Transition

Sylvie's nurse called just as we were about to head to the hospital for her 7:30 p.m. feeding with news that she is being moved to the transition nursery! This nursery is for the less needy preemies that are just waiting to gain weight before going home. Of course we rushed up there as fast as we could to celebrate. We must've told her a million times how proud we are. I'm sure the nurses think we're loons. She is up an ounce from yesterday and she's grown a half an inch since birth! Sylvie is also maintaining her body temperature so they are steadily decreasing her isolette temp. in preparation for the move to an open crib. She has fractions of a degree to go. Come on, Baby, you can do it!

~Mommy

Mama Drama

I did seem to be healing well until a routine visit to the bathroom today. I started to sit down on the toilet when I heard a 'pop' and blood spewed everywhere. I knew instantly what had just happened. My c-section incision literally burst open. It didn't hurt but I panicked nonethless. I yelled for Ronny and grabbed some maxi pads to absorb the fluid and pressed them firmly on my abdomen. He rushed me to Labor and Delivery triage and, much to my surprise and slight relief, the doctors were not at all alarmed. Apparently this is a common occurence, especially in emergency c-sections. It's crazy because I often joked with Ronny about this exact scenario every time he hit a pot hole in the road or in an attempt to get him to do sympathy chores/errands. Who knew that kinda thing actually happened?! With my luck, it's no wonder. The doctor just packed the opening with gauze, instructed Ronny to change it twice a day, and told me to come back on Monday to see about getting it stitched back up. Like I said, it doesn't hurt, but I'm totally freaked out about having this gaping hole in my tummy.

~Mommy

They Call Her Mellow Yellow

My poor Sylvie has a mild case of jaundice so she is spending the day under phototherapy lights. She absolutely hates the little mask she has to wear and tries, sometimes successfully, to pull it off. We've gone in a few times and she's worked the mask down over her mouth and nose. When she hears our voices, she turns in response and that just about melts my heart. She knows her Mommy and Daddy. The worst part is that we can't hold her for very long. I hope her biliruben levels decrease by tomorrow so I can snuggle my sweet baby.

~Mommy

Day 1

I have been moved to the post partum unit which is just a hop, skip, and jump away from the NICU. Of course I'm not hopping, skipping, nor jumping just yet. But I did get my catheter and IV removed this morning so I am much more independently mobile now. I'm also much more alert now that all of the hard core drugs are out of my system. I was so eager to see Sylvie this morning I could hardly contain myself. The nurses showed us how to take her temperature, change her diaper, and clean her umbilical cord stump. Once she was dressed and swaddled, I held her to my breast and she instinctively latched on. I lost it. I have dreamt of this moment for so long. The nurses and doctors seem to frown upon me nursing her so soon but she is obviously ready and willing. They are "allowing" me to attempt once a day but I sneak more often. I want her to strictly breastfeed as soon as she's able so I see no harm in introducing it now. The girl could use the extra calories! My milk hasn't fully come in yet but I am faithfully attached to the pump every 3 hours so it shouldn't be long. All of my family came to visit so they took turns meeting Sylvie. I first took my dad. We exchanged very little words but our emotions spoke volumes. After all of the recent fear and uncertainty of his health, I felt a sense of relief today when my daddy held his first grandchild for the first time. We both just cried and cried. I'm still not satisfied and long for more time but we have reached one milestone that we've all thought not possible. Lets hope for many more.

