It's been a while, but since all my kids births were documented here I thought it was time to revive the blog.
This pregnancy was nothing like previous. With Grace born at 35 weeks and Corbin born at 36 weeks we knew we wanted to take preventative measures to hopefully have this little one cook longer. She had other plans though.
From our first appointment she surprised us by finding out we were 4 more weeks along than orignially thought. From 16 weeks I started taking weekly progestrone shots, they say these are the only thing proven to help stop early delivery. At our 20 week ultrasound the radiologist could not get a clear measurement of my cervix. She finally got it after much proding and poking and measured it at 1.4 she said that the doctor would be in to talk to me. We knew from her face that this wasn't normal. Dr Kaelberer came in and said that a normal cervix at 20 weeks is measuring anywhere from 3.5- 4.0 and that they start to worry about early deliver if its lower than 2.5. He put me on strict bedrest for the weekend and made an appointment to check me on Monday morning to decide the best course of action. After 3 days we went back and my cervix was now measuring at 1.2. Eeek. They immediately addmited me to the floor put my bed on an angle that my head was facing down and my feet were higher than my head. I stayed that way until the next morning when I went for a cerclage surgery. They stitch your cervix shut with hopes that your body will not go into labor before they cut the stitches out around 36-37 weeks.
Everything after that went good and normal for pregnancy. I was tired and had heartburn like crazy but there wasn't much else I could really complain about. Around 27 weeks I started feeling pulling/tugging sensation and started having regular contractions. Nothing to rush to the hospital about but 10-15 a day. Enough to make me uncomfortable. The doctor started seeing me weekly and found that my stitches from the cerclage were starting to pull and tear on the one side. He was so great at preparing us for an early delivery and answered all of our questions about baby and mom and his nurse Susan called and checked on me every other day.
At my 30 week appointment I was dialated to a 2 and 90% effaced. He asked me to limit my activity and possibly start planning for strict bed rest again. However what we were not planned for was the next day on Saturday my water broke!
Devin's good friend Nick was in town from Germany visiting and staying with us for 10 days. He had just got into town the night before and we were all waking up, having breakfast and talking about our plans for the day and figuring things out when I went to the fridge to get a yogurt from the bottom shelf and felt a small gush. I honestly thought at first that I might have just peed a little in front of everyone. I went to the bathroom to assess and clean up and quickly realized that the gush was not stopping. I caled Devin in an in tears told him my water broke and to please get the kids in the car. With my other kids my water never broke on its own and once broken they were all born in just a few hours. I was really concerned that we would not make it in time to get all the necessary medication and prep done before she got here.
That car ride was a little bit of a mess, I was bawling and panicing. Grace was in the backseat crying as well knowing that the baby was too early to come. Abbie was stone cold silent but you could tell from her facial expessions that she was nervous for what was to come and Corbin was being his typical self and singing a song about him using the bathroom. :) Devin helped us all feel calm and in control. Thank goodness one of us was in a sound mind.
I called my mom with no answer and so called my dad who informed me that they were at a ward breakfast and to come drop the kids off at the church, to which I hear my mom in the background asking what is going on and he says "Cami's water broke they are bringing the kids here and going to the hospital" I hear my mom yell "George! Get the keys and tell her we will meet her at the hospital!!" and my dad calmly says "I guess we will meet you at the hospital." I just had to laugh. Typical dad.
Once we got to the hospital the kids went with my dad and my mom and Devin went inside with me. The nurses got me all checked out verified that it was infact amniotic fluid that was leaking out of me (it was!) and started me on magnesium drip (helps the baby's brain develop) and gave me a shot to develop her lungs (I had previously had the shot at 28 weeks pregnant as well). They got me all hooked up to the monitors and saw that although I was having contractions it was nothing like true labor and baby was healthy and happy in no distress. They than informed us because I was so early (30.4 weeks along) that they would not help me progress in labor but that if my body goes into labor they would let it continue. The amniotic fluid would regenerate everyday and as long as the baby and myself were stable they would let it be. It could mean days, weeks or months in Inpatient bedrest there at the hospital. What a shock! I never had heard of that happening and the thought of being stuck in a hospital for months was torture!
Devin went home to help Nick with a few things and my mom stayed and visited with me while we just waited and waited. That night after not much sleep they decided to take me upstairs to a room off the labor and delivery floor. They told me the room would be mine for the next while and that I could decorate it, bring in movies and books and that I was allowed to use the bathroom, shower for 30 minutes or less and sit in a recliner chair for an hour a day otherwise I was to be laying down and off my feet.
I had so many visitors over the next few days and it was so nice and a needed distraction to the boredom and constant list of things I could and should be doing running through my head.
On Tuesday night I woke up to a bigger gush than I was getting used to with my water being broke and got up to use the bathroom to find the bed was covered in blood. The nurses cleaned everything up and called the doctor who came in and found that the stitches has pulled out except for one stitch and I was now dialated to a 3 and 100% effaced. They took me down to labor and delivery and monitored the baby who was doing great. After a few hours of no contractions and no changes they sent me back up to my room to rest. I had an ultrasound and she was measuring right on track, and was never in distress or discomfort. The next two days were uneventful. I had no contractions, rested and visited lots and just relaxed. It was nice and needed before the chaos that was to come.
