Our second anniversary was a perfect time to relax, reflect, and make new marriage goals for the upcoming year. I found a great deal on priceline for a resort in Scottsdale- a great getaway for the weekend. We arrived at the resort and were very disappointed with our room, the service at the resort---- and it happened to be record breaking heat in the Phoenix area that weekend reaching 120 degrees! It was so hot! It seemed as if everything was going wrong, Nate and I even contemplated going back home to Prescott (good thing we didn't!). We decided to stay and make the best of it! That night Nate and I talked about the future: our daughter, our excitement of the new adventure company that we had both signed with. We talked about all the baby stuff that we needed and some we wanted: cribs, diapers, strollers- you know the important necessities. I went to sleep that night dreaming of holding our baby, little did I know it would be sooner than I anticipated.
I woke up with a start 7am Sunday morning in a puddle of "water." I honestly thought to myself, ' I have lost all control' (completely denying the fact that it could be my water and not that I had peed the bed). I went to the bathroom, changed clothes, and honestly thought that it would stop or something. Forty- five minutes and four outfits later I decided it was time to wake up Nate. "Honey, um... you don't need to get up or anything but I just thought I would let you know that I think my water broke." Of course he bolted up and called our midwife. She urged us to go to the hospital immediately, despite me still telling her that we had an appointment the next day, and assuring her I could wait till then to be seen. Still convinced that it would clear up on it's own I was sure that they would do a quick check, and then off to Prescott. My baby shower was that afternoon, and at 32 weeks I knew there was no way that I was going to have a baby.
Not knowing what the best hospital to go in Phoenix I called in a friend, and sputtered... "My water broke, what hospital can I deliver with the best natural care." Banner Good Samaritan was only about 15 minutes away, and I had soaked another outfit, and the car seat. Nate has never driven so fast in his life, but I couldn't care less. He prayed out loud on that sunny morning, "Lord, protect our baby, protect my wife, give us wisdom beyond our years. We give your our baby." This would be the first of many prayers like that.
Nate drove the car into the parking garage and we got out on the Emergency Room Floor. I stood in line, water dripping embarrasingly between my legs, and waited. The security man at the door said, "Are you gonna have that baby?" He grabbed his beer belly with both hands and shook his belly a little. I smiled and said "we hope not." He directed us to the labor and delivery floor.
As we walked the cold hallway to the labor and delivery area praying over our sweet girl, I could never have imagined that I would spend the next three months doing this very act. As I sat on the hard black chair filling out paperwork halfheartedly, and soaking their chair, the floor and everything in between. The woman behind the desk asked me what my symptoms were, I just looked down and the steady drip- drip- drip of my water. Uh, "My water broke." They rushed me into a room where women were behind each curtain waiting for their turn to go into a labor and delivery room. As we waited to be checked I heard lots of moaning, screaming, crying and women who were terrified of labor. This was not what I pictured for my calm birth at all.
When the doctor finally came in she took some of the fluid to get it tested to see if my water had broken (this is not a fun procedure by the way). I asked her to hurry, telling her that my baby shower was in a few hours. I still fully believed that I wasn't going to have to stay. No such luck. The doctor explained to me and Nate that my water had broken and that I would be delivering the baby at the hospital. Bed rest and a hospital stay were what awaited us. At the time I wasn't in labor and hadn't had any contractions at all. They began running every test under the sun on me, convinced that it was an infection since I didn't have any health complications. I had what was called PPROM ( Pre-Premature Rupture of Membranes) this is typically caused by: smoking, drinking, STDs, drugs, hypertension, gestational diabetes or an infection. I tested negative for all of them. Puzzling doctors, nurses and feeling really sad I missed my baby shower I was wheeled into a room. I was immediately given antibiotics in case there was an infection that was brewing, a steroid shot to help develop her lungs, and what many lovingly call the "mag bag" (as strong dose of magnesium) to stop contractions, as I began having a few here and there. This was not the no intervention plan that I had imagined, but this was going to save my baby and that gave me peace.
The doctor came back giving us our birthing options, option 1: wait for the baby's lungs to develop two weeks and then induce labor option 2: go into natural labor option 3: if complication arrives have emergency c-section. Nate and I prayed for the second option fervently, we knew the risks involved with medications such as pitocin and didn't want those risks to be magnified by a premature baby (as they handle the drugs even worse than full term babies).
