Waylon's Birth Story
7.30.18
I was a
week late and set to be induced on my 30th birthday, but labor
started on it’s own at 4 a.m. Intense contractions started right away and woke
me up out of a sound sleep. I hadn’t packed anything yet, just had everything
in a pile. So Joseph began to pack while I jumped in the shower and then ate a
nutritious breakfast of Apple Jacks cereal. By this time it’s around 6:30 a.m.
and we decide to leave for the hospital. We decided to stop to blow up my “30”
balloons and Joe made a Starbucks run, allllll while having contractions. I checked into the hospital around 7:30 a.m.
and was examined at 8:15, I was already 5cm. I was so shocked and so happy that
I was THIS far along. With my previous two, I was always at 3 cm and had my
epidural by 4 cm, so this was a nice surprise. At around 9:30 my pain level was
still tolerable, so I decide to not get the epidural (just yet) and bounce on
the ball to help relieve pain. At noon it was time, time for the epidural and
thank goodness I did because when I was examined at 1 p.m. I had only dilated
one extra centimeter. So now I’m at 6 but my pain is beginning to subside. I
started feeling awful, I told Joe I felt like I was knocking on deaths door.
Dramatic I know, but that’s how I felt…and super nauseous. I told them
something wasn’t right and they immediately start giving me meds. My blood
pressure had dropped to 66/39. Once the meds kicked in I felt so much better. I
rested until 2 p.m. and that is when my midwife, Lisa, came in and asked if I
wanted to start a little Pitocin or if I wanted her to break my water. I chose
for her to break my water. With my other two, things went FAST after my water
broke so I was hoping for the same results. I was examined at 3 p.m. and that
fast I went from 6 to 8 cm. I was examined again at 4:30 and I was fully
dilated and at 4:45 I was pushing. I pushed during three contractions and he
was born at 5:05 p.m.! They immediately put him on my chest and we did skin to skin
for an hour. After that hour, the nurse weighed him and he was 9 lbs. 15.8 oz.
(which they rounded to 10 lbs) and he was 21 ½ inches long. We couldn’t believe
how big he was! Harlow was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and Oliver was 7 lbs. 4 oz. My
pregnancy was super painful and in that moment it all made sense, I was
carrying a huge baby. We finally got to our room in the mother/baby unit around
7:30 p.m. Once I was settled, Joe ran home to see the kids and put them to bed.
When he got back he mentioned Waylon’s rapid breathing. I didn’t think anything
of it because Joe is the worrier. When my nurse came in at 11 p.m. to do a
routine check on Waylon and myself I mentioned his breathing. She said, “you’re
right, he is breathing fast. Let me do a count.” She counted 80ish breaths a
minute and immediately left to go get the charge nurse. She counted close to a
hundred and said it should be 30-60 breaths a minute. They immediately take him
to the nursery to assess him. It’s now 11:30 p.m., the nurse comes in and says
they are taking him to the NICU where they will be able to tell us more. But
that he shouldn’t be breathing so fast. I’m exhausted and emotional…and I lose
it. We find out he has pneumonia due to fluid being on his lungs and that he has been put on oxygen (35%) and antibiotics.
7.31.18
Waylon
spent all day in the NICU and we visited him on and off all day. We couldn’t
hold him because he was under an oxygen helmet and he couldn’t nurse or bottle
feed because he couldn’t eat while breathing so fast, so he was getting
nutrients through his IV. The NICU nurse said “picture running a marathon while
eating a plate of spaghetti, it’s impossible. Same with him.” So I pumped around the clock to let me body
know I needed milk. It was the eeriest feeling being in the hospital room with no
baby. I told Joe it was like we lost the baby or gave him up for adoption…I’m
going through the recovery process but have no baby next to me. That was the
toughest part.
Harlow and
Ama Irene got to meet him. Oliver came along too but he was too young to visit
the NICU (siblings have to be at least 3 years old). Harlow was SO excited to meet Waylon. She wanted to hold him so bad but understood
he had to stay under his “Buzz Lightyear helmet.” She asked 100 questions about
all the wires, the oxygen machine, and surroundings. His oxygen levels continue
to decrease (down to 25%) and his breathing steadily improved: got as low as
60s then went back up to 80, then 70s, then back to 60 (needs to be 30-60
breaths per minute). Every time we visited him, he was always so content.
8.1.18
I was
discharged from the hospital. I was hoping to be able to stay in a boarding
room but they were all being used. So we went home and commuted back and forth
to the hospital (thank the Lord we live only 10 minutes away). Good news this day, his respiratory rate got below 60, so the
NICU nurse tried to bottle feed. He took 10ml. He was able to get off oxygen
completely and I finally held him after two days!! We found out that he won’t
be home for a week due to wanting him on antibiotics for a full week, they say
discharge will Tuesday evening.
8.2.18
I was able
to try nursing. He did really well for only nursing a bit during skin to skin
right after birth. He gets sleepy very quick when nursing/bottle feeding.
8.3-8.7
This time
was filled with lots of visits to the hospital. Me recovering. And lots of
pumping. His NG tube came out, his respiratory rate was perfect, and never needed any more oxygen. We thought he was coming home on Tuesday, Aug. 7th
but he had a rough time with feedings and wasn’t eating the full amount that
they wanted him to, which means he lost weight. They didn’t want to send him
home like that. Thankfully the following night he did really well with feedings and they
felt confident in sending him home.
8.8.18
After nine days in the NICU, FINALLY
HOME!!!
Comments