Better Late than Never, Ada Rae's birth

Ada Rae's Birth

When we were blessed with Bria and had a 71/2 year gap between our third and fourth daughters we  decided we needed Bria to have a playmate. We knew with the struggles of getting Bria here it would take a miracle for a playmate but, hey, when the Lord is involved nothing is impossible. I got pregnant with Ada really fast and was so so thrilled. When I was 6 weeks along, barely even knew I was pregnant, I started bleeding like I had so many other times all resulting in miscarriages except Bria. I called my Maternal Fetal Specialist and he had me come right in, Christmas Eve in fact. When I got there I was bleeding so heavy and just knew the outcome wasn't going to be what I wanted. Surprisingly, the tech said, "Well, your baby looks great the bleeding isn't coming from there". She did a little more investigating and said she would let the doctor know but to go home take it easy and just wait. Never were able to find the reason for bleeding but I had a heartbeat, good enough for me.  I opted out of the shots in my stomach twice a day this go around as they are so painful and we didn't know for sure if they helped. I started feeling guilty that I should have started the shots and we wouldn't be in this position. Long story short I kept Ada, whew! My pregnancy was different with her. We chose not to find out what the gender of our unborn baby would be. The pregnancy was so different than my previous ones(not that any were alike but this was really different) and everyone would say the way I was carrying the baby it was a boy. I had mixed feelings because a boy would be fun and different but if I had a girl I knew how to do girl! Ada wasn't an active baby. I hardly felt her actually and the closer I got to my due date the less I did feel her. Weirdly I prayed to be punched in the ribs or have that sudden gut wrenching pain, nope never happened with this little one.

I was so so nervous about losing her that I would go to the doctor every week and have tons of non stress tests, per my request but also my doctors. When I was 30 weeks I just did not feel Ada like I knew I should. I would drink juice, eat popsicles, push on my stomach but she would rarely respond. I would head to the hospital and they would hook me up. The response I received multiple times was, "your baby is fine, it is just a mellow kid". I would leave and feel reassured but deep down think I know something is wrong. This process happened several more times for two weeks. 

On Friday the 12th of June I had my older girls in swim lessons and when we were leaving I just felt so sick about the lack of movement I got the girls settled at home and headed to the hospital. I walked in and you could tell the staff was like hello, paranoid lady we told you everything is fine. I asked for another test. The receptionist asked if I could come back in two hours as the techs were all needing a lunch break. I mentioned I was really nervous and didn't want to wait that long. One of the techs said, "Oh, send her back
I 'll eat my lunch at my desk." I thanked her and went to the lounge chair. She hooked me up and then got busy with another lady who had lost a baby at 8 months. I waited for the monitor to start beeping but it didn't. I politely asked the tech if she could check my monitors. She was super impatient and begrudgingly investigated it. She looked at the paper that would record the movement and saw it was a straight line. Now I don't know about you, but my medical experience gained from television shows, tells me straight lines means death. I started crying and said is everything OK. She became 100% attentive to me. She tried shocking the baby on the head but nothing. She did several more techniques and nothing resulted in movement or lines on the paper. She called the labor and delivery and they wheeled me down. Several doctors came in and all did different tests and they all seemed to have a rush tone but tried to down play it for the out-of-control-hormonal-pregnant-woman lying on the table. My niece, Katie, is a nurse at the University of Utah Hospital and was working in the NICU(new born intensive care unit) at this moment. The nurse working with me called the NICU to inform them a 8 week early baby was about to be born. Katie was the nurse who answered the phone and came down to do her job. When she walked in and saw it was me she called her husband, Dan, who was a medical student training to be an anesthesiologist. Dan and Corby gave me a blessing and I was wheeled into surgery.  From the time I was wheeled to the labor and delivery room to the time of surgery was less than half hour. 

I was prepped for an emergency C-section and every doctor had a job. In the surgery room there were over 20 doctors and nurses all prepared to help. When Ada Rae was born it was quiet, no crying, no talking just silence. It was a terrible moment to not hear crying. The anesthesiologist told me my baby had been born and was being taken to the NICU. I asked if it was a boy or a girl. He said, "Oh, you didn't know the gender, I will find out for you." I asked him if my baby was going to be OK and he said he didn't know.

