If you all would like to continue to follow Luke David's progress, check out my new blog. I will also be talking about my personal recovery of being a pPROMer and enduring 15 weeks of bedrest.
http://www.kristinnicumom.blogspot.com/
As of the date of this entry, I do not have any entries yet, but I will soon!
Lilypie Premature Baby tickers
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
10th Posting: Stepping down as a pPROM Queen.
The walls are bare and all my stuff is packed. I'm enjoying a quiet sunrise in my hospital room. I'm already dressed and ready to go. Today, I'm going home.
My life as a pPROM Queen is about to become a memory. It has been an incredible 105 days. During this time, I learned what it meant to truly be a mother. I sacrificed my whole life, my whole self, for the life of a child. During this time, I was shown many things. In a world that's portrayed as being self-absorbed, and too far gone to care, I saw true kindness in family, friends, and strangers. I learned that people still pray and how effective a simple "thank you" or "thinking of you" can help a person in a hard situation. It doesn't have to be a grand act or gesture. I always knew life was a gift, but I never understood the fullness of it. I see my three daughters with new eyes, knowing now having children isn't always an easy thing. I see my son, who fought for weeks inside me and is still fighting for this gift. I also know I'm married to a wonderful man who will step up to the plate and do what's set before him without being asked. Life is good.
I love all my new fellow pPROMing friends. We've really bonded through the weeks--through the good and the bad. Thanks for being with me girls. I know I couldn't have done it without you.
Thank you to the nurses who have helped my hospital stay become more bearable. I enjoyed the talks and the feeling that you were truly rooting for me and my son.
I also want to thank the doctors. Even though every document, every study said this couldn't be done, you let me try. You promised to give my son and I the best chance possible. Sometimes it was hard to hear what you had to say but I know you were learning too. Hopefully you can take my situation and outcome and extend that hope to the next mommy that is a pPROM Queen.
And most of all, I want to thank God for giving me the strength and the right frame of mind to do this. When we conceived this child, we did it for You. Something that could have been so easy and thoughtless has been turned into a test. It has changed our lives for the better. We now know to enjoy the moment and not look ahead so much. Thank you.
I'm still going to blog, but I am stepping down as a pPROM Queen and am becoming an NICU Mom. The focus will be more on Luke David and his fight. I will be starting a brand new blog with a brand new link. If you are a pPROMer and have any questions, feel free to email me at kristinsteffen1973@yahoo.com. Remember, where there's life there's hope!
My life as a pPROM Queen is about to become a memory. It has been an incredible 105 days. During this time, I learned what it meant to truly be a mother. I sacrificed my whole life, my whole self, for the life of a child. During this time, I was shown many things. In a world that's portrayed as being self-absorbed, and too far gone to care, I saw true kindness in family, friends, and strangers. I learned that people still pray and how effective a simple "thank you" or "thinking of you" can help a person in a hard situation. It doesn't have to be a grand act or gesture. I always knew life was a gift, but I never understood the fullness of it. I see my three daughters with new eyes, knowing now having children isn't always an easy thing. I see my son, who fought for weeks inside me and is still fighting for this gift. I also know I'm married to a wonderful man who will step up to the plate and do what's set before him without being asked. Life is good.
I love all my new fellow pPROMing friends. We've really bonded through the weeks--through the good and the bad. Thanks for being with me girls. I know I couldn't have done it without you.
Thank you to the nurses who have helped my hospital stay become more bearable. I enjoyed the talks and the feeling that you were truly rooting for me and my son.
I also want to thank the doctors. Even though every document, every study said this couldn't be done, you let me try. You promised to give my son and I the best chance possible. Sometimes it was hard to hear what you had to say but I know you were learning too. Hopefully you can take my situation and outcome and extend that hope to the next mommy that is a pPROM Queen.
And most of all, I want to thank God for giving me the strength and the right frame of mind to do this. When we conceived this child, we did it for You. Something that could have been so easy and thoughtless has been turned into a test. It has changed our lives for the better. We now know to enjoy the moment and not look ahead so much. Thank you.
I'm still going to blog, but I am stepping down as a pPROM Queen and am becoming an NICU Mom. The focus will be more on Luke David and his fight. I will be starting a brand new blog with a brand new link. If you are a pPROMer and have any questions, feel free to email me at kristinsteffen1973@yahoo.com. Remember, where there's life there's hope!
