Gage Christopher was born June 30 at 3:04 AM. He weighed 4 pounds, 5 ounces. At Frye, he was quickly weighed and measured. They said he was 17 inches long, but after being transferred to Catawba he was measured again at 16 1/2 inches. He was born at 31 weeks, 2 days.
Friday, June 19th I had some bleeding and spent the day at the hospital being monitored. Everything looked great with Gage, his heartbeat was nice and strong. The doctor on call (Dr. Goins) found a clot on the placenta and said I needed to be on bed rest for a week to ensure whatever caused the bleeding had a chance to heal. This meant I missed both Cooper and Ella's all-star baseball and softball games that weekend. :( A week later, on the 26th, I went to see my doctor (Dr. Richardson). He said judging from the ultrasounds done at the hospital, he thought my placenta, which was anterior, was low - not on my cervix like placenta previa - but close to my c-section scar, and perhaps wasn't getting adequate blood supply, so that part of my placenta broke away causing the bleeding. He wanted me to continue bed rest through the weekend and come in Monday for another ultrasound.
Monday, June 29th I went to the doctor, had the ultrasound, everything looked fantastic. Gage was measuring a week to two weeks ahead on all measurements, and we scheduled my c-section for August 25th, the second day of school (so I wouldn't miss Cooper and Ella's first day) and when I would have been 39 weeks and 1 day. He freed me from bed rest, but said any bleeding, any pain, anything strange, head to the hospital. He told us that if my placenta completely abrupted suddenly there would be very little he could do. He said once he happened to be in a patient's hospital room when hers abrupted, had an OR available, grabbed an anesthesiologist from the hall, and had the baby out in two minutes from the time her placenta abrupted. He said if it had taken three he would have lost them both. So needless to say I was thrilled my placenta looked good and praying it stayed that way.
Monday night - well really around 1:30 Tuesday morning I woke up to lots of bleeding. Lots and lots of bleeding. Chris called my doctors office and thank God my doctor was the one on call. He of course said come to the hospital. On the way down the road (Mom came to stay with the kids) I called him back to let him know this was much worse than the last time. He said get to the hospital as fast as we could. I said it would take us 30 minutes or more and he said, get here faster than that. He said to bring the kids, someone would watch them for us at the hospital. I explained my mom was staying with them and said we would do our best. Chris made it there in 20. :) Dr. Richardson met us at the door to labor and delivery and rode up in the elevator with us. As soon as we walked in the room there were people everywhere. The first thing he did once I was in a gown was to listen for Gage's heartbeat. Once he found it, he took a deep breath and said okay, we're taking this baby. My placenta had abrupted. After riding all the way to Frye terrified I had already lost Gage, I was ready for him to be out and safe. Everything moved really fast after that. The first spinal block they gave me didn't take (déjà vu from my c-section with Cooper), but Gage's heartbeat still sounded good so Dr. Richardson let them give me another one instead of putting me under general anesthesia.
Gage was born at 3:04 AM on June 30, Cooper's due date. He was head down when Dr. Richardson started, but flipped breach and went way up under my ribs when he tried to get him out. Dr. Richardson ended up cutting me vertically as well as horizontally to get him out. He had a lot of bruising from his rough delivery, including two black eyes. When they took Gage out he made a little coughing sound and the nurse said that's him, that's your baby. That's when I went from begging God for Gage to make it through this to thanking
him that he was here safe and sound. He cried right away and had apgar scores of 8 and 9. Since he was a 31 week preemie, he was transferred to Catawba to their level 3 nursery. I was able to see him quickly in the OR and again in my room before they took him away.
The next morning, Wednesday, July 1, I was discharged and we headed to Catawba to be with Gage. At that time he was on the ventilator, had an IV in his arm as well as his belly button, a feeding tube in his nose. During the day Wednedsay, the vent tube was removed, and he was placed on the cpap machine. They began feeds - 5 ml every 3 hours, and I was able to hold him for the first time!
Thursday, July 2 - taken off cpap and breathing completely on his own. He had his IV removed and was under the lights for jaundice.
Friday July 3 - nasal cannula back in, just to make breathing easier for him, still constipated, having issues with reflux and residuals left after feedings.
Saturday July 4 - the best day! No residuals from feedings, had a big poop, Chris held him for the first time.
Sunday, July 5 - nasal cannula removed again
Monday, July 6 - upping feed amounts every 12 hours
Tuesday, July 7 - added fortifier to breastmilk, gained 2 oz since yesterday - 3 lb 14 oz, cranial ultrasound looked good
Wednesday, July 8 - removed umbilical IV, only receiving breastmilk and fortifier, feeding tube only wire other than sensors, weight back up to 4 pounds! He was wearing a onesie when Chris and I got to the hospital tonight. First time wearing clothes!
Thursday, July 9 - Cooper and Ella were able to hold Gage for the first time!
