Early Welcome

This pregnancy has obviously been an eventful one, and nothing like my first. I explained in my last update that my water had broken early and I was stuck on bed rest in the hospital until the baby came, potentially for six weeks depending on if my body would last that long without going into labor on it's own. Well... My body didn't last that long. 

Early on Sunday July 27, I was woken up by some pretty uncomfortable cramps around 5:00 am. I was 29 weeks along at this point. I had experienced the cramping the day before, but it didn't last longer than an hour and went away on it's own. I was expecting this to be the same. It wasn't though. The pain seemed to be constant and was significant enough that I couldn't get back to sleep. I really didn't want to tell my nurse about it though. I had started bleeding again three days before this, which already had the nurses and doctors concerned. I didn't want to attract any more attention to myself. I was afraid that if I told them about the cramping that it was a straight ticket to Labor and Delivery. I did NOT want to be put back on the magnesium and the beds also weren't as comfortable. So in classic Alison fashion, I just kept to my stubborn self. 

Guess it was my lucky day though, because the doctor who just happened to be on that day was the only one that did rounds bright and early. She came into my room at 8:00 am and she told me that because of my bleeding, I was getting sent to Labor and Delivery for constant monitoring. Not the best news ever, but I finally fessed up to the doctor that I was experiencing the cramping (I refused to call them contractions at this point) every 10-15 minutes by that time. I was already heading to Labor and Delivery, so it's not like I needed to keep quiet about it anymore. They put me on the monitor and confirmed that indeed I was having contractions, so they decided to check and see if I was dilated. Turns out I was 4cm. Suddenly the doctor went from being casual and telling me that I would be moved over in an hour or so, to rushing to get all my things together and moving me as soon as possible.

As I was getting settled into Labor and Delivery, I asked the nurse if she thought I should tell my husband to come in. She told me yes. So I made that phone call and Ray was promptly on his way. Thank goodness my Mom was in town. She helped with Warren and we did not have to worry about getting him anywhere. 

I was put back on magnesium to try to stop the contractions. The nurse told me that if in the next couple hours my contractions didn't stop and I continued to dilate, it was definitely baby day. The magnesium didn't stop my contractions, it only spaced them apart further. However, when I did have a contraction, it was STRONG. It was as if all the contractions I would have had without the magnesium compounded into one giant contraction. It was brutal. After a couple hours, I was feeling some pretty intense pressure so I called for the nurse and she checked me. I was 6 cm. The magnesium definitely wasn't stopping my progress. It was baby day. 

All of this was happening awfully quick. I was not at all mentally prepared to be having a baby and going through labor that day, so after the nurse told me I was 6cm and that the baby was coming, she asked me if I needed anything. I told her to bring on the drugs. I needed an epidural. My head was just not prepared to deal with the pain. The nurse promptly got everything together for the anesthesiologist, and that was getting done pronto. I did almost faint when the needle got put in though... I was supposed to stay hunched over, but when I got poked because it hurt, I slightly straightened up and the doctor told me to hunch over again so that she could get passed my bone. The visual of a giant needle in my spine wasn't very good and my heartbeat plummeted to 32 beats per minute (from somewhere in the 60's). I was really light headed and woozy and super close to passing out. Everyone was really good about how they handled it though and I was able to recover. Totally worth it though. Epidurals are magical.

The next few hours are really fuzzy. I was taken off the magnesium, so I'm not really too sure what was going on, but Ray said that I would talk and it would just not make sense. I remember looking at the clock and for the life of me not being able to tell what time it was. So I just kept my eyes closed and pretty much spent all afternoon and all evening sleeping. It took me a really long time to dilate from 6cm to 10. That was probably because I was laying down in bed and not able to do anything to progress things any quicker. Ray was so patient. He spent all day in that room with me. He must have been bored out of his skull, but he stuck it out. I was really happy to have him there, even though I slept pretty much the whole time and when I was awake I was all kinds of loopy.

Just before midnight, I was feeling a lot of pressure again, and the nurse checked me and told me that I was finally 10cm. She called the doctor in and a NICU team got all together, and I started pushing right after midnight. I only pushed 3 or 4 times and all of the sudden I had a tiny, tiny baby placed on my chest. He was born at 12:13 am on Monday, July 28, 2014. He started crying right away and I was so overjoyed to hear that sweet little sound. I had been preparing myself for not getting to hear him cry after he was born. I was expecting him to have to go on a ventilator right away, but he never needed that! He started breathing on his own right from the beginning. All those drugs I had been given had paid off. My baby was stronger than he should have been. The NICU team took the baby straight up to the NICU and Ray followed with them. I had told Ray that he needed to give the baby a blessing as soon as possible, so he was able to do that in the NICU. We had decided when I was in the hospital the first time what we would name him, in the event that he came then. We chose to name him Lucas Alexander. It seemed to fit, so we stuck with that. Ray took this picture minutes after he was born.

The after-birth was more painful than the actual birth. The placenta didn't come out very easily. It was coming apart in pieces so the doctor had to literally reach inside and pull it out to get it in one piece. Oh. My. Gosh. That sucked. Thankfully though, she got it all out and everything was fine. Because the baby was so small I really didn't tear at all, so I was pretty lucky in that way. It has definitely made for a much easier recovery.