~Mommy

Birth Story

My blood pressures were higher than normal on Saturday morning and my swelling had worsened so the doctor on call, of whom I am not very fond, decided it would be best to begin the induction. I was rather upset and doubting his decision. I wanted us to get through the next couple of days to the originally scheduled induction date by increasing my blood pressure medication as I hadn't yet maxed out. (Not to mention, I was really looking forward to the on-again/off-again baby "sprinkle" my amazingly supportive friends had planned to throw me that day.) I was certain that would have been the decision of my other doctors. Alas, Dr. Poor Bedside Manners assured me time was running out and we shouldn't push our luck. Naturally, I was feeling defeated and betrayed by my body again. I reluctantly agreed and at 11:00 a.m. a resident inserted a dose of cytotec into my cervix to stimulate contractions and dilation. I was hooked up to the NST and started on a magnesium (seizure prevention) and saline IV drip. I was comfortable and, luckily, not feeling the side effects associated with mag. My friends and family went ahead with the celebration and joined me in my laboring room. Thy were SO good to me and I definitely have the memory I so desperately wanted. One of my students and her mom even showed up making it even more special. I was bawling like a fool! After opening tons of presents and visiting, everyone left and the doctor checked my cervix again. Still closed. She administered another dose of cytotec and shortly thereafter I started contracting. By 8:00 p.m. they were strong enough to warrant a request for medication so they gave me an injection of fentanyl. I tried to sleep but by then I was so uncomfortable that I couldn't so I just closed my eyes and rested. Lather, rinse, repeat a few times. At 2:00 a.m. my doctor and favorite nurse, Kristi, came in to check me. I was 1 cm dilated and my blood pressure had skyrocketed to 180/90. Ronny was sleeping on the couch so I asked Kristi to help me to the bathroom. I got up and as soon as I sat on the toilet I told her I felt like I was going to pass out. Being that this is a common occurrence for me, I knew for sure I was about to faint. She did her best to calm me but I started to lean toward the floor, begging her to let me lay down. I started telling her "I'm going, I'm going!" While she paged a doctor for help getting me into bed, I felt pressure and the urge to push though I knew it wasn't the baby. I yelled "Something is coming out!" and I passed a blood clot about the size of a baseball and began gushing blood. When they got me on the bed and hooked me back up to the NST, Sylvie's heart rate plummeted. That is when things got very scary. Doctors and nurses were swarming everywhere and yelling orders to each other about prepping the OR "STAT" for an emergency c-section. Ronny was standing there in shock and disbelief. No one was really acknowledging me as they ran the gurney down the hall. I'm not even sure of my reaction as I was rather doped up. Ronny wasn't allowed in the operating room with me. I remember crying and begging them to save my baby. Kristi explained that I was going under general anesthesia so I would be asleep for the surgery. When I came to, doctors were hovering above me telling me I had a beautiful baby girl who came out wailing. Her apgar scores were 8 and 9. They also informed me that my pre-eclampsia had progressed so viciously that my placenta ruptured and tore in half. Remember that "blood clot"I spoke of? Yeah, not a blood clot. That was part of my placenta. I probably don't need to say how horrible I feel for second guessing Dr. Poor Bedside Manners. Ronny got to be with Sylvie the entire time and came in shortly after I was waking up with video and pictures of the most precious tiny baby I have ever seen. I took some time to recover and after a few hours, Ronny and I went to the NICU to see her. Although he had been with her for several hours, Ronny waited to hold her so I could be the first. My husband is amazing. And so is our daughter. Now I know how my mom must've felt the first time she held me. I finally fully understand and appreciate how much she loves me.

~Mommy

Birth Announcement

After 4 years, several thousand dollars, countless invasive tests, an ovarian ectopic pregnancy, a miscarriage, one surgery, 2 weeks of bedrest, a 5 week hospital stay, and a lot of heart ache, my dreams have finally come true. And I'd do it all over again... and again, and again, and again.

Sylvie Grace Cresswell made her grand entrance into the world on Sunday, May 24th, 2009 at 2:51 a.m. by way of a very dramatic emergency cesarean section. Weighing in at a petite 3 lbs. 12 oz. and 16 in. long, she is healthy and beautiful. Sylvie will probably have to stay in the NICU for 2-3 weeks so she can plump up, but as of today she has required little medical intervention-no ventilators, oxygen, c-pap, pic lines, or feeding tubes, she's just sleeping in an isolette to help regulate her body temperature. I'm sore, swollen, and starving (been on a clear liquid diet for 3 days and low-sodium before that, yuck), but those minor inconveniences are overshadowed by my joy to finally be holding my miracle baby. Thank you all dearly for the thoughts, prayers, and precious gifts.

~Mommy