Contractions had started but were irregular. When I was up moving they were 2-4 minutes apart and when I was sitting or laying down they were more like 10 minutes apart. So we went to the triage room where they confirmed my water broke and said I was 3.5 cm dilated. I was glad and surprised I was even that dilated. They moved me to a delivery room and monitored contractions and her heart rate for a while. They also put the IV in which went pretty horribly. After a while of not much happening I asked to get up and out of bed. So I walked around the room and contractions started coming every 2-4 minutes. After they started to get pretty painful I decided to get back in bed for a rest and they went back to 10 minutes or so apart but were still getting increasingly painful. I couldn't decide what to do. I wanted labor to progress, but I knew I wanted an epidural and some rest before she came. I had the nurse check and I was closer to 6 cm, so even with these random contractions I was making progress. Shortly after she checked, the contractions, though very far apart, got very painful, so I asked for the epidural around 4 or 5 am. With the epidural contraction continued to be infrequent. We tried to sleep for a couple hours. I was texting and making phone calls a lot trying to figure out what was going on with the boys and getting my mom to the house. Thankfully my friends are awesome and took care of my kids and my mom for me. The nurse came in and I asked how contractions had been. She said they were still very far apart and I was still not considered in active labor so they were going to start pitocin. I was glad, I was ready to get things going. But the IV pump wasn't working so the pitocin didn't actually start until maybe 9 am. By 9:15 the nurse was still trying to get contractions going so she had me sit up right. After a couple minutes she had me lay back down. I don't remember why, if it was because I was leaking more fluid or if Maelyn's heart rate dropped, but when I laid down she checked me and was surprised that I was ready to push! So, literally, in a couple seconds it went from, you're still not in active labor, to ok push!!
The nurse paged all of the teams of people that were supposed to be in the room but then quickly just started looking for the doctor. Maelyn's heart rate had dropped super low. I asked if that was really her heart rate, and she calmly said, yes, it's ok, just push. The doctor was suddenly there telling me to push and not to wait for all of the people that were missing. So I pushed, and there was her head. They said to stop, the cord was wrapped around her neck, which is why her heart rate had basically stopped. They were so calm about it and told me not to worry as they slipped it over her head and then told me to push again. I pushed again and she was born at 9:25 am. I think that since all of the medical teams weren't there yet the doctor was basically like, sure here's your baby, and she went right from birth to my chest as Tim cut the cord. I was a little surprised but so happy! She didn't cry much because she came right to me but I could hear her breathing perfectly, and she got her color really quickly. They said most Colorado babies are bluer when born so she looked absolutely normal and perfect! I eventually turned her and tried to let her nurse and she did! I guess most DILV babies have a hard time with sucking but she has a strong enough suck to nurse and takes a pacifier. While I was totally distracted with my baby girl, the doctor was having a hard time getting the placenta out. Thank goodness for epidural's because I have no idea what they were doing down there. At some point she had me push a few more times to get the placenta out. Thankfully it came, they were getting a little concerned. After 30 minutes with me, the NICU team and Tim took her to check vitals, measure, hook up to wires and place her IV. It was strange to suddenly be all alone right after child birth. But I tried not to think about it and rest.
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| Just born, still a little blue. |
They had a lot of trouble placing the IV on her. It took 5 or 6 tries. So while I thought that she was down in the CICU, she was still on the floor getting poked. Tim came back to visit me while they placed an umbilical IV in her and then they brought her in to see me quickly before they took her to the CICU. I was kept in my room for two hours before they wheeled me down to her room. Everyone was impressed with how quickly I got down there. I would have been down there at the same time as her if they had let me! Recovering in her room, in a wheel chair, was a bit uncomfortable to say the least. My nurse came down after a couple hours and took me to a family restroom to help me clean up a bit. I just want to say, I love nurses. All nurses, but especially postpartum nurses. They see you at your worst and are always so sweet. I was able to spend the whole day in Maelyn's room due to the flexibility of my nurses. I did ask to go up to my room once to shower and change out of my gown. I was able to nurse her really well a couple of times. Maelyn did so well with all of her tests, different levels and nursing that they said she looks great and to treat her like a totally normal baby. Tim and I discussed with Maelyn's night nurse and decided to spend the night in my room to get some sleep. I am glad that she is my third baby, so I know that the first night they really don't do or need a lot, and the nurse sits right outside her door, watching her, and goes in every 2 hours to physically check her. She took down our phone numbers and said she would call us if anything happened or if she thought Maelyn wanted to nurse. I looked at it as the same thing as sending your baby to the nursery at a normal hospital stay, but even closer monitoring. Tim slept like a log. I was up every couple hours and had a hard time sleeping, but I did get sleep. I ended up getting up at 4 and getting myself ready and going down to see Maelyn. I knew I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep and I wanted to be with her. So I came down and nursed her and snuggled her all morning. Tim came down a while later.
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| With all of her wires, we can only hold her within about a foot of her bed. |
My mom brought the boys by this morning to meet her. They were very excited to see her and hold her and kiss her. Of course the novelty wore off quickly and they became very interested in snack foods and the TV we turned on for them. I love that Ben thinks that the hospital is so fun. I thought they would be more interested to see me. They were happy to see me, but they were not clingy or anything, which was good. Micah seems to have grown a foot and gained 10 pounds over night (of course I should account for the cast). My baby is now a boy. It's crazy how that happens when you have a newborn.
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| Two big, loving brothers! |
This afternoon we got some great updates on how Maelyn is doing. She is ready to be discharged from the CICU to the regular Cardiac Unit, however they are full so we will be staying on the CICU for the night, with her at regular status. Her oxygen levels have been right in the range they want them to be, which if they continue to stay there she would not need the first surgery. Oxygen levels are the main thing they are monitoring. They need to keep her here for at least 2 more days, watching her oxygen, before they will send her home. With her doing so well, I am almost forgetting that she is sick. Once it becomes time for surgery it is going to feel so strange. But she is so strong! And she is so content and good through all of the pokes and tests. I think she will be able to handle all that is going to happen to her these next 3 years. We might get lucky and avoid the first surgery, but there are definitely (at least) two open heart surgeries in her future. We want to hold off on them as long as possible. Holding off will mean good oxygen levels, and good feeding and growth.
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| She sleeps so great! Trying out her headband! |
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