Friday morning I woke up having contractions every 5 minutes, the nurse checked me several times and I was put back on the fetal monitor. I was told to drink lots of water and go to the bathroom and that would stop the contractions and it did- for a short time. Nate and I were reading through our Bradley Method books practicing things here and there for the birth. We hadn't even finished our birthing classes, and here we were about to give birth! Nate was studying ferociously as if for a college final- only this final was the BIG ONE! Later that afternoon Nate suggested that we nap and rest for a bit. He lovingly climbed into my cramped hospital bed and wrapped his arms around me. He rubbed my back and I drifted to sleep as he prayed over me, our family, and the future. We both had the best sleep that we had since entering the hospital! I woke up a few hours later with intense contractions, we called the nurse and they did more fetal monitoring- and sure enough I had been in labor all day and it was getting time to move me to labor and delivery.
The contractions were needing all of my focus now, I just wanted to get in a hot shower and squat, but no such luck. The labor and delivery room was full of bright lights and hustle and bustle. I asked that the lights be dimmed, and I curled up on my side as they hooked me up to more fetal monitors, an IV (despite me drinking tons of water) and told me to lay flat on my back. I stayed curled on my side as my posterior baby was giving me a ton of back labor!
A preterm labor can be very different from a full term delivery in that your body either just delivers a baby without warning, or it can be really painful, and slow. We met a woman in the NICU who's baby just fell out. That was not my experience! My preterm labor meant that Bree hadn't dropped yet, and I wasn't dilated- despite it ejecting Bree out due to lack of amniotic fluid. This meant that labor for me was extremely painful- I went from a zero to ten centimeters within hours! They didn't want to check me, because they didn't want to risk infection and so all the nurses and doctors kept saying was that I could be in this type of pain for days. DAYS... really DAYS?!?! Little did I know that the pain I was feeling was my baby coming and that wouldn't have to happen.
Nate lovingly rubbed my back, giving alternate pressure, stroking my hair and helping me to stay as relaxed as I could be. Entering transition phase the nasuea hit so strongly, the nurse offered meds, but I refused. Handing Nate alcohol wipes she said that sometimes it helps. I seriously looked like a crazy cocaine addict as I would yell for another one, rip open the package and inhale loudly and intensely. Throwing it, and asking for a new one. By the end of it I had at least twenty packets on the floor. I was nearing the end of transition phase when I told the doctor that I couldn't do this for days and that I needed the epidural to just get me through. Despite the nurses telling me that I would be in labor for days, Nate knew that I was in transition phase. I begged for the epidural, I knew I wouldn't have the strength to do this for days- and when it was finally time I wanted to have the strength. Nate was able to urge the nurse decided to finally check me. He was an amazing birth coach! She looked at me panicked and said "you're having this baby tonight!" At this point I had been in labor for 20 hours and was exhausted- I asked how much longer it was going to be, "six or eight more hours I could do that for sure!" She looked at me funny and said, "No honey, this baby could come in the next five minutes!." She told me if I had the urge to push to wait for the doctor. For those of you who have been in labor, you can't really tell a woman to not push. I had to wait twenty minutes for a doctor to get in the room, this was the hardest part- waiting.
As I was "waiting", the NICU team was in the room. It was a whirlwind, I was told that I probably wouldn't get to hold my baby and that she wouldn't be breathing.I was told that the NICU team would take good care of her- a team of people I didn't know were going to get to hold my baby before me? As they started shuffling in, they brought this huge machine and brought it right next to me: the ventilator to help Bree breathe. At this point I was getting really nervous. My mind was spinning- 'was she breathing, is she going to be ok, what are we going to do?' One doctor arrived and started to get dressed in the room. She was so sweet and calm, having the NICU team back up. She urged me to put my hand down and feel my baby. She was helping me beautifully, when a new doctor entered the room and took over. She said, "push." I had never pushed before and didn't know how (there isn't much chance to practice that in life really!). I really wanted to rest a moment, and think. I kept asking if she was breathing, the only answer I got was "keep pushing and we'll know." They couldn't monitor her anymore since she was in the birth canal at this point. I prayed and pushed as hard as I could. All I can say in that moment was that my daughter was born in the most painful and beautiful way all rolled up into one experience.
