fbpx

The highs and lows of preemie parenthood (aka when all your plans go out the window!)

He just couldn’t wait a moment longer. And when your baby decides it’s time to join the world, there’s not a lot you can do about it!

Our son’s changed our lives irrevocably and I don’t think I’ve quite adjusted to the fact that this is my new reality.

And now here we are, tasked with spending the rest of our lives keeping this little guy alive. Crazy.

An exorcism (the birth story)

It all started on a Monday evening…

We were walking the dogs after dinner when I thought I felt my first Braxton Hicks (an assumption based on being 36 weeks). They kept coming once we got home and eventually I started timing – 5-7 mins apart, almost like clockwork.

There was no sleep for me that night as they started to get a bit stronger; I muddled through with some Birthful podcast episodes I hadn’t got to yet, and one from Michelle is Money Hungry 😉 – all while rotating through tons of positions. Lying, standing, kneeling, sitting, with and without cushions, etc. At one point I went rooting around the house for paracetamol, and though I finally found some, it did crap all for the pain.

Tuesday morning came at last…

And with it, what looked like my bloody show. At that point it really started to sink in that this was likely real labour, and I started to get scared.

Doubly so an hour or so later, when I started bleeding a bit and called my midwife. I’d texted her earlier and she’s said it could still be a few days, and to try to relax – that hopefully we could make it to 37 weeks! But a photo of my bloody pad was enough to convince her it was time to go in. Being so early, no birthing centre for me 😥 instead, it was off to the hospital.

A little old lady volunteer popped me in a wheelchair and took me to maternity, where my midwife turned up shortly after and set me up in a room. It was nothing like I’d envisioned birth, though of course I knew better than to fixate on anything about this whole process. Still, I never really imagined I’d be on a bed, hooked up to a baby heartbeat monitor and also an IV.

A doctor came in to examine me and Spud was fine, luckily, but labour wasn’t really progressing (contractions not speeding up, dilation stuck around 4cm) so eventually they broke my waters on the bed.

The afternoon rolled around…

That sped things up, and I got on the gas not long after. We prepared for an epidural as well since we were in hospital but I was still keen to try get through without.

I got off the bed and was sitting backwards on a chair, with the gas basically putting me to sleep between contractions (a welcome relief to super sleep deprived me). At some point it all intensified and I knew I had to change positions as it was getting unbearable … like the most epic bouts of constipation ever.

That’s when I hopped back on the bed, hanging on to the raised back for dear life. I hadn’t got round to creating a birthing playlist, so my Happy playlist had to get me through. At some point I kind of lost consciousness, retreating into myself as each wave came faster. I couldn’t focus on active birthing techniques anymore, only sucking on the gas to get through, sliding down the bed every time.

What if I can’t do this? I wondered. I might need something more.

The next level up would be morphine, they said, but it could slow things down (which I definitely did not want). They knew I was close, I guess, and kept encouraging me through.

Pushing on my lower back helped with the pain, and cold flannels on my face and neck were a big relief. I was sweating buckets, not helped by whatever they were doing in the background to get ready for Spud that apparently included heating the room. I could hear a flurry of activity around and behind me, and that was reassuring – I didn’t have the energy to speak and ask but figured they must be setting up for the final stage.

Someone else came in to help and introduced herself just as I hit a big one and all I greeted her with was a scream. Likewise, the person bringing in my dinner tray (seriously, a little preoccupied right now!).

I remember my midwife commenting on the giant backpack we brought, which led to them talking about our RTW trip. If I’d had the capacity I would have yelled shut the fuck up why are you talking about travel right now when I’m dying?!

I think I pushed for less than an hour – though at the time it seemed eternal. Making progress and then regressing, never ending and disheartening. Screaming bloody murder.

By the time he came out at 6.59pm, 24 hours after those first contractions, I was SHATTERED and had zero interest in this weird dirty bundle. But they put him on me, and after taking a few minutes to recover and come back to the present, I was ready to marvel at him.

Although they used a local anaesthetic to stitch me up I could still feel them somewhat – and frankly the injections and the stitches were about on par with each other… He came out with one hand up which apparently is what caused the tearing (thanks dude).

As we wound things up, I could hear another woman somewhere else in the ward shouting I can’t do this!

I wanted to yell back you can and you will. Cheesy as it sounds, that day and every one since, has hammered home just how much strength lies within us.

I may not have gotten the birthing pool, the walking around, or any of that, but it all worked out in the end.

Highs

Feeling like a badass for getting through labour!

Luckily I didn’t experience the ring of fire, and going to the toilet post partum wasn’t too bad,,

Surviving my first diaper change, tarry black poop and all.

All the well wishes and support from everyone. I swear, anyone I’ve ever known has reached out, and everyone one I even vaguely know with kids has offered advice and congratulations. It’s like we’ve been inducted into this secret club, in a way. This week has definitely been social media at its best 🙂

T organising a brief escape on Saturday morning – I needed that respite. We just went home to hang out with the animals, enjoy some normalcy for an hour and so I could see all the work he’d done to get the house ready.

Coming home on Sunday. Nuff said!

Lows

Spending 5 nights in hospital. Playing the waiting game every day, not knowing if we would get discharged or not. First it was concerns about his weight and whether he was producing enough wet diapers, then it was jaundice.

