September 28, 2009
Week One September 21 - 27
Monday: We welcomed our beautiful baby girl. Jeremy gets to meet her.
Tuesday: My first time seeing Madelynn. I wasn't prepared for what one pound looked like. The pictures Jeremy showed me didn't give an adequate perspective. It really is love at first sight when one sees their child for the first time. Later in the evening Madelynn meets her Grandpa Bowden.
Wednesday: Madelynn continues to improve. She meets her grandparents Hurst and her Uncle Darren.
Thursday: Madelynn is very puffy. She is retaining all of her fluid because of the sodium levels. She is given sterile water to help remedy the problem. The treatment works, and her little body starts to lost the fluid weight that night. She meets her Aunt Elly.
Friday:She was given a heart echo and head ultrasound. The heart echo showed an open murmur. We were told it was common in preemies. They have two ways of treating the condition. One with Endison, and one with IB Profen. The endison takes one and a half days per course, where the IB Profen takes three days per course. We were asked to participate in a study. The researchers wanted us to use IB Profen. We were told to think it over, and let them know the next day. The head ultrasound was still pending. She meets her grandparents Jones. I was discharged from the hospital.
Saturday: We receive the results of the head ultrasound. No bleeding on her brain. We celebrate. It was the first test to come back negative. We decide on having her treated with the Endison. We wanted the fastest results, because we needed to know sooner rather than later if surgery would be necessary. We spoke with nurse practitioners, and the Neonatologists, and they felt Endison was the best way to go.
Sunday: She was given an echo. The murmur showed to have closed slightly. The doctors decide to follow through with the remaining courses of medication. She had a busy day of transfusions, medications, and labs.
Tuesday: My first time seeing Madelynn. I wasn't prepared for what one pound looked like. The pictures Jeremy showed me didn't give an adequate perspective. It really is love at first sight when one sees their child for the first time. Later in the evening Madelynn meets her Grandpa Bowden.
Wednesday: Madelynn continues to improve. She meets her grandparents Hurst and her Uncle Darren.
Thursday: Madelynn is very puffy. She is retaining all of her fluid because of the sodium levels. She is given sterile water to help remedy the problem. The treatment works, and her little body starts to lost the fluid weight that night. She meets her Aunt Elly.
Friday:She was given a heart echo and head ultrasound. The heart echo showed an open murmur. We were told it was common in preemies. They have two ways of treating the condition. One with Endison, and one with IB Profen. The endison takes one and a half days per course, where the IB Profen takes three days per course. We were asked to participate in a study. The researchers wanted us to use IB Profen. We were told to think it over, and let them know the next day. The head ultrasound was still pending. She meets her grandparents Jones. I was discharged from the hospital.
Saturday: We receive the results of the head ultrasound. No bleeding on her brain. We celebrate. It was the first test to come back negative. We decide on having her treated with the Endison. We wanted the fastest results, because we needed to know sooner rather than later if surgery would be necessary. We spoke with nurse practitioners, and the Neonatologists, and they felt Endison was the best way to go.
Sunday: She was given an echo. The murmur showed to have closed slightly. The doctors decide to follow through with the remaining courses of medication. She had a busy day of transfusions, medications, and labs.
September 27, 2009
September 26, 2009
The Amazing NICU
There has to be a special place in the universe for NICU nurses. Not only do they care for our smallest treasures, but they are also counselors and confidants for the parents.
They are very patient people. Willing to answer the same question over and over again. They are there with a shoulder to cry on or a celebratory hug.
Even though we have just begun our journey with these people we are eternally grateful for what they have done for us. These are just a few things they have made for us during Madelynn's stay:
A scrapbook page of Jeremy's wedding ring resting on Madelynn's hand for size perspective.
Madelynn's foot prints and information
A scrapbook of Madelynn in her bows.
We have a bunch of different nurses. We want to try and get photos of all of them. We are eternally grateful for these women. I hope none of our readers has to go through what we are, but if they do that they are fortunate enough to get the caliber of people on their side that we do.