God had been with me, and Nate had been with me, and my baby was finally here! She came out screaming, surprising everyone!! At 12:15 am on July 5, 2013 Breanna Joy came into our little world to shake it up at 32 weeks, weighing in at only 3lbs 3oz! She was whisked away to be examined, and her health was amazing- they were so surprised at how well she was doing- so they allowed me to hold her, not for long, but I got to cradle her in my arms. In that moment I knew I was going to love her forever.
Praising God for our little firecracker!
Not knowing what the best hospital to go in Phoenix I called in a friend, and sputtered... "My water broke, what hospital can I deliver with the best natural care." Banner Good Samaritan was only about 15 minutes away, and I had soaked another outfit, and the car seat. Nate has never driven so fast in his life, but I couldn't care less. He prayed out loud on that sunny morning, "Lord, protect our baby, protect my wife, give us wisdom beyond our years. We give your our baby." This would be the first of many prayers like that.
Nate drove the car into the parking garage and we got out on the Emergency Room Floor. I stood in line, water dripping embarrasingly between my legs, and waited. The security man at the door said, "Are you gonna have that baby?" He grabbed his beer belly with both hands and shook his belly a little. I smiled and said "we hope not." He directed us to the labor and delivery floor.
As we walked the cold hallway to the labor and delivery area praying over our sweet girl, I could never have imagined that I would spend the next three months doing this very act. As I sat on the hard black chair filling out paperwork halfheartedly, and soaking their chair, the floor and everything in between. The woman behind the desk asked me what my symptoms were, I just looked down and the steady drip- drip- drip of my water. Uh, "My water broke." They rushed me into a room where women were behind each curtain waiting for their turn to go into a labor and delivery room. As we waited to be checked I heard lots of moaning, screaming, crying and women who were terrified of labor. This was not what I pictured for my calm birth at all.
When the doctor finally came in she took some of the fluid to get it tested to see if my water had broken (this is not a fun procedure by the way). I asked her to hurry, telling her that my baby shower was in a few hours. I still fully believed that I wasn't going to have to stay. No such luck. The doctor explained to me and Nate that my water had broken and that I would be delivering the baby at the hospital. Bed rest and a hospital stay were what awaited us. At the time I wasn't in labor and hadn't had any contractions at all. They began running every test under the sun on me, convinced that it was an infection since I didn't have any health complications. I had what was called PPROM ( Pre-Premature Rupture of Membranes) this is typically caused by: smoking, drinking, STDs, drugs, hypertension, gestational diabetes or an infection. I tested negative for all of them. Puzzling doctors, nurses and feeling really sad I missed my baby shower I was wheeled into a room. I was immediately given antibiotics in case there was an infection that was brewing, a steroid shot to help develop her lungs, and what many lovingly call the "mag bag" (as strong dose of magnesium) to stop contractions, as I began having a few here and there. This was not the no intervention plan that I had imagined, but this was going to save my baby and that gave me peace.
The doctor came back giving us our birthing options, option 1: wait for the baby's lungs to develop two weeks and then induce labor option 2: go into natural labor option 3: if complication arrives have emergency c-section. Nate and I prayed for the second option fervently, we knew the risks involved with medications such as pitocin and didn't want those risks to be magnified by a premature baby (as they handle the drugs even worse than full term babies).
Friday morning I woke up having contractions every 5 minutes, the nurse checked me several times and I was put back on the fetal monitor. I was told to drink lots of water and go to the bathroom and that would stop the contractions and it did- for a short time. Nate and I were reading through our Bradley Method books practicing things here and there for the birth. We hadn't even finished our birthing classes, and here we were about to give birth! Nate was studying ferociously as if for a college final- only this final was the BIG ONE! Later that afternoon Nate suggested that we nap and rest for a bit. He lovingly climbed into my cramped hospital bed and wrapped his arms around me. He rubbed my back and I drifted to sleep as he prayed over me, our family, and the future. We both had the best sleep that we had since entering the hospital! I woke up a few hours later with intense contractions, we called the nurse and they did more fetal monitoring- and sure enough I had been in labor all day and it was getting time to move me to labor and delivery.
