At around 2:15am my water broke. It was like I woke up just for that because despite being asleep, I remember exactly what it felt like. I instantly knew what had happened and screamed at Mitch as I ran into the bathroom. It was a whirlwind of emotions- at first happy and excited... but then the concern set in when I calmed down enough to realize "Wait a minute.... I'm 7 weeks early..... this is NOT good!" I don't think I have ever been that nervous in my life. I called my mom and told her what happened and she reassured me that everything was OK and told me to call my doctor and get ready to go to the hospital. Mitch helped me pack my hospital bag and off we went to Baptist East.
When we arrived, I was 2 cm dilated and 75 effaced. The doctors told me that the plan was to keep me pregnant for 2 more days. Their main concern was the development of Emery's lungs. They planned to give me progesterone shots to hold off on the contractions and steroids to quickly develop Emery's lungs. Emery had other plans! I was in so much pain that they changed the progesterone treatment to a magnesium sulfate drip, which is a little more harsh. The purpose of this was the same- it keeps women from going into labor. Well, most women. It turned my contractions from 'stop and go' to one long continuous very painful episode. Since the machine wasn't reading that I was having contractions, the nurses didn't feel that it was necessary to give me much pain medication- even though I was tearfully begging for an epidural. The magnesium drip made me very drowsy, and very HOT! I was absolutely miserable!!!
After a nap, I woke up with the strongest urge to push. I hit the call button for a nurse and when she came into the room she said that she wasn't going to check me because it wasn't near time but she was just going to 'take a look'. I guess in her mind, I was given the medicine to stop labor, and it wasn't reading that I was having contractions so why in the world was I complaining so much and begging for an epidural already?? She took one look under that sheet, saw the top of Emery's head, and bolted out the door for a doctor. Within seconds, the room filled with nurses who kept telling me not to push. I don't know if they have ever been in labor before, but that was not an option. I was in so much pain and straining so hard to keep Emery in, that I couldn't even speak. Dr. Newman quickly arrived and after a few VERY PAINFUL pushes, Emery Lynn Lavecchia made her debut into this world. (My mom and I now joke around by saying it sounded like we were performing an exorcism in that room because I have never sounded like that before!) The nurses gave me a few warnings beforehand that she may not cry right away, so it was very unexpected to hear the sweetest little screams that I have ever heard in my life as they took her away from me. It made the terrifying natural childbirth all worth it!
Being 7 weeks early, I was prepared for a stay in the NICU. Her first night was a scary one. At one point, she stopped breathing but the nurses assured me that this was "normal" for preemies. Sometimes they just forget and need a little help remembering to breathe with an oxygen tube. She also had high bilirubin levels, which just means shes Jaundice and needed photo therapy light treatments. Of course, she had a feeding tube for her first few days, which didn't do so well down her throat so they moved it to her nose.
She has now been in the NICU for a week and she is doing so well! Her feeding and oxygen tubes have been removed, and she stopped her light treatments. We are waiting on more tests to determine if she can officially scratch Jaundice off her list! She's learning to take a bottle like a champ and tonight at 11, Mitch and I are going to the hospital to try to nurse her for the first time! I'm such a proud momma!
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