Henry was born September 1, 1999, after an uneventful pregnancy. My blood pressure was up a little toward the end, but it was summertime and my doctor just told me to lie down for 20 minutes after work every day. He was born 2 weeks early, which was not considered premature.My coworkers had a baby shower for me the evening of August 31. I was having pains the whole time, but just thought they were false labor. I drank some tea and tried to go to sleep, but my water broke around midnight and we were off to the hospital. Kate (then 9) came right along and watched the whole thing. (Yikes!) Things moved faster than anyone expected, and we had to wait for my doctor to arrive before I could start pushing. I didn't have any pain medication, and he was born at 4:30 am. The whole thing seemed, well, not pleasant, but easier than I had expected. Little did I know that much of his future would seem, well, harder than I had expected!
Henry was not breathing well when he was born. They briefly allowed me to say hello to him and then whisked him off. I don't remember how much they explained to me. I think I was in such a fog of "yippee, I just had a baby" that I didn't realize something was wrong. Maybe they always take your baby away immediately. How should I know?
He stayed in the NICU for 18 days! Yes mommies, 18 torturous days, considering they couldn't really seem to put a finger on what was wrong. He just wasn't breathing well- his oxygen intake wasn't good- his respiration was very rapid. (This is all from my memory. I really need to ask for a copy of his hospital records. I think I remember reading that one of you did that recently.) He was in the NICU and was like twice the size of most of the other babies in there!
I was faithfully pumping breastmilk and bringing it to the hospital with me. Off work for "maternity leave" but not taking care of a baby. Sitting in the hospital rocking my baby, talking to the nurses. Looking back it kind of turns my stomach to remember. God, that was awful. It was so awful but I couldn't even appreciate how awful it was. You know when you first have a baby you're kind of in a daze, trying to figure out how your life has changed? So mine had just changed to this- now I go to the hospital every day.
Finally, he came home on September 18th. Ahhhh, bliss. Now I could take him on walks and read him books and lie awake watching him sleep. We had a few really good months before he started getting sick- ear infections, bronchiolitis, this chronic cough that wouldn't go away. We tried an inhaler (with an infant??!!) and various antibiotics and asthma-type medicines. He didn't gain any weight between his 6 and 9-month checkups.
A friend suggested that I take him to see her daughter's allergist. THANK GOD for that suggestion. The allergist took one look at him and said that he looked "like an allergic child." (Henry had spots of eczema on his head various areas of his body at this time- poor little guy.) They ran a set of allergy tests which came back allergic to cats (we had one) and MILK. He had been drinking milk-based formula ever since he was a month old! (The breastfeeding thing totally didn't work, as they fed him from a bottle in the hospital.)
We switched to soy formula that day and sent the cat to grandma & grandpa's house that weekend. The coughing went away and Henry gained weight. He was back "on the charts" for his first birthday.
(Coming in Volume 2: enter autism)
4 comments:
Your son's entrance in the world was so similar to Gabe's that it gave me goose bumps. I had a normal pregnancy, but Gabe arrived 7 weeks early at 6lbs. 9 ounces! He was a normal size for a full term baby. He also had breathing problems when he was born. He spent 2 weeks in the NICU for breathing difficulties. Gabe also has some severe allergies and had problems with excema. He did not like breastfeeding, even though I would go to the NICU every day and try. I stopped at 3 months. I thought your story and mine were so similar in some ways. Wow...kinda weird, yet reassuring that there is someone out there who has been through something similar. Has your son had any other problems with breathing? Asthma? Or is it all related to his allergies?
The picture's too cute.
Take care-Kristin
18 DAYS!!!!!
That must have been so hard :-(
Waiting anxiously for volume 2.
Gretchen, Henry was such an adorable baby! I can really relate to this. Daniel spent five weeks in the NICU when he was born at 32 weeks. At the time I ran through the motions and did OK, but last year during that timeframe I had the hardest time dealing with it. At the time you do what needs to be done. It isn't until afterwards that the enormity of the situation hits you. I too am waiting anxiously for part II.
charlie was in the NICU for a day and a half--born with a Strep-B infection, huge and gorgeous and full term (8 lbs 3 oz 21 1/2 in I am 5 feet tall)---he had an IV in his forehead because he kept kicking it off his leg.
check out Preemie Mum's and MOM-NOS's blog you are starting a trend!
my husband rehashes Charlie's birth constantly--21 hours of labor, born with a vacuum pump to pull him out. charlie was so big the other babies in the ICU and him were quite different. oxygen went up and down during my labor.
but I have to tell Jim, we have to take care of the boy that we have. i have his ultrasounds pasted into his babybook and he had the same sweet rounding of his big hear and the eyes in the same place. he always ate well. when my husband thinks about this too much, it's an ocean of regret---
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