Dale Chase's birth story!

[guillotine_blades]

Dale Chase's birth story!

My entire pregnancy I had been planning a home birth with a midwife. I was told at 24 ish weeks that I had a "low" placenta, but not to worry because it would
most likely move, so my midwife and I continued our plans to have the home birth. At 32 weeks I began to bleed and my midwife sent me to the local L&D where I
was seen by my midwife's back up OB. After an ultrasound, it was confirmed by two seperate doctors that I indeed had a complete placenta previa. There was no
possible way to vaginally birth this baby. The OB kept me in the hospital for 3 days and gave me steroid shots to help mature his lungs and then once the bleeding had compeltely stopped, he sent me home on strict
bed rest, only getting out of bed to go to the bathroom. I made it a whopping 12 hours at home before starting to bleed again and had to go back to L&D. I was admitted
to the hospital again and stayed a few more days, by this time it was getting close to Christmas. On Christmas Eve the OB discharged me to go home and spend
Christmas with my family but again, strict bed rest and orders to come back IMMEDIATELY if there was any bleeding. I got to enjoy Christmas with my family and
made it three days at home this time before bleeding again. Came back AGAIN to l&d and the OB informed me this time it was for good, there was no more going home
and I would be in L&D until baby boy made his appearancne. On the 28th of December I started contracting and bleeding again. Contractions were coming every 1-3 minutes
apart and felt just lovely in my back! They gave me IV fluids and 2 doses of Terbutaline and the contractions and bleeding slowly came to a stop. Then for awhile I had no bleeding
no contractions other than my lovely Braxton Hicks, but those I was used to at this point. I even sat down with the OB and we decided on 1-19-2012 for the C-section. We needed to do it
at 36 weeks to avoid an abruption from any more contractions. He lightened my bed rest slightly to where I was able to be wheeled around in a wheel chair around the hospital.
Well apparently baby Dale decided that he didn't want anyone else choosing his birthday! At around 5:30 pm on 1-7-12 I got up to go pee and while I was using the restroom I felt a HUGE
palm sized clot come out. With that I started bleeding bright red, so I called the nurse in, put a pad back on and laid down. From there it got hectic. The bleeding was heavy, but manageable at this point.
They hooked me up to monitors for an hour and no contractions, baby's heartrate was great, so we thought maybe it was just another random bleeding episode, then they unhooked me from the monitors
and stood up to pee, then the blood started gushing out of me. So I laid back down and they called the dr. During the wait for the dr, I started having more contractions, all completely in my back, while I was
strapped to the bed unable to even turn to my side because of the amount I was bleeding and any movement made it worse. These contractions were every minute and a half apart. Once the Dr came in (not
my OB, but the on call dr) came and assesed me and decided we needed to do the c-section right then. They prepped me and moved me into the OR and right then I had a large cramp and blood started
pouring out of me at a rate that even shocked the OB and she was yelling at the anesthesiologist that if she couldn't hurry they would just put me under and they had a doppler on my belly at this time making
sure he still had a heartbeat. Finally they started, Dale SR (my SO) came in, and as he came in the OB started cussing, as she cut into my uterus the placenta came out, it had completely abrupted and she had to make
the incision for the c-section 2x bigger than a normal one to get the placenta out of the way quickly to get to baby. They swept baby up and over to the NICU table and I heard those wonderful cries.
At 34 weeks 5 days on 1-7-2012 my second baby boy was born, he was 5 lbs 15 oz (HUGE for a 34 weeker!) and 18 inches long. He went to the NICU and as of right now is still there, no oxygen has been needed, but its just a matter of him staying awake long enough for a full feed. I am pumping constantly and we have been trying at every feed to nurse but he is just too sleepy right now. So a normal feed goes Nursing for a little while, then bottle feed my pumped milk, then if we need to top up with Neosure. This last feed went WONDERFUL! He still wasn't able to nurse for very long but I had been able to pump enough colostrum for a full feed and its like as soon as he realized it was BM instead of formula he inhaled it! He sucked it down instantly!

[Aletheia*]

Amber, Dale is such a wonderful baby and adorable to boot! He's had quite an adventure so far, and I'm so happy that he made it this far! I hope his feedings get better, and I hope he doesn't have to spend any more time in the NICU than is needed! Updates with more pictures.
(This all being said, I'm going to close your other thread so people can just reply here!)

[guillotine_blades]

Originally Posted by Zelophobia

Amber, Dale is such a wonderful baby and adorable to boot! He's had quite an adventure so far, and I'm so happy that he made it this far! I hope his feedings get better, and I hope he doesn't have to spend any more time in the NICU than is needed! Updates with more pictures.
(This all being said, I'm going to close your other thread so people can just reply here!)

Thank you!

[iHEAVENn]

Congrats again on little baby Dale.
Sorry he came in such a scary way, but glad he is still doing good

[Magical Forest.]

Congrats Amber! Glad he's doing well! x

[Le bonheur*]

He certainly wanted to meet his mommy! So sorry it was scary for you. I can't even begin to imagine what that must've been like. But you've got a healthy and handsome baby boy out of it so I bet it's all worth it. Dale is very cute. Take care. <3

[Squiggly]

That must have been so scary for you! I am so glad for you that everything seems to have worked out though. Your little boy is just the cutest thing! Congratulations

[escape_thereal_world]

I'm glad you are both doing well! Hopefully he will start eating more soon
By the way, he is absolutely adorable!

[blumemusik♫]

Congratulations!! I'm sorry things didn't exactly go smoothly, but it's worth it looking at his adorable ickle face!! <3

[guillotine_blades]

Thanks everyone! It was definitely scary and overwhelming, but it wasn't until after when I was talking to the OB and Dale SR (my boyfriend) and placing pieces together that I really realized how close we both really came to not coming out of it all.

[Koharuchan]

Oh, he is so adorable! Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy. I'm glad you both made it through okay, I know that must've been a pretty scary experience.

[guillotine_blades]

Well we had a little set back. I am being discharged to go home today but little Dale has to stay. He had a little episode yesterday where his heartrate dropped a little while he was asleep. He is ok, its a really common thing to happen with preemies, but now he has to stay at least 4 more days. But on the upside, he had an amazing nurse in the NICU last night and she came and got me every time he even fussed so I was able to nurse on demand which he did AWESOME with! I loved it and he did so well. And it did wonders for my supply, this morning after he nursed for twenty minutes on each side and got full and went to sleep, I came back to my room and pumped. I got 150 ml!!! That is enough for three full feeds!

[escape_thereal_world]

I'm glad you understand that it's quite common for preemies.
Sounds like he is doing better all-in-all!

And hey, now your sig is smaller! lol

[Peppermint Tea.♥]

Congratulations, he's beautiful! I hope you get him home soon.

[Jocelyn.]

Welcome to the world little Dale I hope he get to come home with you soon, Amber!

[xx little miss clumsy xx]

Aww Amber you and your little boy have certainly been through a lot however he's here now and I hope you have him home soon. He's lovely by the way.