The past few days have been overwhelming, the most joyous, blissful days of my life!
Sunday, July 19 I was making pancakes in the morning and all of a sudden had a bleed. I have been warned and prepared that if I have a bleed we would likely need to do an emergency cesarean section. Doctors have been impressed that I had held off as long as I had without a bleed. Dennis & I quickly packed our hospital bags and headed to the South Health Campus. Along the way, I phoned our midwife, Alisha to inform her. Once at the hospital we were assessed in triage. I was put on a non-stress test for baby as well to monitor any contractions. Although minor, bleeding continued through the morning while in triage. Alisha joined us, and assessed me. We planned that I would stay on bedrest and stay in hospital for further assessment to see if bleeding continued. Dr Sulliman, the OB on came to chat with us and informed us that we would be monitored for the next 24 hours, and admitted us. They planned to continually assess and monitor me and indicated that I would likely stay on bed-rest for the week, however, it was a possibility that with increased bleeding I may need to have the section earlier than July 27 as pervious planned. Throughout the day the nurses noted that I was experiencing contractions, and with the continued bleed they paged the doctor. Dr Sulliman provided us with the option of doing the section that day, or waiting on bedrest. It is likely that if I continued to wait on bedrest I would have a big bleed and that it would result in an emergency situation to get baby out ASAP. The doctor weighed the pros and cons with us of doing the section on Sunday, but thought that considering I was experiencing contractions it would be best to go ahead with the section, especially with her understanding of the situation. Dennis & I agreed to go ahead with the surgery as it was going to happen regardless and this was our babies way of showing us that she was ready. Dr Sulliman had a surgery to attend, and informed us that we would start in an hour. Dennis quickly drove home to get our camera and have a quick shower, and came back just in time. We phoned our midwife, and she too came and joined us right before surgery began. Once we made the decision to go ahead with a section everything happened very quickly. I was brought into the OR; Dennis waited outside until I was prepared. I was given a spinal, and a catheter, and transferred to the operating table. Dennis & the midwife were brought in, and it was go time.
The surgery itself went really well, however, mentally I kind of lost it after Finley was delivered. Due to the drugs I was given I felt drunk and high simultaneously, and also nauseous. Also the sounds of them suctioning, stapling and pushing my organs back into place were freaky. I could see the reflection of what the surgeons were doing; blood and guts from the reflection on the lights above, and I was terrified for our baby. The NICU team immediately assessed our daughter, and transferred her to Alisha, our midwife. Alisha further assessed our baby and assured me that she was well. Dennis cut her umbilical cord, and brought our bundled baby for me to see. I was so relieved and overwhelmed to see and touch her. She grasped her fingers around mine, and I knew we were going to be ok. It was so emotional and powerful. Finley was born at 5:06pm July 19th, 19.5 inches long, weighing 6 pounds 13 ounces, a great weight for a 36 week baby. Her Apgar scar came in at 9/10, which is normal for even term babies. Amazingly, she is measuring at 39-40 weeks gestation for her development!
Dennis, Finley and I were brought to recovery, where I was able to breastfeed right away. I am so grateful and proud that I have been able to breastfeed. Alisha helped for me to extract and nurse Finley right away. It was so beautiful, she did so well!
Shortly after, we were brought back upstairs to our room, #16. Alisha stayed with us, and helped us feed again. She made sure we were comfortable and stable and headed out for the evening, but assured us she would be back in the morning.
