The day AFTER our anniversary, Henry Luke Gibson was finally born at 1:00 am exactly, and I’m home after a 63 hour marathon with about 4 hours of sleep tossed in there. And yet here I am, blogging, before I got to bed. Addicted.
5 lbs. 9 oz., 18.25″.
It’s been quite nuts, and Jeannett is still there. I needed to shower and get some good sleep not in a converted chair.
We got to the hospital about 3 am on Friday morning, and Jeannett was having active contractions about 4 min. apart. She was 1-2 cm at 4:40 am. They stopped cold at about 10:30am, which allowed Jeannett to get some rest. Since she had already started labor, and her water was already broken, there was no leaving, and she decided since she was in the hospital setting (which she finds miserable), she wanted some pitocin to get it over and get out of the hospital ASAP, which I supported. They started her light and built it up until she was back to 4 min. contractions or so, and she was up to 3-4 cm by 5:00 pm. The contractions got worse, obviously, and they were actively adjusting her pitocin dose, but she remained at 3-4 cm at 7:00 pm, and that had her extremely discouraged. After another two hours of monster contractions with an unknown level of progress (since they didn’t want to check her again until she had urge to push due to her water having been broken for over 24 hours now) she decided she wanted (with Brenda’s blessing via phone since it wouldn’t affect the baby) a dose of Fentanyl. She ended up with two doses over about a two hour period, which took her to 8-9 cm by about 11:20 pm, Friday night. AMEN TO THAT. A huge relief came over me, but not Jeannett. Since she was so close, Fentanyl was off limits and she had to deal with the contraction until the cervix was out of the way. After a long hard hour, after midnight sometime, Dr. Safarik gave the clearance to push. No more than 30 minutes later, head was showing, and there was one push left, and I had the front seat view. I don’t think Jeannett actually felt that contraction, as she was still smiling at me after I confirmed that Safarik wasn’t lying to her when he said “one more push, and you’re baby is out.” And sure enough, one more push and it was a done deal. No episiotomy, no tears, and virtually no pain down under today. God is Good. I cried, and I don’t cry, hardly ever. Only for this, and the end of “Million Dollar Baby”……seriously.
Anyways, about two hours later, we moved down to the Mother-Baby part of the hospital, where Henry was fed again, and Jeannett and I tried to catch some sleep, about 3.5 hours worth. Safarik cleared her to go home, contigent on the Pediatrician, at 6:30 am, as he knew she wanted to get the hell out of there. Then at 10:10 am, in walked Jeannett’s worse nightmare, not that she hadn’t already had it, the Pediatrician.
The nurse had heard a heart murmur, and mentioned it to us, and the Ped noticed it as well. She argued, without really giving us a ton of information, that we could not go home due to it. We tried to argue and find out why, and that stupid (insert nasty word I’m thinking here) actually said something to the tune of ‘well, I don’t question your lack of the eye injections, wanted home birth, lack of vaccinations, Vitamin K shot…so don’t question me.’ So, she had made an assumption about us before she walked in the room. We had the hospitals respect, and they had ours considering the circumstances up until that moment. I was so stunned I was silent. It’s hard to get me that pissed. Nice Dr., would you like your rear sued off for discrimination? She then followed it up by saying she didn’t want to take an admittedly VERY low percentage chance it could be serious, as it could ruin her career. Yes, she literally said that. Thanks Dr., you have officially put your needs and wants, ahead of my newborn son and my family. Anybody know a good lawyer? (Sarcastically, but she needs to check her attitude at the door). I’m tempted to march into Administration tomorrow and verbalize my frustations. In the very least, a letter is already drafted in my mind.
We called Brenda for some insight to confirm murmur is probably the part in the heart that closes when the heart stops taking the blood from the umbilical and switches to the lungs at birth. If my education is correct, this is activated by the vagina, which compresses the chest of the baby to get the fluid out of the lungs that happens naturally and very fast (when you consider how fast a baby is moving out at that point..Amazing, God), when you aren’t drugged up. Brenda said that the statistic on this is that about 33% of all babies have a murmur, a majority of those from this, and most grow out of it with no problem, and those that don’t are just fine. Well, with this new information, we wanted Brenda to see the baby and to listen to the murmur during that visit tonight (on her way home from Oregon), and she confirmed her suspicions. There is no irregularity in the murmur, likely meaning that that part of the heart is just closing slowly and there is no real danger. Nice.
Come to find out later in the evening that tomorrow they will likely take an echocardiograph of the heart and send it to Stanford to be looked at (with a 3 day return, for what these idiots charge, it should be done in 4 hours) if the murmur hasn’t gotten better (meaning the heart hasn’t closed up a bit). Why couldn’t that echo been done today and we have been sent home? Anyways, the nurse said that everything else is perfect, and Henry is nursing very well. She’s 95% sure that she will sign off on discharging us tomorrow. I don’t know how I’ll react if not, seriously. Sometimes it sucks to be overly informed with the correct information. Ignorance sometimes is, in fact, bliss.
