"Our Little Miracle..."
Day 1, November 22, 2008: Saturday morning at 12:30 am, my water broke while I was sleeping. Sam and I called the doctor, packed a bag, and went to the ER at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Sam of course was much more frantic than I. I kind of just stood in the bedroom thinking about what I would need to pack. Lol. So we got to the ER and then they took us up to the Labor and Delivery. 
It took the doctors forever to actually put me in a delivery room because they "weren't sure I was in labor." I was having contractions that lasted about 45 seconds and were 3-3 1/2 minutes apart, and my water broke....and yet they weren't sure I was in labor because one test came back positive, and one came back negative, to say if my water ruptured or not. I was like, are you kidding me? Of course I'm in fricken labor! So the contractions were getting pretty strong and they took us took a delivery room at about 5 am. They said it could take about an hour to get someone up there to give me the epidural. The contractions were so strong and painful that I was throwing up and just very, very uncomfortable. The anestesthiologist got to my room at about 6 and was done with his job around 6:15. I was in heaven. I was 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced when they gave me the epidural. I think the next time they checked me was around 8:50 or so and I was 8 cm dilated and 100% effaced. Two minutes later they came in to check again and they said I was complete. Sooo, they got the whole team in the room and started pushing. I pushed through 2 contractions - 3 pushes in each, and there she was! I had to stop pushing at one point so they could unwrap the cord around her neck, but I could not believe how quickly it was over. There were probably 15 d
octors in the room. Some were taking care of me, some took care of Sophia, etc. I got to hold our little girl for a couple minutes before they whisked her away to the CHKD NICU.
I spent 4 hours in bed after she arrived because I wasn't able to get up from the epidural. We went to go see Sophia at about 3:30 or so. She was very sleepy from the Fentanyl pain medication and she was on a ventilator. The doctors had to cut the hole larger in order to fit the intestines back in. They had fit almost all of it back inside the first day.
Day 4, November 25, 2008: Sophia was taken off the C Pap machine and now has just a nasal canula. She is looking much better and less puffy. The doctors heard a murmur this morning when they were listening to her heart. They did an echocardiogram to take a closer look. She has this valve, the PDA, that hasn't closed up yet. It usually closes shortly after birth. Since she didn't use her lungs in utero, she needed this valve open. Now that she's born though, it needs to close up so that food doesn't get into her lungs and into her 
bloodstream. The easiest way to close the PDA if it doesn't on its own, is to give her ibuprofen. She also has a little whole in her heart called the PFO. This one can take months to close - even in full term babies. The doctors are not concerned by either of these findings. We got to see her open her eyes tonight! We also got to hold her for the first time! We took our first family picture tonight too!
It took the doctors forever to actually put me in a delivery room because they "weren't sure I was in labor." I was having contractions that lasted about 45 seconds and were 3-3 1/2 minutes apart, and my water broke....and yet they weren't sure I was in labor because one test came back positive, and one came back negative, to say if my water ruptured or not. I was like, are you kidding me? Of course I'm in fricken labor! So the contractions were getting pretty strong and they took us took a delivery room at about 5 am. They said it could take about an hour to get someone up there to give me the epidural. The contractions were so strong and painful that I was throwing up and just very, very uncomfortable. The anestesthiologist got to my room at about 6 and was done with his job around 6:15. I was in heaven. I was 4 cm dilated and 80% effaced when they gave me the epidural. I think the next time they checked me was around 8:50 or so and I was 8 cm dilated and 100% effaced. Two minutes later they came in to check again and they said I was complete. Sooo, they got the whole team in the room and started pushing. I pushed through 2 contractions - 3 pushes in each, and there she was! I had to stop pushing at one point so they could unwrap the cord around her neck, but I could not believe how quickly it was over. There were probably 15 d
octors in the room. Some were taking care of me, some took care of Sophia, etc. I got to hold our little girl for a couple minutes before they whisked her away to the CHKD NICU.I spent 4 hours in bed after she arrived because I wasn't able to get up from the epidural. We went to go see Sophia at about 3:30 or so. She was very sleepy from the Fentanyl pain medication and she was on a ventilator. The doctors had to cut the hole larger in order to fit the intestines back in. They had fit almost all of it back inside the first day.
