The road had a BUNCH of turns and twists… but I’m pleased to share that our Sweet Pea has arrived, and we’re all home healthy and safe.
But, as they say… best laid plans… here are the highlights:
At 39+5, gestational hypertension, aka my blood pressure spiked, which sparked a full on pivot in our birth plan.
Risked out of the birth center…
Sent to the OB ER in Orlando…
Arranged for a scheduled C-section… to get both Mama and baby through as safely and quickly as possible.
All textbook… and we were discharged from the hospital 2 days later.
All appeared good… EXCEPT…
Barely home for 5 hours, our Sweet Pea vomited, appeared to aspirate, and go flaccid/limp. Our rusty infant CPR training from 4-yrs earlier kicked in gear… flip her over, back slaps, bulb syringe to suction airway… wispy breaths, but still not crying and limp.
911, EMTs, scariest (and first) ambulance ride of my life with my 2-day-old daughter… followed by 3 days admitted to the NICU as they tested and verified everything – cranial ultrasound, EKG, echocardiogram, IV fluids, various tests, antibiotics.
And… she passed all the tests. Perfectly healthy, just some VERY bad, scary timing. What we witnessed was evidence that nature actually protects newborns quite well. According to the NICU pedi, she didn’t aspirate what she refluxed but naturally protected her airway and swallowed it again, and the flaccid/limp response is how newborn bodies protect their limited energy under stress.
We’ve now been home for almost 2 weeks, living through the standard sleep deprivation of all parents of newborns, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the baby snuggles and even sleepless nights.
Our Pumpkin is enchanted with her baby sister, Sweet Pea… and we’re grateful to be figuring out life now as a family of four.
Now…someone needs to be fed, then maybe another nap?
Catch y’all on the flipside!
Warmly,
Erin
