Miracle Baby
January 16, 2017, the day that would change the rest of my life… I took a pregnancy test and it was positive! The following day I immediately called and made an appointment at my OB for the next Monday, January 23, 2017. It was confirmed that I was pregnant. My husband, Eric, and I had another appointment the following Thursday February 2, 2017, where we had an ultrasound and got to see the beginning of what would be our baby girl.
Over the next few months appointments and cravings (cookies and pasta) were as expected for a first pregnancy.
On May 4, 2017 (also my husbands birthday) we had our 20 week appointment. The doctor confirmed that we were having a girl. We already had a name picked out for her… McKinley Jean. The doctors also informed us that they wanted to monitor me closer for a shortened cervix, which would mean appointments every two weeks. When you have a shortened cervix, you are at higher risk of delivering preterm (before 37 weeks). A normal cervix length is 4cm and I was measuring at 2.6cm. Our baby girl was also sitting very low in my uterus, often times putting extra pressure on my cervix and not to mention my bladder.
On June 17, 2017 my mother-in-law and father-in-law came over to paint the nursery. Being 26 weeks pregnant, I carried on as I usually did on any Saturday… groceries, laundry, etc. That evening I could feel the baby sitting extra low. I decided it was time to sit down, put my feet up and relax. A few hours later I had the urge to use the restroom; this was the first time I saw what looked like a brownish discharge. It was just a little brown discoloration, so I decided to go to bed and see what it looked like in the morning (hoping it would be gone). The following day, Sunday June 18, 2017, we would be hosting my in-laws along with my father and stepmom, for Fathers Day. The brownish discharge was still there, so around 3:00pm I decided to call and speak with the nurse that was on call for my doctor’s office. The nurse told me that it could or couldn’t be a cause for concern. Since it was so minimal, she told me that if I felt like coming to the hospital to come on in, but if I wasn’t that concerned then I could wait till the following day and call the doctor’s office and make an appointment. I hung up comfortable with my decision that we didn’t need to go to the hospital. A few hours later, around 5:00pm, we were getting ready to take Father’s Day pictures. The brownish discharge had now turned reddish pink and I had in my hand what I thought to be the mucus plug. I grabbed my husband, told him about the change and we jumped in the car with our parents behind us and drove to the hospital. The hospital is a 45 minute drive from our house. On the way to the hospital I called my mom to inform her of what was going on. My mom, brother and stepdad met us at the hospital as well.
Upon arrival I let the nurses know what had changed my mind about coming to the hospital. I was immediately placed in a room and they hooked me up to several monitors. The nurse could see that I was having very small contractions, which I could not feel. They ordered several tests, an ultrasound, and started fluids through an IV. My husband accompanied me down to the ultrasound, while our family waited in the waiting area. You maybe thinking, why were they all there waiting? Well, this is the first grand baby for my husbands parents and for mine… they’ve been waiting 31 years for this!
We were told that everything on the ultrasound looked normal, but had to wait for the doctor to officially review it. Upon returning to our room I had to use the restroom. At this point, I knew something had changed because there was a large amount of blood where I had been sitting in the wheelchair. The nurse stayed very calm, so I thought I didn’t have much to worry about. My doctor arrived shortly after. She had already looked at the ultrasound and said it looked good and that there were several things they could do to slow down/stop the contractions. She then examined me and saw that I was already 4 cm dilated. All the options that had just been given to us were suddenly gone. I felt as if I had to use the restroom again and all of a sudden I could feel the contractions.
From this point forward, everything happened so fast. The nurse gave me a pain reliever through my IV and then we were moved into a labor and delivery room. As the nurses and other personnel were preparing the room, one of the nurses checked me and I was fully dilated. There was no time for an epidural. There was no time for the medicine to insure the development of our daughters lungs. There was no stopping what was about to happen. Our baby girl was delivered on Father’s Day, June 18, 2017 at 10:44 pm, weighing only 2 lbs and measuring 14 inches long. She was quickly swept away under the care of a neonatal team. Following the delivery of the placenta, it was clear to my doctor why I had gone into preterm labor. I had a placental abruption; 30% of the placenta had torn away from the wall of my uterus.
For the next 8 days the only thing my husband and I could do was watch our helpless baby girl through the isolette. After 8 long days, I finally got to hold my baby girl for the first time. At that time our daughter was on a C-pap machine, a PIC line in her left arm, feeding tube and monitors for heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation levels. She had to have NeoBlue LED Phototherapy Lights, which is to help with the bilirubin levels in preemies. She also had a heart murmur and a brain bleed. In her case both were small and should heal on their own.
When she was four weeks old I returned to work. I choose to do this because the company I work for doesn’t provide any kind of paid leave and under the FMLA act, I would be able to use my other 8 weeks for when she would be discharged from the hospital. This was a very hard decision, but I had to realize that my daughter was in the best place possible. Everyday after work, I would visit her at the hospital.
Over the next five weeks, there wasn’t much change, only gradual feeding and weight increase. Around the six-week mark, things started to change quickly for the better, our daughter was finally 3lbs, she no longer needed oxygen and she was able to be moved into an open crib instead of the incubator. Two weeks later they were able to attempt bottle feeding (this would have been 34 weeks gestational, which is when babies learn to suck, swallow, breathe in sync). This has been a particularly hard time for me, as I’ve been breast pumping since she was born. She has not shown much interest in breast or bottle. She also has very bad acid reflux, which causes her to have an oral aversion to everything.
As of August 31, 2017, our baby girl remains in the NICU. She is 5 lbs 8 oz and gaining everyday. She is doing great and her doctors expect her to be home in 4-6 weeks. Everyday is a day closer to bringing her home and we can’t wait for the moment she gets to come home! She has met all the requirements to come home except eating. She has to be taking all her feedings by bottle or breast, and right now she is still taking most by feeding tube. Her original due date is 5 days from now, September 23, 2017. At this point she is almost 37 weeks gestational and we are on her time. We just have to be patient and know that when she is ready, everything will fall in place. I look forward to giving you an update in a few weeks with news that she is finally at home and how we are doing as a family of three!
Hi! I’m Shelley, owner of Baby Cakes GA and a sales Rep for Thirty One. I am a first time mom to McKinley Jean, who I gave birth to at 26 weeks. I will be sharing my story and journey on motherhood with you. I hope my story helps other moms find what they are looking for and gives them the support to know that others have been through similar situations and that they aren’t alone.