Brenda, thanks for the education, and being there for COUNTLESS advisory phone calls at all hours over the last 64 hours.
Dr. Safarik, thank you for taking us on in the 11th hour and being patient with our concerns and demands. You really have the families and patients placed high on the priority list.
Thank you, Jeannett, for working so hard for so long to bring us our son.
And thank you, Henry Luke, for being my son.
*This post is subject to editing by Jeannett after some sleep :)
I’m out, for now.
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Wow,
I feel honored to leave the first comment. I am ecstatic about Henry’s arrival and he is beautiful. You guys did good work…or should I say God did? Anyway, I am sad for you both that it was not the experience that you both expected or desired, but hope you can both focus on the positive now, which is that he is here and neither his health or Mom’s health can be in danger any longer and the three of you can begin you journey of life together.
It’s an experience and a gift that can be paralleled by no other. Enjoy each day as it passes all too quickly. Congratulations!
Love you guys,
Dana
Congratulations to both of you! He is such a little cutie! I’m sorry that you have had such a horrible experience at the hospital. I’m praying for you guys and hoping that everything is ok with little Henry and you guys get to come home soon. What a little miracle he is! Congratulations again!!
I forgot to say that I love the picture of him all wrapped up in the blanket – he has the sweetest little face! He looks like a little angel. Can’t wait to see more pictures of him!
oh my goodness. i don’t even know what to say. we will pray you guys home! and especially pray that Henry is just fine. (i really want to know that pediatrician’s name!! give me the first letter of the last name. we always get the on-call dr. when we give birth because our wonderful pediatrician is up in north county.)
first of all, henry is such a wonderful name. i absolutely love it. and second of all, he is sooooooo handsome!
What a cute baby! I am devastated, just devastated that I can’t see him yet. :( So is Anna, all day long yesterday she kept talking about going to the “hostipal” to see the baby. She’s also been praying for you guys in her bedtime prayers!
So glad everything’s going well. Like Dana said hopefully you can just sit back and enjoy your precious little one and the miracle that he is. Let us (okay, Kevin since I’m full of germs) know how we can help. I’m so anxious to talk to Jeannett about how it all went.
(Just an aside, I was 5 pounds 8 ounces when I was born–three cheers to smallish babies! :) )
BTW….My sister had a heart murmur when she was born and still has it at the age of 47. It has never once caused her a problem thus far, so it really can be a trivial thing. Hopefully, Henry’s will just disappear. I will keep him in my prayers.
Well I am off to day 2 of Brianna’s dance recital and will be checking your blog later today in hopes that you both get to come home and enjoy all the comforts that await you. Soak up all the excitement of day two with your little one. I’m jealous. I truly miss the cuddly days of infancy. For some reason some people despise it, or maybe just don’t enjoy it, I think its magical.
Talk to you soon.
D
Congrats! I know your labor wasn’t the ideal for you, but they rarely are. I’ve had an episiotomy the first time and tore the second, much the opposite of my prayers. BUT, both times I got beautiful, healthy babies that I am priviledged to raise and that’s what really matters. Hopefully you can have a home birth next time! Is it too soon to mention next time?
hip hip hooray! so we are just dying to see you and the little one (as you can probably tell). glad that you’re home finally and all is well. good job you guys! now for number 2… just kidding! p.s. i think Henry has your mouth, Jeanett :)
Finally!!!!!! I can’t tell you how obsessively I’ve checked the blog. I’m so very glad that all of our prayers were answered with the successfull delivery of your healthy baby. FYI if you start packing your bags they bring you your discharge papers whether they agree with you or not, we had to do that with Eliot or they would never have let us leave, we did it with Eliannah too and were out the the hospital 8 hours after we had her (at my insistence!). So very happy for you!!!
first off, i love the name henry. i think its really cute, and you don’t hear it that often anymore. second, gracie was born on our anniversary, which is now all but entirely forgotten, so thankfully you’ve at least got one day between your anniversary and henry’s b-day. and third, both of my girls had heart murmurs when they were born and our pediatrician assured us that was very common. they also both went away over the next month or so. i so wish you had a more positive experience, but God is so good and he no doubt brought the 3 of you closer because of all this. we can’t wait to see more of the little man and some pics of the whole family together. yay!!!!!
Also, you have the most beautiful newborn boy I have ever seen … I’m not making it up! They usually look a little worse for the wear after labor.
HLG! I am so glad Henry is eating well. We send our love. C, E & E.
a while week late, but i didn’t know you had him :( and you worried about having an ugly baby…. he’s very handsome!!! and i’m not just making fibs to make you feel better, either!!