Gabe's Arrival ~ 7 weeks early

I went to NW Perinatal for my weekly check up on my blood pressure and Gabe. They first took me back to have the ultrasound done. Gabe did well. He got a 6 out of 8 on his tests. He still wasn’t breathing consistently for 30 seconds so that is why he didn’t get an 8 out of 8. He does pass with a 6 though so they sent me back out to the waiting room to wait for the next test. I didn’t have to wait long before they called me back and hooked me up to the monitors to see if I was contracting and to monitor Gabe’s heart rate. He had just been moving around before we got to the office, but he had quieted down and his heart rate wasn’t as steady so they zapped him a couple times to get him awake and moving. The zapping thing doesn’t hurt the baby it just annoys them and tickles them a little. He still wouldn’t really move around and get his heart rate up a little like they wanted, so I had to go back in for another ultrasound and go through those tests again. They also got the approximate weight because they didn’t get that in the first ultrasound. They were a little concerned about Gabe. They took me to a different room to weight for the doctor (at this point I had been to like 5 rooms). The nurse took my blood pressure and it was HIGH (I don’t remember what the exact numbers were because I have had my blood pressure read about a million times since then). The doctor came in and took it again and told us that with their concern with Gabe’s tests and how high my blood pressure was that they were admitting me.
Just when you think you know how something is going to go…how it’ll be laid out…that you’ll be organized and have everything ready…God swoops in and says you’re not in control of this…I am! I was just saying to my mom, “I need to pack my bag!” I haven’t had a shower yet so I don’t have a lot of the essentials that I need. I am such a control freak it’s so hard to not to have control of every situation and have it go the way that you want it to go.
So, we were admitted on April 3rd, I put on a gown and they hooked me up to the monitors and a blood pressure cuff that went off every 15 min. They had me fill out menus and told me that I’d definitely be there for the long haul. My sister’s birthday was the next day and she old me that I wasn’t aloud to have my baby on her birthday. I screwed up her family b-day party…we were supposed to have it that night on the 3rd. They all came to see me and were up really late. They didn’t even have the party until 10:30 or something. I don’t think that she was mad at me though.
So, I ended up everyday just laying there getting poked and prodded. I was getting bored with nothing to do but watch TV and read. On the evening of the 5th my nurse told me that I was probably going to be in there for another 2 weeks because they really wanted to try and get me to 35 weeks. They had already given me steroids shots to help with Gabe’s lungs so they could take him at any time. I think that hearing that I would be just sitting in there for another 2 weeks and then hearing my puppy on the phone when I was talking to my sister, who took very good care of my puppy while we were gone. I just started crying. My hormones were all wacky and I think I was feeling pretty vulnerable. I did want what was best for me health wise, but mostly what was best for Gabe.
I went to sleep that night thinking I was now going to have to live at the hospital, but got woken up at one by the doctor. He turned on the lights and told me that after all the evaluating of my blood pressures and how Gabe was doing they wanted to get him out by noon. The doctor wanted to check if I was dilated at all and I was 1 cm so they put in something to soften my cervix (forgive me, I don’t remember what it was called. He came in at 1 in the morning…I was half asleep when he was telling me all this). After they put that in they all said OK get some good rest for tomorrow. UM yeah right…sleep now after you just told me that I will be having my baby in 11 hours. RIGHT
I did manage to fall asleep…I had to listen to my ipod though. The next morning the doctor came in and took that thing out and said that I was still only 1-2 cm dilated so he said that we could induce labor, but that would probably take another 12 hours and with your blood pressure and for the health of the baby we are going to suggest that we do a c-section. I was pretty out of it so I just nodded and said OK. The minute I said OK things got moving and they got moving FAST. They don’t mess around there that is for sure. As they were prepping me in the room, Bryan was getting scrubs on and my mom had to run around the room gathering all of our things to move to another room. I ended up losing my favorite pair of shoes that Bryan got me for my birthday…oh well gives me an excuse to go shopping! They are pretty strict at St. Vincent’s. Bryan had to wait outside the OR till they were done prepping me. They had a really hard time getting the spinal in me because I have mild scoliosis so it took a while and all I remember is shaking until they finally got me numb and laying down on the table. Bryan came in and held my hand and he stood up to watch. He couldn’t take any pictures or videotape the birth either, which I was a little bummed about. They didn’t want any interruptions while they worked. Surprisingly, Bryan did ok with watching it and he said it was so amazing to see the birth. Gabe came out crying and it was SO amazing to hear his little cry and briefly see him before they took him to the NICU.
He was born April 6th, at 1:59pm. He was 4lbs and 17 1/4 long. He was breathing on his own and didn’t have any complications.
Bryan left with him and I went to recovery. I was in recovery FOREVER. They of course couldn’t get my blood pressure down. I felt like CRAP. I was so tired and they had me on Magnesium Sulfate so that I wouldn’t have any seizures and that makes you feel like you’re going to die. I didn’t really know what was going on around me. When they wheeled my bed in to see Gabe…I got to hold him, but I don’t remember much about it or about the next 24-36 hours. Magnesium Sulfate is the devil! I think they took me off of it sometime on Saturday, but I didn’t feel myself until the next afternoon. The first time I went to see Gabe after off Magnesium and feeling a little better…I was still falling asleep and still didn’t feel 100% better, but it was worth it to see him. He is just so precious.
I got to go home Thursday the 12th after having about 12 hours of good blood pressures. I think my body is having a hard time adjusting to being pregnant and now not being pregnant. It was so good to go home, but SO hard to leave my little guy there at the NICU. We live about 45 minutes away from him so that is the hardest part, but worth every minute...