On October 3 I went into Madigan Army Medical Center to be induced. I was suppose to call labor and delivery at 5am and come in at 6am, but they were full, so they told me to call again at 9am. I called at 9 and they were still full, so I waited for them to call me. They called at about noon and said they had a room ready for me, so Adam and I got there at 1. They checked me in, got us to our room, changed me, checked how dilated I was (only a fingertip) and started getting me ready to be induced. They hooked up my IV, which took about 1/2 an hour because I have small veins and they blew 3 different ones before I finally asked for someone else who got it on the first try. After the IV finally got in, they put something called a balloon in me to help me dilate. at about 2:30pm my water broke. It was really funny because the guy who gives the epidurals was talking to me and I felt this big warm gush. I kinda ignored it and thought I would say something to the nurse when he was finished talking about the epidurals, but he started to make a weird face, so I looked down and the bed and all my sheets were completely drenched. I was like... "uhh, I think my water just broke." He said, "Oh ok. Good. I thought you were peeing yourself or something!" LOL! Believe it or not, I don't pee myself... :p They were worried that Alexis had to much stress on her because her heart rate was kind of high, so they put a saline lock in me to help give her cushion.
Labor itself went really fast, at least it felt like it did. I got checked at 8:00pm and I was dilated to a 5, so they asked me if I wanted an epidural. I had always been told if your water breaks you are in the worst pain, but I didn't feel like it was that bad. I wasn't going to get one right then, but my Aunt convinced me to. It was nice because I felt no pain at all and I didn't have to get up to go to the bathroom every 20 minutes like before because I had a catheter. Around midnight my nurse Lee (who was awesome!) took my temperature because I was shaking so bad and felt weak. It was 104 degrees. They told me I had an infection called Chorio and gave me antibiotics. At 1:30 they prepped me to start pushing. They told me they were worried that Alexis had to much stress on her because every time I had a contraction her heart rate would drop to the 50's, but when it went away it would jump to the 220's, so they said they would probably have to take her to the other side of the room when she came out, but not to worry. I was completely oblivious to everything that was really going on, even though I not only had my main doctor, but the head of Labor and Delivery in the room the whole time I was pushing. I had to wear oxygen the whole time and I was SO thirsty, but I didn't think pushing was all that bad until after about an hour when I seriously felt like my head was going to explode. I started to get really exhausted and the doctor started saying I had to get her out now. So I pushed as hard as I could and she still wasn't coming, so he said if I didn't get her out on that push I was going to have an emergency c- section. That was a huge motivation because I already had a 3rd degree episiotomy and I didn't want to have the pain from a c-section too. They had already tried forceps and the vacuum twice (both time it popped off her head-i'm pretty sure my doctor who was very professional let out a swear word when it kept popping off) On the next contraction I pushed with everything I had and she came out at 3:38am. I felt a gush (which was the saline lock they gave me to cushion Alexis) which they doctor compared to niagara falls.
Adam quickly cut her cord and they took her away to the other side of the room. I was trying to look at her, but there were so many people in the room I couldn't see. I kept asking where she was and saying I wanted to see her, but they just told me she was having a hard time breathing, but was ok and I would see her in a minute. The next thing I knew I saw a doctor running out of the room with her with a bunch of people behind her. I again didn't know what was going on, and they said again she was just having some troubles breathing and they wanted to check her in the NICU. I was so exhausted I just started feeling sick. I said I think I am going to throw up, and Adam and the nurse both scrambled to get me something, but I couldn't stop it and right then threw up all over myself, my pillow and the bed. I felt so horrible. Exhausted, low-blood sugar from not eating since noon the day before, and worried about my sweet baby. I kept asking about Alexis and they said they didn't know anything and someone would come talk to Adam and I when they knew more. I wanted Adam to go to the NICU to see her, but they wouldn't let him. They stitched and cleaned me up and we still didn't hear anything. I was SO hungry, but it was hard for them to find food I could eat since I can't have gluten, but they eventually found a TV dinner that had mashed potatoes and corn I could eat since the dining facility didn't open til 7. We again waited and waited to hear what was going on with our baby when finally at 7 the doctor from the NICU came in to tell us what was happening. She said that Alexis completely stopped breathing and they couldn't get a blood pressure and it took all 20 doctors and nurses in the NICU to stabilize her. She told us she didn't know if Alexis would make it, that it was just a waiting game now. They said because of my contracting Chorio and the cord being around her neck she had a lot of stress on her and she had contracted neonatal sepsis which is blood poisoning. They ended up giving her a blood transfusion to flush the infection. They said we could go see her, but it was going to take me a little while to get over there because I had to get cleaned up again and get into a wheelchair, so I sent Adam over to be with her. While my nurse went to get my wheelchair I just broke out in tears and prayed for my baby. I knew she was going to be ok. Even though I was emotional because of everything she had to go through, I always had an overwhelming feeling of peace.
