Note: I have bee writing editing and adding to my log and it is no finished but putting it up in between anyway :)
xoxxo
It all began Saturday the 11th of July 2009, to my knowledge I was 30 weeks pregnant and we thought we were having a beautiful little girl but letting it be a surprise...
Saturday lunchen we had friends over for a delicious Mexicano meal. We ate and chatted and ate and chatted and ate and chatted and played Guesstures, went for a beautiful walk around our lake then fed the turtles and the fish. Our friends Lizzie and Chris had just had their little girl Juliet about two months prior and boy was she cute! When I held her in my arms my baby was going crazy in my tummy and seemed to be quite excited to meet her on the outside (they had met preciously pregnant tummy to tummy). While I was holding Juliet for the first time I felt my little bubs give her a good swift kick on her bum. I knew then that they were going to be the best of friends. Our friends left late in the afternoon and Christian and I decided to watch a movie. I started to experience some servere back pains and had to change positions several times during the movie and get up and stretch and walk it out. The pain came and went and was painful but bearable. I couldn't finish watching the movie as I was so tired and the back pains were getting stronger and more painful. I went to bed and Christian finished watching the movie. I said some prayers and feel fast asleep.
Sunday morning I felt much better and had a good half hour period without any back pain. Then it started again. I was slightly suspicious but Lizzie had asked me the day before if I had had any lower back pain during pregnancy and I had told her not really that I could think of. She told me how lucky I was as the entire last trimester her lower back ached and she couldn't deal with the pain. So i was there thinking great it has started. My third triemester back pains.
Christian had a soccer match that morning so off we went, grapes, water and a sun unbrella in hand :) It was super hot and I couldn't sit down for long and the back pains were coming and going and when they got bad I just got up and walked around the benches. Christian's team tied and finally we were off home. I told him all I wanted to do was get in the pool and get some relief for my back pain. By this time I was starting to worry that I may be in labour as the back pains were so intense they were crippling and they would stop me in my tracks. Finally we got to the pool in our apartment complex and went for an swim for a good hour! Every time I would get back pains, which I thought were spasams I would get half on the inflatable air bed (lunger for the pool) and kick kick kick kick kick kick kick down to then end of the pool and back a bit... the pain would usually surpass after getting to one end of the pool. After a good hour in the pool I was getting more worried and thinking they may indeed be contractions but thought maybe they were Braxton Hicks contractions. So when we got home we both started researching like crazy to see if servere back pain was normal, what Braxton Hicks contractions were like and how long you can have them for. We found out that while back pain is very common servere back pain is not good and should be checked out. We also found out that Braxton Hicks contractions are meant to be painless or at most 'uncomfortable' and how to tell the difference* (*see-below). So while Braxton Hicks contractions may become rhythmic, relatively close together, and even painful, possibly fooling you into thinking you're in labor, unlike true labor, the contractions don't grow consistently longer, stronger, and closer together. So we started timing my back pains and it was lasting about 45 seconds and they were coming every 5 or 6 minutes.
We rang my Dad who is full of knowledge and good advice and said we were thinking of going to the hospital because we thought I might be in labour. We had been attending Bradley classes to learn about natural childbirth so we were slightly tentative about heading to the hospital incase they wanted to do anything unnecessarily! After a short discussion we decided we needed to at least find out what was going on so we went into the hospital Sunday night at about 11:33pm. as They said I was having back contractions and gave me Mag Sulfate to stop the contractions and it worked for almost a day. I was transferred to Christus Scrumpert hospital as it specialises with premmies. The next day I was put on Brethine to try to keep the low or stop them for coming. I was 2 cm dilated at that point.
At this point in my pregnancy we had not had any ultrasounds as we had been sent an abundance of research from family and friends about the dangers of ultrasounds* (* - see below) and done much research ourselves. Due to some unknown anomaly I had thought that our little baby boy was a girl and I was quite certain. So certain in fact my husband and I called Santiago Sophia for her entire 7 months in my womb and many friends joke that he came out just to prove that he had little man bits lol.
I hope this is not the case and would feel very bad if it was, I am going with the fact that my back could no longer support the baby as my sister who is a Dr of Chiropractor believes was a major contributing factor, but that is a whole other blog!
Anyway back to the story, they came to give Sophia (at this point) an ultrasound to see how everything was in there and check the age. We were under the impression that I was 30 weeks and he due date was the 27th of September but very unsure as I was very iffy on my last period.
However the ultrasound revealed Sophia was actually indeed Santiago. ultrasound and he weighed in at 3pounds 3onces and we sent out a prayer request to our church as he was only just 7 months old... soooo everyone prayed and from MOnday to Friday he put on 1 oound and 2 onces!! PRAISE GOD! On Friday 17th at about 3pm my Dr, who seems to e a little more on the natural side of things! Yay! :)
Friday afternoon the contractions were getting more and more painful and teh brethine was no longer working. My OB GYN came in and check up dilation and I was 4 cm dilated (I was 2 cm dilated when I went to hospital Sunday night and then went to 1 cm after a day on the Mag Sulfate then 2 cm again on Wednesday). I had 90% effacement and by this time and so the Dr said that that was that, I was going into labour and we just had to let things progress. We asked if we could still do it naturally and she said yes of course! So we called our parents and my sisters told them what was happening. My sister sent me a great site with the great positions you can try in 1st and second stage (active labour, during rest, and while pushing :) http://transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/foreducators/arthome.htm We asked for a birth ball and the nurses brought us one and Rosie, my sister sent another awesome site for birth ball positions http://www.exercise-ball-exercises.com/birth-ball.html
These two sites were indispensable!!!
