A Rude Awakening.

To be sure, 31 weeks is very early for a baby to be born. The baby is fully formed with two major exceptions. One, they are small. Two, their lungs are not developed as they are not expecting to have to inhale air for another 9 weeks. For this purpse Deb was given steroids which can mature the babys lungs in quite a short period of time, they had started her on them before the final diagnosis was made and so by the morning of the 15th (thurs) she had had 36 hours worth of them which is long enough. So thankfully the final story is that she has a very good chance of being 100% fine at the end of our journey togther but there is going to be a long road getting there. More on that later.


At this point I would like to make a special mention of Angie. Angie is a freind of Debs who she met through the SANDS group. She is a Midwife at the hospital and has been absolutely amazing in her level of support for us, if you read this Angie a million thanks to you, if it weren't for you we may have ended up in a pretty grim situation. She took her own personal time to check Deb on the Monday, and has been just incredible with her help and support. The photos you are going to see on this post were taken by her.


The day of the 15th started early with Deb being prepped for surgery. We were taken off to theatre at about 0815hrs where we met the Anaesthatist who was great and friendly with a good bedside manner which put us at ease. Deb was wheeled away from me to have her spinal anasthesia done and I was taken to get my scrubs on.

Us before we were separated.

Now nobody told me that we would be separated nor indeed that I would have to wait while they did the spinal. I was ushered to a waiting room and left alone for 30 minutes to stress my pants off, I found out later that they had trouble with the spinal and nearly gave up and gave her a General Anasthetic which would have meant that I would not have been allowed into the theatre! As it was they finally came and got me and ushered me into the theatre, I approached deb from her head end and they had the screen up so all I really could see was her head.

In theatre.

I was only able to talk to and reassure Deb for a few minutes when I asked if I could have a peek over the curtain. Good timing as just as I stood up and looked over the curtain they had just opened the unterus and started suctioning off the amniotic fluid. The doctor reached in, and out came Sophie.

An ear peircing wail then filled the room with sound and my soul with joy. Sophie was crying and to me that meant one thing, good lungs.

Gory but glorious.

The peadiatric team then whisked Sophie away to the incubator standing ready to check her over and clean her up, they dressed her in woolens and there was only time for me to quickly cut the cord and then meet Mum before being take off to the Neonatal unit.

 

Mum and Daughter meet for the first time. Doesn't deb just seem a perfect picture of happiness?

I went with Sophie to the NNU and stayed with her while they sorted her out and attached all the cords which took some time. When she was settled I went back to theatre to make sure Deb was OK and to change out of my Scrubs. Then I accompanied Deb back to the post natal ward via NNU where she could spend some time with Sophie. A quick trip upstairs to spread the good news and then back down to NNU.

Phew! (said whilst wiping forehead)

Sophie was brought into this world 9 weeks ahead of schedule, at 0918hrs on the 15th of October 2009 weighing in at 1680g (3lb 11oz) with a full head of hair and a full set of lungs. I cannot describe the emotions charging through me, unbridled joy, incredulous admiration for the amazing Woman who had made this little miracle possible, heart bursting love, paternal protectiveness, concerned worry all tempered by grief for the sad fact that Sophie would never get to meet her sister Sarah.

Coming up, settling into neonatal, premmies issues, and anxious moments.