Gavin's Birth Story
Submitted by cassiearch10
April 16, 2009. I quit work at Walmart under the suggestion of my doc because I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions and started to feel worse contractions. For the next two weeks, I took it easy and tried not to do to much.
May 6, 2009 ... 34 weeks ... I had a doctor's appointment that day and the baby was perfect. Head down like he was just ready and waiting. Two hours later, in the afternoon, I started feeling painful BH. So I started timing them on Contractionmaster.com and they were about three to four minutes apart for two hours. I sat down on the couch and tried to let it pass. My grandpa was here visiting Trenton (my then-2-year-old) and shortly after he left, I went to my bed because I needed to be flat and stop the pain. Not two minutes later, I felt a pop and thought I peed myself a little. (Preggo mommas, you know how that is =) ) I went to the bathroom and felt a rush of fluid. My heart started beating really fast and I was praying this wasn't it.
I called my uncle from the bathroom, wanting to see if my aunt was there to talk to her. She was at work so I told him what was going on. He said it was probably my water. If it had a sweeter smell to it and was clear, that was it. So I knew that's what happened. Bobby came and knocked on the door and asked if I was OK because he knew I wasn't feeling so good. I told him my water broke. He asked if I was sure and I said, "Oh yeah!" So he got Trenton dressed and we left for the hospital, which is only five minutes away.
On the way we called my grandpa to come back and get Trenton. We got to the hospital and I had a hand towel in my undies because I didn't want to walk in there leaking everywhere! lol We got up to L&D and they put us in the trauma room to make sure it was my water. I told them it was. I leaked it all over the floor! Come on! They confirmed it and started getting me prepped to be transferred to RVMC because Three Rivers doesn't have an NICU. The nurse put the IV in and I was freaking out! I hate needles and to make it worse, she put a bent needle in my arm! I was literally screaming. Bobby said she was probably more freaked out than I was! After the IV was in, they had to give me a steroid shot for the baby's lungs. They didn't say it was going directly into my arm muscle, unlike a regular shot. So that hurt a TON, too. I got strapped to the gurney and put into the ambulance for the trip. The contractions weren't so bad then and didn't hurt a lot on the way there.
When we got to RVMC, they stopped and I felt better. The docs checked me and I was only dilated to a 3, I think. They said we would wait and see if I dilated more. I ate a little and tried to sleep. Around midnight, they said the baby was so high up and had flipped—I might have to have a C-section. They said it would be later in the morning.
May 7, 2010 ... Well, 8 AM rolls around and they come in telling me it's time. They take me to the operating room and get Bobby suited up as well. They gave the spinal, which hurt like a biotch as well. I told them not to tell me when they were cutting me open. I had seen enough TV to know and didn't want to! lol I felt them pulling and tugging on my body and out comes my little boy! A whopping 4 pounds, 13 ounces (for a preemie). They had to cut a bikini cut, which is normal, then once inside, they had to cut upwards because he was so high up! But he came out and I waited and waited for that cry. Seemed like it took forever! And he finally did.
I was crying, then I threw up. Oh man, it was dramatic! Then they took him out of the room and to the NICU. Bobby went with them for a few minutes before he came back. I wasn't able to see him because they wanted to get him started on the oxygen and check him out. After we got back to my room, I slept off the spinal. And EIGHT hours later I was able to get wheeled down to see my baby.
He was so small and helpless. He had wires everywhere and monitors and had an IV in his head because the one in his arm wouldn't stay. He was beautiful! Gavin was in the NICU for 21 days—21 days of driving back and forth to Medford, not seeing Trenton all day, and having to leave my tiny baby with someone else. He had a tube down his nose to feed him and it seemed like it went forever. He was under the jaundice lights for about three days total. Each day he got stronger and learned to suck and did great breathing on his own. But because his heart and lungs were so small, he would sometimes have episodes where he forgot to breath and it would only last a few seconds. When he finally, FINALLY, was able to go home, they gave him two doses of caffeine so his lungs could catch up and he went home on a heart monitor (which he was only on for a month). And now my baby boy is 1 YEAR OLD! I can't believe how time flies.