At about 7:30am I was finally on my way to see my baby! On the way over to the NICU Twinkle Twinkle Little Star started playing over the hospital intercom. My nurse Lee said, "They are playing this for you and your baby." I got a little teary eyed. We finally made it over the NICU and I was met by Alexis' doctor who told me she was lethargic and I wouldn't let anyone touch her. They said they didn't think she would let me touch her, but I still wanted to, so I reached up and touched her hand and said "hi honey, I'm your mommy. I love you!" She wrapped her fingers around my finger and didn't let go. I knew she knew who I was and I fell in love with her immediately. It was so hard seeing her because she still had the ventilator down her throat and wires hooked up all over and up her belly and in her hands. I knew she was in pain and I couldn't even hold her. After about 1/2 an hour they took me to my recovery room where I was able to eat and tried to sleep. I was so beyond exhausted because of not sleeping the night before I had her or that night, but I was so worried about my baby. I had nurses coming in and out of the room and the lactation consultant advising me how to feed her and what I should do since I couldn't feed her right away. Between everyone in and out, a loud roommate who did nothing but talk really loud on her phone, pumping to try and get my milk in, being in extreme pain and a lot of other things I only got to sleep a couple hours. At around 3pm I was told I could finally come hold and feed Alexis. It was the first time I got out of the bed since early that morning after I have seen Alexis and my epidural had completely worn off. My doctor said I was so swollen I had to have a catheter otherwise I would swell shut and not be able to go to the bathroom. I was in more pain then I had ever been and I couldn't sit up. It took 20 minutes to get up, swing my legs over the bed, and actually get in the wheelchair. I thought I was going to pass out. When I got to the NICU it took another 20 minutes to get me from the wheelchair to the chair where I could feed her. They had taken the ventilator out of her throat and had her on oxygen, so I was able to breastfeed her for the first time at about 4pm. She was so sweet. She latched on right away and had no problem eating. What an amazing feeling! They told us she would be there for at least 2 weeks, but she was already making amazing progress.
Every three hours I would make my way over the the NICU to feed her, but the next morning at about 2am I got a call from Alexis' nurse asking where I was because they called every three hours to make sure I was awake to come feed her. She asked where I was and I said they never called so I didn't wake up. She said, "uhh... I just talked to you at 1:30 and you said you were on your way." That's how tired I was! I seriously have no memory of talking to her. I had only gone to sleep 2 hours earlier, so I guess it was easy to sleep talk. :) The next day she continued to get better and that night they said they felt she was stable enough to come sleep in our room although they would have to come get her a couple times throughout the night to monitor her. We were so excited, although it did mean even less sleep. :) We of course had to go back and forth between the NICU so they could monitor her, but it was nice having her next to us. I was still in an extreme amount of pain and they couldn't take the catheter out until Wednesday (the day after I was suppose to go home). They finally discharged me Thursday and I was going to just stay in the same room while Alexis was in the NICU, but to our surprise they told us she was well enough to go home Thursday too! They had to do a few more tests to make sure her infection was gone and had to do a 90 min car seat trial to make sure she could breathe ok, and she passed all of them and we were able to take her home! We are so grateful for the love that was shown to us by all and for the prayers that were offered in her behalf. I know it was because of the faith of others and power of God that she lived and recovered SO fast!
