Sunday, February 28, 2010

Connor -- Day 2

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Connor Jamison
2 days old
Day 2 and back to the NICU I go. I could have been released today, but I chose not to. I can technically stay until Tuesday and I will if that's how long they keep Connor. I got to hold him today. He is off the oxygen and GI tube and in a regular nursery crib, just still in the NICU. I was so happy to hold him, finally. And I got to feed him his bottles. I was so overjoyed. Now, to just get him out of the NICU and home.....
I found out from my doctor that my uterus was about to rupture on Friday. Good thing he bumped me up to Friday over Tuesday. I don't even want to think about what may have happened to me if I had to wait those 4 extra days! I guess that's what "Now" meant. Nice to know. Thank goodness I am done with babies.
On another note, I am pretty sure that I will be banned from this place after my discharge. Me and one nurse had a little issue. Ok, not so little considering I locked myself in the bathroom and refused to come out! It happened really early yesterday morning. They took my catheter out Friday night. I was told I had to pee twice in 12 hours, they had to check and make sure I did or I would have to be re-catheterized. Ummmm.... whatever. I went once Saturday morning around 545 am. It was just a little; remember now on Thursday I was told I had a UTI coming. She came in around 6 and told me that I had to pee again before 7 am or she was going to put the catheter back in. So, at 7 I went to the bathroom and guess what -- I couldn't pee. Now, this is really no one's business, but ever since I was about 5 or so, I would go to the bathroom to pee twice or occasionally 3 times a day. That's it (well unless I was preggers). I don't know why and it always infuriated my parents. It actually irritates Chris as well, but hey, its the way I have ALWAYS been. So, the nurse knocked on the door and told me to come on out and she would do my catheter. Whatever -- I don't think so! I just stayed in the bathroom with the door locked. She kept knocking and telling me to come on; I kept not answering. Finally, she said "I'll just tell the doctor you refused the catheter." I said "You do that. I pee twice a day. You missed it this morning." She left. I peed a couple of hours later. She came in when her shift started tonight and said "I guess you proved me wrong." Well, yeah I guess I did. Never saw her the rest of the night. She was my nurse for the night, but she sent another one in with my meds. Teehee.... don't mess with the hormonal post-partum mommy!
Well, here's to hoping that little man is able to come out of NICU soon!! I miss not having my baby with me in the hospital room. I hate the feeling of knowing that he's not in me anymore and he's not with me either.......
Click here to see the one other picture from today.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Connor -- Day 1

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Connor Jamison
1 day old
Connor is 1 day old today. I still have not held him. I went to the NICU today to sit with him. They are now feeding him formula through a GI tube. Hmmmm..... whatever happened to mommy milk? No one has bothered to discuss this with me. Later in the evening they decided to bring me a breast pump. Thanks....... should've been doing this since yesterday right? Chris came to visit and see Connor. It's really no fun to just sit there and stare at him. I want to hold my son!
For more pictures, just different angles click here.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Delivery Day!!!!!!!

I got to the hospital at 5 am and went into my "delivery waiting room". They put the monitors on me, started my IV and did my catheter (have I ever mentioned how bad that procedure hurts?!?!?). I laid there waiting..... I got nauseous once and I still have no idea why. At 7 am the nurse came in to tell me that I was the next one to go (I was #3 out of 4) and explain the procedure to us (ok.......). They came in to get me around 730 am to take me to the OR to get my spinal and then would let Chris in and do the c-section. It took them almost 30 minutes to do my spinal! Now, me + big needle + my spine = tense. So, to keep me from tensing up the nurses were attempting a conversation with me. Of course, they start with the most frequent question - "Is this your first?" I said no and another nurse made the comment that this was my 7th. The first nurse responded with "Wow! You must be Catholic!" WTF? I simply replied "Why, yes I am!" (I was baptized Catholic and attended a Catholic church for the first 15 years of my life). So, 30 minutes, 2 anesthesiologists and 1 stupid comment later, I am finally laying on the table ready to go. But, wait.... I could still feel my feet. I racked my brain trying to remember if I could feel my feet with my last c-section. I couldn't remember. I saw the doctor walk towards me and say he was getting to start. No!!! I can still feel my feet! The anesthesiologist asked if I could feel where the doctor just cut. No... Wait, you can't cut yet! Where's Chris..... The nurse assures me that he is on his way in. The doctor says Now. I'm thinking to myself, "Oh God, what? What does now mean? Where's Chris? Hey, I can't feel my feet anymore. But, where's my husband?" Then I hear, "That's a big baby!" I hear him cry and then Chris appears. Chris tells me that the baby has my feet (I have really strange looking feet... Poor kid). I was also getting a tubal, so there was quite a bit of time I just laid there while they took care of that part. I remember the nurse bringing Connor over and asking us what name had we chosen. Chris told her Connor and she said "Say hello to Connor." That was one of the happiest moments of my life (and obviously I have had several!). He looked so sweet and adorable. I immediately noticed the cleft in the chin, just like Chris. Chris held him while I rubbed his little cheek. Then the nurse came to take him and Chris said it was because he was breathing heavy. They finished up my tubal and "put me back together". I don't remember much; I was going in and out.

