Peanut's Birth Story

It’s been a crazy few weeks, but I am finally back and ready to tell the story of our Peanut's arrival.

As I told you before, I was scheduled for induction on Wednesday, January 21st due to my high blood pressure. I was terribly nervous this time.  I don’t really know why exactly, but I was literally shaking all morning waiting to go to the hospital.  When I called in to find out my time, I was told to be there at 8:30 for registration and to decide how to move forward with the induction.

Things officially got started around 10 am that morning with my water being broken and then progressed to IV fluids and a Pitocin drip to intensify my contractions.  It was slow going at first, but it picked up by the afternoon and I was ready for an epidural (judge all you want - it’s heaven at that point) at 3pm.  

Things were pretty peaceful from then on and the only pain I had was in my back and neck from straining during my contractions.  I tend to hold my tension there and it manifests pretty intensely during labor, no matter how much I fight it.  Bt 6pm I was nearly ready to push and it was a flurry of activity getting the doctor in the room and setting up.

By the time we were ready to push, I didn’t have to.  My body did everything for me and I our little peanut was born without one push. I was offered a mirror to watch the birth, which I have always refused out of fear, but this being our last baby, I didn’t want to miss any experience.  I said yes and I am so happy that I did.  I have a wonderful memory of seeing my baby’s birth from a totally different perspective.  And if I hadn’t seen him come out of me I might be convinced that he isn’t one of mine.  I also might not have believed that the umbilical cord could be wrapped around a baby's neck 4 times and intertwined with his entire body without somehow being noticed on one of the bagillion ultrasounds I had leading up to delivery...

Peanut was born at 6:55pm on January 21st, 2015

7 Ibs, 1.3oz

19 inches long

He was a full inch shorter and more than a pound lighter than any of my other children!  I can’t believe how small he is even now, 4 weeks later!

This is where I rave about the new procedures and Maternity Pavilion at the Chester County Hospital.  The labor and delivery was so peaceful and since my last baby, they have instituted a full hour of skin to skin for mommy and baby before they do anything at all.  No drops, no weighing, nothing happens until skin to skin is over.  

If you are unfamiliar with skin to skin, its when the baby lays directly on the mother”s chest, skin to skin.  It helps sooth baby as well as regulate body temperature.

Peanut latched and nursed like a champ and things seemed perfect.

I was taken to my room by a team of nurses (not just one or two) who made a huge deal of my experience and birth story and made sure that I was very comfortable and fed in my brand new room.  It was beautiful.  The bathroom with the waterfall shower was better than what I have at home and I enjoyed it immensely.

I guess because he was so much smaller and I didn’t have to push, I actually felt as though I had not just had a baby.  The next day it was almost disturbing.  I was concerned that I was not feeling like a truck had run me over (don’t be jealous.  I’m usually a blubbering basket case that can hardly walk for weeks).

The hospital staff was super efficient in getting all his tests done and completely non invasive with my care.  I was really impressed when they actually had me ready to go at discharge time that Friday morning-even before my husband could get there pick us up.

My older kids were staying with Grandma for the weekend, so it was just Me, Daddy, Peanut and Booboo.  We thought that the time was good for us to let the our youngest adjust before having all four together.  

Then some weird stuff began to happen.  I noticed that Peanut was having what looked like little convulsions. They were somewhat concerning because of the length of time they would go on for, but he seemed fine otherwise. Babies can do some weird looking stuff because of their immature nervous systems, so I figured that’s what it was.  

When I took him this first doctors appointment on Monday, I was told he looked great.  I thought I would just mention the convulsions to see what they could be and I was shocked when they immediately got a Neurologist on the phone to describe the episodes.  I was told that we needed to go directly to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to have him evaluated for possible seizures!

We were admitted for 3 days.  During that time he brain was monitored for unusual activity and he was recorded to catch any episodes he may have.  While there, he had multiple episodes that each seemed more disturbing that the last and we were terrified of what we would learn.  We also found out that despite his great form and latch, he was not getting anywhere near enough fluid from breastfeeding.

I was instructed to begin pumping and bottle feeding as well as nursing and supplementing with formula until his weight was up and my supply was steady.  In the mean time, they put Peanut on IV fluids.  In 20 minutes, he was like a different baby.

Where his skin had seemed baggy and thin, he plumped up and filled out.  Where he had been lethargic or  fussy when awake, he seemed pleasant and content.  His color went from yellowish to pink.  The poor thing had been dehydrated all along.  Once the fluids were in, he stopped having the episodes and we heard from Neurology that there was no abnormal brain activity at all.  The episodes he was having can only be attributed to his dehydration.

We were released from CHOP in the late afternoon on Wednesday, January 28th.  The team of doctors and nurses that we worked with were amazing and I am grateful to be close to such a phenomenal hospital.  I just don’t ever want to go back ;)

We were very fortunate that there was a quick and easy fix to the problem, I only wish it would have been obvious at first.  We avoided many invasive tests, but I still would have loved for him not to have gone through the whole experience.  I look back on the whole thing and wonder what I could have done differently or think on what I should have noticed earlier, but it’s done and over with now.  

Thankfully, he is eating like a champ now.  I pump and nurse for more than half of his feedings and then the rest I fill in with formula.  It’s what we have done for all of our kid, actually, but for different reasons.  He looks really good now and we are so relieved for the scary stuff to be over.

We look forward to seeing how this little guy changes and who he becomes.  I feel like we are only really seeing Booboo’s personality really shine just these last few months and I can’t wait to see the same with Peanut!