What a few days. Sorry I haven't updated, the reception here at hospital is terrible and I'm having to get my husband to stand on a chair and wave my phone around to try and post this - hope it works.
To cut a very long story short, after I was admitted I was given steroids for the baby's lungs and kept on observation, leaking amniotic fluid all the time. I managed to hold the baby inside for 4 days but towards the end I started having serious abdominal pains and feeling very, very unwell. On Thursday morning I was worse, shaking uncontrollably and with a very high temp and contraction pains. They got me moved to delivery and put me on the trace where it showed that I was contracting but that the baby was also not happy at all. The decision was made to get him out ASAP.
I was wheeled down to theatre with my husband and within half an hour of the decision made, on St Patricks Day our son was delivered by emergency Caesarian section into a plastic bag (really!)
He weighed 2lb 12oz at a day short of 28 weeks gestation and was whisked off before I could see him properly to SCBU.
Where we're at now...
Our son is doing very well so far despite his scary start in life. Although he is in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit he is breathing well on his own with a little help to keep his airways open (CPAP for those who know something about SCBU - we've learnt fast). He's also off his jaundice lamp thing and today he has had 4ml of my expressed breastmilk so far, through a line going into his tummy button. Unfortunately though he does have an infection too and they are doing a lumbar puncture on him tonight to look for signs of it in the brain (meningitis infection) and spinal fluid. When I heard this I went to pieces but was reassured by the senior medico on the ward that he had been treated with antibiotics from birth, was clinically well and that the lumbar puncture would be helpful to indicate what further drugs he needs and how long they'll need to continue.
He is covered with wires still but is a handsome and not-as-small-as-we-feared little boy. I am trying to stay positive and hope that he continues from his strong start.
I am not so great, my infection needs to be treated with IV antibiotics which I am allergic to (found that out the hard way today), and they are trying to find an alternative. The one they have suggested affects milk (which started well but has dried up today either because I am poorly or worried I suspect). I hope to keep trying though and that I will be able to use my milk further down the line when the drugs are put of it.
Sorry if this is coming across garbled. It has been a very busy, stressful and hard few days but I didn't want people thinking I'd disappeared off the face of the planet. Or worse still that I am a troll.
I will try and update again soon if I can and will respond to peoples messages. If anyone has any tips on how to cope with a baby on SCBU I would be very grateful. Thanks again for helping me through that first night.
Storm x