The original plan was that Kevin would bring Kallen up to the hospital around 12:00, Kynlee and I would be discharged, and we'd all head home as a family! I woke up, took a shower, and got things ready to leave...That was until the pediatrician came in to do his discharge check on Kynlee.
After checking her out, and looking over her charts, he felt that something just wasn't right. He ordered an x-ray of her chest to rule out infection, and requested a urine analysis to rule out a Urinary Tract Infection. He wouldn't sign her out, until those things came up clear. Now I was getting antsy. They did the x-ray, it came up clear, and now we had to wait for our little angel to give them a urine sample. We were told we could go home early morning, but now that we had to wait, there was no guarantee what time we could go home.
That is where it all began...but the method of acquiring the urine is what "set me off". They place (with tape the strength of duct tape) a bag on the babies "private" area to catch the urine. Fine, not pleasant, but if it helps get us out of the hospital, I'm game. Well...the original nurse who put it one, placed it a little too far back, and when Kynlee had a bowel movement, it compromised the sample. They ripped, and I mean ripped it off, said "well, it looks like we'll have to wait longer", and proceeded to place another bag on her. At that point, my hormones took over, and the tears began streaming down my face. Any and everything the nurses said to me made me cry, and I couldn't talk to anyone without completely loosing it! Wow...I didn't see that coming!
At this point, we were still getting ready to be discharged, we were just waiting for a little pee...until the nurse came in and said that the pediatrician had just called and wanted Kynlee to stay another 24 hours. WHAT??? I turned to Kevin, and totally lost it. How could they get my hopes up, tell me we were going home and that everything was okay, then drop a bomb on me that we needed to stay yet another night.
We were told we could be in a "family" room, were it was basically like a hotel...but they could still keep an eye on the baby. Kallen would be able to stay with us, and we could come and go from the hospital as we wished. Not exactly like being home, but at least I got to be with my little boy, and they weren't poking and prodding me every couple of hours.
Okay...now I'll spare you a couple hours of details (finally you're thinking) and jump right into the fact that Kynlee's new nursery nurse was a God send, who did everything in her power to get us home that night. After several blood tests, and a long respiratory check, she felt that Kynlee looked GREAT! She wasn't exactly sure what the doctor was concerned with, and made a phone call to him on our behalf. About and hour later that angel nurse walked into our room, and asked if I would like to sleep in my own bed, with my precious baby girl by my side. I could have cried...I didn't however, cause all my tears had already been cried out!!!
Well...That was that! The nurse discharged Kynlee, and we were on our way home! Finally!!!
Showing posts with label birth stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birth stories. Show all posts
Friday, July 20, 2007
A Little of This, and a Little of That
After whisking our daughter off to the nursery, the doctors determined that my blood pressure was higher than they like to see, and that it only seemed to be climbing. They put me on a Magnesium Sulfate IV drip in hopes to "flush" out my system and bring down the blood pressure. The magnesium made me feel week, groggy, and all around crappy! I have never had high blood pressure in my life, so the news was quite a shock!
Due to the magnesium, and my level of instability, the doctors and nurses ordered to keep me in labor and delivery for another 12 -24 hours. They limited my visitors, kept lights and noise to a minimum, and continued to check my vitals every hour! Let me tell you how much fun that was!
In the meantime, Kynlee was checked out in the nursery, and released back to our room...Thank you Lord! They still felt that her respiration's were high, and they wanted to keep an eye on her, but the immediate "threat" seemed to be gone!!!
We spent the rest of that day, and into the next morning in Labor and Delivery, before they released us to the post-partum area of the hospital. The magnesium worked, and brought my blood pressure down to a safe level. Kynlee was able to join us in our room, and all was well! At this point, I was going "stir crazy" from being so confined in the hospital, that all I wanted to do was head home and be a family. The doctors were still watching my blood pressure, and unsure why Kynlee was still breathing so heavy, so our request was denied. We were cleared to go home the next morning, but not before! Oh well...I can live with that!
Kevin stayed home with Kallen that night, and Kynlee and I had our first mother daughter, overnight "date". Things went great! It wasn't until the next morning that things began to change.