They are very patient people. Willing to answer the same question over and over again. They are there with a shoulder to cry on or a celebratory hug.
Even though we have just begun our journey with these people we are eternally grateful for what they have done for us. These are just a few things they have made for us during Madelynn's stay:
Hospital Certificate of Birth
A scrapbook page of Jeremy's wedding ring resting on Madelynn's hand for size perspective.
Madelynn's foot prints and information
A scrapbook of Madelynn in her bows.
September 25, 2009
Delivery Day
On September 21st I was placed on a continuous heart monitor. Madelynn's fluid had dropped, and her blood flow was more absent than it had been previously.
I was on the monitor for five hours. The doctors decided Madelynn would have a better chance outside the body than in.
At eight they started prepping me for surgery. They gave Jeremy his moon suit to come into the room with me.
At this point I could not feel my legs, and was pretty doped up on medication.
It took nine shots in my back to get to this point.
This was the result of the shots.
Jeremy was the only one allowed to see her. He took to pictures for me to see our little girl. I was unable to see our baby until Tuesday evening because of the surgery. I am grateful for the photos to get me through the night.
I was on the monitor for five hours. The doctors decided Madelynn would have a better chance outside the body than in.
At eight they started prepping me for surgery. They gave Jeremy his moon suit to come into the room with me.
At eight thirty we were in the operating room.
At this point I could not feel my legs, and was pretty doped up on medication.It took nine shots in my back to get to this point.
This was the result of the shots.Jeremy held my hand and stroked my hair the whole time. They told him to stand up to see Madelynn come out and get handed through the window. She was born at 9:26 PM. She weighed in at 1 pound 2 ounces, and was 11 3/4 inches long.
Jeremy was the only one allowed to see her. He took to pictures for me to see our little girl. I was unable to see our baby until Tuesday evening because of the surgery. I am grateful for the photos to get me through the night.
The Dopplers and Playing God
We were released on the condition we come in every two days for testing. The doctors ran ultrasounds looking for two things: The Amniotic fluid and the blood flow through the umbilical cord.
The amniotic fluid sterile urine. The more oxygen the baby is getting the more fluid there is. When the oxygen level is decreased the baby's body uses the available oxygen in their brain and heart. The kidneys in turn suffer, and do not produce the urine. Once the fluid drops below five delivery is necessary.
The oxygen is given to the baby through the blood flow in the umbilical cord. In our case the umbilical cord was preventing the blood flow from getting to the placenta and the baby. The doppler showed there to be an absence in the blood flow. The baby could remain inside if the blood flow never went backward.
While attending these sessions the doctors asked us to make a difficult decision. If the tests became ominous would we want to deliver the baby and take the risks of severe retardation, but have a live baby. Or do we want to leave her in the uterus to give her a chance of developing more and mature, but have the risk of still birth. We had to wrestle with having a live baby, but not knowing what kind of life she would have. Our fear being having Madelynn be so severely retarded 0r physically disabled we would be unable to care for her, and have to have her live in a hospital like the one in American Fork. Or give her a chance to mature with the possibility of death.
The tests did become ominous on September 18th. We decided to be admitted and have Madelynn monitored. What would happen would happen, and we would handle the obstacles as they came.
The amniotic fluid sterile urine. The more oxygen the baby is getting the more fluid there is. When the oxygen level is decreased the baby's body uses the available oxygen in their brain and heart. The kidneys in turn suffer, and do not produce the urine. Once the fluid drops below five delivery is necessary.
The oxygen is given to the baby through the blood flow in the umbilical cord. In our case the umbilical cord was preventing the blood flow from getting to the placenta and the baby. The doppler showed there to be an absence in the blood flow. The baby could remain inside if the blood flow never went backward.
While attending these sessions the doctors asked us to make a difficult decision. If the tests became ominous would we want to deliver the baby and take the risks of severe retardation, but have a live baby. Or do we want to leave her in the uterus to give her a chance of developing more and mature, but have the risk of still birth. We had to wrestle with having a live baby, but not knowing what kind of life she would have. Our fear being having Madelynn be so severely retarded 0r physically disabled we would be unable to care for her, and have to have her live in a hospital like the one in American Fork. Or give her a chance to mature with the possibility of death.
