Micro Preemie Part 1

I am not an expert on micro preemies. I wouldn't even know where to begin. But this post is to let others know what we have learned in the last 3 weeks. And in the weeks to come.

June 19th 10:30 PM= I was in sad shape. I was bleeding, never a good sign when you are pregnant. We went to the hospital and I was admitted. Monitored throughout the evening and into the next morning.

June 20th AM= Dr's decided I had a combination of placenta abruption and incompetent cervix. (We knew the IC was always a possibility. The Dr's had been watching for signs that it would fail this whole pregnancy and there was never any indication that it would. The possibility of the IC from our last pregnancy 7 years ago also gave us realistic expectations that we could have a NICU baby. We have been constantly asked if we are excited after trying for 7 years for this pregnancy and our response has always been get us to the end of June and we will be. This was the safe zone where his chances of survival would be increased greatly.) Had ultrasound and baby was breach and not close to birth canal.

June 20th Noon= Bed-rest was mentioned and Akahige made the trip home to get things to keep me entertained for a few weeks or months, whatever the case would be, because I wasn't leaving the hospital until the baby came. While he was away, they decided to put me on extreme bed-rest. I had a catheter put in, my bed was tilted so the head was lower then the feet, and I was put on my side.

June 20th 2:30 PM= Akahige returned just as my water broke. 10 minutes after my water broke I was prepped for emergency c-section. I had time for a blessing and then was wheeled into surgery. Akahige was awesome and stayed with me the whole time.

June 20th 3:05 PM= Our son was born, 26weeks and 2 days gestation. Weighing in at 1lb15oz and 14 in. long. He is rushed off to be taken care of and I remained on the table for another 20 minutes as they replaced my innards and stapled me up.



June 2oth 4ish= I was wheeled into recovery where I sat for another 30 to 40 minutes. There we decided on his name and Akahige went to check up on him. As they wheeled me to my room, they took me to NICU where I could see my son for the first time. (It was over an hour after his birth when I got to see him, but I did not get to hold him, or touch him.) I stayed in my room for another 2 hours as they monitored me and my epidural pain. Later that evening I was able to visit him via wheelchair and hold him little hand through the incubator, falling in love with his cuteness.



June 21st= I actually got to hold him, wrapped in a pile of blankets. By this time he was off of the ventilator and put on regular oxygen. He had his IV's going through his stomach and into his artery. His eyes where still fused causing him to make the cutest scrunchy faces.



Rest of the week was a blur of figuring out pumping and sleeping while visiting him as much as possible. I was in the hospital until Friday, June 24th. Akahige was a trooper and stayed each night with me sleeping on the most uncomfortable, squeaky chair. He would go home once a day to shower and I would try to nap in that time. By the end of the week I had skin time with my baby and it helped his vitals stabilize a lot.