They took me back to my "waiting room". Around 10 am the neonatologist came in and said that they were concerned about Connor's breathing and were putting him in the NICU. He assured me that it was just for observation and that he required no oxygen or such. Then it came time for Chris to leave and get back to the girls. I was left all alone. They finally moved me to my post-partum room. I asked about Connor and when I could see him. The nurse told me that if I could get up and stand up without feeling faint or light-headed, that she could wheel me down to the NICU right then. So, I did it. I got out of that bed, by myself and stood up alone. It hurt like hell, but I did it! I went to see my son.

When I got to the NICU, I did not see what I was told. My son was laying there in the bed with a nasal cannula and a GI tube. The nurse told me that the tube was to remove fluid from his stomach. He was also connected to an IV. I was told that he was also on antibiotics because they believed he got an infection from me (they rattled off a bunch of possible ones. The doctor did tell me on Thursday that I had another UTI starting and that was one they said it could be from). I sat in my wheel chair (still had my catheter) and touched his arm. This was one of the worst moments of my life. I went back to my room, feeling 110% miserable. My baby wouldn't be in there with me.

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Connor Jamison S.
2/26/2010 @ 817 am
8 lbs, 10 oz. 19.25" long

Thursday, February 25, 2010

38 Weeks.....

I went in for an appointment today. It was supposed to be just for a NST. (Let me insert here that I had been given a c-section date of March 2). I did the NST and it showed the contractions I was having. However, I was feeling them in my back rather than in my abdomen. The doctor came in to see me and decided that due to the contractions and my suddenly high blood pressure (although that may have been from my frustration with the cab company I was using!), we would do the c-section tomorrow morning rather than wait until Tuesday. I had another ultrasound as well to do fluid check and growth scan. They estimated his weight to be between 7#, 8 oz and 7#, 11 oz. I was instructed to go to the hospital for blood work that afternoon and then to be back at the Women's Center at 5 am for the c-section.

Friday, February 5, 2010

35 Week Appointment, Part 2

As I said on Tuesday, they wanted to see me again today for a growth scan, NST and general appointment. I got there a little early and had to, of course, sit around and wait. They finally decided to take me back and start doing something, anything to move time along. So, first they did my weight. It was the same as Tuesday, no change. I still have a slight UTI, but it's looking better. Then they hooked me up to the NST monitor and I got so nauseous. I have no idea why, but I couldn't find a way to lay without wanting to hurl. Plus, I was having trouble catching my breath. They made me lay there for 30 minutes like that. A couple times I had the uterine activity number up to 100 just shifting and trying to sit up. I have no clue how they got an accurate reading. Then they sent me back to the ultrasound room. I did get a few pictures, but can't scan them until I get my computer back (the one the scanner is loaded on). I know I got one of his nose and that's only because she labelled it. There is one of his arm and his hand balled into a fist. And one of his foot. As for the others, your guess is as good as mine! They approximate his weight to be 6 lbs, 6 oz. He is measuring around 38-39 weeks in size. Then I went back into the exam room. The doctor came in and started talking to me. he said that I seem to have more fluid than normal, but that it wasn't a problem. He said the baby was now head down and hopefully would stay that way. Why? I'm having a repeat c-section and it should already be scheduled by now. Then he said by mid-March I should have a baby. No, I should be having it sooner since my due date is actually March 10th! I really didn't feel good from nauseousness, so I didn't argue. However, I will be bringing these things up at my next appointment. It's like he never read my chart.

I go back on Tuesday for another appointment (exam) and NST.

As soon as I get my laptop back and scan the ultrasounds, I'll be posting them.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

35 Week Appointment

Well, it was actually 34 weeks, 6 days. But, who's counting? I got there about half an hour early and they took me back 15 minutes earlier than my appointment time. Surprising.... My weight was 208 which was 2 lbs less than last week. Now, me and Chris have been having this debate because honestly I have never been over 200 lbs in my life; not even when I was pregnant with twins. He told me I would eventually get to that point. However, I reminded him that *my* weight was still technically under 200 lbs once you add in Connor's weight and the weight of the placenta, fluid and other pregnancy things. So, ha. They never tell me numbers when they do things, but anyways -- I had protein in my urine, elevated blood pressure and swollen ankles. So, of course, they are thinking pre-eclampsia. I had my NST as well. It showed Connor's HB to be around 140 bpm. It also showed several contractions within a 10 minute period. Not strong contractions, but enough to have them worried. I told her (the midwife) that I don't feel pain with them, my back doesn't hurt (normally doesn't until my water breaks) and there has been no bleeding, loss of fluid or plug discharge. So, she decided that I needed a cervical exam. Oh, fun..... so she did that and I am 2 cm dilated but 0% effaced (thankfully). I also have a UTI and she prescribed antibiotics for that.

I go back on Thursday (2 days) for an ultrasound, another NST and to check my BP again.