Labor story: Adin Jaime Wong

Adin came so unexpectedly into this world.

I went in for my OB appointment on Tuesday, aug 26. It was like any ordinary OB checkup. I had just finished a chiropractor session and felt really relaxed. They took my blood pressure when I sat in the office and after chatting for 30 min with the doctor, she laid me down to check the baby and checked my blood pressure again since it was apparently high the first time. First time was 166/90 and the second time was 175/90. The doctor sent me to the hospital to get it monitored, but really, neither of us were worried since my blood pressure is sometimes high and always come back down. I was bummed that I had to spend another few hours in the hospital again (I was there for two hours two weeks ago because I didnt feel Adin move one day). 

So I get to the hospital and the first thing that came to my mind was food. I knew I was going to be there for a while so I heard downstairs to the cafe first. Walking around the cafeteria, trying to figure out what to eat, I begin having a rush of pain towards my stomach. I brushed it off like it was nothing, but then it began getting hard to stand. I knew something was up, so I panicked and started making my way to labor and delivery. It became hard to walk, my knees felt weak. I looked in front and back of me in the hallway and there was no one there and I panicked even more. I slowly made it around the corner and saw someone. I asked if they can help me to the elevator. I held onto his arm and he knew right away I couldn't walk, so he got me a wheelchair. They wheeled me into labor and delivery, I couldn't talk, couldn't open my eyes and had a sudden urge to throw up, and I did as soon as I got into the room. Things didnt begin to feel better until 10 min after laying down. I guess my blood pressure was about 190/70 when I got there and the pain in my stomach was from my liver. Oh gosh what a scary experience! They did. Some blood and urine work on me and it looked like protein was leaking out of my urine. I was diagnosed with pre eclampsia. 

The doctor wanted to buy Adin some time but keeping me at the hospital for 2 days and injecting me (and you) some steroids so Adin's lungs and brains would develop a bit more before delivering him. 

2 days past by, lots of meds and lots of shots, and the doctor said my condition surprisingly seemed to stabilize. They usually it just gets worse but in my case, it got better. The doctor wanted me to stay in the hospital until Adin was 34 weeks, which meant I had to stay on the hospital for 3.5 more weeks. I was devastate and so super depressed. I missed Jorah, though Perry did bring him over to visit everyday, he was afraid of the hospital and didnt want to stay. Besides, the space was so small for how active he has become. I hated bed rest, my back hurt from it. I hated the room and has absolutely nothing to do. I hated everything and everytime I thought of being away from Jorah, not being able to put him to bed and hold him made me cry all over again. I really didnt know what I was going to do. Perry was such a huge support during this time. He worked so hard to be there for me and Jorah, running back and forth and dealing with an emotional me. He's really my rock.

A few days past and quite a few people came to visit. Joe and Josh came to visit on Friday the 29th. They bought over dinner and we chatted until 730, when Perry came back from tucking Jorah to sleep. The nurse had placed the baby monitor thing on my stomach and couldn't get any spikes in her reading, which shows if the baby has any neuron type movements. Baby Adin looked like he was asleep basically. We did all sorts of things to wake him up - ate, drink sweet juices, moved around, even did nipple stimulation. We ended up going back to the labor and delivery section (we were in antepartum) where they had to give me pitocin to try to mimic contractions to see if you'd move. Maybe all that just got me all stressed out because my blood pressure went up and up and up, to the point where I was all drugged up. By that point, the doctor made an order to have me deliver since I wasn't in a controllable state. I really wanted to keep Adin longer inside, but I felt like I was trying to stay alive. All those drugs for me shaking, loopy, and exhausted. The thought of having to go through labor just exhausted me more. I was so emotionally unstable. 

They started by giving me a cervix softener. To my surprise, I was already 50% so it took another 12 hours to completely soften it up. By the end of 12 hours, they started giving me pitocin and I felt contractions, though not bad. Oh and all this while, I was on magnesium. It is this nasty drug that makes me feel like I have a fever, and it's supposed to prevent me from getting a stroke but it made me feel so loopy. Once the contractions were stronger, I got an epidural. It's supposed to help lower my blood pressure. It wasn't in my birth plan to get one but I needed it, with everything else that was going on. They checked me again around 3 and the nurse said my cervix was completely gone. They wheeled me into the special delivery room for premie babies and after just one push, he came out SCREAMING! What a relief!!! They didn't think your lungs would be developed but boy did Adin surprise us!! We were so relieved.