T telling me how hard it was for him to leave us every day after visiting and how it made him sadder each time. Broke my heart.

Pumping (they got me onto pumping after the second night) and having the lactation consultant all over my boobs (yes I know it’s her job). Particularly at night – the feed, burp, change cycle was manageable but adding a pumping session with all the logistics after every feed as well – ugh. Trying to soothe him while hooked up to the machine at 4am was a major low.

Nights 3 and 4 by myself in the hospital. See above. Wrangling everything was so hard and lonely and depressing. (Partners can’t stay overnight in hospital. That said, we were in a private room the last two nights, because of the jaundice / UV lights, and kinda smuggled him in on the last night. While it didn’t take as much off the load as I’d hoped, just not being alone with baby helped immensely.)

13 thoughts on “The highs and lows of preemie parenthood (aka when all your plans go out the window!)

  • Reply Penny October 16, 2018 at 15:39

    Oh, friend. These babies. They sure do show us who is boss right from the start, don’t they? Wishing you a lifetime of love and health and happiness. And a teeny bit of sleep.

  • Reply Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life October 16, 2018 at 16:59

    Congratulations!!! He’s beautiful!!

    I don’t know what the gas is but I sure do wish we had something that let us sleep between contractions, that would have helped so much. Also um what they brought your dinner tray while you were working on pushing him out??? I’m very surprised. I was starving and didn’t see a crumb of food until it was well over. It seems nonsensical not to allow partners to stay in hospital with you. I don’t understand that at all. We were both wrecked after JB came, I cannot imagine him going home each night when all ze did was scream at us endlessly.

    • Reply eemusings October 16, 2018 at 17:55

      Thank you!

      Laughing gas basically, it’s the first time I’ve ever had it😊 Meals are at pretty set times as I learned so they just seem to turn up within that n hour.

      Partners can stay overnight at birthing centres only. I was too early to birth at birthcare. I decided not to transfer there afterwards which is an option as I wasn’t expecting to be in hospital that long and also we wound up going to the hospital that’s 2 mins from home so it was fairly convenient for him and he could go back and forth to sort out house/ pet stuff easily (Birthcare is a lot further from home). Although after 2 nights I had enough and asked about transferring anyway, but then the jaundice drama happened – in hindsight wish ii had pushed harder on that front because those extra nights there alone wrecked me mentally.

  • Reply SP October 16, 2018 at 17:46

    Congratulations! He looks perfect!

    I’m just over 36 weeks now, and appreciate you sharing your experience with such candor! We’ve run into a few late-preganncy issues, and are likely going to be inducing in just under 2 weeks for medical reasons – unless she decides to come out on her own first. It’s not what I had in mind as the ideal plan – but I’m surprisingly OK with the idea.

  • Reply Amanda October 16, 2018 at 23:56

    Congratulations again, he’s just lovely. Good luck with the months (and years) ahead – we’re all muddling through this as best we can, so feel free to reach out if you need a sounding board!

  • Reply sherry @ save. spend. splurge. October 17, 2018 at 04:57

    Congratulations. My son was not a preemie but we had the same issues — weight, lazy latching, not eating, jaundiced. He turned out fine..

    Now the ride begins. First 18 months was hell, hope your experience goes better. You will know what to do, you have motherly instincts.

  • Reply Linda October 17, 2018 at 12:01

    Hooray! You are a such a badass for getting through that experience and handling things on your own for a few days! Enjoy your time at home with baby. T is sure to be a big help cooking awesome meals and keeping the household running while you get a bit of rest.

  • Reply Jane October 18, 2018 at 04:39

    Congratulations! I think we might have originally been due very close together (I’m due the 31st). I’m still waiting on this little biscuit to finish baking. Your birth story is awesome. I’m glad you’re all home.

  • Reply Life we learn October 18, 2018 at 10:15

    Congratulations!! He is so adorable!
    I can totally relate, my little one came at 37 weeks and it was a big shock to all of us. And because I had an emergency cesarean, I had to stay in hospital for 3 nights, so I can understand how lonely that gets. You poor thing having to stay in hospital for 5 days!
    I wish you the all the best in this amazing journey ahead, it’s hard work but it’s also rewarding 🙂

  • Reply Yet Another PF Blog October 19, 2018 at 01:00

    Congratulations! What an adorable baby. “You can and you will!” Love it, human resilience for the win! Best of wishes in the coming months and years.

  • Reply Lateish link love | Grumpy Rumblings (of the formerly untenured) October 21, 2018 at 05:16

    […] Congrats to nzmuse! […]

  • Reply becca October 22, 2018 at 06:38

    Oh my what a story!
    I feel for you so much. My first came out with one hand up and yep- the injections to numb the stitches don’t do much except hurt as they go in. Why must those crazy babes wave??
    And with my second one labor had to be helped along so I was already sleep deprived when she came, and those days in the hospital with the pumping and the medical interruptions and the worry about the baby weight- ugh.
    Putting the worst parts of both of those together? You are so strong!

    But your little Spud is super cute, and sleep will happen again eventually.

  • Reply Michelle Jackson October 27, 2018 at 03:27

    You’re little nugget is SOOOO sweet 🙂 Huge congratulations. I loved reading this post and don’t worry-I was born 4 weeks early back in the Stone Ages LOL! I’ve more than made up for it in size and weight LOL!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.