The contractions were needing all of my focus now, I just wanted to get in a hot shower and squat, but no such luck. The labor and delivery room was full of bright lights and hustle and bustle. I asked that the lights be dimmed, and I curled up on my side as they hooked me up to more fetal monitors, an IV (despite me drinking tons of water) and told me to lay flat on my back. I stayed curled on my side as my posterior baby was giving me a ton of back labor!
A preterm labor can be very different from a full term delivery in that your body either just delivers a baby without warning, or it can be really painful, and slow. We met a woman in the NICU who's baby just fell out. That was not my experience! My preterm labor meant that Bree hadn't dropped yet, and I wasn't dilated- despite it ejecting Bree out due to lack of amniotic fluid. This meant that labor for me was extremely painful- I went from a zero to ten centimeters within hours! They didn't want to check me, because they didn't want to risk infection and so all the nurses and doctors kept saying was that I could be in this type of pain for days. DAYS... really DAYS?!?! Little did I know that the pain I was feeling was my baby coming and that wouldn't have to happen.
Nate lovingly rubbed my back, giving alternate pressure, stroking my hair and helping me to stay as relaxed as I could be. Entering transition phase the nasuea hit so strongly, the nurse offered meds, but I refused. Handing Nate alcohol wipes she said that sometimes it helps. I seriously looked like a crazy cocaine addict as I would yell for another one, rip open the package and inhale loudly and intensely. Throwing it, and asking for a new one. By the end of it I had at least twenty packets on the floor. I was nearing the end of transition phase when I told the doctor that I couldn't do this for days and that I needed the epidural to just get me through. Despite the nurses telling me that I would be in labor for days, Nate knew that I was in transition phase. I begged for the epidural, I knew I wouldn't have the strength to do this for days- and when it was finally time I wanted to have the strength. Nate was able to urge the nurse decided to finally check me. He was an amazing birth coach! She looked at me panicked and said "you're having this baby tonight!" At this point I had been in labor for 20 hours and was exhausted- I asked how much longer it was going to be, "six or eight more hours I could do that for sure!" She looked at me funny and said, "No honey, this baby could come in the next five minutes!." She told me if I had the urge to push to wait for the doctor. For those of you who have been in labor, you can't really tell a woman to not push. I had to wait twenty minutes for a doctor to get in the room, this was the hardest part- waiting.
As I was "waiting", the NICU team was in the room. It was a whirlwind, I was told that I probably wouldn't get to hold my baby and that she wouldn't be breathing.I was told that the NICU team would take good care of her- a team of people I didn't know were going to get to hold my baby before me? As they started shuffling in, they brought this huge machine and brought it right next to me: the ventilator to help Bree breathe. At this point I was getting really nervous. My mind was spinning- 'was she breathing, is she going to be ok, what are we going to do?' One doctor arrived and started to get dressed in the room. She was so sweet and calm, having the NICU team back up. She urged me to put my hand down and feel my baby. She was helping me beautifully, when a new doctor entered the room and took over. She said, "push." I had never pushed before and didn't know how (there isn't much chance to practice that in life really!). I really wanted to rest a moment, and think. I kept asking if she was breathing, the only answer I got was "keep pushing and we'll know." They couldn't monitor her anymore since she was in the birth canal at this point. I prayed and pushed as hard as I could. All I can say in that moment was that my daughter was born in the most painful and beautiful way all rolled up into one experience.
God had been with me, and Nate had been with me, and my baby was finally here! She came out screaming, surprising everyone!! At 12:15 am on July 5, 2013 Breanna Joy came into our little world to shake it up at 32 weeks, weighing in at only 3lbs 3oz! She was whisked away to be examined, and her health was amazing- they were so surprised at how well she was doing- so they allowed me to hold her, not for long, but I got to cradle her in my arms. In that moment I knew I was going to love her forever.
Praising God for our little firecracker!
1 comment:
Wow; thanks for sharing your and Bree's story! As the "doctor" on the other end of things and having cared for many women with PPROM (many who hang out on labor and delivery units for weeks!), I like reading it from your perspective.
-Tara (miss you in Humboldt!)
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