My birth story 16 months later!

craftymommy1108 · #1 February 17th, 2011, 02:30 PM

Well since i'm back posting on JM I figure I should post my story in this new sub-cateogry! It's going to be a bit long. I used to go by the username "angel&raysmommy" or something of the sorts lol... I forgot

Anyways here we go!

My first daughter Angelynn was born at 24 weeks, 5 days and I required an emergency classical c-section on my uterus because she was so small. So when I got pregnant with #2 I knew that I would be getting followed along closely, but was not expecting to be on bed rest for it!

My family dr referred to me an OB/GYN. Everything was great until about 17 weeks when i had cramping. They sent me for an US where we discovered that I was a bit shorter than I was supposed to be. Given that DD1 was so early and I had a verticle incision on my uterus they wanted to do repeat ultrasound every 2 weeks. I was then put on moderate bedrest. At 27 weeks I was having some nasty cramps so I went to L&D where they hooked me up to a monitor. It was not picking up contractions but they checked me and I was 1.5cm. They kept me for 2 nights and let me go home but I was than put on strict bed rest, up only to use the washroom and shower. I had to have the shot to mature her lungs because they thought I would go before 32 weeks.

So I went in for weekly scans which found that my uterus was thinning and my cervix was shortening. At 32 weeks I had only .5cm left so they stopped bringing me in for scans and basically said there's no point. We were going to schedule a c-section for 37 weeks, no later as I had been having some bad cramping throughout which was probably just due to my uterus stretching. I had made a goal than to get to 35 weeks!

August.23 - weeks. I did a self check and felt what i thought was my waters bulging. I tried to take it easy after that but had kids to watch and a funeral the next day.
August.25 - 35 weeks exactly. 5am- I get up to use the potty and notice that it feels like I have fluid squirting out. I thought maybe it was just my bladder but everytime I moved around fluid was coming out. I had a dr's appointment that morning so when I got up to get ready I noticed more and more fluid coming out. I put on a pad but soaked through it.. I knew today was going to be the day. Just before we leave the house *WHOOSH* my waters completely go leaving me soaked. We had to put down towels on the van seat. It was a really disgusting feeling lol. My waters never broke with Angel! Before we left I took one last pregnancy photo, tears streaming down my face. I wasn't quite ready, I just LOVED being pregnant, such an amazing experience for me.

We drop off the kids at my moms, and she came with us to the hospital. We get there, get admitted where i wait for them to check me. They check that my waters are for sure broken, hook me up to the machine to make sure baby is OK and start the IV. If at any point did I start to feel any cramping I was to let them know. I had some very mild cramps, nothing serious but they didn't want to wait. We got in at about 12:30-1pm, and I was prepped and ready for surgery at 3:30pm! This was it. My baby was coming! I was relieved, but sad at the same time. I loved having her in my tummy. I had my hand on my tummy as we headed into OR. They put in the spinal as I felt my baby move for the last time. I laid down as they prepped me. Both c-sections I puked, I hated feeling like the room was spinning. Must have been something in the anesthetic. With Jay by my side the whole time he was sitting there armed with two cameras! He took photo's throughout of the whole surgery which was impressive as he took them without looking lol. Her head was wedged so far down into my pelvis that they had to use the suction thing to pull her head out!!!

Only 20 mins later my beautiful little girl; Raylene Hannah was born weighing 5lb 4 oz and about 17 inches long. When I heard her cry for the first time I just broke down. She was healthy! She was not responding well and had to be given oxygen so they brought her over wrapped up with a little oxygen mask being held over her face. I got to touch her cheek and they wheeled her off to NICU where she was put under an oxygen hood, than later placed on c-pap. I really hated not being able to hold her, and give her skin to skin and nurse her. I had so very much hoped that she would be healthy enough to stay with me, like a normal full term baby. She was oxygen for 3 days but was kept because she kept having bradycardias. So we went back and forth to the hospital for 2.5 weeks. Eventually she came home on caffeine as she was perfectly healthy otherwise! 18 days sure was nothing compared to the 103 days that Angel was in the NICU.

I so badly want to have another child. But after that experience I know another pregnancy would be very tough. My uterus is very scarred and my ob/gyn doesn't advise another pregnancy

Anyways here are a couple of photo's. If you read the whole story thank you!

Raylene just being pulled out

Doctors checking her out.

Under the oxygen hood with CPAP

And Going home 18 days later. She's sooo small!!

Her now!