Due to the magnesium, and my level of instability, the doctors and nurses ordered to keep me in labor and delivery for another 12 -24 hours. They limited my visitors, kept lights and noise to a minimum, and continued to check my vitals every hour! Let me tell you how much fun that was!
In the meantime, Kynlee was checked out in the nursery, and released back to our room...Thank you Lord! They still felt that her respiration's were high, and they wanted to keep an eye on her, but the immediate "threat" seemed to be gone!!!
We spent the rest of that day, and into the next morning in Labor and Delivery, before they released us to the post-partum area of the hospital. The magnesium worked, and brought my blood pressure down to a safe level. Kynlee was able to join us in our room, and all was well! At this point, I was going "stir crazy" from being so confined in the hospital, that all I wanted to do was head home and be a family. The doctors were still watching my blood pressure, and unsure why Kynlee was still breathing so heavy, so our request was denied. We were cleared to go home the next morning, but not before! Oh well...I can live with that!
Kevin stayed home with Kallen that night, and Kynlee and I had our first mother daughter, overnight "date". Things went great! It wasn't until the next morning that things began to change.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sunnyside Up, or Over Easy?
As soon as the doctor checked me and said I was "fully dilated", the reality set in...we were going to meet our son or daughter very soon! I don't know that I've seen Kevin that giddy since Kallen was born. His eyes lit up, and he couldn't stop giving me kisses!
"Here we go" said the nurse...and with that I began pushing, and pushing, and pushing. For whatever reason, my contractions had slowed to 4 minutes apart, and weren't getting any closer. The doctor and nurses were joking around with me (yes, my epidural was GREAT!), that it was time to send me home since my contractions weren't getting any closer!!! No, in all seriousness...we just waited the 4 minutes between, and I gave it my all with each contraction that came.
After about an hour of pushing, the doctor felt that the baby should be descending more than she was, and something might not be right. She did a thorough check, and said "I think the ear is backwards"...uh what? Kevin looked startled and said "the ear is backwards?" She just laughed and said..."What I mean is that the baby is Sunnyside up, the ear is facing the opposite direction, and that's how I knew!" Oh...relief passed over both our faces. Her solution, since I had the epidural and all, was to try and turn the baby around. Using a combination of the contractions, pushing, and lots of deep breathing, she pushed, pulled, and turned 4 different times until the baby was in the "favorable" position! As soon as she did that...2 more pushes and our little princess had arrived.
The look on Kevin's face when he realized we had a little girl was priceless. With tear filled eyes, he gave me a kiss and said..."we have a daughter! You did it hunny...she's beautiful!"
They placed my little girl on my chest and instantly I was in love! We waited and waited for her to cry, but all we got were little wheezes! After a few minutes of hugging and kisses our beautiful angel, the pediatrician felt she needed to be checked out a little more thoroughly! They felt she was a "little sluggish" (exactly what they told me about Kallen) and that they needed to take her to the nursery! Here we go again is all I could think!
"Here we go" said the nurse...and with that I began pushing, and pushing, and pushing. For whatever reason, my contractions had slowed to 4 minutes apart, and weren't getting any closer. The doctor and nurses were joking around with me (yes, my epidural was GREAT!), that it was time to send me home since my contractions weren't getting any closer!!! No, in all seriousness...we just waited the 4 minutes between, and I gave it my all with each contraction that came.
After about an hour of pushing, the doctor felt that the baby should be descending more than she was, and something might not be right. She did a thorough check, and said "I think the ear is backwards"...uh what? Kevin looked startled and said "the ear is backwards?" She just laughed and said..."What I mean is that the baby is Sunnyside up, the ear is facing the opposite direction, and that's how I knew!" Oh...relief passed over both our faces. Her solution, since I had the epidural and all, was to try and turn the baby around. Using a combination of the contractions, pushing, and lots of deep breathing, she pushed, pulled, and turned 4 different times until the baby was in the "favorable" position! As soon as she did that...2 more pushes and our little princess had arrived.
The look on Kevin's face when he realized we had a little girl was priceless. With tear filled eyes, he gave me a kiss and said..."we have a daughter! You did it hunny...she's beautiful!"