Monday, November 1, 2010
9th Posting: On the Road to Recovery
I know when I was pregnant (a couple of days ago), I always wondered what recovery would be like after a C-section and being on bedrest for so long. That's why I'm writing this post today. Keep you pPROMing moms informed as well as those who are simply curious.
I have to say, the transition is weird. After weeks and weeks of, "Sit down" now they're telling you, "You should walk!" How does it feel? Well, it's tough! Right now the biggest pain is the C-section. The most pain resides in the lower sides of my abdomen. I am on pain killers, but every day it does get a little better.
I also tire super easily and it hits me hard. After taking a trip to the NICU, I need to rest. Even though I'm escorted there in a wheelchair and all I do is stand for awhile, that's enough to poop me out.
There is a lovely sense of freedom however. This morning I woke up and putted around the room a bit. It felt so good no to worry about causing a leak. I stood by the window and enjoyed the view with no guilt. A nurse walked in and I didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong! Trying hard not to push myself though. Want to get better as soon as possible!
I'm excited to go home--that's tomorrow. Haven't been there in over a month. It's kind of bittersweet though. When I had Luke inside me, I felt I had some control over his life. Once I leave this building tomorrow, it's like I'm handing over the keys to the doctors and nurses. They're now calling the shots. Still, I have three little girls at home who are missing their mommy terribly and I can't wait to be a part of their lives again.
It's going to be a long road. We're still living day by day. Still enjoying the fact that I get to know our son and make memories with him.
I have to say, the transition is weird. After weeks and weeks of, "Sit down" now they're telling you, "You should walk!" How does it feel? Well, it's tough! Right now the biggest pain is the C-section. The most pain resides in the lower sides of my abdomen. I am on pain killers, but every day it does get a little better.
I also tire super easily and it hits me hard. After taking a trip to the NICU, I need to rest. Even though I'm escorted there in a wheelchair and all I do is stand for awhile, that's enough to poop me out.
There is a lovely sense of freedom however. This morning I woke up and putted around the room a bit. It felt so good no to worry about causing a leak. I stood by the window and enjoyed the view with no guilt. A nurse walked in and I didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong! Trying hard not to push myself though. Want to get better as soon as possible!
I'm excited to go home--that's tomorrow. Haven't been there in over a month. It's kind of bittersweet though. When I had Luke inside me, I felt I had some control over his life. Once I leave this building tomorrow, it's like I'm handing over the keys to the doctors and nurses. They're now calling the shots. Still, I have three little girls at home who are missing their mommy terribly and I can't wait to be a part of their lives again.
 |
| A rare shot of me introducing Kim to her grandson. |
 |
| Grandpa Dave and Kim visiting with their 13th grandchild. |
 |
| The girls meeting their brother for the first time on Halloween! |
Sunday, October 31, 2010
8th Posting: Time to Come Out and Play.
Friday, October 29, 2010 will go down as one of the most difficult, exciting, painful, and rewarding days I have ever been through. Luke David was born. Here is his story.
I woke up early that day having some mild contractions. I talked to the nurse about it but she assured me it was most likely Braxton Hicks (false labor pains). I was okay with that. They weren't very painful or consistent at the time. Things were a-changing though. By the time the afternoon came, the inconsistency turned more consistent and the pain was definitely noticeable. I brought it up to another nurse. She looked at the monitor which registers the baby's heart beat and if I was having any contraction. Not many were registering. Braxton Hicks were brought up again. Maybe I needed to go to the bathroom, she said. Or, maybe I was just hungry. Sometimes those issues can irritate the uterus. I took her suggestions and got a little relief, but the relief never lasted very long. It was very frustrating to have a painful contraction and look at the monitor to see it didn't register. The nurse said she believed I was having them, but I also knew if they didn't show up on the monitoring slip, no doctor would.
By supper time, the pain was surfacing every ten minutes and I was worried. All my other labors went so fast. For Ginni, she took the longest because she was my first. The doctors predicted somewhere around midnight I'd deliver. I had her at 10:30 in the morning. Charlotte, a nurse delivered her with one gloved hand and the bed wasn't even set up. With Emma, the doctor came in just in time to catch her, otherwise it would have been another nurse delivery. This baby was breech so I knew I had to have a C-section. If we waited too long, I could see the baby getting stuck. It made no sense to me why they weren't getting things together for the surgery. Chris and I told the nurses time and time again that I'd go fast. Still, we weren't taken seriously. I wasn't contracting less then 10 minutes apart so there was nothing to worry about. Well, I guess I showed them.
