In September last year Ryan and I decided to try for a baby after our last blow out holiday to Hisaronu, Turkey, thinking that this would take months it was a complete surprise in October 2011 after telling Ryan's parents there was no way I would be pregnant so quickly and to go ahead and book their holiday for June this year, I decided to take a test, just to be sure that I wasn't pregnant, cue lots of tests afterwards and pure amazement that we'd fallen so quickly! Fingers crossed the same will happen when we decide to give Finn a little brother or sister!
Up until 32 weeks I had the most uneventful pregnancy ever and must admit I was a little smug that I had no stretch marks, no morning sickness, no tiredness (despite working 57hrs a week!) no nothing! I had my 32 week midwife appointment and measured 3 weeks behind, my doctor told me this was fine and you can measure up to 3 weeks behind or ahead. I mentioned that my little bean had been very lazy the last few days, she said to chill out but ring the hospital if I was worried.
The next morning I decided I was a little fed up of bean being a lazy so and so and if a trip to hospital was what it took to wake him up then we'd go, I was prepared to be turned away when he started kicking hard on the trace.
When we got to hospital I had a trace of protein which got sent for tests and they were a bit worried about the size of the baby, I got sent for a scan at about 11am which picked up absent end diastolic flow, we got back to our room in labour and delivery and all hell broke loose, I was given steroids and told bean would be delivered in 12 hours by emergency c-section estimated weight 2lbs 8oz. Needless to say we were completely shell shocked!
In the end I had a fetal medicine scan at 4pm as they managed to squeeze me in which could only pick up very slight intermittent flow. I was admitted to hospital for week on twice daily traces and monitoring. I was then allowed home but had to come back twice a day for the trace, and three times a week for growth scans. Each scan we were told the tipping point of where bean would do better out than in was shifting but for now as he was gaining weight ever so slowly and my fluid was fine I would still be monitored and bean was likely to be delivered by 35 weeks.
On Monday 23rd May I was to go and pick up the keys for our new house after my 9am scan, all the time praying today wouldn't be the day they wanted bean out, we survived another day but the look on my consultants face pretty much said it wouldn't be long!
On Thursday 25th the consultant said he was going to get a second opinion on the scan, and we knew then that was it, we'd be meeting bean very soon. I was told labour ward and neonatal were on divert and it would be a waiting game until a cot became free on the neonatal ward to care for Finn.
After a waiting game and the midwifes telling me I would be transferred to another hospital and my consultant telling me that I would not, a space came up on Saturday 28th, I walked to theater and was prepped for my c-section.
Finley Jacob was delivered at 11.04am weighing 3lbs 13oz, and came out screaming much to the midwifes and neonatal nurses surprise! His apgar score was 9 but he was struggling to breathe so was whisked away to the neonatal ward.
After being monitored the next day Finn was put on c-pap to help him breathe, he did very well and was only on this for one day, we were then allowed to move to room 2 which was much less scary than being in the 'high risk' intensive care unit, still in an incubator we concentrated on fattening Finn up and praying he'd move into room 3, low dependency. I got sent home after 5 days of being in hospital which was the most horrific experience of my life, leaving my tiny tiny baby in the hands of nurses at only 5 days old and not being able to hold or see him whenever I wanted was hell.
Ryan had two weeks paternity leave so took me to hospital for 9am most mornings where I would stay until about 9pm with him popping in and out sorting our new house out and tiding loose ends up at the job he was leaving.
On 5th June I was allowed a room within the neonatal ward to establish feeding in preparation for taking Finn home. Our first night with Finn in 'my' room with no nurses or monitors was very scary, as I had become to rely on the nurses for their guidance. Finn's nurse for that night popped in every 3 hours to check on us as Ryan was able to stay that first night, and from then on Finn only went back into the low dependency ward when I had to shower or eat.
Finn eventually came home after 17 days in neonatal intensive care weighing well under 5lbs, and hardly fitting in his car seat!
I cannot thank the amazing nurses enough for the job they do of caring for all the babies born to soon.
Today Finn is 13 weeks, 8 weeks corrected and 9lbs 7oz, has amazing head control and is doing very well, long may it continue!
