Saturday, July 19th started off like any other normal day. I rolled out of bed, which was typical these days and planned for a day of errands and a housewarming party. After a great pregnancy with Brody, I would have sworn that being pregnant was no big deal. However, for some reason, this pregnancy had been much harder on me. Not only did I feel and look full term at 28 weeks, but it had taken a toll on my body as it was difficult just getting up and walking around. This was most likely attributed to the extra amniotic fluid, which they had seen on my last ultrasound on Monday, July 14th.
So, after rolling out of bed, I was off and to my surprise, Brody begged to spend the day with me, which was not typical when his dad was around. I was happy to spend some quality time with him, even if it was only because he wanted a new toy...haha!
Later that afternoon when we returned home, I was exhausted and relaxed on the couch for a while with my feet up. When I finally got up enough energy, I went upstairs to shower and get comfy for the night. It was then that I noticed I was bleeding and the panic set in immediately. We were off to Hopkins for yet another night of uncertainty and arrived there at 6:25 PM. I was taken back to a room and examined upon arrival. Caleb was doing great and constantly on the move...which was very comforting but made monitoring him quite difficult. They also noticed that I was having contractions, but I was not feeling them at that moment. The doctors decided they were going to treat me as if I was in preterm labor and watch me for 24 hours, while administering fluids and several medications through an intravenous just in case he decided to make his appearance early. Although the labor and delivery room had an amazing view of Baltimore and the harbor, the pain was increasing fast and the bed was extremely uncomfortable...I didn't know how I was going to make it 24 hours.
The doctors were giving me something to stop the contractions and I had finally gotten in a good position where they could still monitor Caleb's heartbeat. Of course, at that moment, I started to bleed again and within minutes I had lost about two liters of blood. The doctors then confirmed I was having a placenta abruption, which is a complication of pregnancy where the placental lining separates from the uterus of the mother. This occurs in 1% of pregnancies worldwide and can be a significant contributor to maternal mortality. The craziness then began and I was rushed into surgery for an emergency c-section. Unfortunately, there was no time for the anesthesiologist to give me an epidural so I was put to sleep during the surgery, which meant Tim was unable to be in the room (even though he was already dressed in his scrubs).
Caleb was delivered within four minutes and luckily; I did not experience any major complications and did not need a blood transfusion. More importantly, even though Caleb needed chest compressions, he recovered well and was transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in critical but stable condition.
Our little miracle was born prematurely at 28 weeks/2 days and we can only hope he is ready to battle the long journey that lies ahead of him. We had prepared ourselves for the CDH (as much as we could), but at no time thought his battle would entail both the trials of CDH and prematurity.
So, after rolling out of bed, I was off and to my surprise, Brody begged to spend the day with me, which was not typical when his dad was around. I was happy to spend some quality time with him, even if it was only because he wanted a new toy...haha!
Later that afternoon when we returned home, I was exhausted and relaxed on the couch for a while with my feet up. When I finally got up enough energy, I went upstairs to shower and get comfy for the night. It was then that I noticed I was bleeding and the panic set in immediately. We were off to Hopkins for yet another night of uncertainty and arrived there at 6:25 PM. I was taken back to a room and examined upon arrival. Caleb was doing great and constantly on the move...which was very comforting but made monitoring him quite difficult. They also noticed that I was having contractions, but I was not feeling them at that moment. The doctors decided they were going to treat me as if I was in preterm labor and watch me for 24 hours, while administering fluids and several medications through an intravenous just in case he decided to make his appearance early. Although the labor and delivery room had an amazing view of Baltimore and the harbor, the pain was increasing fast and the bed was extremely uncomfortable...I didn't know how I was going to make it 24 hours.
The doctors were giving me something to stop the contractions and I had finally gotten in a good position where they could still monitor Caleb's heartbeat. Of course, at that moment, I started to bleed again and within minutes I had lost about two liters of blood. The doctors then confirmed I was having a placenta abruption, which is a complication of pregnancy where the placental lining separates from the uterus of the mother. This occurs in 1% of pregnancies worldwide and can be a significant contributor to maternal mortality. The craziness then began and I was rushed into surgery for an emergency c-section. Unfortunately, there was no time for the anesthesiologist to give me an epidural so I was put to sleep during the surgery, which meant Tim was unable to be in the room (even though he was already dressed in his scrubs).
Caleb was delivered within four minutes and luckily; I did not experience any major complications and did not need a blood transfusion. More importantly, even though Caleb needed chest compressions, he recovered well and was transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in critical but stable condition.
Our little miracle was born prematurely at 28 weeks/2 days and we can only hope he is ready to battle the long journey that lies ahead of him. We had prepared ourselves for the CDH (as much as we could), but at no time thought his battle would entail both the trials of CDH and prematurity.
Caleb Brian Salkeld
Born At: Johns Hopkins Hospital
Date: July 19, 2014
Time: 11:44 pm
Length: 15 and 3/4 inches
Weight: 3 lb and 2.09 oz
Born At: Johns Hopkins Hospital
Date: July 19, 2014
Time: 11:44 pm
Length: 15 and 3/4 inches
Weight: 3 lb and 2.09 oz