Nurses helped me to stand and go to the bathroom three times that night. It was important to them (and me) to get up as often as possible. I had a lot of pain but managed well. We continued to breastfeed through the night, which went well. I am proud of her for latching so well. We had one blood sugar test in the evening which passed, unfortunately through the night we failed 2 blood sugar tests. Due to Finley being born so early she is unable to metabolize sugars overtime, especially with the minimal amount of colostrum. The morning of day one was stressful for us, we had a very pessimistic nurse, negative Nancy! She threaten that we would be transferred to the NICU and said that we would need to provide babe with formula. She made me feel inferior, scared and incapable of providing our daughter what she needs. She gave us a bottle of formula which we regrettably gave to Finley. Alisha came by first thing in the morning, found out about this and was disappointed to hear about what had happened. Alisha communicated with the charge nurse, our negative nurse, the NICU and paediatric team and confirmed that we need to supplement to help our baby get through, and maintain healthy sugar levels until my milk came in but showed us a much more natural technique to providing the formula. We set up a contraption with a small tube at the nipple, so baby continues to receive as much colostrum as possible from me, learns that milk comes from the nipple and to stimulate the nipple to help in milk production but she also receives extra nutrients from the formula until my milk comes. Once we started supplementing Fin's sugar levels were stable and above 2.6. However, they needed 6 consistent sugar tests before giving us the green light. We were warned that if she had a sugar level less than 2.6 that we would have to start with the first test all over again. Dennis, Finley and I worked as a great team and thankfully all of the 6 tests were positive! It felt harsh and sad that Fin had to be pricked as many times as she had in her precious little feet. Her biliruben tests for jaundice have come back as normal, low risk (which is amazing for a premie)! As of last night she weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces, she has lost 6%, which is within the normal range.
Our hospital discharge was conditional upon a successful 6th glucose test, which we had at 8pm last night. Thankfully that too was successful and we were able to go home! It was so awesome to go home with our baby. It felt so good to lie with her in our bed, breastfeed at home and be a family here together. Our renovations only just finished (in fact the plumber was in our home yesterday while we were in the hospital and the tiler is coming back this evening too) we still have to put things back in place and settle in. Dennis has been incredible; helping to organize, move us back in, set things up, and taking time for intimacy with Finley and I. Today is the first day (day 3) that I have changed a diaper. He has done it all! I am so proud and in love with him and our family! He even brought me breakfast in bed this morning while I was breastfeeding and he was right beside me in the hospital during all of our feedings, helping with the tube. He is a great man, and a wonderful Daddy!
Aside from the negative nurse that we had our experience at the hospital was amazing. We had wonderful nurses. A nurse even made us a hat for Finley on her shift, as she was so smitten with her. Gratefully we were able to consult, and learn from lactation consultants each day. They helped us with latching and expressing, which has been super helpful for baby and I.
It was a unique experiencing having both OB and midwifery care. We are so grateful and find the midwives invaluable in our experience. They didnt need to stay involved, as we could have been exclusively transferred to OB care, they chose to stay involved. They provide information, and explain everything; providing us with education and choice. The relationship we have is intimate, unique and personal. We wouldn't want to experience a pregnancy and birth without midwifery care. Their postpartum care is incredible! Alisha was at the hospital every day, and now that we are home they will visit every 2nd day.
Today our other midwife, Caroline came by the house to check on babe & I. My incision looks great, Caroline will take out the staples on Friday but everything is healing up well. I feel really great too. Dennis is concerned that I am doing too much, and I suppose Im at a risk for rupturing myself as I feel so great. My body is recovering rapidly. I don't have a belly, my stomach is quickly getting back to normal, and my energy level is great considering limited sleep and blood loss. I've lost 15 of 30 (or 35lb) pounds. My milk came in today! We are supplementing feedings by pumping extra, which is going so well! I am so happy to get her off of the formula. It smells, and tastes artificial. It feels good to be able to solely provide for my baby and give her what she needs.
We are so happy to be home with our precious baby girl! Our family is doing so well!
Thank you for your love, support, and encouragement.
When my family comes to Calgary we will have a family get-together at my Aunty Bobby's house!
And in September our wonderful friends, Alli & Steph are going to plan a BBQ get-together for all of our friends to come and meet Finley.
We have a baby registry at https://babyli.st/brandi-and-dennis
xo
Non stress test for baby & contraction strap to test any tension
A nurse made this hat for us
36 +1
HOME!! and first time wearing clothes :) We've been naked, skin to skin.
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