Chilling on the Homefront

Now that all the hospital and bili-light drama from the past week or so is over, we've been able to fall into some kind of routine around the house. We still have some help from momma b. for the next few days - not looking forward to her leaving...  :(  so trying to get the most out of the next few days that we get to share with her. 

Anna adores her little brother - she gives him lots of kisses and hugs and nose rubs. Here's a picture of the duo getting chummy.

peas and carrots

We've been lucky enough to keep Bo on a pretty general sleep schedule. He hasn't had the day/night confusion and sleeps for good chunks of about 3 hours at a time at night. During the day though - all bets are off. But overall, he's been pretty patient with us.

And have I mentioned how much I love not being pregnant anymore? I can "sleep" (AKA - lay down for minute or two) on my stomach and eat lunch meat without heating it first. And that's just the tip of the iceberg... Having my little guy here is way awesome too - he's snuggle-riffic.

Right now - Bo's snuggling with his 'gwamma' (as Anna says it). I'm going to take this opportunity to grab a bite for lunch and maybe even change out of my jammies. Maybe.

No - seriously. What's with this Bili person?

As we had agreed to - we had Bo into the clinic early the next morning (Tuesday) for his well-baby check-up. There were some complications with his circumcision, so we had asked the pediatrician that was seeing him to take a look at that too. She did. We weren't happy with her handling of the situation - thinking she had been quite rough with him - our poor little guy was screaming and crying - something he doesn't do very much of. It was enough to send me into a lactating tailspin. We left the office amid the confusion and chaos and apparently didn't get any of the other issues taken care of.

I mentioned in the last post that Bo's bilirubin count was starting to cause some problems. At first check it was at about 11. The next check (prior to leaving the hospital) was around 14.  It would be roughly another 36 hours before we checked it again. I called in again and managed to get in with another doctor (one that I trusted) Wednesday afternoon. He was great - listed closely to my concerns for my little guy and was able to address all of the issues, even discussing the bilirubin levels again. He convinced me to go to the lab before I went home and get one more check, just to be safe. The nice thing about bili checks is that they get results pretty quickly. Usually in about an hour or so.

After I got home, I got the phone call that Bo's bili level was up again. It was at 16.7 (at 77 hours of birth). We were told we should take Bo in to the emergency room and have it checked again, first thing in the morning. So off we went, thinking we would be in for a quick check and back home again. I had no idea how serious things were going to be.

So - we meander into Saint Anthony Hospital - where we had just been only a couple of days earlier. We find our way to the lab and get his bili checked. Then we waited. And waited. And then we were shown into a small room on the pediatric floor with another bili baby and her mom & gma. So - if you're keeping count, that's 4 adults and two newborns in one tiny little room. Ugh. Our roommates were great though - and when we got the results back, both babies were admitted - we ended up being roommates for the next couple of days. Bo's results were 18.1. And the doctors seemed pretty concerned. And that's when I thought "maybe I should figure out why this is a big deal..." turns out - high bili levels not only cause jaundice (which is the yellow-ish skin and yellow in the whites of the eyes), but it becomes toxic at about 20 points (which Bo was very quickly reaching) and can even cause brain damage at those levels. It was more important than ever that we get those levels down in Bo and do it right away.

waiting for phototherapy to start...

Phototherapy is one of the main ways that doctors and hospitals help little babies lower their bilirubin levels. Basically, babies sit under and/or on top of these lamps that break down the extra red blood cells in their skin and systems. The babies then poop out the bilirubin. So - ideally, keeping your kiddo under the lights and feeding them like crazy is the way to get their levels down and keep them safe. Enter the crazy cycle.

Bo would NOT stay under the lights for the entire first day. He fussed. He cried. He writhed. He hated the lights. We had no idea what was wrong. It was frustrating and anxiety-inducing. No matter what we tried, he just would not simmer down. We even tried adjusting the lights so that he could lay in my lap and then we pulled the lights over to be over him on the bed, in my lap. That only lasted for about 30 minutes. The only way we got him down under the light in the bassinet (at the very end of the day when he was worn out from a day full of fussing), was to have him swaddled tight. And, of course, that doesn't really work for exposing his skin to the light. Ugh.

getting creative with phototherapy

His bili levels were checked again that evening (Thursday evening). And had risen even more - up to 18.8. That - combined with the fact that his circumcision spot was starting to look infected meant that I was officially in freak out mode. The resident doc seemed to be getting more concerned too. She even mentioned that if he spiked a fever because of the infection that they would have to test him for sepsis, which would probably include a spinal/brain tap.  Have I mentioned I was in freak out mode? Don had already left for the day (visiting hours were over) so I called him to get the word out to our prayer supporters.

After talking with Bo's pediatrician - and the resident doc on call that night, it was decided that we would try to give Bo some formula (he had been exclusively breastfed up to that point) to see if he would be able to sleep better. After the very first bottle, which he ate most of the bottle, he passed out for an hour. Then he woke up and took another full bottle. The little guy ate so much and I felt terrible for not being able to feed him more (we figured it out later - much thanks to a lactation consultant - that the jaundice and infection were much harder on the little guy than we thought - the act of feeding was terribly exhausting for him and he wasn't able to get enough milk that way). Switching to the bottle (using formula at first and then transitioning back over to breastmilk) was how we had to feed him for the next day or so - he was too wiped out for feeding. He needed to be fed.