I still had to be on magnesium for the next 24 hours, which literally made me feel crazy and I had to have the urine catheter which I hated, so both kinda drove me nuts. I got discharged 24 hours later and went home but felt so weird and sad that I was going home without a baby. 

I didnt think I could love any baby as much as Jorah, but I fell I love immediately all over again. Your love doesn't divide, if multiplies. I love my boys with everything I have.

Dear Jorah,

Sometimes mommy and daddy are about to lose it!! You are refusing alot of food. You've started refusing breakfast and that's the meal you usually are good at eating too. We thought it was due to your molars coming in but this has been happening for weeks! You don't eat bread, pancake, waffle, eggs, oatmeal, fruits, muffins, anything! Daddy wants to starve you today until lunch but I don't know if I have the heart to, but I understand where he's coming from. You need to learn to eat! Every meal is a battle with you :( Please just eat.

Dear Adin,

You were so good at breastfeeding last night! You drank 10 cc, which is about a third of what you'd normally get from a meal! You latched on really good and just kept sucking. Mommy is so proud of you! Then I held you in my arms while you fell asleep and I placed my cheek against yours. I love smelling you. Do you know it's mommy? See you tonight baby. Mommy loves you.

Dear Jorah,

Sorry mommy hasn't been writing about you. I've been busy with you!! Lets see, you are one crazy, energetic boy. You understand most of what we say and you nod your head yes or no when we ask you questions. You are still napping 30 min, twice a day, no matter how tired you are, it's always 30 min. Mommy thinks you have a clock inside of you that sets off every 30 min. Most of the time it's right on the dot, scary huh? You love saying da da and rarely ever say ma ma, unless you need something from me. You love to dance, wiggle and pump (so cute!!). When I go to pump and tell you  I'm about to pump, you start pumping your arms haha. You love saying "bath" "mail" and "ruff ruff" for the sound that dogs make. You love watching the iPad in the car and will immediately say "pa" over and over again as soon as you're in the car seat. You don't like eating but the things you do love are Mac and cheese, plain rice, soup noodles and corn. You love sleeping with your blanket and will sometimes throw yourself at it (haha so funny). You've just started growing your molars and I think it's making you not want to eat even more :T you sleep at 8 and wake up between 7-730. You love it when mommy sing you songs before putting you to bed. You still put your head on my shoulder and I love it. I know it won't last long so I'll cherish it for as long as I can. Mommy loves you.

Dear Adin,

The last few days, you've been latching on really well and got a couple of good sucks but today your jaundice levels came back up (to 11.2) and you were so sleepy, you didnt breastfeed. Nothing we did woke you up too :( It makes me so sad that it's making you so sleepy. I hope tomorrow you will be better. Mommy loves you.

Dear Adin,

They took off your umbilical cord today!! And stuck an IV :( .. But at least you didn't have to get a PICC which looks painful. They say if you continue feeding well, you won't need the IV for much longer.

Also, your jaundice level came down! It was at a 12 and today it's at a 7. They're going to test you again tomorrow. I hope it continues going down. 

They took off alot of wires today so you're only left with a few. They've also given you a onesie :) 

I held you this afternoon and tried breastfeeding. You mostly nuzzled but you got a couple of good sucks in. You fell asleep on me skin to skin. I wonder if you know it's mommy.

Welcome to the world Adin! Sorry mommy hasn't been on time with updating. So much has been going on and it's hard to find time when you have an active, clingy toddler!!

Lets see. You're 1 week and 2 days old now. Mommy and daddy have been visiting you everyday after we put Jorah to sleep. It's heartbreaking seeing you in the incubator with so many wires attached to you, but we know you're in good hands and we just need to be patient and watch you grow to be healthy. Since you were born, you've been taken off the cpap (a mask that helps you breathe better) and the oxygen tube (which pushes air in, to give you a boost). So as far as learning how to breathe on your own, you've got this!! They've also been increasing yourself intake since you've been digesting it well. Oh and two days ago, you breast fed!! All these nurses were blown away since they were expecting to have to teach you how to suck. You're my little miracle!! I can't wait until you learn how to fully suck. Mommy will come over often to feed you.  You also need to learn how to regulate your temperature and pass the carseat test -- then you get to come home!!! Mommy cannot wait to hug and kiss you all day. Your big brother is in for a surprise. 

Here you are tonight without your oxygen tubes. Feels much better huh? You still have a tube that goes from your nose to your stomach. You had it in your mouth before but they switched it to your nose so you can breast feed better.

I wonder if you still recognize mommy's voice. I hate that you're in there and not with me. I promise I'll make it up to you when you come home. Mommy loves you.