 Corby was torn between being by my side and attending our new baby. I told him to go be with our baby. I was being sewed up and having my normal reactions to the morphine. I was kind of so doped up I didn't really realize what had just happened. Within a few minutes I was told I had a baby girl and she was in Room 1 of the NICU. Room 1 is the worst place to be. It means one nurse to one baby and baby is in very critical condition. I had mixed emotions I was scared, sad, mad. I kept very quiet as I would listen to the doctors talk while they worked on me. I knew that my baby might not survive. 

Corby would go back and forth and try to tell me the little he info he could get. When I was all stitched up and put back together I was wheeled by the NICU to see my sweet tiny precious baby girl covered in tubes. I wasn't able to sit up so I remained laying down and could barely see her. They then took me to my room. Not the delivery I was expecting, not the fun surprise to find out the gender of our final child, not the fun hold your precious baby and nurse them minutes after they are born. I was taken to my room and the throwing up began. I couldn't even move my eyes without becoming nauseated. 

In order to get a good milk supply, I had to pump every 3 hours day and night because I wasn't able to hold and nurse my baby. I would pump and have the blanket that was most recently around my baby around my face so I could smell her. It was amazing how this simple act would stimulate my milk production. I wasn't getting much but colostrum but it is a process. 

I would go to the NICU once a day at first, it was just so far away and I was so sick. I didn't want to be too attached to my baby in case she didn't pull out of it. So if i didn't see her it would make it easier(logical right? I wasn't logical, I was a basket case)  I would cry being in my hospital room with no crying baby to hold. I could hear the other mothers laughing with their visitors and loving their new babies. I was a mess to say the least. After a few days, I pulled it together and started acting the way a mother should. I would use the wheelchair to go visit my precious bundle of love. I stayed in the hopsital for 5 days and then had to go home empty handed, not even a diaper bag.

I peered into the incubator at Ada Rae said good bye to her and left crying the entire drive home. Corby being in just as much pain as I, would try to comfort me but there was no comfort to give. I wanted my baby in my arms, I wanted everything normal like my previous 4 births were. I just wanted to stay in the hospital but I missed my 4 children at home. They were just as scared and needed their parents to reassure them we could make it through regardless the outcome.

Ada had to stay in the hospital til she could eat either from me or the bottle. I chose to put her on the bottle just to get her home. She did not know how to nurse and would get so stressed out to even try. In another post I'll talk about premature behavior and how delicate they must be treated, they are so different than a full term baby.

A few days shy of a month we were able to bring Ada Rae home. She weighed  5# 2oz at a month old. 

She is truly our miracle baby! She had to endure several failed spinal taps and had an IV for over a week. She had an infection that wasn't responding to the antibiotics. I was able to put my breast milk in her feeding tubes and went to the hospital 2 or 3 times a day to do the kangaroo hold and try to speed up her process of when she could join our family.

I know without a doubt that the Lord inspired me to be insistent upon the tests. My doctor told me that I saved my baby's life. He felt she had less than 24 hours before the outcome would have been drastically different.

Everyone commented on my hair, preemies don't normally have hair.

Preemies also don't have a double chin but I do!

Born June 12, 2009 4lbs 8 oz. 17 inches

My cousin Katie crocheted me a hat!

Poor Sweet Ada Rae

Every time I had my diaper changed I had to have my temperature taken.

The unicorn IV

Unicorn IV used when all other veins are blown out. I hated this the most.

Forgive the indecentness of this pose but look at my preemie socks and how big they are.

Corby would take pictures with regular day items next to me so you can see how small I am.

When I came home Grandma and Grandpa Ellis were there to greet me.

Getting a bath before heading home.

My nurse Martha loved to put bows on my hair

Ada getting ready to head home. My binkie is as big me!

My feeding tube!

Here is Bria at home copying what she sees mom do all the time!

The occupational therapist who tried and tried to get Ada to nurse but was unsuccessful!

In the NICU I was able to pick your three nurses who took care of Ada. She was a favorite.

I loved it when I was able to hold Ada.

Sometimes I just couldn't handle all the poking and prodding. Leave me alone!

My sweet baby, Ada Rae.

The day after Ada was born. I am holding a blanket that smelled like our baby who couldn't be in the photo.

This was right after I was born.

 I am thankful for modern day technology that saved Ada's life. I am thankful for sweet promptings that saved Ada's life.
Ada Rae is now 3. She is attending preschool and rides a bike and loves to play baby dolls. She is a joy to have in our family and we all love her to pieces.