On Thursday, October 19th, 2017 at 11:59 PM, I was experiencing some symptoms that just did not seem right. I don’t want to be too graphic, but at the same time hearing what I went through might help someone else. I was having cramping all across my stomach and back that was lasting for 15-20 minutes at a time, so I knew this was not Braxton Hicks or normal contractions. I also started experiencing some bleeding.
I contacted the After Hours Emergency line at my OB’s office and you could tell the Dr. that I spoke with had just gotten out of bed to take my call. When I explained what I was experiencing I was told it sounded like normal signs of early labor….nothing to be concerned with. I had my next check-up at 10:30am and she told me to keep my appointment…as if I was going to cancel it?!? I was 37 weeks and 3 days at this point, why on earth would I cancel??? Anyway, she tried to reassure me nothing was wrong and told me to try and get some sleep.
How on earth can a pregnant woman with all of this going on relax, get some sleep?! Of course I did what anyone would do and hopped on Google to check out my symptoms. The very first thing that popped up was Placental Abruption. What the heck does that even mean?!? Statiscally, it was saying that it is very rare and happens in less than 200,000 pregnancies a year. So, clearly, this could not be it.
I finally fell asleep, still knowing something is not right, but if the on-call dr didn’t think it was anything serious, maybe I should trust her. Upon waking up, I called my OB’s office as soon as they opened and told them what was happening, they too said it sounded like early labor, but if I wanted to come in earlier I could. So, at 9:30am on Friday, October 20, 2017, I got in my car and headed for the dr’s office/hospital. I made a quick stop by McDonald’s to get a Bacon, Egg and Cheese Biscuit Meal just in case I was to have this baby and not be able to eat for a while and then pulled in to the parking lot at the hospital.
By 10:30am, I was in the office waiting to be seen. While sitting on the table waiting for my Dr, I suddenly felt light-headed. I stood up and walked into the hallway to tell someone I was going to pass out. When I woke up, I was sitting in one of their office chairs. I had indeed passed out. They moved me to a wheelchair, called Labor and Delivery to let them know we were coming over and wheeled me across the street. They had me stand-up and get on a hospital bed and in the process of standing I thought my water had broken, but it was much worse. I had been bleeding internally this whole time!!!! So, from at least that phone call I had made the night before until this point of 10:43 in Labor and Delivery I was losing blood. What did this mean for my baby?!?!?!
A nurse came in and started getting my vitals and they brought in a portable ultrasound machine. The nurse getting my vitals said, “there is your heartbeat.” I don’t care about my heartbeat!! “Where is his heartbeat?” “Is my baby ok?!” Her response, “I am trying to find his heartbeat.” TRYING? You are TRYING?!?!?!
The other nurse used the portable ultrasound machine and mentioned abruption. Abruption?? Like what I read last night!? They immediately called my OB and she raced over to L&D. She explained everything to me. My placenta had detached from the uterine wall. I was bleeding internally and Jackson was losing nutrients and oxygen. We needed to do an emergency c-section.
Now remember that my appointment was at 10:30, by 10:43 I was over in L&D getting examined and then prepped for an Emergency C-Section (which I was awake for). At 11:25am on October 20, 2017, Jackson was born. Daddy went with Jackson the Specialty Care Unit, while I awaited my fate in the OR. Daddy made it to the OR after he was out, so I sent him with Jackson, as there was nothing else he could do for me and our son would need him. I remained in the OR for what seemed like hours while my Dr. worked to stop the bleeding. In the end, I was borderline for needing a transfusion, which I refused due to even the slightest risks associated with that and opted for taking Iron Supplements.
I was wheeled by the Specialty Care Unit to see my son for the first time, but he had signs saying to not touch/startle him. So, I stared at his sweet face and all the cords attached to him and just cried. If I had listened to that dr the night before, didn’t have my checkup appointment the next morning and didn’t trust my motherly instinct, the two of us would not be here today.
It was that day that we realized just how strong and tough our little guy was, but we had no idea the obstacles he would be faced with later in life…
Our Fragile Xperience 