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Monday, July 09, 2007

She is 6 days old and finally home safe and sound!

Hello Everyone,

We were discharged from Balboa NICU a day early!!!! She has shown no signs of seizures and her liver and gut have improved. She is eating like a hungry little baby now! She had no more neurological events except the one from being revived right after delivery. The Dr's are just going to have her followed as high risk which we don't mind at all, it's better to be safe than sorry! Last night was the best night of my life even though I didn't sleep a wink. I just wanted to watch her to make sure she was alright. She is having a little trouble with sleeping in a new place and I am sure missing all the beeping noises that she has gotten used to hearing in the NICU.
Other than just being tired mommy is doing fine now, healing from the C-section everyday and now adjusting to Madison's demands (but darn happy to be able to care for my baby finally). She is even more adorable as each day passes and she becomes more aware of her surroundings.
I guess I should explain a little of what happened since we were crunched for time when I asked for everyone's prayers. Don't worry I will spare the graphic details. So I started labor at 3am on July 3rd but my contractions were really strange. I wasn't having pain all over; just pain in the birth canal area , so we thought I may be dilating but the cramping was strong from the very beginning. Also, the cramps only lasted for about 45 seconds and then they were very spiratic when they would happen 12 min, 15 min, 8 min, 2 min, and then back to 10 min. So, Tony and I consulted "the books" and we both agreed it was false labor. The only issue was the pain was getting to the point of intolerable. I knew if I went to the hospital too early they wouldn't keep me but I felt I needed some relief. Tony drove me to the hospital and on the way there the pains regulated to about 4 min apart. We arrived at 7am and told the Labor and Delivery Dr what was going on and they started fetal monitoring. About 20 min. later my water broke so they admitted me and told me I was only dilated to a 2. The babies heart rate was normal and in the 150 range, we switched to a labor room and I was anxious to get some relief. The pains were still coming but now were getting to be intolerable; the corpsman tried to get an IV in me several times but I was swollen so much they kept loosing my vein. Another 20 min. lap and a lady( I later found out was a midwife) comes running into the room and pushes the baby back up as far as she can and tells us that the heart dropped and she needed to move me around to help the baby. At this point the organs are being deprived of blood and oxygen. The midwife could not feel the cord, so the team of experts went through everything they knew how to do. In the mean time, my Dr is on her way but hasn't shown up yet. I still have only dilated to a 2, so they team decide the next thing to do is prep me for a C-Section so that when my Dr arrives all she has to do it cut the baby out. I don't know for sure how long she was in distress but she was born at 8:20 am and we are so lucky the people reacted the way they did. My Dr. said everything looked normal when she delivered her and the cord wasn't pinched or tied in knots, nor did it look like the placenta was seperating from the uteran wall.
We may never know what was going on with her but everyone that was working will never forget her arrival. Even though the midwife was killing me because I had no pain medicine I am so thankful she was there and had the courage to react the way she did. Here is this perfect pregnancy, with minimal difficulties and the sheer fear that washed over all of us for her arrival was a nightmare. Now that we have her home she is the sweetest dream come true.
Tony and I so grateful to everyone for praying for her we were all in a really scary situation. Her improvements are so remarkable. All the nurses in the NICU were impressed with her ability to recover and saying how they couldn't believe she is the same baby that was admitted just 5 days ago. Madison was lucky to have those angels taking care of her and they all wanted to keep her because she was so good. They liked that they could love on her because she was big enough. Mostly all the babies we saw were preemies. I don't think I could take seeing another baby in the NICU, it was heart wrenching to look around at all the little ones fighting to keep weight on so they could go home too.
Enjoy the pictures of Madison and please feel free to call or stop by we can't wait to show off our precious gem!









Love
The Davis family