On Thursday night I woke to some more bleeding, nothing significant but than I started having contractions. They were about 1-3 an hour and stronger than previously experianced. They sent me down to labor and delivery again and I wrote Devin and my mom letting them know what was going on but not to come yet as I felt it was a false alarm. After getting no sleep as the contractions were waking me and the monitors were loud. I finally woke up around 10 am to use the bathroom. When I went to stand up out of bed a HUGE gush of blood happened covering the bed and floor. I panicked, hit the nurse call button and called Devin on the phone. He answered casually and said "Is it baby time?" to which I was now bawling and said "I don't know but its time you get here now" the nurse came in at that moment and I put the phone down on the table and she pushed it out of the way so I no longer could reach it. She got everything cleaned up called the on call doctor as Dr Kaelberer was out of the country for the next 2 weeks! The on call doctor was in delivering another baby, she called a CNA which none were available. She finally got the charge nurse on the line and told her we needed a doctor ASAP and some help. Dr Froerer came down from the office (he wasn't even working that day but was in doing some training and saw the office was busy and decided to come down and help) they took out the last stitch and wanted to see if the blood was coming from the cervix or from uterus. They hooked me back up on magnesium and fluid.
Poor Devin had been calling my phone back and not getting any answer. He had rushed the kids into the car and was racing to the hospital. My mom met him there to take the kids and he came into a room full of chaos. I kept having gushes of blood, not at much at the first one but enough they were concerned. I had lost nearly 1500 CC of blood at this point. The on call doctor Dr came in to talk to us about our options at noon. She said they were concerned with amount of blood loss and clots coming out and that it was time to deliver today but it was up to us on how we wanted that to happen. They could connect me to potocin and see how my body labors or we could just do a c-section. The baby was still showing no signs of distress or discomfort but my body was tired and loosing a lot of blood. I was worried that with laboring I would lose too much and not be able to recover quickly. I was also worried about putting the baby into stress during labor and having it become an emergency c-section like Corbin. We decided to have a c-section and try to be ahead of the game instead of after. The doctor said okay we will have you preped and ready within 20 minutes. My dad got to the hospital right than and they gave me a blessing and wheeled me back to the OR.
I felt surprisingly calm and ready for things. They moved me to the operating table and did a spinal. The anethistiologist was so nice and awesome. Dr Froerer decided to stay and help during the operation. Pretty soon I was numbed up and had oxygen on. They made the first cuts and Devin did so great at helping me take deep breaths, stay calm and talk things through. They asked if I wanted to see her get born and at first I was thinking no, but knowing I wouldn't be able to see her right away I wanted a chance to see at much of her as I could. The NICU nurse came through the window and introduced herself to us and before I knew it they had a mirror set up and out she came.
It was an amazing experiance. They had warned and prepped us that with a baby born this early she most likely wouldn't cry or make much movement. However right when they pulled her out she stretched her arms and legs and let out a tiny squeek! She was here and ready to fight! The doctor wipped her off a little bit and let me see her in the mirror and said "she actually is really cute!" and than off she was handed to the NICU nurse in the window which was than shut closed. Devin helped me stay calm while they cleaned everything up and got me all stitched back together. They realized once they got inside that my placenta was coming off the utern wall and that is where all the bleeding and clots were coming from. They also said that there was a big clot right above the cervix that if it had come out I would have needed a blood transfusion and emergency C-section. We had made the right decicion and timing. The staff was so great at talking to me and easing my mind of things, we were making jokes about being hungry as it was lunch time, what plans we did for the holidays, if we were prepared for 4 kids etc. Soon I was back in the recovery room. My mom had come to the hospital and the kids wanted to see me so they came back to say Hi. Amy and Linda came as well and took the kids to lunch and back to my moms so she could stay and get me settled.
After about an hour they let us know that the NICU staff was ready for us to go see her. Devin and my dad got to go in first and see her and send us pictures. She had so much hair and was sooo tiny! They than wheeled my bed and my mom followed for us to go back and see her. I just remember thinking she was so little and beautiful. I was actually surprised that there wasn't as many cords and wires on her as I was expecting there to be.
The did an IV through her umbilical cord, she had monitors on her heart and lungs and oxygen as well as a CPAP. She didn't need to be intibated which was a huge surprise. She weighed 4 pounds 3 ounces which I was soooo glad she got over 4 pounds. They didn't measure her until 2 days later but she was 17.5 inches long.
I got wheeled back up to the same room I had spent the previous week. We got settled, had more visitors and eventually after a few hours I was able to stand up, and be wheeled down to see her longer.
We decided on a name Charlotte Joyce Scallions.
Charlotte means feminine and peitte and Joyce is after my mother. She was born on Friday July 14th 2017 at 12:55 p.m. at 31.3 days. She is still in the NICU and hopefully will be home soon (I am ready for her to be!) but she is improving each day and doing so great. She pulled out the CPAP on the first night and has been on room air just until this last week when we have been working on feedings. She has increased her feeding almost everyday, and although she dropped down to 3 pounds 6 ounces she is back up past birth weight now. She got to be held by mom on day 4 and by dad on day 5. She got moved to an open crib on day 7. Her siblings are smitten with her and if it was up to them they would visit all hours of the day, we limit it to 2-3 times a week right now.
As far as recovery goes this one has been easier and quicker than previous. They say the more you are up and moving the better your recovery will be and it must be the truth because I haven't slowed down as much as I probably should have but I really do feel good. I've been able to pump and get a good supply of milk for her and am feeling rested and more like myself each day that passes.
We are thankful for the outpour of support shown to us. From visitors, food, cleaning, watching the other kids there is no way we could repay everyone.
We are just waiting for her to become healthy and strong enough to come home to us.
