I woke up Tuesday morning around 8am. I go pee first thing, as usual, and I see that not only have I lost my mucus plug, which was blood tinged, but also I was having some unusual discharge. As I was throwing up (again, normal routine for me), I called for my husband to wake up and call my doctor. The doctor told me to come on in once the doctor's opened, and he'd check me out.
Well, I figure this would be a good time to fax in my maternity leave paperwork (I am such a horrible procrastinator), then, knowing my OB and that we'd be waiting for awhile, I stop at Panera Bread Co. to get my husband some breakfast. He offers to get me something, but I told him I'm not sure if I'm allowed to eat if I am, indeed, in labor, so I get a cup of juice for myself. The contractions begin around this time.
So I'm driving to my OB's office, which happens to be at the hospital I will be delivering at. After seeing a few patients, he sees me, and, sure enough my water had broken, and, unfortunately, there was meconium in my amniotic fluid. I was immediately checked into labor and delivery, and was getting settled in. I called my family to let them know that "this was it". My mom, as my primary labor coach, was first to arrive. I was a tight 3 centimeters when I arrived, and baby was at a -2 station. I was at least 80% effaced, if not more.
The started me on pitocin, but Elijah was responding poorly to my contractions, so they stopped the pitocin. Then, my real contractions took over, and, again, Elijah wasn't reacting well to them. They even gave me a drug to stop contractions all together. I was on a very low dose of pitocin after that. Still, with every contraction, Elijah was in distress and I wasn't progressing. By 10pm that night, I was very tired, the epidural had worn off, and I was stuck at 7 centimeters. By 12:30-1 am, my doctor made the call to do a c-section.
I was beyond disappointed in myself. I felt like I had failed, and between that and the pain, I was bawling like a baby, and begining to hyperventilate. I was also beginning to develop a fever. My mom and my husband were very worried about me, and they were both amazing in calming me down and reassuring me.
I was so tired that I was pretty out of it during the surgery. My husband came in after he changed into his scrubs (he looked so darn cute!), and he sat with me, holding my hand and stroking my hair and face. It felt like seconds before Elijah was out. Elijah was born at 1:39 am on January 20th. He weighed 7 lbs, 8 ounces, and he was 20 3/4" long. He didn't cry once. He only made a few squeaking noises (which, were adorable, and made my husband cry, which, in turn, made me cry). I was getting worried by not hearing him cry, and after Elijah was cleaned up and assessed (apgar was a 1/7), my husband got to see him. He cried more. They brought Elijah to me, so I could see him. It lasted only a second or two, but I was in love. He was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen.
After that they sewed me up. Zack got to take the grandparents to the nursery to meet Elijah, I was wheeled to my recovery room. My fever was higher, and I was badly shaking from the surgery. After about an hour and a half I passed out (fell asleep).
The next day we found out that Elijah was having breathing problems, he was breathing way too fast, and that he had developed pneumonia. He was put under a hood for nearly two days. He's on a 10 day cycle of antibiotics.
As of today he is a perfectly healthy baby boy. He has exceeded all of the doctors' and nurses' expectations. Every time they told me not to expect good news, I would get the best news. He has amazed all of us, and despite all odds, he is a very healthy, happy, well behaved baby.
I was discharged today, and Eli will be coming home with us next Saturday. He is the spitting image of his father. He is the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on, and Zack and I couldn't be more proud!
There are more pictures in my albums, and more pictures to come later.
God Bless, and thank you to all of those who have prayed for us and kept us in your thoughts. Elijah wouldn't have pulled through so well if it hadn't been for all of this love and support. He's such a strong little man!
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