew they laid her on my chest for what seemed like a split second, and then they must have drugged me further to begin sewing me up.  I remember being in the recovery room and asking for something to drink.  They gave me a small cup of ice chips.  I fell asleep with it in my hand because I woke up to it spilling on me.  The nurse asked how I was feeling, I said, “I want to see my baby.”

  Soon after I was taken to the Mom-Baby floor.  Fred and my parents were already there (as was Lydia) They put her in my arms so I could breastfeed.  I was lucky nothing was wrong with her, so I was able to have her room in with me.  The bed next to me was free, so Fred was able to stay too.  Thank GOD because I was good for nothing.  I still couldn’t feel my legs, I still had the catheter, and they compression stockings on.  He changed all her diapers the first night.  Fred sleeps through EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING.  When she cried, he sat up in the bed and looked over at her, if she kept crying he went and stood over her, and if she continued, he picked her up and soothed her.  I was so glad he was there, to have this special bonding time.

  Grace and Darran and Hope came to visit, and brought me starbucks but I was on a clear liquid diet.  (mmmm beef broth and jello!  3 meals a day)  Later, Wayne and Jennifer came by as did Olivia.  It was nice to have visitors!

  My catheter and stockings were removed, the next AM as was my IV and I was encouraged to walk.  It was difficult, but I did my best.

  That night, I still didn’t have a roommate, so Fred was able to stay again.  It was great to have my family all together.  We prayed a lot.  We thanked GOD for the miracle he had bestowed upon us.  We were up at night a lot.  She was fussy.  Her weight had dropped to 7 lbs 11 oz.  I couldn’t get her to take my breast, and the nurse on the floor told me not to worry about the “nipple nazis” and encouraged me to give her formula.  I didn’t want to.  I didn’t want her to get used to a fake nipple, and lose the taste for breastmilk.  So, we gave her a syringe of 15cc’s of glucose water. That seemed to placate her.  She was also very mucusy which they say is normal for C-Section babies. (I had no clue)  She slept with us again that night.

  Thursday Afternoon, Fred went home to run some errands, and then they told me I was getting a roommate.  I was sad, because It was so nice for us all to be together.  I called Fred and he came back.  I still tried to nurse every 2-3 hours, she wouldn’t nurse for long, but they told me that the first few days, they’re only getting colostrum, and don’t need a lot.  Her weight dropped to 7 lbs 4 oz that night.  I commented that she looked yellow to me, but I’m pasty white of Irish descent, so any colour looks odd next to me.  We had a very rough night without Fred there.  She wouldn’t nurse, and I couldn’t soothe her the way her Daddy could.  We were up most of the night.  Her just looking at me trustingly with her big blue eyes, and me not knowing what to do. 

  When her pediatrician came in Friday morning he said she looked a little yellow, so they were going to check her bilirubin levels.  This was before 8AM.  By 10 AM, I still hadn’t seen a nurse (they normally came in about 7 to check vitals, give meds, and empty my drain)  So I went looking.  I also wanted to results of Lydia’s test.  I was on a warpath.  A nurse I spoke with said the results should be back by 11:00.  So, I waited.  and waited.  and waited.  by 1:00 PM I went to find my nurse, and the results were in she said, I have to call Dr. Hester.  She called, he was at lunch.  She gave the results to someone in the office.  But wouldn’t tell me what they meant. (it was 15.2) Renee had been through this with Danni in November, so I texted her and then called her and she put my mind at ease.  By 2 they told me they had orders to put her under the bili-lights.  I requested that they not give her a bottle in the nursery.  I told them my husband was on the way and he’d want to hold her so they told me to tell him to hurry.

  They took her from me, and my heart broke a little bit.  How could I fall in love with her so quickly?  How could I miss her so much?  Fred came and they let us go into the nursery (which apparently they don’t normally do) he held her and we prayed for her and we left.  I can’t tell you how many times that night I was up at the nursery peeking through the slats of the blinds just to see my little girl.  I was using a hand pump to pump breast milk, which I don’t even know if they fed her.  I was up there about 10:30 and Fred had just left for the night, and the nurse came out.  I asked how much she’d weighed that night.  She didn’t know and kind of waved me off.  But then she told me, “If you want for her next feeding we can bring her to you.”  NOBODY had told me that.  I’d gone over 8 hours without holding my baby.  I was ELATED!  I called Fred and told him they were going to let me feed her.  I drank a huge mug of water and settled into my bed.  I was going to be rested and hydrated for my little girl.

  About 1:30 Lydia was brought to me.  It was great to hold her, and smell her, and kiss her.  But, she still wouldn’t take my breast.  They came back 20 minutes later and took her back. 

  Saturday AM the on call Pediatrician came in and her bilirubin had decreased to 9.8 so he said she could come home.  I was on cloud nine!  I sent Fred a photo of her and a text saying, “Come and get us Daddy!”  He was still sleeping ha ha.  I had to call him a couple of times, but he came to get us.

  She weighed 7 lbs 1 oz when she was released.  We’ve still been having breastfeeding issues.  We went to the lactation consultant on Tuesday and of course she was on her best behaviour there.  She nursed like a pro and took 1.2 oz in 10 minutes.  I bought a battery operated breast pump there (Thanks Mom/Grandma!) and I’ve been pumping at home.  I still offer her the breast, but she doesn’t seem to want to take it.  Sometimes, I don’t pump much at all, so I have had to supplement with formula. 

  Thursday, I got a call from the Pediatrician that one of her Newborn metabolic screens came back irregular, so we had to go to the Hospital to have that redone.

  Went to the Dr. yesterday for a weight check, she’s up to 8 lbs 7 oz!!!!  The doctor said that is good.  I thought it was a huge gain, but he said it’s normal. 

  She was extra fussy today.  I blame Bryan for throwing her day off.  LOL  Thanks for all your prayers.  I can’t believe I got this time to blog!  My days are lately filled with feedings, burpings, diapers, bottle washing, pumping, rocking, praying, feedings, burpings, diapers, bottle washing, pumping, rocking, praying and I actually vacuumed yesterday too!

  Photos here, here, and here

   

  • 11:37 pm
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