I went from having contractions every ten minutes to every three minutes with a drop of the hat. I asked the nurses a couple of times if they'd check me, but my doctor said no to that. With pPROM you're not supposed to be checked because of the high risk of infection. My doctor wasn't there and obviously believed I wasn't really in labor. That's when the nurses got a hold of the doctor on call and asked him several times until he gave in. Thank you nurses!!! I was 100% dilated and the baby's rear end was coming down the birth canal. High gear was put in gear!
I was rushed down to the OR. The contractions were so intense at this point and I wasn't allowed to push. That was the hardest thing not to do. The anesthesiologist who was supposed to work with me was in another surgery, so they paged a second one. His pager didn't go off the first couple of attempts. Most of the time for an emergency C-section, you're in an out in five minutes. We sat there for an hour waiting for this doctor to arrive. All the while my contractions were on top of each other. Imagine being strapped down to the operating table with your arms extended, experiencing massive pain. Can you say, NOT FUN? When he did finally get there, I was knocked out instead of the typical epidural. General anesthesia works a lot quicker than the epidural and time was of the essence. This baby needed to get out!
Thank you to all who have helped. Thank you to the many Facebook people out there who urged me on during those long hours of the unknown. Thank you to those who prayed and sent well wishes. Thank you to all who supported us and kept us moving forward.
I woke up early that day having some mild contractions. I talked to the nurse about it but she assured me it was most likely Braxton Hicks (false labor pains). I was okay with that. They weren't very painful or consistent at the time. Things were a-changing though. By the time the afternoon came, the inconsistency turned more consistent and the pain was definitely noticeable. I brought it up to another nurse. She looked at the monitor which registers the baby's heart beat and if I was having any contraction. Not many were registering. Braxton Hicks were brought up again. Maybe I needed to go to the bathroom, she said. Or, maybe I was just hungry. Sometimes those issues can irritate the uterus. I took her suggestions and got a little relief, but the relief never lasted very long. It was very frustrating to have a painful contraction and look at the monitor to see it didn't register. The nurse said she believed I was having them, but I also knew if they didn't show up on the monitoring slip, no doctor would.
By supper time, the pain was surfacing every ten minutes and I was worried. All my other labors went so fast. For Ginni, she took the longest because she was my first. The doctors predicted somewhere around midnight I'd deliver. I had her at 10:30 in the morning. Charlotte, a nurse delivered her with one gloved hand and the bed wasn't even set up. With Emma, the doctor came in just in time to catch her, otherwise it would have been another nurse delivery. This baby was breech so I knew I had to have a C-section. If we waited too long, I could see the baby getting stuck. It made no sense to me why they weren't getting things together for the surgery. Chris and I told the nurses time and time again that I'd go fast. Still, we weren't taken seriously. I wasn't contracting less then 10 minutes apart so there was nothing to worry about. Well, I guess I showed them.
I went from having contractions every ten minutes to every three minutes with a drop of the hat. I asked the nurses a couple of times if they'd check me, but my doctor said no to that. With pPROM you're not supposed to be checked because of the high risk of infection. My doctor wasn't there and obviously believed I wasn't really in labor. That's when the nurses got a hold of the doctor on call and asked him several times until he gave in. Thank you nurses!!! I was 100% dilated and the baby's rear end was coming down the birth canal. High gear was put in gear!
I was rushed down to the OR. The contractions were so intense at this point and I wasn't allowed to push. That was the hardest thing not to do. The anesthesiologist who was supposed to work with me was in another surgery, so they paged a second one. His pager didn't go off the first couple of attempts. Most of the time for an emergency C-section, you're in an out in five minutes. We sat there for an hour waiting for this doctor to arrive. All the while my contractions were on top of each other. Imagine being strapped down to the operating table with your arms extended, experiencing massive pain. Can you say, NOT FUN? When he did finally get there, I was knocked out instead of the typical epidural. General anesthesia works a lot quicker than the epidural and time was of the essence. This baby needed to get out!
I was told I lost a lot of blood. The baby is also badly bruised because he was so far down the birthing canal. With that being said, we are both here and recovering. Little Luke David was born at 7:41pm on October 29, 2010. He weighed 3 pounds, 1 ounce and measured 14.5 inches long. This baby, who supposedly didn't have a chance, never had any measurable fluid, is now on his third day in the NICU and is doing wonderfully. Everything is going in the right direction. Of course we're not out of the woods yet, but to so many people, he should have never made it this far! All we wanted was to give him the best chance possible, and now, we're beyond that. Now, we get to KNOW him. We have already made memories and are looking so forward to the many more to come.
