God's Little Miracles: Alyssa's Story Part 1

So I said in my first post that Alyssa's birth would be a whole other story...well here is her story and it definitely shows how amazing, wonderful and faithful God is. Ryan and I were building our house (well actually Ryan, my dad and my uncle were...I was mostly supervising). We had just met with our electrician and Ryan and my dad were finishing up framing one of our downstairs bathrooms. I walked over to my parent's house (a whole 250ft away) and decided to pay some bills (my favorite thing to do). I sat down and realized that I forgot one of the bills and stood up and all of a sudden my pants were wet. I was like you have to be kidding. I know that towards the end of pregnancy some women do have the unwelcoming pleasure of suddenly peeing themselves but I was barely in my 3rd trimester (31 1/2 weeks) and it was already starting!! So I went to the bathroom and actually went the bathroom and changed my clothes and went back to my bills. About 5 minutes later, I got up again because I needed to get a pen that was actually working...my pants were soked again. Now I was concerned...did my water just break? Can't be...not now....not yet....I had 8 1/2 weeks to go. Some background...I work as a nurse on the Maternity unit in Augusta, so pregnancy, labor, and birth are very familiar to me. But a little too much knowledge can be trouble, my brain was racing with every idea - good and bad. I decided that I would call my Maternity Unit and just talk to one of the girls up there just to get my brain to calm down. So Linda answered the phone and I told her what had happened...she just said to me...if you were taking this phone call at work what would you be telling the woman to do...I said "I would say you have to come in and be seen"...she said yup and we hung up the phone. I called Ryan and said I think that my water broke but maybe I just peed myself (trying to convince myself I think) so you can continue working on the bathroom and can call you from the hospital. Ryan and my dad both said nope Ryan will go with you.

So off to the hospital I go. So we arrive at the L&D unit and I get myself settled into the room...I knew the girls on the floor were busy so I hooked myself up to the fetal monitoring maching...Ryan laughing at me the whole time. So I waited maybe 5 minutes...listening to Alyssa's heartbeat the whole time and it was strong and do the things that it needed to so I was at least content at the point...Alyssa was doing ok. The doctor comes in and does the usually exam to see if a woman's water has broken...I could tell by the look on their faces and the fact that the nurse that was assisting the doctor (one of my co-workers) were getting teary that my water had in fact broke. I also saw that blue nitrazine paper which confirmed it plus other medical blah blah. Well here come the water works...she can't come yet...it is way too early...what is going to happen...??? So my room is suddenly full of my co-workers, my manager, my doctor all trying to reassure me that it would be ok. Ryan is off to the side smiling...my baby is coming tonight...in his defense he didn't know all the complications that could happen and also if he would have freaked then I would have lost it even more. So Ryan calls my mom and lets her know. During all this chaos of getting me ready to transfer down to Maine Medical Center in Portland where there is a NICU, the crying stopped for a moment and I realized that I was going have a baby in November and that was the birthstone that I was going to have on my mother's ring. Now I am sorry if you are born in November but I was suppose to have Alyssa in January...a beautiful garnet and now November...a yellow topaz. Aaahhhhh...but it did add some comic relief through the chaos and it finally made me laugh. So they loaded me into the ambulance and off to Portland I go but Ryan couldn't ride with me and Ryan also couldn't follow the ambulance.

So I arrived at Portland with an uneventful trip and the wheel me through the ER up to the L&D unit. They hook me up to the fetal monitoring machine and again Alyssa's heartrate is strong and wonderful to hear. I arrived in Portland around 2:00-2:30 and not much happened or started happening til 5:30-6:00. I was just dealing with everything racing in my mind...would the baby be ok? (Ohhh yeah...we didn't know that Alyssa was Alyssa yet...we didn't know what the sex of the baby was.) So anyways...as a nurse I new way to much...and that was racing through my mind...the baby is not 32 weeks yet...the lungs aren't mature...surfactant was being made yet...she wouldn't be able to breath!!! So 6:00 comes along and the contractions are starting to come every 7 minutes and getting stronger. 7:00 rolls around and the doctor checks me again and I am not really dilating but the baby's head is getting lower and lower...and the back labor is getting worse...and yes I opted for an epidural and loved my decision...by 8:00 I wasn't in pain or discomfort at all. Actually I was on the phone with my manager at 8:10 and I was feeling great. 9:00 I was watching the baby's heart rate tracing and telling the nurse that I was starting to see early decelerations (the baby's heart rate was going down at the same time a contraction was coming and then going back up when the contraction was done)...the nurse looked at the tracing and agreed and went to ge the doctor...in that short two minutes that she left...I felt my bed get wet again...my water was leaking more. The doctor came in and I was completely dilated and was ready to push...but what about my baby...what about her heart rate...what about her breathing when she comes into this world???

After a few pushes (and after each push I was taking the fetal monitor and moving it myself so that I could hear her heart rate at all times). 9:21 A beautiful baby spunky girl was born (puddles of tears come). She isn't breathing...come on baby you can do it...Ryan did you hear that...she tried to cry...she is trying to cry...she is trying...keep trying baby...you can do it!!! Alyssa had a team of her very own...a neonatologist, a neonate nurse practioner, 2 NICU nurses and 1 respiratory therapist. Here Momma...2 seconds to kiss and snuggle your little girl...then I saw my little baby girl get wheeled out in an isolette to the NICU...I love you baby I whispered before she left my arms...

More to come another day....