even tho this is not a 'recent' event, or that it is happening right now, i want to make a post to tell my friends about my little girl; how she came into the world and about her first few weeks of life.
her due date.. june 12th.on the early morning of april 27th around 5am, during my 33rd week of pregnancy, i started to have cramps. i didn't hesitate at all to tell my boyfriend that we needed to get to hospital. i thought that something was seriously wrong.
we got to the hospital and were admitted see what was going on. they hooked me up to the baby monitor thing around my belly (sorry i don't know what it's called) and were listening to a heartbeat. i asked 'is that the baby?' they said yes. i started crying. i thought at that point i had lost her. come to find out the cramps i was having were actually contractions. dilated to 7 and with contractions 2 minutes apart there was nothing they could do to stop/delay delivery. i had an ultra-sound done to check her position, she was breech. so i was on my way to have a c-section. SCARY! when she was delivered the 'panda team' was there and ready to transport her to portland. (panda team is critical care transport for children and infants). once she was delivered i got to see her for just a second, literally, before she was transported. i stayed in the lincoln city hospital for 3 days while my boyfriend went to see her. diagnosis for pre-term labor? they say i was leaking amniotic fluid, but i didn't know it.
once i was released from the hospital we went straight to portland to see her. when i saw her i cried. soooo happy she was okay, so scared to see her so tiny with all the monitors hooked up everywhere. for being born as early as she was she was amazing. her lungs were fully developed and she required only 2 days for treatment of jaundice (very common in preemie babies) she had a feeding tube going thru her nose so that she could get her feedings. any amount of milk she wouldn't eat with the bottle was put in the feeding tube so she could get all she needed.
(here's a short video of one of her feedings @ 4 days old)
they say that a baby doesn't have the sucking instinct until they are about 35wks gestational age. her requirement for being able to come home was that she be able to take 100% of her feedings by bottle. seriously, it was a lot of work for her to eat. it took just about all her energy. her feedings were on a 3 hour schedule. we were able to hold her every 3 hrs to feed her. usually she fell asleep while feeding, and sometimes she wouldn't take a bottle at all. for her staying awake used up too much energy, and she needed to rest as much as possible. it took her 15 days to be able to bottle feed 100%. words really cannot describe the emotions we went thru.
she spent 19 days in the nicu, and came home on may 16th. really i could write a book about this experience. today she is a very happy healthy baby and i am so lucky to be her mommy!
i am so happy you posted this! i have chills! you have been on an incredible journey...quite an emotional one at that. you are so strong...kiara is so lucky to have you as her mommy. funny thing is, i bet you she knows it too, tiny as she may be. everything you went through for her. she's one lucky kid!! she's gonna be a strong girl her whole life. that she proved the day she was born. gotta love that about her!
ReplyDeletekiara is getting so big, she looks so healthy and happy! what else can you ask for!
congrats to your sister and your families. she was a beautiful bride, and you look fabulous my dear! such a fun celebration!
i wish i could come visit you. even for 15 minutes. please know that i am constantly thinking about you and your little family. (thank goodness for blogs, facebook, email...)
even though i am a million miles away i love you girly and am so proud of your strength!