Welcoming Julia
The few weeks before Julia was born were the most emotionally challenging weeks of our lives, as we saw how the best laid plans can change in the blink of an eye. I woke up around 5:30am on Tuesday morning, January 26th, to discover my water had broken while I slept. Dave and I quickly went to Waterbury hospital after talking to my doctor, where it was confirmed my water had broken but I was not yet in labor. I was immediately transferred by ambulance to Yale New Haven Hospital, where they could take care of a baby born prior to 28 weeks gestation. At the time I was 27 weeks 4 days.
I was given antibiotics, magnesium, and steroid shots to protect baby in case labor began and she was delivered prior to 28 weeks. I was told I would not leave the hospital until I gave birth, which would be sometime between that day and week 34, where they would induce me. For the first 48 hours, baby and I were continuously monitored by a team of doctors for any signs of distress, contractions, or infection. The monitoring was slowly scaled back as the days went on, and it appeared as if I could stay pregnant for some time. This new reality quickly sunk in, and Dave and I adjusted to a potential long hospital stay and a completely different third trimester than we expected. I spent most of my time in bed with a monitor attached to my stomach listening to my baby’s galloping heartbeat. We were given a crash course in prematurity as several doctors met with us to educate us on every possible scenario, including what could happen if I delivered at various points of gestation. Dave stayed by my side the whole time, as we were repeatedly warned that labor would start with little warning and progress extremely rapidly. We befriended several nurses who made this stressful hospital stay tolerable.
On the twelfth day of our stay, in the early hours of the morning on Saturday, February 6th, I had my first contraction. I was put on the monitor around 4:30am, and by 7am, the nurses decided to move me down to the labor and delivery floor in case delivery was imminent after an exam showed I was 1cm dilated. They loaded me with IV fluids and magnesium in an attempt to slow the contractions. The contractions quickly picked up in strength and frequency around 8am, but I was still 1cm dilated. At this point it became necessary to keep re-positioning me because the her heart rate was dipping during my contractions. A third exam was performed after they had me roll to one side, and saw blood. I was now 8cm dilated, and the umbilical cord was visible and prolapsed. The doctor yelled “cord” and in less than a minute I was surrounded by a dozen doctors and the bed was wheeled into the operating room for an emergency C-section.
Julia Grace was born at 8:59am weighing 2lb 4.7oz and measuring 15.25″ long. She came out kicking and screaming, which are fantastic signs for a baby born at 29 weeks 1 day gestation, and she is currently in Yale’s NICU. We were told to expect her to stay until her original due date, April 22nd, but we are optimistic we can take her home earlier. Julia is completely healthy and just has to gain weight and learn to eat on her own.
After a long and emotional 50 day NNICU stay we were finally able to bring Julia home on Easter Sunday 2016, March 27th. This will forever be such a special day for us as a family of three. I made a special Easter dinner for us, and we enjoyed snuggling you in our home.