Feeling content after getting a belly full of milk

As soon as he had a belly full of milk, he was the relaxed, easy going baby that we met the first couple of days after his birth. He had been exhausted and hungry. So for the next 24 hours he pretty much only woke up to eat and have his diaper changed. Otherwise, he was happily sleeping under the bili lights.

catching some rays

That's when the good news started pouring in. His bili levels were going down - the next check showed them at about 14. He was at 11.5 at his final check on Friday night. And the antibiotics he was on starting working wonders for his infection. He was healing up in fine style. (And have I mentioned that I love the nursing staff at Saint Anthony's? Seriously some good peeps there...)

We were finally discharged Friday night at about 9 PM (what is it with us being discharged so late?)
Again - we were told we needed to get his bili checked bright an early the next day. So I called Don to come and pick us up (again - visiting hours were already over and we had assumed that we would be in the hospital again for another night.)

chillaxin' - waiting for the discharge papers...

We had the best news yet the next day (Saturday morning) when we got his bili checked again. Not only did it not go back up, but it went down to 9.1. Awesome, little guy.  :)

Side note: several times, we were told that jaundice is a very common thing in newborns. We were told this by friends, strangers, random nurses. I get that it might be common. But it's somehow different when it's your baby that won't take the therapy they need to get better. And it even more different when it's your baby (the one that you just delivered HOURS earlier) that could possibly be getting brain damage if things don't change. And soon.  So - thanks to all the well-meaning comments and conversations about how common jaundice is, but just know for future reference - it really wasn't all that comforting...

So - now we're back at home. Happily adjusting to a much-less-stressful life at home with our newest addition. He's so happy and a really good baby. He sleeps and lets us sleep too. And he's got a hearty appetite (such a good sign). Love this little guy and so happy to have everyone at home together again. It's been a crazy week.


Thanks, everyone for reading and sharing in this story with us. And thanks to everyone who gave us love and support during this crazy time in our lives. We relied heavily on friends and family to help us through - and relied most heavily on our prayer warriors. Thanks again for all the love.  :)

Recovering. And Bili who?

I think my last post ended with Bo squirming and wiggling his way into my heart. Into all of our hearts. Then we were taken to the "taking care of mommies and babies" wing of the baby delivering floor of the hospital. I remember waiting quite a bit for that to happen - think several hours longer than usual. But it paid off - I got my own room and didn't have to share with anyone (score).

The recovering portion was largely standard. For anyone out there who has already had a baby - you know how it goes... start walking a bit once the epidural wears off, eating anything and everything you can get your hands on, and drinking more water than you ever thought possible. Ever.

I bounced back a lot sooner with this pregnancy than I did the first time around. I think most of that has to do with the fact that it wasn't my first time around. My body was kind of like "oh - hey, yeah. i know what to do... I'll take it from here." I was walking on my own almost right away, but felt kind of like I had just had the flu for a couple of days - my stomach muscles and entire body was just so sore from having pushed so hard to get my little guy out on his own. And my left foot was sore from pushing against the stirrups - I couldn't feel my foot at the time because of the epidural, but was apparently not in the stirrups all the way when I was pushing. Hence, the crazy sore on the bottom of my foot. That's seriously one of the weirder war wounds from this delivery experience.


The rest of that day was quiet and restful. The hubs and mom did their best to keep Annalee occupied and happy while tending to any needs I had and getting some quality snuggles in with the new arrival. (And some diaper changes too - I recovered quickly this time around, but I'm not too proud to get help with diaper changes). Because I was the only one in my room, Don was able to stay in the extra bed - it was nice to have him around for all sorts of "fresh from the womb" goodness with the little guy.

The next day, however, was pretty much chaos. It seems like everyone was stopping by for various reasons. My OB was checking on me and making sure I was recovering in fine style - and also to circumcise our little guy. The pediatrician stopped by to check on Bo. Lab stopped by for various blood work from both of us. The hospital photographer stopped by to get some newborn shots of Bo. The social worker or whoever she was stopped by with paperwork for Bo's birth certificate and other newborn paperwork. The lactation consultant came by to make sure everything was going well with breastfeeding. The list goes on...

Here are some pictures from the hospital photographer. We got a fun little goodie bag of newborn stuffs, like diapers and this funky hat - had to use the hat in the photos. Although - glad we have some without it too...

giving his best "sleepy" look

in one of his favorite blankets

don't look at the camera...

getting some snuggles from the daddy.

he looks great on his right side.  ;)

best big sister.

i love this little guy.

she's just so happy to help with Bo. love her!

