A miracle is born

So 10th March 2015 was a little different than what we had hoped & planned for.


Through the middle of the night I got up to go to the toilet  - when I returned to bed I can remember feeling really cold and shivering. I'd had my fan going as it'd been quite warm in my room prior to that, so I switched it off, added an extra blanket and snuggled back into bed and went to sleep.


My nurse came in early that morning to do my observations - first check, temperature....... - it was high, really high :(


Next thing I know they have called my specialist obstetrician and I am being hooked up to triple iv antibiotics and also getting bloods taken. I don't know that I was really functioning, or what was exactly happening. Obviously they thought I had an infection, but in my mind I think I believed that they could connect me to all these iv's and it would all be sorted. How wrong was I.


My specialist walked in just a few moments before my husband. Her words to him were, have you been filled in on what's happening?? I said, I haven't told him anything other than I might have an infection, as I don't really know what is happening myself. She comforted both of us as she said that our baby would be delivered THAT day!!


24 weeks and 6 days gestation - to say I was scared was an absolute understatement. My iv antibiotics were pushed through and then I was started on the magnesium drip once again whilst we waited for a theatre & surgeon (I had to deliver in the public hospital where the nicu was, but my specialist had not yet had her certification cleared to operate in that theatre). So much was going through my head, I was so not ready for this - I knew the risks, and knew all too well that the chances of our baby being born alive were dwindling quickly and if by chance our baby did survive, what would their future be like. An anaesthetist came in to see me to talk me through the procedure and signed off paperwork - he was lovely, but he said he wouldn't unfortunately be there for the delivery as he was just helping them out on a ridiculously busy day.


I was finally wheeled up to the theatre waiting area, where we basically waited some more. May people tried to lift my spirits, but it just wasn't working. Hubby got suited up in his scrubs as he planned to be there with me all the way - but hey, nothing was going right - my blood pressure was ridiculously low - I have low blood pressure anyhow, but this was much much lower. They tried all sorts of tricks to get it to rise, but it just didn't work - this unfortunately meant that it wasn't safe for me to be awake for the procedure, and I would need to have a general anaesthetic - this also meant that my hubby would not be able to enter the theatre with me.


I was eventually wheeled in, and I was a MESS!! I honestly felt like I was having a nervous breakdown. Low and behold - the anaesthetist who said he wouldn't be there for my C-section, was actually there - he was so lovely, and between him rubbing my forehead and one of the nurses holding my hand, the two of them together managed to calm me down slightly while I waited. I could not be given any anaesthesia until the surgeon was there and ready to cut me open - as they did not want bub getting any of it and being sleeping. I had to have the catheter put in twice (first time didn't work) and get completely prepped which they normally do after you-re asleep, all whilst being wide awake. This is so not a normal situation.


After what felt like forever, I nodded off to sleep - and upon waking up in recovery my first question was, how is my baby. It was a boy, born at 3.26pm weighing a very healthy 800grams, and although they almost lost him, he was doing ok and had been whisked away to nicu. I was taken back to my room at the private hospital as I was on some pretty extensive medications. Hubby spent a lot between the nicu and with myself.


It wasn't until late the next morning that I got to visit my new little man.