The tests did become ominous on September 18th. We decided to be admitted and have Madelynn monitored. What would happen would happen, and we would handle the obstacles as they came.
Two Hours Turned Our Lives Upside Down
I went in for my six month OB/GYN appointment on September 10th. We had our 25 week ultrasound. The technician told us the baby was growing really well. The anatomy looked great, and we were told she was big for her age. We listened to the heart beat, and had our questions answered by the nurse.
We had a couple of hours to burn before our next appointment for the 3-D ultrasound. We went to Toys-R-Us to get our niece her birthday present, and get some games for my DS. We then went and got some juice smoothies from Cold Stone, and sat in the Women's Center parking lot of IHC-Murray while we waited for our appointment time.
We are apart of a study, and the researchers were giving us a courtesy 3-D ultrasound through Maternal Fetal Medicine. The technician looked concerned. She called in a paraneonatologist. The amniotic fluid was low. The doctor ran further tests, namely a Doppler, which looks at the blood flow into the placenta. The blood flow was absent. The baby was very small, and was classified as Growth Restricted. The doctor explained to us she was admitting us to watch the baby. I would have to have steroid injections to mature the baby's lungs, and it was a possibility the baby would be delivered that weekend.
We saw at least four different doctors over the course of the evening. We were given the "hard numbers" of our situation. 60% of babies born at 25 weeks survived. Of those babies 65% of them suffered from blindness, deafness, and some form of retardation.
I was given the injections over forty-eight hours. The baby was monitored, and after four days at the hospital we were released. I was to be on bed rest until the delivery.
In the end we were left with a big question: How could something this serious have been missed? The Answer: The technician was in a hurry and had failed to look at the fluid level, and the cord because it had been checked eight weeks earlier.
We had a couple of hours to burn before our next appointment for the 3-D ultrasound. We went to Toys-R-Us to get our niece her birthday present, and get some games for my DS. We then went and got some juice smoothies from Cold Stone, and sat in the Women's Center parking lot of IHC-Murray while we waited for our appointment time.
We are apart of a study, and the researchers were giving us a courtesy 3-D ultrasound through Maternal Fetal Medicine. The technician looked concerned. She called in a paraneonatologist. The amniotic fluid was low. The doctor ran further tests, namely a Doppler, which looks at the blood flow into the placenta. The blood flow was absent. The baby was very small, and was classified as Growth Restricted. The doctor explained to us she was admitting us to watch the baby. I would have to have steroid injections to mature the baby's lungs, and it was a possibility the baby would be delivered that weekend.
We saw at least four different doctors over the course of the evening. We were given the "hard numbers" of our situation. 60% of babies born at 25 weeks survived. Of those babies 65% of them suffered from blindness, deafness, and some form of retardation.
I was given the injections over forty-eight hours. The baby was monitored, and after four days at the hospital we were released. I was to be on bed rest until the delivery.
In the end we were left with a big question: How could something this serious have been missed? The Answer: The technician was in a hurry and had failed to look at the fluid level, and the cord because it had been checked eight weeks earlier.
September 5, 2009
Weigh In
With the outfit being picked out we are now hoping she will fit into it. We bought a newborn set. The weight is 5-8 pounds. We are hoping she will be between those weights.
Jeremy was 7 pounds 13 ounces.
I was 7 pounds 4 ounces.
How much do you think Madelynn will weigh? Will our outfit fit her?
Jeremy Likes Being Prepared
One would think we would have plenty of time to prepare for the day Madelynn is born, but Jeremy doesn't like to waste any time.
My husband has already picked out Madelynn's homecoming outfit:
My husband has already picked out Madelynn's homecoming outfit:
Since she is a December baby he wanted to make sure she would be warm. So he picked out a coat:
And we need receiving blankets for when she gets here:
These are courtesy of my aunt Amber.
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