4th of July Birth Story - *Long*
7am woke up to contractions that were 5 mins apart. I told my hubs and decided to take a shower, when I got out he was still sleeping. I laid next to him and said your wife's going into labor and you're sleeping. LOL so he jumped up and asked me if I was serious. I said yes. He went to shower and told me to call the midwife. I checked the scripture of the day on my bible app and funny enough it was the scripture that I chose for my custom sports bra to birth in! Talk about affirmation!! Anyway I stayed in bed and called. I told the midwife and she asked if my water broke which I responded no, we were finishing our convo and Bada bing my water broke while on the phone. I jumped out of bed not wanting to soil it and as I look on the floor all I see is greenish brown liquid. It was about 8:30am now. I asked her if that was normal and she said it could be. She asked me if the baby had moved and I told her I haven't been able to tell because I was so preoccupied with the contractions. She told me to call her back in 30minutes π³ and let her know if baby moved and what my game plan was with my kids. (I have a 9&11 yr old) at this point my daughter is telling hubby that my water broke & its colored so he hopped out the shower and said no waiting, let's go. We all rounded up and headed for the hospital. We didn't get there till 9:40am, the ride there was 2 minute contractions on time. When I got to the hospital I was wheeled in, crying of pain. I met the midwife, I go to my room, see the beautiful tub and birth balls/chairs. The midwives told me I couldn't use the tub because that colored fluid is called meconium and would pollute the water. I didn't even have time to put on my custom made bra, pull out my speakers and birthing playlist, or set up my GoPro/tripod. I just held on to every contraction, my kids are siting in opposite corners of the room by the way, not even watching my pain, just had their heads down in their iPads! π Finally I sent them out when the pain got unbearable and my mom showed up to tend to them about the same time. My husband was taught how to help squeeze my hips from behind to ease the contractions and boy did that help! His strength helped me through. He did that continuously till I delivered and he even ripped his pants he was working so hard! I labored standing and sitting. At 12:18pm I pushed out a beautiful 9lb 7oz baby girl. They were supposed to delay the cord clamping but couldn't because she had to be cleaned up due to the meconium. My husband went to the baby's side and I continued pushing out my placenta. I pushed out a 3lb placenta! Biggest one they've ever seen on a single baby pregnancy! Best news yet was I didn't even tear!! ππ½ Labor was a success now to just get to see or hold my babygirl!!... WRONG. As I was finishing up, the team cleaning the baby immediately noticed her belly was enlarged. My husband was with them and they told him they needed to take her for testing. No one was telling me anything, I was transferred to a different room, and told to hang out until they know what's going on.Β my husband eventually came back but immediately I noticed his puffy eyes. They didn't know what it was he said, they think something ruptured. Finally a doctor comes down and says the baby has a tumor on her liver and it's preventing her from breathing. She has to be transferred to Columbia University Children's Hospital in NYC. They're on their way now to pick her up. My world shattered. All or family members crying, my husband and I pleading to God. We spent the last hour in the NICU crying by her beautiful body. Watching her connnected to all kinds of IVs and breathing tubes. My husband left with the baby, my mom left with the kids, I went back to room alone ready to cry all night. My nurse looked at me and said Xiomara I spoke to your midwife, they've agreed to let you go so you can be with your baby. I was discharged at 6pm that same day. I went home, kicked my swollen feet up in the air, ate some homemade chicken soup my mom made for me and sobbed all night. I woke up at 4:30am and headed straight to the hospital in NYC. I got there about 5am and the nurse said "your husbands a wreck I put him to sleep in the family locker room, he just feel asleep so I'd give him a few" so I did and I sat next to my baby's crib and just cried. Fast forward to 48hrs of MRIs, ultrasounds, bloodwork. The liver team decided to perform surgery. She had a 1lb hemangioma (a huge ball of working veins) on one side of her liver. It was bigger than her liver itself, it wasn't affecting her breathing like the 1st hospital said but it was affecting her blood and her heart was working extra to process it. She's had 3 blood transfusions and a whole lot more. Her eyes broke blood vessels from all the agony she's been in. Today though, 8 days later my beautiful baby is recovering. She is so strong! She suckles, and loves being spoken and read to. She is a light in my life. I hope she recovers fast and we can get out of this place soon! I've cried everyday since she's been born but I thank the Lord for helping us all get through this. I've attached some before & after photos and pray I'll get to take an at home picture sometime in the future. This is our birth story.Β 


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