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One Mum's Story: Elizabeth & Tiana
I was crying as even though I longed to have a baby in my arms, I was scared to count my blessings too early. I was crying for two baby girls that should have been here with me and I was scared that this baby would never come home. You see, the year before, actually only seven months earlier, I delivered via emergency caesar, two beautiful girls, Lara and Victoria. They were prem, were septic and despite their high spirit and a hard struggle in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), grew angel wings too early and became our angels. Now here I was pregnant again after our eighth IVF attempt, and even though I was so happy it worked, I was so gravely concerned. At exactly six weeks pregnant the morning sickness set in and I soon became dehydrated. I ended up in hospital for a month. I went home as I started feeling better, went to Melbourne and had a cervical suture placed, high this time to help avoid the cervix opening as it did last time (though I did have a stitch then as well). I was scared this whole pregnancy... tried so hard to relax... But at the back of my mind I was scared stiff. I didn't go to work, I rested at home all the time and did all the right things. It was only a few weeks later when I had a scan that revealed the cervix had shortened quite a bit that again I started to panic. At 16 weeks the same pre-term contractions started, even though so mild I could hardly feel it. I was placed on medication to help keep the pre-term labour at bay, and placed in hospital in Melbourne as each week the cervix was shortening, and by this time had shortened to almost the suture keeping the cervix shut! I was placed on strict bed rest, the head of the bed was low to the ground, and the foot end was high up. Gravity would help, surely! I was only allowed up to shower - once a week. Again it was inevitable the doctors said, I would have this baby prematurely... no-one knew when though. This time I was on antibiotics early to help keep the infection (of unknown origin) at bay, on medication to keep contractions low, and had weekly cervix checks. I was in room 29... I was so hoping to get to that stage, 29 weeks gestation... then the baby would have a better survival rate. I was concerned about the baby coming too early, I was concerned about the baby's health, especially with all the medications I was having and what that potentially could do. Each long hour turned into a day and days turned into weeks... I was so thankful for each day that went past and felt I was hoping for time to go by quickly so my baby would have more chance of survival. As each day grew so did the pre-term labour... it wasn't painful, but I could feel the tightening of the uterus. The staff were great! I could only see hubby once a week, as we lived in central Victoria a couple hours from Melbourne. He had work and our animals to look after. The volunteer lady, Judy, was an absolute Godsend, as was the craft co-ordinator. I actually learnt to cross stitch and did a large alphabet sampler... mind you this was lying down and looking upwards to do it (I since have tried to take it up... but it isn't as neat as when I do it lying down!!) Lara and Victoria's anniversary date came whilst I was in hospital... was such a hard day... I was sick, had a fever and was so so scared that this baby was going to come that day too. It was one of the most stressful days I had. We moved on... another day, and another, and I actually got to 29 weeks... my room number. Then I hoped and prayed we could just get one more week... please, and then another week. At almost 33 weeks I was really having a lot of contractions now... they were more intense by then, hurting and so scary. I remember being up all night... so scared, hoping, praying pleading for more time. The nurses were always so positive and caring and at 6 am called the doctor as the contractions were very close together. They said he'd be in later. About 10 minutes afterwards they told me that he had called my room and had said today is a great day, as whilst he was shaving he thought, "It's time...".
I heard her cry and I cried... I actually lost it and really cried. I quickly was able to give her a kiss before they whisked her to NICU. She had a whopping amount of jet black hair! (Sure explained all my heart burn!) All the steroids they had been giving me for weeks on end helped with her lungs. She spent some time in the NICU and was then able to be transferred to the special care baby unit at home where she spent quite a while. I remember whilst she was there, she was so sick, I couldn't help but cry all the time. I was so scared of losing her... at times I was so beside myself. I tried to be strong... but sometimes it was so hard. Tiana had a few issues of prematurity and went home with an apnoea monitor as she often just forgot to breathe. I remember the first week we were home I was up in the middle of the night trying to feed her, but she just was so lethargic she wouldn't drink... Then she went a blue colour and I was so scared I tried to wake her and she wouldn't respond. We raced to the hospital and again I was so scared of losing her. She spent a while back in there, came home on the apnoea monitor which stayed for seven months. As she grew she got better and the first night without her monitor to alert us, I think I woke her so many times... just to make sure she was breathing. Mind you she hadn't had an episode for quite some time beforehand. Time went on and she grew bigger and stronger and now at five years of age, you could not even tell she was a premmie baby. I know we had some guiding angels watching over us... And I often tell Tiana she has two very special angels. At the cemetery she loves to clean the plaque and pop flowers in for her sisters... And she has a special connection to angels and I think it's comforting to her. I know it is for me. I am so proud and so lucky to have given birth to
3 gorgeous girls. If you are a Mum who has a story to tell or you know of one, email your story to admin@mumzone.com.au. If you have a photo feel free to include it in your email. |
     
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