Ray came back and told me the good news that our baby was breathing on his own and really doing amazing. He waited with me while I regained feeling after the epidural was taken out, and around 2:00 am I was taken up to the maternity ward where they had a simple sack lunch waiting for me so I could eat, and then we could go to the NICU to see our new baby boy. He weighed in at 2lbs 15 oz. I had never seen such a small baby before. I was amazed though that despite how small he was, he looked so healthy. He had all of his fingers and toes and was just absolutely perfect. It was almost 4:00 am before I was ready to go back to my room and sleep. Poor Ray was exhausted. He went home so he could sleep well on our own bed instead of suffering through the rest of the night on the tiny makeshift bed in the room. 

I woke up the next morning and had a glorious shower. Ray came and brought Warren so that he could meet his new baby brother. My mom came too and she got to see grandchild #3 for the first time. She definitely was not expecting to meet the little guy during this trip. It's funny how things have a way of working themselves out though. 

Warren seemed pretty excited to see baby Lucas. Though Warren doesn't quite grasp the whole being gentle with the tiny baby thing... He wanted to hold his hand pat his head just a little bit too rough. As long as we kept close watch over him, he seemed to do just fine. Warren seems to like "Baby Brud-er Ookas".

I hadn't noticed the night before, but apparently birth was way harder on Lucas than it was on me. Poor boy had a terrible black eye! It was swollen shut! Thankfully that has healed up quickly and he no longer looks like he lost a fight.

Since he was born at only 29 weeks, it was pretty inevitable that he was going to get jaundiced. Apparently preemie jaundice isn't yellow though. It's red, and the giant bruise on his face didn't help that situation at all. He was put under light therapy for about three days, and his bruise has healed completely and his levels are all better. Those three days of tanning worked out pretty well for him. 

I was released from the hospital on Wednesday morning, and even though I had to leave my baby there, I was ecstatic to finally be free. I've been able to heal well, and Warren and Ray have been super happy now that I'm back home. Having my Mom here has been a huge relief too. Even though this was not what she was expecting to have happen during her trip here, it's worked out great. I've been able to go back to the hospital to be with my new boy daily while my Mom watches Warren. So at least for the time being, finding care for Warren hasn't had to be an issue. I am incredibly blessed.

I got to hold Lucas for the first time when he was three days old. I don't think even I realized how small he was until he was up against me. He is just so precious. He makes the most adorable sounds and I cannot get over how much I love him already. My mom was with me when I got to hold him. It was definitely a special moment for her too. 

The nurses explained to me that preemies don't handle getting passed around very well. It stresses them out. Only one person gets to hold him per day for an hour. When he's being held, we can't sway or pat his back, we just have to stay still and hold him tight. He's still supposed to be in the womb where everything is cozy, so it's very easy for him to get over-stimulated and that isn't good for his little body. It's hard to just sit still like that, but it is so amazing to feel him close. The day after I got to hold him, Ray got his turn. That boy melts his heart already.

Since Lucas is going to be in the NICU for several weeks, we are trying to allow Warren to be around his little brother often. Warren really likes to hold his hand, so Ray was helping him remember to be gentle and I got this sweet, sweet picture of all their hands together. It shows the feelings of tenderness we have for this little guy.

Lucas sunbathes like a champ. The nurses explained how normally babies have a hard time with light therapy because they can't be wrapped up. This kid seemed to embrace the freedom. He just stretched out under the light and soaked it all in without a complaint.

I can't get over how small he is. I have never in my life been around such a small baby. He's a little miracle. He's perfect in every way and he's healthy. I don't think I even understand how much of a miracle he truly is.

Lucas is now a week old. He isn't ready to mouth feed yet, so he is getting fed though a feeding tube. They started out giving him 2mL of my milk every four hours and they supplemented the rest of the nutrients he needs through an IV. They are currently in the process of weaning him off the IV completely by increasing the amount of milk they give him and decreasing the IV supplement. They are now feeding him every three hours and increasing the amount of milk he is getting every 12 hours. Their goal is to be feeding him 26mL each time and if he is tolerating that okay, then he is all done with the IV. That should be within the next few days. He will continue with the feeding tube until he is 34 weeks then they will start working with him to mouth feed and hopefully then I'll be able to nurse him. Until them, I'm basically a dairy farm, pumping and storing milk in the freezer and bringing it to the hospital for them to use to feed him.

Lucas Alexander Whitcomb
Born July 28, 2014 at 12:13 am
2lbs 15oz  14.5" long

Like I said, I don't think I fully understand what a miracle this boy is. I have no exposure to premature babies, so I don't know what's normal. All I know is that the nurses all tell me how wonderful he's doing and they all say it with a bit of surprise in their voice. I know that the Priesthood has played a huge role in this child's life already, and that is why he is doing as well as he is. I am so excited to watch him grow and get even stronger and even fatter until the day finally comes when we get to take him home. Our home isn't complete without him there. However, I know he is being taken care of in the NICU much better than I am capable of taking care of him right now at home. He is where he needs to be to be able to thrive for the rest of his life. One day I'll look back at all this and it will be a distant memory, but I'll be able to take what I have learned and use it to help someone else who is going through something similar. Until then, I'll continue to visit him every day and do my best to let him know that he has a family who loves him.