Eli's Early Arrival

[araustin76]

After 2 years of infertility - medications, acupuncture, nutrition consultation, and 3 failed IUI's - my husband and I finally "resorted" to IVF with the hopes of freezing any extra embryos for future cycles.  Of course, nothing goes as you plan it, and this was no different.  The embryos were not high enough quality to survive freezing, so we transferred the best 2 and kept our fingers crossed.  Thankfully the pregnancy took, and we found out we would be welcoming a boy (just one, phew!) in February 2011.

After the difficulties we had getting pregnant, the pregnancy itself was healthy and relatively uneventful (apart from some wicked heartburn and annoying sciatica).  Because of the early Feb due date, and the preceding holidays, I had asked for a mid-November baby shower.  Other than that, my husband and I were taking our sweet time getting the nursery ready--repainting, buying furniture, etc.  We have plenty of time, we thought, that's what January is for!  

We picked a labor doula to work with, and had our first prenatal meeting with her on Tuesday, December 7th.  We talked about our birth plan (labor at home as long as possible before going to the hospital, labor there as long before using pain meds, if at all, and deliver the baby with the help of our doula and a nurse midwife), and my upcoming first session learning hypnobirthing techniques from a local therapist.  We made plans for our second meeting with the doula in January, and concluded with a "to do" list before the next meeting.

On Sunday, December 12th, my husband and I were watching tv in the evening when I suddenly felt like I had wet my pants!  I was so embarrassed, but I admitted what happened and changed my pants quickly.  About 20 minutes later, I had to change them again, and finally decided to call the nurse midwife on duty.  I honestly couldn't answer her questions about color and odor to determine whether it was urine or amniotic fluid, and based on what I was feeling, she said it could very well be a bladder infection.  I had an appt with her group the next morning at 8 am, so she said to keep the appointment, but call back again if the rate of flow increased.  I went to bed that night horrified that I had become incontinent at age 34 and was destined to a lifetime of adult diapers.

My husband offered to come with me to my appointment the next day, but I begged him not to.  I did not want him in the room while the nurse was going to discuss my loss of bladder control--horror of horrors! :)  I went to my appointment and told the midwife that I had a bladder infection and would like some antibiotics, please.  She asked if she could do a quick exam just to satisfy her own mind, which I agreed to.  I will never forget her response during the 10 second exam..."That wasn't urine.  You're going to the hospital today." 

I burst into tears, sobbing "he's too little, we're not ready, we don't even have a crib!!!"  Thankfully she stayed calm for us both, told me to get dressed, go home and collect my husband (who is not able to drive), pack a bag, and go to the hospital.  I did so in a daze, but 2 hrs later we were in the labor and delivery room with our doula.  After 5 hrs, they decided I was probably not having a baby that day, and moved me up to the post-partum floor where I stayed on bed rest.

The plan at that point was to give steroids to help the baby's lungs develop, and lots of antibiotics since my membranes were ruptured.  The doctors wanted me to stay on bed rest as long as possible, inducing when I reached 34 weeks...IF I reached 34 weeks (water broke at 32w3d).  So much for hypnobirthing classes, and the final childbirth class my husband and I were taking.  It looked like we would have to muddle through on our own.

Ten days later on December 23rd, I set the hospital record for "longest membrane rupture without going into labor" and they induced labor with pitocin.  With my husband, doula, and midwife at my side, labor and delivery went as smoothly as possible.  After 11 hrs, I gave birth to a hefty 5 lb 4 oz preemie baby boy.  We were very blessed with Eli's health:  while he had to spend 8 days in NICU, he needed no assistance whatsoever -- no light therapy for jaundice, no feeding tubes, and no ventilator or respiratory assistance.

Our baby is now 6 weeks old and still in the peak of health.  While Eli's birth story was not at all what we expected, it was certainly memorable and gave us the best Christmas gift possible!

[sharita]

Wonderful story!!!  How scary to have your water break so soon, I can't imagine.  I got nervous when mine was broke 36 hours (at term though) and labor still hadn't started with my homebirth.  So glad your little one held on a little longer to mature a bit more.

Congrats!