Hello!! We're alive! And finally home! It's been a long week - and have I got quite the story to tell you! Yes! We're now a family of 5! Baby boy 3 decided to come a little early! (And my hospital bag was packed and then my water broke - third time's the charm, eh?)
My water broke on Monday, Nov 29, mid afternoon. It was a high tear. When I first went into the case room at the hospital, they couldn't see that my water broke. They have this strip of paper that they use to test, and it's orange. If it turns olive green, it's amniotic fluid. At first the paper wasn't turning green, so they were just going to monitor me for a bit and then send me home. I knew my body though! They monitored me and was about to send me home. While being monitored my water broke ALL OVER the bed I was being monitored in, and they admitted me. All the primrose oil capsules I was taking and red raspberry leaf tea I was drinking did absolutely nothing. My cervix was hard as a rock (no surprise) and had to be induced (with oxytocin). I was the only one laboring all night, everyone else who had come in, had their babies before midnight on the 29th. After 18 hours of labor I was stuck at 2 cm and was at 2 cm for a long time. I labored in a jacuzzi tub for most of the night (which was fantastic as it relieved pressure off my back) but my body just couldn't relax passed dilate past 2 cm (50% effaced). I was on the highest dose of oxytocin and they couldn't give me anymore. It was already a risk to my body as I was trying for Vbac. The doctor on call Tuesday morning happened to be the head of the Gynecology department and she came in to assess. Basically she told me what I didn’t want to hear – she recommended that I have a Csection. I was still only 2 cm dilated 50% effaced by morning and he was very high up. After talking things through, I finally agreed to do a Csection, and we signed papers. I also decided that since I was having a Csection and already being cut open, that I would tie my tubes. While we were waiting for the OR (and I was being prepped for my Csection) baby boy’s heart sped up a lot and the OB said that she would have had me go into the OR soon after that anyhow, had I not agreed to do it electively. My sister's boyfriend's cousin/friend was on duty as if 8 am on Tuesday, Nov 30th, and though she didn't take my case (she felt weird to have to do internal exams on me) she was around, since I was the only one there at that point. It’s amazing how, even when you discuss what is going on, you still get nervous. I thought I would be more calm about it this time if that’s what ended up, but that’s not how my body reacted. (Mack’s Csection was emergency, so when in that stressful situation, my body freaked out and I shook the entire surgery). It’s just the same even when you are prepared for the Csection, my body shook the entire time of the surgery. It’s just too bad that they couldn’t do anything for me, and that my body was just not responding. (I did get to crochet a bit in labor - I worked on some more bookmarks. I couldn't knit though, as where they put my IV line, in my wrist, gave me very bad mobility with my hand).
Quentin Myles was born Tuesday, Nov 30th, at 10:27 am.
After my Csection was over, Jamie was already in the nursery with the baby taking care of whatever tests that they need to do at that point. I was whisked away to recovery. I was told it would just be an hour, (like I remember it being with Mackenzie’s Csection). This time, I had a spinal instead of a double dose of epidural (Mack's Csection) and it took forever for me to move my feet (the requirement to be released back to my room). I did ask for one dose of Morphine to help with any pain that I would have once the spinal wore off (learned later on that the morphine shot made my arm bruise really badly where they injected me). The spinal made me itch for a good 24 hours after my surgery. It took a lot of benadryl to make it stop. Finally I was able to go back to my room and then had to wait for the orderly to get off his lunch break to take me back to me room. I was dying to hold the baby already, and didn’t like the fact that I ended up being in recovery for almost 2 and a half hours. (Damn shortage of staff at the hospital!)
I was finally reunited with the baby and Jamie and had a good 3 hours before things started to go badly. A nurse doing a check noticed Quentin was breathing hard. So they took him to the nursery and called in the Pediatrician that was on call. I had met him earlier on, as he was in the OR since Quentin is considered premature (born before 37 weeks). Quentin was having respiratory issues and at that point was being transferred to the Montreal Children’s Hospital (or wherever had an available place for him that have a NICU). They had a pick-up to do first for a baby with a much more urgent case, and would be by around 11-12 Tuesday evening to pick him up. He was placed in an incubator. He was given an IV (in his hand) and some doses of antibiotics. Basically the amount of air he was breathing in - he wasn't breathing back out (so there was too many CO2 bubbles in him). The pediatrician came to talk to me, and he was beyond wonderful. They ran a bunch of tests and every test that they did, showed signs of improvement, so by the time the Children’s hospital was ready to pick him up – he had improved enough to stay where we were – since the hospital I had Quentin at – does not have a NICU. (Had I realized this - I don't know if I would have chosen this hospital to deliver in - now that I think about it). They don’t even have a full time nursery (under staffed/small hospital). Anyhow, I was beyond upset. I was stuck in my bed (they wouldn’t let me out of bed until Wednesday morning when they took out my IV and catheter), and Quentin was in an incubator on IV and antibiotics in the nursery. It was heartbreaking. Very emotional. I broke down in tears. I felt helpless. Useless. I wanted to be with my baby. Jamie took some video of Quentin on my digital camera so that I could see what was going on as per the pediatrician recommendation. (You see how wonderful he was/is?)