And it's in the middle of this chaos and after Bo's circumcision (which I asked Don go with to watch - poor guy), that we learned Bo's bilirubin count was kind of high - meaning he was at risk for jaundice. We were hoping to get discharged that night, so we agreed to take him for his well-baby check the next day and get his billi checked again. Little did we know what a huge impact his bilirubin count would have on our lives over the next few days.


We were finally successfully discharged that night around 9:30 PM. Talk about a whirlwind day. Largely restless too - for everyone. When we got home, we put Bo in his bassinet right away. He slept for 5 hours straight the first night. He's a good baby.

Waiting Game = Over. Welcome Boaz!

Boaz has officially arrived. And this past week has truly been a blur.  To make this story easier to tell and easier for anyone that might want to read it, I'm planning to share his birth story and the following days (up to this point) into a few blog posts.


So - here it goes:

BIRTH STORY

Boaz was due on Wednesday, 11/28. But like his sister before him, he did not arrive on or before the day that we were expecting him. Or the next day. Or the day after that. (I'm starting to notice a pattern here...) We had already decided with my OB, Dr. H., at my last checkup that we would like to induce the following week if he still hadn't arrived. He didn't. So I met my doctor at the hospital this past Saturday night, 12/1, for a 9 PM induction. Here are some pictures of us on our way to the induction "ceremony".

I carry my babies big and low...

looks playful, doesn't it?  ;)

our family pre-Bo

After some basic registration paperwork, we were shown to the Labor & Delivery wing and settled into my room (and new home for the next day). I was hooked up to an IV (albeit poorly - I'm still bruised from the IV) and the Pitocin started flowing. At my initial check-in cervix check, I was at a solid 3 cm and roughly 50% effaced.


The night was largely uneventful. Don and my mom were both with me as my exclusive L&D team. We all napped. Mom worked on her knitting/crocheting. We even watched the crazy new Indiana Jones movie - the one where he survives a nuclear blast by hiding in a fridge. Yes, I know it's a bad movie - but that's what was showing.

As soon as I could, I got the epidural. It was about 2-3 AM when that went down. Also, largely uneventful. And I was much more pleasant overall once it did. I also got a bit more sleep. I think we all slept from then until about 8 or 9 in the morning when the nurses changed shifts.

Also - as a side note: it was nice to be able to compare my childbirth experience the first time around with everything that happened this time. With Anna, I delivered at Prentice - a beautiful hospital with some crabby staff. This time around, I delivered at St. Anthony Hospital - a more run-down hospital with super nice staff, especially the nurses. One of the many things I really appreciated this time around is that I wasn't constantly poked and prodded. There weren't dozens of residents or students or whoever trolling through my room and checking my cervix. Not only is it awkward to have your cervix checked by anyone that wants to - but it's also not very restful. Hence, it was lovely to just fall asleep and not be disturbed at all, especially not to have someone jab their hand up in my baby-making parts to measure parts that aren't meant to be touched.

So when morning time rolled around and we met our nurse for that next shift (I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I don't remember her name - but she was really wonderful. really), we decided Don could take a break to move the car and mom would check out the cafeteria to grab some nourishment for the morning. Dr. H. stopped in before anyone left. She checked my cervix for the first time since I had been admitted. I was only at 3.5 cm and 80% effaced. (I think my water broke about this point...? It's all a blur...) At that point, I was determined that I would be in labor forever and more grateful than ever for the epidural - even though I could feel everything in my left butt cheek (talk about painful). I also felt confirmed that Don and Mom could leave for their respective errands because really nothing was happening.

And wouldn't you know it - as soon as my L&D team was out of the room, my labor started progressing very fast. Even through the epidural, I could feel the contractions coming on and really getting in the way of my relaxing (to say the least). Within about 30 minutes, my nurse came back in with an oxygen mask for me to wear. Apparently, the fast progression of labor caused some distress in Bo - his heart rate was lowering after each contraction. The Pitocin was also turned off until he could recover. My awesome bod took it from there though - I didn't need to turn the Pitocin back on. Rock it.

At this point, my mom returned and I had to explain the oxygen mask. She texted Don and told him to get back to the room. The next thing I know, I'm at 8 cm dilated and 100% effaced. The nursing staff called Dr. H. who came back after her rounds - turns out it was perfect timing. It feels like all my progress happened between 9 am and 11 am. I started pushing about 11 am. And pushed for only about 45 minutes before Boaz Thomas Donald Bratschie was welcomed into this crazy world of ours.

after his bath - Boaz is ready for his debut!

I'm definitely proud of my PR this time around. I cut my L&D time almost in half from about 22 hours to 12 hours. And my pushing time was slashed from 2:45 to just a flat 45 minutes. If I keep this up and have another kiddo at some point I might be able to deliver the wee one in about 6-8 hours, including pushing time. But no - there are no plans for future kiddos at this point - I'm just stoked that I wasn't in labor for over 20 hours.

As soon as Boaz was delivered, he was placed on my chest and he squirmed and wiggled his way into my heart.  Don took the honor of cutting the umbilical cord (so if Bo has a funny belly button, you know why. Kidding. Sort of.) And then it was time for recovery before being taken to the mommy recovery room portion of the birthing floor...