***trigger***

Birth story

(premature birth)

(loss of a bunch of blood)

Okay so I went in to the hospital on February 24, 2015. I had woken up that morning covered in blood. I went to the bathroom and I looked down and I just started bawling. I woke up my husband and told him we had to go to the hospital. I woke up my mom to watch the kids. And off we went. We got to the hospital about 930 in the morning. I was still bleeding but it was old blood. It took me to ultrasound.  And after about an hour of waiting I figured they would send me home. That's when the doctor came in and told me I had low amniotic fluid. And that they would be keeping me overnight on an IV trying to get my fluid up. And it would take me Ultrasound again tomorrow. The next day I was taking ultrasound they told me that it had dropped a little bit more. And That I had a pool of what looked to be blood at the bottom of my placenta. At that point they told me I wasn't going home.  That the goal was to keep me there to 36 weeks. At that point I would either have to have a C-section or be induced. Because it was safer for her to be inside till then but after that it was safer for her to be out. They continuously monitored my amniotic fluid. Which would fluctuate. But eventually did end up out of the danger zone. At that point they started to continuously monitor my baby's heartbeat/contractions. I was a complete And utter mess. They wouldn't let me see my kids due to flu season. And the measles outbreak. I was only able to face time with them. It was seriously the hardest thing I ever had to do. Finally reached 36 weeks on March 4, 2015.  I was induced at 5 AM in the morning. They put a catheter in and an epidural just in case I ended up with a C-section it wouldn't be emergency and my husband would be able to be there with me. I had constant contractions all day two minutes apart lasting a minute but they weren't doing anything. When they finally reach the top off of Pitocin they decided to turn it off for a few hours and try again one more time before I had to have a C-section. They started Pitocin again at midnight. I had started off at 1 cm dilated 50% effaced and I was at a -2. By 4 AM I was at 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced. And the contractions were really starting to do something. At that point my epidural was only working on one side. And the doctor came in at 7 AM to check me again to see where I was at. At that point I was at 5 cm still 70% effaced. And he asked me if I wanted to redo my epidural. I honestly didn't believe I had time so I said no. He said he was gonna go check another patient and figure out if you should delay his C-section. He left came back at about around 7:45 AM. To check me one more time. At that point was when I was at an eight. He said he was going to push back a C-section. And he was going to pop my water. My water was popped at 8 AM. And at that point every contraction my body pushed. The doctor then said he was going to check me just one more time to see where I was that he couldn't even get a knuckle him before he was touching Kiah's head. He basically told me if I sneeze she would come out. It took me four pushes to get her out. She was born at 8:06 am weighing 5 pounds 15 ounces 19 inches long. After that he stitched me up. And then try to get my placenta detach. He spent about 45 minutes rubbing my stomach. He was finally able to get it to detach. And as soon as he pulled my placenta out it felt like my water broke again and it was just a wave/gush. I asked the nurse for some ice. Because I was so thirsty. They asked me how I was feeling.  I said I felt dizzy and as my husband over there with my daughter I started seizing. My uterus wasn't contracting. And I lost a bunch of blood. My blood pressure was 50/36. They took my daughter and my husband out of the room to the continuing care nursery. I told them I didn't want her to have formula. They then started to pump me full of Pitocin and give me shots and pills and everything to make my uterus contract. And started pumping me full of IV fluids. As I was laying there with the oxygen mask the nurse came in and told me that Kiah's blood sugar was low and I have three options but only two were available to me. The first was to breast-feed her but I couldn't do that  because I was too weak. My other option was formula or for them to put  in an IV on her. So of course I opted for formula. And I was able to slowly start setting up and be able to drink. My husband after the nurse left to go give Kiah a bottle came in all shaky. I felt terrible. But I stayed strong. Told him to go be with our daughter and that I was fine. They sent my placenta to Pathology. They said it was all intact. Finally about three hours later I was strong enough for them to bring my daughter in to see me. They told me that I was able to breast-feed but I did have to supplement with formula. Just to keep her blood sugar high so that way we didn't have to put in the IV. And that before every feeding they would have to prick her little foot to see were her blood sugar was. And I had to feed her every two hours. The first night was the hardest the nurse wasn't really gentle with me or her. The next day and evening were a lot better. They checked her jaundice levels and she was in the normal ranges. Her blood sugar was holding they still wanted me to supplement with formula if she would take it. Finally on Saturday the asked me if we would like to go home. Which I was more than ready. I did ask a nurse with my blood level was. My hemoglobin was a seven. And I'm sure most of you don't know and I didn't either until I looked it up that severe blood loss is eight or less and they were going to send me home. The first few days were really really hard. The kids were just so excited to see us and I was just so overly exhausted. I felt like a terrible mother. Around yesterday morning I started feeling a little better. More like I want to get up and get around. It has been a very long and exhausting journey. But I am so thankful that I am okay and that Kiah is okay. Thank you for the continuing support, thoughts, and prayers.