Day 2, November 23, 2008: They put the rest of the intestine back in and said she'd be ready for primary closure surgery on Monda
y or Tuesday. It would depend on how she was doing and when they had an opening in the OR. Her calcium levels were low and they started her on TPN and lipids. This is her form of nutrition for the time being. The nurses tried to put a PICC line in, but didn't get it on the first try. Later that night they were successful. We got to touch Sophia today and she moved her arms and toes when we would run our fingers over her. Later that evening she was too sedated to move because of the pain medication they gave her when they did the PICC line. We filled out Sophia's birth certificate information today too :)
y or Tuesday. It would depend on how she was doing and when they had an opening in the OR. Her calcium levels were low and they started her on TPN and lipids. This is her form of nutrition for the time being. The nurses tried to put a PICC line in, but didn't get it on the first try. Later that night they were successful. We got to touch Sophia today and she moved her arms and toes when we would run our fingers over her. Later that evening she was too sedated to move because of the pain medication they gave her when they did the PICC line. We filled out Sophia's birth certificate information today too :)Day 3, November 24, 2008: I was discharged and Sophia underwent surgery. The surgery took Dr. Kelly less than an hour. She did well and he was able to preserve the umbilical cord so that she can have a more norm
al looking belly button. That night they attempted to take her off the ventilator and see if she would breathe on her own. I was really surprised they tried this so early after the surgery because she was so drugged up on the fentanyl (pain killer). That drug suppresses your breathing capabilities. She would not breathe on her own for a while and it was a very scary experience for Sam and I. Eventually they asked us to go to the waiting room while they worked on her. We came back in shortly after and they had given her Narcam (like caffeine) to reverse the effects of the fentanyl. She was on the C Pap machine to help her breathe. It's a little mask over her nose that helps keep her airways open. She's very puffy from all the fluids and surgery. She just doesn't look like herself. I feel bad everytime I look at her.
al looking belly button. That night they attempted to take her off the ventilator and see if she would breathe on her own. I was really surprised they tried this so early after the surgery because she was so drugged up on the fentanyl (pain killer). That drug suppresses your breathing capabilities. She would not breathe on her own for a while and it was a very scary experience for Sam and I. Eventually they asked us to go to the waiting room while they worked on her. We came back in shortly after and they had given her Narcam (like caffeine) to reverse the effects of the fentanyl. She was on the C Pap machine to help her breathe. It's a little mask over her nose that helps keep her airways open. She's very puffy from all the fluids and surgery. She just doesn't look like herself. I feel bad everytime I look at her.
Day 4, November 25, 2008: Sophia was taken off the C Pap machine and now has just a nasal canula. She is looking much better and less puffy. The doctors heard a murmur this morning when they were listening to her heart. They did an echocardiogram to take a closer look. She has this valve, the PDA, that hasn't closed up yet. It usually closes shortly after birth. Since she didn't use her lungs in utero, she needed this valve open. Now that she's born though, it needs to close up so that food doesn't get into her lungs and into her 
bloodstream. The easiest way to close the PDA if it doesn't on its own, is to give her ibuprofen. She also has a little whole in her heart called the PFO. This one can take months to close - even in full term babies. The doctors are not concerned by either of these findings. We got to see her open her eyes tonight! We also got to hold her for the first time! We took our first family picture tonight too!
Day 5, November 26, 2008: Sophia no longer has a canula! They took the bandages off her belly! She is wearing clothes and s
leeps in a crib! She has the most adorable little purple bow in her hair....glued in her hair. Lol. The only clothes that the nurses could find to fit her was a blue onesie, so they insisted on putting a bow in her hair. Today will be her last day of antibiotics (gentomycin). I got to change her wet diaper and held her for about an hour and a half before Auntie Kristin and Aunt Jaclyn came to visit. They both go to hold her for a few minutes. I wish they could have visited with her longer. It's impossible not to fall in love with our little girl. She's just precious. Every little noise she makes and even her cry makes my heart melt. They took her sump out of her mouth and put a smaller one
in
th
rough her nose.
leeps in a crib! She has the most adorable little purple bow in her hair....glued in her hair. Lol. The only clothes that the nurses could find to fit her was a blue onesie, so they insisted on putting a bow in her hair. Today will be her last day of antibiotics (gentomycin). I got to change her wet diaper and held her for about an hour and a half before Auntie Kristin and Aunt Jaclyn came to visit. They both go to hold her for a few minutes. I wish they could have visited with her longer. It's impossible not to fall in love with our little girl. She's just precious. Every little noise she makes and even her cry makes my heart melt. They took her sump out of her mouth and put a smaller one
in
th
rough her nose. When Sam and I went back later at night, we got to weigh her on the scale, change her POOPY diaper! Yay! We also got to give her a bath. She wasn't real fond of this idea. We put her in a little polka dot onesie, which was huge on her even though it's newborn size. She looks absolutely gorgeous. The swelling has gone down almost entirely.
Day 6, November 27, 2008: Happy Thanksgiving! We went to go see Sophia this morning and she's doing great. I changed another poopy diaper. Hurrah! We should be giving her another bath tonight...this time I'll make Daddy do most of the washing. I love the little squaks she makes. She sounds like a baby bird. It looks like she's getting less and less stuff out of her sump and it seems to be getting lighter colored - which is the goal. Hopefully they'll start feeding her breast milk soon.
1 comment:
She is so beautiful and I am glad to hear how great that she is doing. I'll be keeping you three in my thoughts.
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