They placed my little girl on my chest and instantly I was in love! We waited and waited for her to cry, but all we got were little wheezes! After a few minutes of hugging and kisses our beautiful angel, the pediatrician felt she needed to be checked out a little more thoroughly! They felt she was a "little sluggish" (exactly what they told me about Kallen) and that they needed to take her to the nursery! Here we go again is all I could think!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Nothing "False" About This Alarm!!!
* Since "ramble" is what I do best...it may take a few days to get the whole story out. Here are some pictures for you all to enjoy in case my non-stop jibber jabber is too much for you to handle!!!
Kevin and I had been working around the house all day Sunday doing miscellaneous things. I was having some contractions, but didn't think anything of them since I had previously had so many false alarms. We went to bed that night, expecting to wake up Monday morning and get prepared to have our baby the next day (Tuesday was the scheduled induction day if you didn't know.)
Well, God had other plans. I woke up at 10:30 to a contraction that was so strong it took my breath away. I waited for it to pass, got up to use the restroom, only to realize my water had broken. We called the doctor who reassured us that this was really "it", and that she'd meet us at the hospital. The contractions were coming every 4 minutes, and were quite a bit stronger than those I was previously experiencing.
After dropping Kallen and Kubota (the dog) off at Grandpa & Grandmas, we headed to the ER to be admitted. Labor and Delivery was relatively slow that night, so we had all the attention and care we needed. We got admitted and all hooked up to the monitors at 12:30. Since the contractions were quite a bit stronger, and my water had broken, I was sure that we had made some progress from the 3-4 cm's that I was already dilated. The nurse checked me, and what do you know...4 cm. Are you kidding me? Well, we began to prepare ourselves for a long night!
My blood pressure was beginning to head towards the "high" end, and we were anticipating a slow labor from this point on, so at 2:30 we decided that it would be best to get an epidural. I was hoping to try and labor without medication, but God knows what we need best. I kept getting a strong feeling that I should get the epidural even thought I wasn't exactly sure I needed it yet. It's a good thing I ended up getting it, and you'll know why I mean a little bit later!
At 4:30 the doctor checked me again, just to see if we were making any progress, and to all of our surprise, I was fully dilated on one side of my cervix, and 8-9 on the other (I guess it was kind of oblong).
They rolled me into another position, hoping I would dilate fully, and sure enough, by about 5:15 I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing.............
Kevin and I had been working around the house all day Sunday doing miscellaneous things. I was having some contractions, but didn't think anything of them since I had previously had so many false alarms. We went to bed that night, expecting to wake up Monday morning and get prepared to have our baby the next day (Tuesday was the scheduled induction day if you didn't know.)
Well, God had other plans. I woke up at 10:30 to a contraction that was so strong it took my breath away. I waited for it to pass, got up to use the restroom, only to realize my water had broken. We called the doctor who reassured us that this was really "it", and that she'd meet us at the hospital. The contractions were coming every 4 minutes, and were quite a bit stronger than those I was previously experiencing.
After dropping Kallen and Kubota (the dog) off at Grandpa & Grandmas, we headed to the ER to be admitted. Labor and Delivery was relatively slow that night, so we had all the attention and care we needed. We got admitted and all hooked up to the monitors at 12:30. Since the contractions were quite a bit stronger, and my water had broken, I was sure that we had made some progress from the 3-4 cm's that I was already dilated. The nurse checked me, and what do you know...4 cm. Are you kidding me? Well, we began to prepare ourselves for a long night!
My blood pressure was beginning to head towards the "high" end, and we were anticipating a slow labor from this point on, so at 2:30 we decided that it would be best to get an epidural. I was hoping to try and labor without medication, but God knows what we need best. I kept getting a strong feeling that I should get the epidural even thought I wasn't exactly sure I needed it yet. It's a good thing I ended up getting it, and you'll know why I mean a little bit later!
At 4:30 the doctor checked me again, just to see if we were making any progress, and to all of our surprise, I was fully dilated on one side of my cervix, and 8-9 on the other (I guess it was kind of oblong).
They rolled me into another position, hoping I would dilate fully, and sure enough, by about 5:15 I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing.............
Monday, June 4, 2007
Mommy Talk Monday
Birth Story:
I've been meaning to share this with all of you since we only have 5 1/2 weeks until our new little one arrives...so here it goes:
This is a copy of the letter that we sent with Kallen's birth announcement...It's a little long, but I hope you enjoy!