We used all the positions then found tow or three we liked and went in between those during contractions. As I had been having back contractions all week Christian and I were a step ahead and knew the routine quite well of how to soothe my back and work through the contractions. During contractions I would usually begin with a screaming and then very loud breathing. Christian would grab some cream from the sqirt bottle and then rub my lower back, where I felt the contractions and tell me how long we had left of the contraction. The Dr and nurse said at the end that Christian was one fo the best coaches they had seen and wanted him to come back and teach other coaches. I must admit he was a bit of amazing :) and there is no way I would have been able to have Santiago naturally without him!
This style of contractions continued for about 3 hours and Dr Susan Shattack came in and checked how dilated I was, this stage I was 7cm and the Dr asked us again if we wanted her to break my waters. We said no, and that we would prefer it to happen naturally. After another half an hour I was so tired and so over contractions (I had been having them for almost 146 hours by then) I was really ready to ask for pain killers and Christian just kept saying "Ok lets just get through this next contraction, just think about the next contraction, thats all we have to get through."
Then my Mum called from Australia and inbetween the next contraction I told her I was 7cm dilated and the Dr asked if I wanted my waters broken and I had said no as it would leave us with only 24hours to have the baby naturally. My Mum said if I was 7cm dilated and 90% effaced that wouldn't be a problem and the baby would soon be out! She also said that because he was 2 months premature that my water bag may still be quite thick and strong and much harder to break naturally than if it was a full term baby.
So we went a head and got my waters broken. Within half an hour I was 9 cm dilated and 100% effeaced. I then vomitted conviently beside the bed and the Dr said that it was a sign of being complete (10cm dilated) :D :) very good news for us.
Then transition began and went within 20minutes and I was getting ready to push. I felt like I need to poo and had no idea how to deal with the sensation. The Dr talked me through where I should push and the feeling I should have.. which helped ALOT! and the pushes began. I must have had about 6 pushes over a half hour period and was getting better at it each time. It was quite painful but I passed out inbetween them on Christian chest, who was behind me helping me put my legs back. I was in this position and Christian was behind me in the exact same situation - http://media.photobucket.com/
After about 10-15 more pushes we saw his little head and then he came on out! I held him straight to my chest for a minute then he had to have all of his vital signs checked asap as he was so premmie.
He was cleared of all the initial testing and went off to the NICU ward with Daddy and all the doctors and nurses.
I got to visit him after about an hour.. 20minutes to wait for my placenta to come out then a little rest and shower. HE WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I HAD EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!!!
Now two weeks old he is off oxygen, breathing on his own, regulating his own temperature and breastfeeding 4 out of 8 feeds and day and getting the rest of my breastmild via tube feedings. We are uping the breastfeeding one more each 24 hours cycle and so he should be breastfeeding exclusively by Monday if his temperature, and oxygen levels continue to be stable and he keeps doing those wet nappies :) So maybe home in a week or two! I can't wait.
The nurses and Drs in NICU have been amazing and fortunately my sister Kathryn flew in the night Santiago was born, as did Christian's mum, my Mother in law. Then my sister left the following Thursday and my sister Rosie flew in on Wednesday. And two very good friends of ours Helen and Orion flew in from Montana on Saturday night.
Christian and I don't know what we would have down without their help and as for all our wonderful prayer warriors... who knows where we or Santiago would be without them!! Andof course our Bradly teacher Kelly Tyner and the Bradley classes (A Husband Coached Childbirth www.bradleybirth.com) were priceless and so powerful. Knowing where we were at each stage of pregnant was super important and helpful beyond belief! Rather than being hours of pain and contractions there were several specific stages I was progressing through and when you are dealing with lots of pain, knowing you are progressings is both a relief and great encouragement!
I have attached some photos I am in the hospital feeding him around the clock, he gets fed every 3 hours and I fed him 12am 6am 12pm and 6 pm and the 3 and 9's he is fed my expressed breastmilk via a tube. :) Unfortunately my leg muscle that was sore (abductor maximus) was serverely aggravated by such a long labour... and then all the walking up and down the hospital hallways to see the baby several times a day after I got discharged... so I am in a wheel chair at the moment and have been told no walking just rest adn if I don't rest it I might need surgery.. so I am resting. Fortunately now I am breastfeeding round the clock (and expressing) we have been given a courtesy room and I am only half way down the hall :) Hopefully will be out in another week or two.. maybe more probably not less.
We are at the Christus Scrumpert hospital in Shreveport and it specialises in Premature babies and has a very good NICU. So we are quite fortunate. Our room is really nice which makes things a bit earier.
Much love MaMaCiTa! Angela and her beautiful little boy Santiago Raphael Villanueva!
* How can I tell the difference between Braxton Hicks and true labor contractions?
In the days or weeks before labor, Braxton Hicks contractions may intermittently become rhythmic, relatively close together, and even painful, possibly fooling you into thinking you're in labor. But unlike true labor, during this so-called false labor the contractions don't grow consistently longer, stronger, and closer together.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_braxton-hicks-contractions_156.bc**While it is true that ultrasound is far safer for both mother and baby than X-Rays, ultrasound should only be used when absolutely necessary. There is a fad in some parts of the country where ultrasound is used indiscriminately, almost for entertainment. Ultrasound can be very dangerous to a fetus. The FDA has issued a warning about the overuse of ultrasound.
- "Evidence suggesting that ultrasound scans on pregnant women cause brain damage in their unborn babies has been uncovered by scientists."
http://interact.pregnancytoday.com/cgi-bin/boards/pregnancy.pl?read=1098
You Are AMAZING!!! Wow What a story! What a woman :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful recounting. You should be so proud of what an amazing job and Christian did in bringing your beautiful son into the world.
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