Me visiting Quentin on Wednesday, December 1st, in the morning after being able to get up. I was so round and swollen from the drugs they pumped into me during my surgery.
Quentin was stable overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. Our goal Wednesday was to get him out of the incubator. I finally got him out of it by 3 pm on Wednesday (and I was already up & walking by then) and it was so hard to hold him with all the wires & tubes hanging from him. He was on a few antibiotics and an IV drip as well, all for 72 hours (which ended Friday night, Dec 3rd, 2010). Originally the IV was in his hand, but once he started to not be lethargic anymore, the IV wouldn’t stay in his tiny hand anymore, they had to shave his head and put the IV in his head. (That was Thursday, December 2nd). I was heartbroken that they had to shave part of his head to put the IV there. I guess he will be wearing a lot of hats until his hair grows in. At least it’s winter. My mom said that I should be lucky that they put the IV on the side of his head - when I was born, they put an IV in my head - smack in the middle! At least I could take pictures of Quentin from the side - and not see the IV). Quentin was showing improvements out of the incubator on Wednesday to Thursday that the pediatrician finally let him not be monitored anymore (they were monitoring his respiration, heart rate and his saturation) and released him back into my care. I was expressing milk and feeding him what he would take in a cup, syringe, syringe with a tube, however he would take it. There was one evening where he didn’t eat anything at all, as per doctor’s orders. However, he wasn’t really showing any interest in eating, as I am sure the antibiotics and IV drip were making him not want to eat. It was a little frustrating.
Our first family photo (in the nursery while Quentin was still on the monitor/IV)
Daddy & his 3rd son.
Being monitored out of the incubator.
Skin to skin time.
The darn machine that had to be re-set every hour as they could only run it for an hour at a time. This machine became my worst nightmare once he was released back into my care. And if the flow wasn't good it would start to ring out of control as well. I was so happy once he was off the IV.
No more pictures ma!
I got a bit of knitting done on Bittersweet Vines.
Though I had to re-start it.
(Knitting in labor is not a good idea when you can't concentrate on lace!)
The boys have been absolutely FANTASTIC with their baby brother. Here they wanted to help feed him some breastmilk in a bottle. (I'm trying to give him as much as I can).
He found his thumb! Oh no!
This week Mack was 128 weeks old.
And Sean was 204 weeks old.
My milk finally came in, and he latched for the first time on Friday evening (December 3rd). He was being supplemented on Similac 24 in the meantime, as it is higher in calories and they usually give this for premature babies. I am not sure how the breastfeeding will go - but I will try my best. He does still need the supplementing of formula, because of his prematurity and hopefully when the CLSC comes in the new few days to check on us (with their baby scale) he'll have gained some weight. He has a really tiny mouth, and I'm in a lot of pain. I'm not sure how this breast feeding thing will work out - but I will try. If it doesn't work out - I will not be heart broken over it... as it didn't really work out the first two times.
Once the IV came out, I just wanted to go home. It had been an extremely long week. Even though Quentin had a bit of a rough start to life, he fought it all on his own, and showed us how strong he really is. The way everything worked out – was truly a blessing. Quentin is precious and tiny (born 5 lbs 10 oz and discharged from the hospital at 5 lbs 2.89 oz) and we all love him to bits.
On the way home from the hospital!
I got home around lunch on Saturday, and had family over all afternoon/evening. By the time our last guest left last night, I was passing out in my bed. Quentin was very good last night, and woke up just to eat/be changed. He is a really good sleeper (knock on wood) and hopefully that won't change. It feels fantastic to be home. (Yes, I even missed the internet! Along with my own bathroom, my own bed, my things, and just the comfort of my own home!)
We're now a family of 5! And I'm the Queen of the house. Hopefully all this testosterone won't be too much! I'll have to eventually get a female pet! I hope I've covered everything but I can't think if I've forgotten anything. If I think of anything I will for sure tell you later.