Thank you to all who have helped. Thank you to the many Facebook people out there who urged me on during those long hours of the unknown. Thank you to those who prayed and sent well wishes. Thank you to all who supported us and kept us moving forward.
Life is a miracle. Life is a gift. We continue on. Thank you God.
 |
| Our Little Boy, Luke David 3pounds 1 ounce. 14.5 inches long. Born October 29, 2010 |
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
7th Posting: Watching the Seasons Go By from My Window
When my water first broke, it was the middle of summer. Now I lay in my hospital bed, watching the leaves change and the wind fiercely blow. I used to wake up to the sun already high in the sky, but now, there's darkness and I'm able to watch the sunrise. It's a gorgeous one this morning with a swirling mix of purple clouds and orange light. I find days like this easier to be a bed rester. Instinctively my body would rather be in bed than outside. So weird to think I've missed summer, and now fall. When this is over there will be snow on the ground. Life is honestly passing me by.
Things have been pretty quiet baby wise and I'm glad. I still get contractions here and there, but now I think that's the way it's supposed to be. I am taking it easy more than ever because I feel like I'm on the fence. I could honestly go at any minute. At this point, we've even started to limit visitors because of the obvious exertion it takes on my part (remember, low-grade fever!). People have been very understanding which I am so thankful for. I just don't want to hurt any one's feelings. I want them to know how much we appreciate their kindness and efforts.
Other than that, I'll be 28 weeks tomorrow. That's a huge week when it comes to being a preemie. Seems early doesn't it? (The normal pregnancy gestation is 40 weeks) The thing is, once a baby hits this 28 week mark, the potential problems and disabilities caused by prematurity drops dramatically. A baby's survival rate at this stage is 96%! Of course we'll always have to take into account our baby's special circumstances, but the longer s/he stays in, the better the odds. As a gambler, I just love them odds!
I also have an ultrasound on Friday. It's been over a month since I had my last one, which of course, showed no measurable fluid, I'm hoping for a little bit of SOMETHING in there since I've dedicated all my time to laying around. I don't feel like I leak as much as I did at home. Ideal situation is to see my little baby swimming like a mermaid in amniotic fluid and have those darn legs uncrossed so we can see what we're having!!! This little stinker is such a drama lover through and through. Good thing he's spunky. Besides prayers and the grace of God, I think that's what has gotten us this far. Come on kid. Give us a break!
Things have been pretty quiet baby wise and I'm glad. I still get contractions here and there, but now I think that's the way it's supposed to be. I am taking it easy more than ever because I feel like I'm on the fence. I could honestly go at any minute. At this point, we've even started to limit visitors because of the obvious exertion it takes on my part (remember, low-grade fever!). People have been very understanding which I am so thankful for. I just don't want to hurt any one's feelings. I want them to know how much we appreciate their kindness and efforts.
Other than that, I'll be 28 weeks tomorrow. That's a huge week when it comes to being a preemie. Seems early doesn't it? (The normal pregnancy gestation is 40 weeks) The thing is, once a baby hits this 28 week mark, the potential problems and disabilities caused by prematurity drops dramatically. A baby's survival rate at this stage is 96%! Of course we'll always have to take into account our baby's special circumstances, but the longer s/he stays in, the better the odds. As a gambler, I just love them odds!
I also have an ultrasound on Friday. It's been over a month since I had my last one, which of course, showed no measurable fluid, I'm hoping for a little bit of SOMETHING in there since I've dedicated all my time to laying around. I don't feel like I leak as much as I did at home. Ideal situation is to see my little baby swimming like a mermaid in amniotic fluid and have those darn legs uncrossed so we can see what we're having!!! This little stinker is such a drama lover through and through. Good thing he's spunky. Besides prayers and the grace of God, I think that's what has gotten us this far. Come on kid. Give us a break!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Some pics to share
 |
| Check out Chris' crazy lumberjack beard! He stopped shaving when my water broke and he won't shave until the baby is born. Check out all that gray! |
 |
| Day time view from my room. Love it. |
 |
| My home away from home. |
 |
| A little Halloween project for my girls. :) |
 |
| Check out the decorating job my girls did! |
 |
| Night time view. I don't even shut the shades at night. Too pretty |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)