Monday, August 20, 2012

Welcome to the World

Blake Mathew Jaycox was born on August 15th, 2012 at 5:53am. He weighed 1 pound 8 ounces and was 12 inches long. Blake was born at only 24 weeks gestation and is now currently in the NICU at Thunderbird Banner Hospital.

My water ruptured on August 8th and yet the amazing doctors and nurses I had were able to keep me pregnant for another week. Strict bedrest, fluids, and antibiotics around the clock is how we managed to squeeze by another 8 days. Everyday I was able to keep him in the womb helped him with having a better chance at life after delivery.

August 14, at like 3 in the morning, I had started bleeding. I informed my nurse and she didn't really do much except to me to keep them posted throughout the day if it doesn't stop. It was pretty much steady all day and I was getting frustrated because it is an uneasy feeling to be pregnant and know that you are bleeding. You just know something isn't right. The nurses said it was possibly caused by cervical change and until I started contracting or having cramping or back pain, not to worry. OR if it was clotting let them know immediately because it could possibly mean that the placenta was detaching itself which could lead to delivery.

Later in the evening, I got the clot that I was dreading. I let the nurses know and they STILL didn't seem too phased by it. It wasn't until about an hour later when the night nurse was coming on shift that I was taken seriously. I started getting off and on back pain so she gave me the clicker to mark how far apart they were and we monitored my contractions. Even though there weren't any contractions present, the nurse stepped it up and called for my doctor. My doctor confirmed that there was still a steady bleeding and that my back pain had a pretty steady rhythm. The next plan of action was to move me down the hall to a labor and delivery room to monitor me more closely over night just in case there were any more signs of labor.
We stayed over night and when they checked me early in the morning, we thought all was fine. The bleeding stopped and I didn't have any contractions. However, I still had the back pain and now I felt strong cramps in my lower abdomen. Just to be safe, my doctor checked my cervix one last time and that's when I heard "oh my, there's his hand. Get the O.R. ready, we have to have an emergency c-section." I had been in labor all night even though my body wasn't physically showing it. Little Blake was trying to make his grand entrance without us knowing.

I was rolled into the operating room. Patrick wasn't allowed to go with me since it was an emergency situation so I was all by myself. I was a sobbing mess. Scared and nervous. The whole situation was overwhelming. They didn't have time to give me a spinal so I put to sleep with anesthesia. When I woke up, I was in the recovery room. I've never been in so much pain in my life. Since I didn't have any pain management before I went under, I woke up to the aftermath of the surgery in grueling pain. I couldn't move. I couldn't even talk hardly. They finally placed a button in my hand and told me to click it for the pain medication to be released into my IV.

After what seemed like forever, they wheeled me into the NICU on my bed so that I could see Blake for the first time. My little baby was curled up in a nest blankets with tubes and wires trying to get him stable. I never realized how hard it would be to give birth and never hold your baby. And here he was, so tiny and fragile, fighting for his life in a ventilator box. I couldn't touch him, it comfort him. I had hit an all time low with emotions. You never think something like this could happen to you. And when it does, nobody tells you how to cope. You have no choice but to just be there and figure it out on your own.

The doctors and nurses got Blake stable, however, they informed us about the "honeymoon phase". The honeymoon phase is the first 72 hours of a preemie's where all will look great, baby will be stable and everyone starts to think that they made it through the worst and are on a sure road to recovery, But what often happens after that 72 hour period is that the baby's true colors will start to show and their progress starts to go down hill. I seriously was holding my breath for three days because I wasn't sure how well he would do.

It has been 5 days since Blake was born and he is still holding strong. He's a fighter and we just have to trust and pray that God has a plan. We've been told repeatedly that having a preemie is like being on a roller coaster. There will be great days and then there will be bad days. We just have to learn how to take it day by day and not dwell on the those low days.


Blake Mathew Jaycox
August 15th, 2012 at 5:53am
1 pound 8 ounces and 12 inches long
 My Handsome little man is a fighter. 

Please keep our family in your prayers.









 

No comments:

Post a Comment