To those who read this, thanks. I like to tell detail by detail. lol!
Read more birth stories or share YOUR birth story now!
May 6, 2009 ... 34 weeks ... I had a doctor's appointment that day and the baby was perfect. Head down like he was just ready and waiting. Two hours later, in the afternoon, I started feeling painful BH. So I started timing them on Contractionmaster.com and they were about three to four minutes apart for two hours. I sat down on the couch and tried to let it pass. My grandpa was here visiting Trenton (my then-2-year-old) and shortly after he left, I went to my bed because I needed to be flat and stop the pain. Not two minutes later, I felt a pop and thought I peed myself a little. (Preggo mommas, you know how that is =) ) I went to the bathroom and felt a rush of fluid. My heart started beating really fast and I was praying this wasn't it.
I called my uncle from the bathroom, wanting to see if my aunt was there to talk to her. She was at work so I told him what was going on. He said it was probably my water. If it had a sweeter smell to it and was clear, that was it. So I knew that's what happened. Bobby came and knocked on the door and asked if I was OK because he knew I wasn't feeling so good. I told him my water broke. He asked if I was sure and I said, "Oh yeah!" So he got Trenton dressed and we left for the hospital, which is only five minutes away.
On the way we called my grandpa to come back and get Trenton. We got to the hospital and I had a hand towel in my undies because I didn't want to walk in there leaking everywhere! lol We got up to L&D and they put us in the trauma room to make sure it was my water. I told them it was. I leaked it all over the floor! Come on! They confirmed it and started getting me prepped to be transferred to RVMC because Three Rivers doesn't have an NICU. The nurse put the IV in and I was freaking out! I hate needles and to make it worse, she put a bent needle in my arm! I was literally screaming. Bobby said she was probably more freaked out than I was! After the IV was in, they had to give me a steroid shot for the baby's lungs. They didn't say it was going directly into my arm muscle, unlike a regular shot. So that hurt a TON, too. I got strapped to the gurney and put into the ambulance for the trip. The contractions weren't so bad then and didn't hurt a lot on the way there.
When we got to RVMC, they stopped and I felt better. The docs checked me and I was only dilated to a 3, I think. They said we would wait and see if I dilated more. I ate a little and tried to sleep. Around midnight, they said the baby was so high up and had flipped—I might have to have a C-section. They said it would be later in the morning.
May 7, 2010 ... Well, 8 AM rolls around and they come in telling me it's time. They take me to the operating room and get Bobby suited up as well. They gave the spinal, which hurt like a biotch as well. I told them not to tell me when they were cutting me open. I had seen enough TV to know and didn't want to! lol I felt them pulling and tugging on my body and out comes my little boy! A whopping 4 pounds, 13 ounces (for a preemie). They had to cut a bikini cut, which is normal, then once inside, they had to cut upwards because he was so high up! But he came out and I waited and waited for that cry. Seemed like it took forever! And he finally did.
I was crying, then I threw up. Oh man, it was dramatic! Then they took him out of the room and to the NICU. Bobby went with them for a few minutes before he came back. I wasn't able to see him because they wanted to get him started on the oxygen and check him out. After we got back to my room, I slept off the spinal. And EIGHT hours later I was able to get wheeled down to see my baby.
He was so small and helpless. He had wires everywhere and monitors and had an IV in his head because the one in his arm wouldn't stay. He was beautiful! Gavin was in the NICU for 21 days—21 days of driving back and forth to Medford, not seeing Trenton all day, and having to leave my tiny baby with someone else. He had a tube down his nose to feed him and it seemed like it went forever. He was under the jaundice lights for about three days total. Each day he got stronger and learned to suck and did great breathing on his own. But because his heart and lungs were so small, he would sometimes have episodes where he forgot to breath and it would only last a few seconds. When he finally, FINALLY, was able to go home, they gave him two doses of caffeine so his lungs could catch up and he went home on a heart monitor (which he was only on for a month). And now my baby boy is 1 YEAR OLD! I can't believe how time flies.
To those who read this, thanks. I like to tell detail by detail. lol!
Read more birth stories or share YOUR birth story now!
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