Thursday, June 10
1:30ish
It was finally time to try and breastfeed for the first time.
After a little while, I started to cough. No biggie, just a tickle in my throat right? Well, I couldn't stop coughing. Owen was taken from me (I remember looking around and saw that my mom had him which made me feel so much better) as I couldn't get my breath. An oxygen mask went on and a few more people were called in. Then my chest started hurting. I've never had a heart attack before, but if that was anything close to it, it was SUPER scary. They started calling more doctors in as I couldn't stop coughing. I remember them throwing around different things that could've happened. One was that an air bubble from my IV got into my lungs when they removed the epidural. Another was that I had a blood clot in some part of my body that found it's way to my lungs during labor. Another person mentioned having fluid around my heart from all the extra fluids I had (although I remember my midwife arguing that I really hadn't had that many fluids compared to people who have been on pitocin and the like). Nothing seemed too major to me at this point. I was finally given a medicine in my IV which was to help remove fluids and within about 5 minutes was able to start breathing semi-normally. Within another 10 minutes I was pretty much back to normal. My chest still hurt a bit and I wanted to cough when I took a deep breath, but all was ok again. I kinda (naively) thought that would be the end of it.
I was able to try and feed him again and then we were able to bring in all the family who were anxiously waiting at this point. During this time, several doctors came in and asked for my version of the story and I had my first echocardiogram done. They came in and told me they wanted to do a CT scan to rule out the blood clot. When I asked if I could breastfeed after, they said the dye they injected would mean I couldn't do it for 48 hours, so I declined (side note - doctors are not happy when you do this). But this was a reoccurring theme through our stay. I really had to FIGHT to be with Owen and to breastfeed. Even though our midwives were wonderful and supportive, we leaned quickly the rest of the medical profession could really care less about my boobs and what I wanted to do with them. :)
Instead of taking Owen upstairs to the nursery to get bathed they brought everything to the delivery room. By this time, my little bro Casey had arrived as well. This was kinda shocking as he drove the 3 hours just to see us and then turned around and drove him. Aww! So Owen got his first bath and the crowd gathered round as they're still trying to figure out what to do with me.
4:00pm
They finally wheel me up to postpartum around 4ish. Our nurse was Denise who quickly becomes one of my least favorite people in the world. There I get to feed him again (what an awesome latch and sucker he has, thank you God) and we thought we got to finally settle in. Another tech came in and did a heart sonogram. This took a little while and she pushed on my boobs and chest like it was a mammogram. Read: like a garage door closing on your breast. Ouch. Of course, because she's a tech, she can't tell us anything as she's doing this.
6ish
My parents leave and we're left on our own. That's when Denise comes in to inform us that I'm going to have to be in cardiology all night while they monitor me. Ok, no biggie. But then she tells us that Owen can't go with because he's less than 24 hours. I lose it. She tries several different ways of reasoning with me and then leaves while William and I discuss it. Around 8:00, I call my mom and ask her to come back. I just can't do this without her. At this point, I'm still asking for a shower as well because I'm looking pretty crusty. Finally, Denise comes back with a "final offer" of me going to cardiology for the next 12 hours (umm, try 29) and they will bring him to me every 3 hours to nurse. I reluctantly agreed. I was standing up watching William and my mom change Owen's diaper when the charge nurse came into my room. She had been the one Denise was going back and forth between. She probably should've just come and talked with us in person in the first place. She blasted me for standing up. She said "I just don't think you are taking this whole thing very seriously. Do you know how bad this could be?" Well, obviously I don't. No one has told me anything and all I want is a freakin' shower. We go at it back and forth until William times us out. I back up and try to affirm her that she's just doing her job, but that I was told if I could sit on the couch without passing out, I could have a shower. She finally says I could get in only if my mom gets in with me. And then I'm off to cardiology. Now. So, William helps me get a 2 minute rinse off while my mom also hides in the bathroom with us in case she comes back. This is almost laughable now.
11ish
They come to get me and all I remember is sobbing as I get wheeled down to another floor and looking back at Owen. Dang that was awful. If you've never seen the Carle birthing suites, they are VERY nice. Newly remodeled and quite swank for a hospital. Cardiology: not so much. But at least we learn I won't have someone else in the room (they told us this could be a possibility) and William could sleep in the other bed. I get immediately hooked up to some wires and Denise gave the new nurse a quick update in postpartum care. She taught her how to check my uterus and the likes. Makes ya feel comfortable, doesn't it? Immediately though, I fall in love with our new nurse, Cari. She's sweet and obviously loving the fact that I'm not the typical cardiology patient. All the nurses loved that they got to see a baby every few hours. We're told we'll talk to cardiologist in the morning and will know more details after being monitored.
Friday, June 11
1ish am
They finally bring Owen down for his first visit! Depending on which nurse brought him down, some stayed at the nurse's station and others stayed in the room with us. That was rather annoying, but I didn't really care since I got to see my boy. I think I cried every time he got wheeled away back up to the 11th floor.
8:00am
We order some breakfast and hope that we'll get to talk with someone soon. The new set of nurses for the day are also fabulous! Trading our nice room was so worth it to be around people who actually cared and were so sweet!
12:00
We still haven't heard anything from anyone. But guess who arrived. . .Sara!!
We so not expecting her but it was the best surprise ever!! She spoiled me by bringing some super adorable pink pj pants, a massage gift card (really looking forward to that), and 2 handsome outfits for Owen. She stayed all day which was wonderful! It gave William more of a chance as well to go over and hang out with Owen so he wasn't in the nursery the whole time. Anne D also stopped by with some pretty gerber daisies and of course some rock star prayer. Owen got a cute outfit on to take his Carle pictures.
4:00
We finally get to talk to the Cardiologist, Dr. Mongwa, but I don't think I'll be able to accurately tell you everything he told us. He made it sound like everyone had slightly overreacted, but that there was some cause for concern. My left ventricle of my heart didn't seem to be pumping the way that it should, which in short could lead to heart failure. He said that I had to schedule a follow-up echo which would determine if 1) it was really nothing or 2) I needed to go on heart medicine for life. When I asked about nursing, he said that I wouldn't be able to because of the medicine being passed onto Owen. And that was it. I finally got them to remove the machine I was hooked up to for monitoring as they said it hadn't showed anything over the 18 hours I was on it. Then all the nurses rallied around us and we finally got to pack up and head back upstairs to postpartum (and Denise the evil nurse :)
7:00
Carle gives all new parents a special dinner for a congratulations. It actually wasn't a bad steak. William and I cried as we prayed over Owen and thanked God for all that had transpired in the last day. We spent our first wonderful evening together. I loved waking up to every little sound to check on him.
Saturday, June 12
We had our first sets of visitors around 9:30, Gabe and Aubrey! We're so looking forward to meeting their little Mataya anytime now!
Then, Phil and Sara stopped by on their way out of town.
11:00
Our new perky nurse comes in to finally tell us that we can get discharged!! It took them awhile to figure out whose patient I was as cardiology wasn't sure i was theirs and postpartum wasn't sure I was theirs. But we were getting out! Our room turned into a flurry of activity as we packed things up and sent stuff with William's parents. I had the nurse do one more set of footprints for me in his baby book. Whew, he didn't like that. But then we got him all changed and packed up and we were ready to go home!!
Wow! What a story! I have been a doula in Chambana for ten years, and have had a few clients have "intense" postpartum issues, but your's is pretty harried. Kudos to you for your self-advocacy, and congratulations on your beautiful baby!!
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