Hello everyone,My name is Kallen, and I was born on November 8th at 4:55pm. I was born by Cesarean Section 2 weeks before my due date and weighed in at 7 pounds 10 ounces ans was 20 inches long. Here is my story.
Mom and Dad found out they were expecting me on St. Patrick's Day, the same day they brought home our new boat! Dad had a list of things he wanted before they started having kids, and the day he brought home the last thing on their list, I made my presence known!!! Pretty fitting I thought! The months that followed were full of joy and anticipation for everyone in the family. Mom and dad didn't want to know if I was a little boy or a little girl, so I always kept them guessing! It was really fun to be a surprise!
I didn't bother mom too much during 
her pregnancy, and in fact I just kind of hung out. It wasn't until I got stuck in the breech position that I gave her any troubles at all. I just couldn't get my head down into the position it needed to be fore mom to have a regular delivery. On November 7th the doctors tried to turn me around by pushing on my mommy's tummy, but I didn't like that very much, and just stayed put. It was obvious to me that I was causing her some discomfort, and I was tired of having my head jammed into her ribs, so that night the contractions started. Since the doctors didn't have any luck turning me, mom and dad planned to have me by C-Section on November 18th, but God and I had different plans. On Tuesday morning the 8th, my mom called the doctor who suggested we come in to get checked out. At 2:30 pm, the doctor told them to head to the hospital and get admitted because I was ready to come out! At 4:00 pm they wheeled us into the surgery room and pulled me out at 4:55 pm. I was so excited to hear my daddy yell "it's a boy" and couldn't wait to be in their arms!
her pregnancy, and in fact I just kind of hung out. It wasn't until I got stuck in the breech position that I gave her any troubles at all. I just couldn't get my head down into the position it needed to be fore mom to have a regular delivery. On November 7th the doctors tried to turn me around by pushing on my mommy's tummy, but I didn't like that very much, and just stayed put. It was obvious to me that I was causing her some discomfort, and I was tired of having my head jammed into her ribs, so that night the contractions started. Since the doctors didn't have any luck turning me, mom and dad planned to have me by C-Section on November 18th, but God and I had different plans. On Tuesday morning the 8th, my mom called the doctor who suggested we come in to get checked out. At 2:30 pm, the doctor told them to head to the hospital and get admitted because I was ready to come out! At 4:00 pm they wheeled us into the surgery room and pulled me out at 4:55 pm. I was so excited to hear my daddy yell "it's a boy" and couldn't wait to be in their arms!
After the doctors started to examine me, they noticed that I was a little "sluggish" and having a hard time breathing. 
I only got to see my mom for a split second before they ran me off to 
do a bunch of tests; at least dad was there to hold my hand through it all. I thought I would get to see my mom in her recovery room, but I was still not breathing well enough. As they wheeled her into the post-partum room, my nurse snuck me into the hall so mom could see me for another split second. Not near long enough if you ask me. After several tests and x-rays the doctors determined that I had more fluid in my lungs than normal and were worried about infection. They put an oxygen tent on me to try and give me more air, but that didn't seem to work. They they put a CPAP mask on as a last effort to try and get me breathing better before sending me to a better equipt NICU like Salem or Eugene. I still hadn't seen mom for more than a second, and was worried that they would send me away without being with her. At 9:45 pm, mom's angel labor and delivery nurse went to her room with a "hunch" that she needed to see me, and my grandpa sent out a special prayer request to the church. They wheeled her down to the nursery where she was able to touch me and talk with me, and that, along with the many prayers, was all I needed to pull out of my hard time! I still wasn't in the clear, but I was able to have the CPAP removed so I could try to breathe on my own. It wasn't until 3:30 in the morning that mom actually got to hold me. We waited almost 12 hours for that special time together and it was very emotional for all of us. The doctors and nurses continued to monitor my breathing and oxygen levels, while administering an IV, and I had to stay in the NICU for while longer until the pediatrician felt that I was okay to be in my mommy's room.It was a scary couple of days for all of us, and definitely not what mommy and daddy were anticipating my birth to be like. With a lot of prayer and support from family and friends we made it through and are now happily adjusting to being a family. I can't wait to meet you all!
All my love (and my parent's too)
Kallen
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