Welcome to the World... UPDATE w/ PIC

Emily Hannah born 5/14/11, 3lbs8oz, 17.5 inches long.
Born via c-section at 33w 1d. Long and crazy birth story.
Baby is doing well in NICU and mom's recovering from general anesthesia c-section.
Mom is eagerly awaiting to meet little Emily. Pictures to also follow when possible.

Thanks for the updates PennyCat. Thanks everyone for your prayers and support. Will post the full story when Mom is able.

-FlowerWife's DH

UPDATE-
hello everyone. after a few days im seemingly back from the dead. it was a really crazy and unexpected week. i feel very disconnected from things and like a whole week of my life is strangely missing.

im gonna post a full birth story sometime later on. but the basics are that i went into the hospital last tuesday with possible preeclampsia at 32w4d. i thought i was going to be there a while. i had protein in my urine but otherwise no real obvious signs of preeclampsia. i felt fine. the doctor said they wanted to get me to 34 and hopefully 36 weeks - but he said his guess was i had 10-14 days. they told me if i had anything from blurry vision, to a headache, to basically any change from my current state that i they would probably have to deliver me.

well on friday night i went to bed with really bad heartburn. i thought it was just from all the food people had brought me in the hospital. i woke up at 2am when they came in to do vitals and the "burn" had just become really bad pain under my ribcage and around my back. it was so bad i couldnt get comfy and couldnt sleep. i knew as soon as i told the nurses that i was going to have my baby that day. they ran bloodwork and my platelets had gotten very low and my live enzymes went from like the normal 20 range into the 150s - i had developed HELLP syndrome. they told me i would be induced that day at 33w1d.

we went downstairs to l&d and i was prepped for an induction. they had to give me magnesium to prevent high blood pressure and seizures, and it felt like my face was on fire. i was prepped for induction and my body mustve already been trying to get rid of the baby because at 33w i was 2cm dialated and having contractions on the monitors. however they decided to do a last sono to make sure the baby was in postion (she was as of my sonos when i first entered the hospital), and sure enough, there she was lounging breech right across my abdomen. so the induction was quickly scratched for a c-section.

unfortunately my platelet levels continued to deteriorate and my liver enzymes were now in the 300's and it was determined that i had to go under general anestesia and would not be awake for the section. DH and i were team so i tried to get them to tell us the sex before the cs, but there was no time to do a sono for that at this point. from the time they decided c-section, it was maybe an hour to an hour and half before i was in the OR. i have never been so afraid of anything in my life. prior to being hospitalized for the pre-e, i had never been in a hospital for myself in my life, let alone about to go under for surgery. i felt (and still feel) so guilty that i couldn't carry her longer. i never imagined that i would deliver my baby the day before my baby shower!!

anyway the next few things were a blur and i am waiting for my records from the hospital to confirm the exact situation. but basically i went in for the cs and while they were in there i had both a substantial blood clot and we learned that the placenta had grown into the uterine wall, making it hard to detach. this caused me to lose a ton of blood. apparently during the surgery there was mention of a hysterectomy due to the placenta issue and the bleeding, however they were able to avoid it and sew me up. the cs took over 2 hours. when i came to the nurses told DH and i together that it was a but i have almost no recollection of the convo, although we were able to find out together.

the next 36 hours or so are very blurry. i was in recovery for a long time where i had 4 blood transfusions, a bag of platelets, more magnesium, and a morphine pump. i was foggy the entire time and i just wanted to see my
which they could not do since i couldn't get out of bed. during this time i had low oxygen levels and there were people constantly running in and out of my room as machines went off. i had all sorts of chest xrays and sonos and stuff. my blood pressure was all over the place and my blood numbers hadn't regulated yet either. in retrospect it was pretty scary but i had so little of an idea what was going on and i slept through most of it.

on monday they took me off the magnesium and let me see my . it was pretty surreal. i never imagined delivering her so early. she is tiny, but so perfect in every way. i was given the steroid injections when i was put in the hospital and theyve done their job. today she is 5 days old and she has been breathing on her own almost since the beginning. she can eat from a bottle too (although thats not her only source of food right now). overall theres not that much info on her - shes just doing well and hopefully will get bigger and she can go home. im guessing a minimum of 3 weeks in the NICU (which would put her at full term), or possibly there until my due date which was july 1st.

one note - after i was off the heavy meds i got INSANELY bloated from the c-section. i mean even the doctors agreed my belly was more distended from that then it was from 33w of pregnancy. i had soooo much gas buildup and theres literally no way to relieve it. i couldn't eat for 2 days because my intenstines hadn't started working again yet and nothing was going out - it was all just built up. anything that went into my stomach - meds and all - came back up since there was no digestion going on. after a few days it finally worked itself out and i was able to come off the IV and eat again. but it was SOOOO painful.

anyway so this turned a little long winded but it was a really crazy experience and it helps to get it all out on paper. thanks so much to everyone that reached out and for thinking and praying for us. emily is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to us. and although from conception through birth, dealing with infertility and miscarriages and IVF and then preterm delivery, it was a very crazy experience - everyone is right when they say that you'd do it all again in a second. my emily might be teeny tiny but she is the absolute most perfect thing in the world to me and there are no words that can express how much we love her already.

so without further adieu.. introducing Emily Hannah...

first pic was when i first saw her in the NICU with the feeding tube. shes not on that anymore and she eats partially with a bottle and partially through IV nutrients.

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Message edited 5/19/2011 9:07:19 PM.

Re: Welcome to the World...

OMG. Congrats on the baby girl!! What a beautiful name. Cant wait to see pics Cant wait until Flowerwife is back here with us!

Message edited 5/15/2011 7:47:17 PM.

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Wonderful Update!! Congrats!!!!!

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CONGRATSSSSSSSS


Many for Emily and mommys quick recovery and return home

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Congratulations! Her name is so pretty. Hope you are feeling well and can't wait to see pics!

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So happy for you!! Love the name!! It is beautiful!! Thinking of you and the baby!

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Congrats! So excited for both of you! Hope Mom is feeling better soon and hope Emily is getting nice and strong in the NICU.

Enjoy every minute!!

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Congrats!!!!

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So so so happy for you both!!!! Can't wait to see pics of the little peanut and will continue to have them both in my thoughts

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Congratulations, mom and dad! Beautiful name. Hope mom and baby are feeling well and home soon!

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I'm so excited for both of you!!!

... not that I'm at all surprised it's a

ETA: That post totally should have been signed "flowerhusband"

Message edited 5/15/2011 8:12:42 PM.

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Congratulations!!! A beautiful name!!!

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Congratulations!!!!

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CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!

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Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Congrats!!! Rest up and feel better!!

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Sooooo sweet! God Bless.

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Congrats!! Beautiful name!!! I hope mom and baby are doing well and get to meet soon!!!!!!

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Congratulations on your baby GIRL!!!! I'm so glad to hear you both are doing well!

Beautiful name!!! My 17 y/o cousin has the same exact name (same spelling too). I always thought it was one of the most gorgeous names of anyone I ever knew (and she's an amazingly wonderful person too)!

Congratulations again and many prayers that you will both be home together soon!!!

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Congrats Can't wait to see pictures of your baby girl!!!!

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Congrats!!!

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Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Flowerwife!!! I am so happy for you, and LOVE the name!

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Its a girl!!!!! How exciting! Congrats on your new addition and LOVE he name!!

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Congrats and love the name!!!

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Congratulations!! Welcome to the world, Emily!

Flowerwife, Motrin is your new best friend! I hope recovery is quick!