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Preemie Books
The
Preemie Parents Companion: The Essential Guide to Caring for Your Premature Baby
in the Hospital, at Home, and Through the First Years by Susan L Madden M.S,
William Sears MD, Jane E Stewart MD
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Shelby's Birth Story This was my first pregnancy I was 13 weeks or so, when all the problems arose. I started bleeding like I was having a period. I was so scared that we rushed to the ER, all they could tell us was to go home and wait it out for the next 3 days. (if I was to have a miscarriage). The three days went by and I went to my doctors to see if everything was ok, which it was. I had to be careful what I did for the next month or so. It was around 4 1/2 months when we found out what the baby was a "girl." We were so excited this was the first granddaughter on both sides of the family. It was now five months and things were starting to change, which was normal (I thought). But when I was experiencing cramps thinking oh what is going to happen now! When I called my doctor and he told me" lay down for a while and if they still are coming in the next hour or so come into the Women's Center." So an hour did go by and I felt like we should head over there. They got me a room to check out everything and most of it was pretty normal, they just wanted to keep me for the next couple hours to see any changes, I was given a shot that would stop the "contraction" ( which, I didn't know at the time), and sent home. We did really well, that week went by and again I was contracting. I laid down for awhile thinking, ( I better lay down and do what I was told from the last time) but the contractions were getting worse and stronger every half hour or so. When my husband came home around 6:30 p.m. I told him what was happening and we thought instead of rushing to the hospital again, to wait another hour. This time I felt like we really needed to go to the hospital and see what was going on. Because I had a strange feeling to do so. We got to the hospital "again" they hooked me up to all the monitors and checked to see if I had dilated any, which was a surprise to the nurse, I was dilated to a one. We stayed there for at least two more hours before they came to check my cervix, I dilated to a 4 in that short of time. They rushed me to LDS hospital, in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was so scared but glad that I listened to whatever was prompting me to go. I felt like I had done something to start my contractions. My husband and my mom meet me there and I was so out of it by the time I got there. They had given me morphine and it made me so sick to my stomach and hot, hot like maybe a hot flash, or something. When the high risk doctor came in with his attendings I was so nervous I didn't know what was going to happen. My doctor told me that they were keeping me on the morphine for 48 hours, and gave me a shot to help the baby's lungs develop faster, if needed to be, it was a steroid which was given to me three times in the 48 hours. He told us that Shelby probably wouldn't make it that far, and if she did it would be a miracle. And if she still was doing good I would be there until she would be delivered, up to six weeks I could be there. Yes, I was there for three more weeks, Shelby held on for a long time, I was blessed, but yet so mad to be bedridden for that time being. I felt like I forced this upon myself, but yet not thinking of how grateful I was to be there for the "baby's" sake. I was 27 weeks when Shelby was delivered by emergency c-section. Her little foot was sticking out of the birth canal. (she was breech, from the time I was put in here). (Also, I had ruptured membranes when I came in, I didn't even know). It seemed like the surgery went on for hours. I was so tired and worn out. They did take 30 min. to an hour to get Shelby out. Her head got stuck and then her arm, it was one thing after another. When Shelby came out I didn't hear a sound nor, did I get to see her. They immediately took her through a window to the NICU to hook her up with all the monitors and breathing tubes. As soon after we got our first baby photo of her, I was happy and sad to see my daughter with nurses all around and tubes in her. Shelby had one blood transfusion and jaundice she also had a PIC line through her little head, but she was a healthy baby, just needed to grow. I had to stay in the hospital for one month before I had her, and a week and a half, after. I had an infection which was causing me to have terrible fevers that I couldn't even sit up or go see my daughter. The first time I held her in my arms was four days later, that lasted 10 min. of holding her. It seemed more like 2 but I did hold her and got the chance to meet this new little 1 lb 13 oz. and14 inches long baby girl. If you thought that's the end of it. . . . . no way,
Shelby is doing great. She is 13 months old and is smaller than all her cousins
but she doesn't mind. She weighs 16 pounds. Shelby is an angel. I know how
grateful I am now. I look back everyday wishing I felt more like I should now,
but everyday I am grateful and every time I hold her and play with her, I get
more gracious than ever. She is our "little Minute" and were grateful to "have"
her here with us. |
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