Thursday, October 30, 2014

Welcome little one!

This month has been quite a wild ride. October is my favorite month for a multitude of reasons - it's my birthday month, it's prime for football (and post-season baseball when the Tigers progress), sweater season, all-things-pumpkin season and the list goes on...

I have a feeling this October will be similar to many future Octobers, as we now celebrate two birthdays. Mine and our second princess, Sophia. 

Please allow me to welcome Miss Sophia Lorryn to the world.


Birth Story

After a pregnancy filled with much concern over my platelet count, I had been fluctuating in the 90k range (normal is 145 - 450k, and an epidural becomes questionable if it is below 100k) for the past month of so of my pregnancy. On my due date, October 1st, I had my 40-week appointment with my OB late in the day. My blood was drawn then and she would expedite the results to have them first thing in the morning and together with my doc - we developed the following game plan: a) platelet count comes back in the 90's still and she orders an induction...or b) platelet count drops into mid-80's and we call my hematologist and obtain a plan to use steroids for a short-period and plan to induce on Tuesday with the hopes for a higher platelet count.  

Thursday, October 2nd
As I'm ready for work and nearly ready to get Alexis to her 2nd day of preschool at her new preschool, I receive a call at 8am from an unknown number. I immediately question if it is my doc, but it is soo early (or so I thought). Sure enough, platelet count came back as 107k. Yipee!! She states to head to the hospital, she has already called in the induction. 

Alexis heads to preschool where a neighbor/friend will pick her up and keep her during our hospital stay. 

I call Jeremy and tell him to come home - after he just arrived to work {note: 45 minute one-way commute}. We complete the hospital bags and head to the hospital. It seems so surreal. Of course, we thought we were going to meet our baby girl THAT evening. {Ha Ha!}

I felt as if we were checking into a hotel. The hospital has the name "Sky" in it and the locals nicknamed it "Spa..." 

Checked in: 10:30am
Don't really see a nurse until about noon. She wants to start pitocin and I request she call my doc b/c that is not my understanding. Sure enough, patient wins. Doc says "absolutely no pit!" - my cervix was barely dilated at 1cm...barely! Instead, they start cytotec - a teeny, tiny little pill that is not-so-nicely placed near the cervix to ripen it. The fun side effect - no going to the bathroom for the first two hours after it is placed. {of course, telling a pregnant woman not to go pee is the WORST thing in the world at this point}. P.S. - we go through this "pill placement" once every 4 hours...for 16 hours! 

After we watched our Tigers lose Game 1 of the ALDS. We go to sleep {me in the less-than-comfy hospital bed and J on the pull-out couch} - hoping to awake to some progress. 

2am - feeling the contractions
3am - waking J up to help me breath through them
4:30am - asking J to find the nurse to order me an epidural, now! 
Meanwhile, hello fentanyl x 2 doses - thank goodness!! 

Well, my nurse was in a delivery at that point, so the other nurses helping me didn't realize that I had to have blood work drawn to check platelet count {one more time} before an epi. So...30 minutes later - blood work. Result: 87...anesthesiologist agrees to perform - yay!! 90 minutes later - epidural. Works like a charm...I'm relieved and able to sleep.

8:30/9am ish - they realize I am fully dilated and they are calling my doc to join the fun!

Pushed for 15 minutes and out came a beautiful baby girl. Super long finger nails, full head of dark hair and onto my chest she arrived. Healthy 7# 3oz, 19.5" lil' peanut. 

Unfortunately, it took 45 minutes to extract the placenta...so that was real fun! :(
Thankfully, Sophia nursed right away and for nearly 30 minutes!

In the aftermath, it became apparent they needed to check the platelet count again prior to releasing the epidural tubing from my spine. This is when "dracula" came into and did a number on my arm {wish I would've taken a photo - it looked black/blue and disgusting for about 2 weeks!} and sure enough the count dropped to 70-something. So, they gave me a quick steroid shot and on Saturday afternoon my platelet count was 130+ and they were able to remove everything and then I was able to {finally} take a much-needed first shower. This also delayed my check-out and we weren't getting out until Sunday at noon. :( 

So...we watched the Tigers...lose. And on Sunday, we came home and watched the Tigers...lose. Yes, my hospital stay was longer than our beloved Tigers' post-season appearance. 

Miss L joined us Friday and Saturday evenings for family dinner and "get-acquainted" sessions. J said on Sunday evening at home - "I feel like our house is so full. {our family is complete} I feel so joyful!"