Jan 29, 2007 23:19
Henry Arthur Nunn was born prematurely on Friday, January 26, 2007 via emergency c-section.
He was born at 34 weeks gestation and weighed 5 pounds 5 ounces.
I went into preterm labor Thursday evening, exactly two weeks after my mom died. I took Philip (my toddler) with me to the hospital because of some bleeding I discovered while in the bathroom. He stayed with me for the next 9 hours - could not have been more charming or better behaved - while my dad rushed here from Indiana and David rushed here from Washington DC.
It was either preeclampsia developing into HELLP, or preeclampsia combined with a ruptured placenta, we still aren't sure yet. There wasn't time to find out though, my health went downhill very quickly and so did Henry's. I was put under general anesthetic and didn't get to see Henry for nearly two days after giving birth. I first saw him via David's camera phone. He was born unable to breathe and was kept alive by hand pumps until they could get him to the Special Care Unit. I was discharged this evening, but Henry will have to remain in the hospital for a while, potentially several more weeks. He seems to be doing better. He is now breathing without a machine though he still struggles. He is learning how to eat. I am pumping breastmilk for him every 2 hours and spending as much time holding him as I can, but he needs to be under his lights and with his tubes quite a lot. He's hanging in there, being tough and gorgeous. I on the other hand feel like a complete fucking wreck, though apparently am keeping my shit together enough that Philip has no idea anything bad happened.
..From my personal journal..