Newly Wed Nearly Dead: LOLA LUCILLE'S BIRTH STORY...

Last week on March 23, 2016. I woke up feeling very crampy. They were the same period cramps that I had with Dexter when I went into labor. We called the OBGYN and the nurse said to go into labor and delivery. We called mom to come watch Dex so we could head there. While mom was on her way, my water broke....I was sitting on the couch, not doing anything and it broke! We were so surprised and shocked!!

We got to the hospital and they checked me to see if it was really my amniotic fluid, the results were positive. Immediately, they started me on an antibiotic to stop and/or prevent infection, which is their first reaction to why any women's water breaks early, they started me on magnesium (such a weird feeling) which helps prevent bleeding in the babys brain when they are born and stops contractions, and they started me on two rounds of steroid shots to help the babys lungs develop.

We then just waited...everyday went by and it was always unknown...She could come anytime. The goal was to keep her in until 34 weeks or if I started to get an infection, they would take her sooner.

We succeeded keeping her in for a week. On Wednesday March 30, I woke up feeling nauseas. I wasn't sure if that was because of the constipation I luckily got after being put on strict bed rest or if it was because I was getting sick. We addressed the constipation issue and the nausea feeling still didn't go away. So, I took a nap. I thought, maybe I am overly tired from the stress of the unknown?

At about 5:30pm, I awoke from my nap to menstrual like cramping, which is how I feel labor. The nurses put baby girl on the monitor to make sure her heart rate was okay. During the process, the nurse pressed on my tummy and it was pretty painful in the lower left region. This was a sign of infection. Once infection starts it can move rapidly in the uterus and get to the baby.

The nurses were very quick to get an IV in of antibiotics and fluids. They were also quick to draw my blood and my white blood cell count was 16. (When I came in the hospital the week before, my blood cell count was 14 and after the antibiotics started it went down to 11.) I also had a fever that was slowly but steadily increasing as well. So the doctor decided we were having baby. (Side note: Any pregnant can women can get an infection and we have no idea how I got an infection.) At first I was a little shocked. But, I feel like I was prepared for this to happen. The previous night, I had a very vivid dream that I delivered the baby.

Anyways, once a mom starts to show signs of infection, they will take the baby. They don't like delivering a baby with infection, it can be dangerous and can hold a baby back from progressing. The doctors, nurses, and surgical assistants, were so quick to get the c section all prepped and ready. The nurse wheeled me in the operating room, the anesthesiologist did the prep for the spinal tap by trying to numb my back with morphine. But my back wasn't getting numb at all. It hurt so bad each time he put the needle in to numb my nerves. I thought for sure I was cutting off the circulation in Dereks hand and in my doctors hand. (Isn't it cool that my doctor held my hand while this was happening?)

The anesthesiologist and doctor decided to put me all the way under because they didn't want the infection to get worse. Derek was whisked away to the room where the NICU team was, which was right next to the operating room. So he got to see little Lola right when she was born. Derek could have seen Lola being born through the window, but chose not to. I probably would have chosen not to watch as well! That would be hard to see your wife get cut open! But he did admit he watched a little bit when they closed me up.

When little Lola arrived, the doctor said she came out, "squawking". She was a lot bigger than we expected too. She weight 3 pounds 11 ounces. Derek said the NICU team was fast to put her on a breathing tube. They were also quick to get her started on antibiotics in case she had an infection. The NICU team started the antibiotics through an umbilical IV. She was placed in an incubator and they also started a gastrointestinal feeding tube as well which is where she will get her nutrients until we start bottle feeding/ breast feeding.

We feel everyones prayers and though it was rocky getting her here, we love her so much. We are so humbled and our testimony that God knows all his children and never leaves us alone is so strong. We feel His love more than ever and have remained pretty calm through this journey so far.