The short version is that Julia was admitted at 0400 on 10 May complaining of gastric distress. They monitored her through the day and a couple of labs started going a little south (due to preeclampsia…pregnancy-induced hypertension/swelling which could, if untreated, lead on to seizures if not worse…the only cure is to get the baby out). At 1900 10 May, the decision was made to pull the ripcord and induce her labour…I’ll spare you the details of just how fun forcibly dilating a 0cm/0 effaced cervix can be. Let’s just say Julia was a real trooper and progressed much faster than anyone expected.
She also did all of this without the epidural support (she has a shunt which they didn’t feel all that comfortable going poking about in there). She also did this with essentially little to no sleep over a 48 hour period…she’s got the juice as far as I’m concerned.
Come Sunday morning, the contractions started at 0100. She hit 3cm at 0230 when the catheter fell out. I was called at 0600 and arrived on scene at 0715 where she was 4-5cm. An hour an a half later, she had raced to 7-8 and the contractions were spacing out nicely to 3 minutes. She hit transition at 1045 (transition sucks, folks…there is no nice way to put that…but thankfully it’s real short!) and pushing started at 1105. First view of the head was approximately 1210 and he literally flew out at 1225. We’re talking ten seconds from the time I saw his head, Dr Smith gave a three second quarter turn left to turn the shoulders and the next thing I saw was his ding-a-ling flying past along with him on his way to the neonatal team! ;)-
Very loud and lusty cries (he’s got my pipes and my attitude, apparently!)…first minute APGAR 7, five minute APGAR 8 (darned nice for a 35 weeker). Julia got to hold him, then I got him briefly until he was whisked away to ICU.
For 35 weekers, there are two things you’ve got to fix…respiration and feeding. He’s ended up going from oxygen hood to CPAP (forced oxygen) to surfactant treatment…he had only started practising breathing on his own about a week or so before he was born and he’s responding as well as can be expected to that treatment. The other thing is that they have a sucking instinct but it’s generally weaker than normal and they’ll work on that as well. He may not come home with Julia but that’s OK…as long as he’s getting the care he needs to be a normal and healthy boy, that’s all I’m concerned about. The staff in ICU just love him…it’s rare they get such a “fat” baby to play with…and he’s already showing signs of my attitude toward and willingness to fight medical procedures… 🙂
Julia needed some quiet time to get past the first 24 hours (where there is a better than average risk of seizures due to preeclampsia) and she’s done just that in Bristol fashion. She’s sounding much more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (and is so looking forward to the results of raiding Neomonde…WakeMed is a wonderful facility and the medical teams are just outstanding…but a gourmand’s delight they ain’t!).
That’s where we stand right now…I’ll have more updates/pictures as I get them (and have some time to type them in!). From all of us in the Williams household, we’d like to express our profound appreciation for all of the support, good karma, and just all round good wishes and gifts that have been bestowed upon us. That means quite a bit in these interesting times and helps give us the strength to push on with great vigour! 🙂