Birth story at 36+4 weeks LONG

I decided to share my story after how crazy and difficult it’s been. I want others to know it does get better. As a Christian, I truly believe God is the reason my baby is here safely today. Be warned, it’s a long story!

It all started 10/05/21 at my 36 week check up. I was 36+3. The only symptoms I’d had were some bad cramping the last few weeks. My doctor did a cervical check and I wasn’t dilated at all, and I was frustrated thinking I’d have to deal with this painful cramping for the next four weeks. My doctor decided to do a sonogram to see what position baby was in. It’s a thing he always does, and I’m so grateful to God that he did because not all the OBs in that office do them that late. He saw baby was head down, but facial presentation. No worries, we have time for her to turn right? Wrong. He noticed her fluid was really low and sends us to the ultrasound tech for a more in depth ultrasound. As we go in for that, he comes in also. I know how busy he is, and he chose to come in which told me he was worried. He says “You get the same measurements I did?” And she says “Yep”. He looks at us and says “Sometimes it’s safer for baby to be out here than in there. This baby needs to come within the next 24 hrs, her fluid is dangerously low. I want you to go home, get your bags, and come to the hospital to be monitored over night. We will do a c-section tomorrow.” So we went home, got things together, got the dogs to a friends house, and got to the hospital. I got steroid shots, and we mainly just nervously hung out. The next day they did the c-section, got diastasis recti😐I got to kiss her head before they took her away. Her oxygen saturation wasn’t good. They finally brought her to us, and we got about 30 minutes before they took her again. Her saturation and jaundice got bad enough that they flew her to a bigger hospital for nicu. It all happened so fast. Husband went up to be with her the next day, and I was finally discharged two days later. I had to stay because my liver enzymes kept elevating and they thought I might need my gallbladder out sooner than later. Luckily they went back down, so I’ll get surgery in a month. Anyways, we finally got to the nicu and she was discharged that next day. Then my spinal headache started and the blood patch didn’t work. It hurt so bad that I was nauseous and couldn’t eat anything. I barely could do anything with my baby the whole week because of the pain, and the baby blues hit me really hard on top of everything. I felt hopeless. I felt like a bad mom because my pain made doing anything unbearable. I had crying breakdowns everyday. I thought I was going insane. My husband and mother took care of me, and supported me, and now my headache is gone, my appetite is back (I lost 30lbs in 10 days), and my baby blues have run their course and are on the way out. We were finally able to have family visit, and I’m feeling great. I write all this to say there is hope. It does get better, even when things feel hopeless. God is good. If your baby blues last, tell your doctor and get help. There is no need to suffer, and there are options. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan, and it’s okay to be upset. I planned a full term, vaginally birthed and breastfed baby. I got a preterm, c section baby who is on formula. Life happens, but do your best to find joy and move forward. You will get through whatever you have going on, you are a good mom, and you aren’t alone❤️

Rosalyn Hope was due 10/30/2021 but born 10/06/2021 weighing 6lbs 14oz and 19 inches long.