lala222
proud mom of miracle babe
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Well thought it was about time I wrote my official birth story, even if it is a month belated 
Firstly, I knew since my 20 week scan that my baby had a condition called Gastroschisis (his bowel was protruding through his amdomen and growing on the outside) We learnt we would be going for monthly ultrasounds to monitor growth and check for bowel dilation and amniotic fluid levels as early delivery is sometimes common when you have a baby with gastroschisis. It was hard for me throughout my pregnancy knowing I'd be having a baby that would have to spend time in the NICU and I thought he would have to undergo surgery, but at every ultrasound he was doing great and growing good so onward we went positive and thankful he was growing.
After 30 weeks gestation my doctor told me I would be having bi-weekly ultrasounds. My 30 week one went perfectly, my doctor told me he was doing great and growing good and looked very happy in there. At my 32 week ultrasound she took a while to come into the room and I knew something wasn't right. When she finally came in she said I had low amniotic fluid and his bowel had dilated significantly since my last ultrasound 2 weeks prior so she told me that day they wanted to deliver within the next few days and was going to induce me. She wanted to give me steroid shots first to prepare baby's lungs as I was only 32 weeks along. I had the steroid shots and waited around on the antepartum unit for 24 hours while I was told they were going to induce me within a day or so. Turns out my doctor wanted to then do another ultrasound before inducing me, when she did the next ultrasound she said he actually looked better in there, my fluid appeared better and he was moving and she said he looked happy and I was actually not going to be induced then but she said she would be surprised if I lasted another 2 weeks and she wanted me to go to the hospital every 2 days for an ultrasound to check on him. Talk about being frustrated! I didn't know what to expect or when he was going to come! so 2 days later back I went for a scan. He looked good, was moving lots and fluid was ok, was told to come back 2 days later. That day came and that morning I knew something was off. He wasn't moving as much as normal, even after I had my morning coffee which he normally would move like crazy after. I felt nothing. We went for the ultrasound and I informed the doctor I hadn't fell him move that morning yet. she did the scan and said that within just 2 days his bowel had dilated much more and was starting to dilate in his tummy as well. My fluid was low again and when she was doing the scan he wasn't moving as much as normal either, so she told me it was time to have a baby! I had just hit 33 weeks gestation. Thank God for the steroid shots I had been given days prior! She checked my cervix and said it was in no way ready to have the baby and induction may have taken days and she wanted him out immediately so opted for a C-section. Things moved pretty quickly from there and he was out within an hour of me arriving at the hospital for the ultrasound! Neil William James came out screaming at 2:42 pm on July 23rd weighing 4 lbs 6 oz, 18.5 inches long. The NICU team were present at the birth and got him all prepared to be taken to the NICU immediately, I got a glimpse of him for about 2 seconds before they whisked him away. I got stiched up and didn't get to go and see im until 3 hours later. He had lots of iv's and wires everywhere, it was so overwhelming to see and I broke down and cried a lot. Very hard to see your baby like that. His bowel was placed in a silo above his tummy where they came multiple times over the course of 24 hours and pushed it back inside his tummy within 24 hours! They then placed his umbilical cord and strong tape like stuff (I forget the name) over the whole to let it close naturally (He didn't even need surgery-amazing!) He was on strong pain medication for about a week (Morphine and another kind that I forget the name of) and it was the hardest thing I ever had to see. 9 days after he was born I got to hold my son for the very first time. 10 days after his birth he was extubated (came off oxygen and breathing on his own!) 2 days after that we got our first long cuddle. Slowly he came off multiple IV's and currently is only on 1. He has still not yet been able to eat. He is receiving nutrition only through IV fluids as his bowel is taking a while to start functioning but doctor's tell us that takes some time and it's just a waiting game until he will be ready to eat. We are hoping it will be sometime this week or next. The NICU team is truly amazing and I owe them everything. It's amazing to see how far he has come in a month. I will post pics from when he was born to now to show how proud of him I am
He is my little fighter and as the name Neil proves to be true-it stands for "Champion".
The first picture is him right after he was born. The last 2 are of him yesterday. He's come a long way
We can't wait to take him home!
Thanks for reading if you made it this far!
xxx.
Firstly, I knew since my 20 week scan that my baby had a condition called Gastroschisis (his bowel was protruding through his amdomen and growing on the outside) We learnt we would be going for monthly ultrasounds to monitor growth and check for bowel dilation and amniotic fluid levels as early delivery is sometimes common when you have a baby with gastroschisis. It was hard for me throughout my pregnancy knowing I'd be having a baby that would have to spend time in the NICU and I thought he would have to undergo surgery, but at every ultrasound he was doing great and growing good so onward we went positive and thankful he was growing.
After 30 weeks gestation my doctor told me I would be having bi-weekly ultrasounds. My 30 week one went perfectly, my doctor told me he was doing great and growing good and looked very happy in there. At my 32 week ultrasound she took a while to come into the room and I knew something wasn't right. When she finally came in she said I had low amniotic fluid and his bowel had dilated significantly since my last ultrasound 2 weeks prior so she told me that day they wanted to deliver within the next few days and was going to induce me. She wanted to give me steroid shots first to prepare baby's lungs as I was only 32 weeks along. I had the steroid shots and waited around on the antepartum unit for 24 hours while I was told they were going to induce me within a day or so. Turns out my doctor wanted to then do another ultrasound before inducing me, when she did the next ultrasound she said he actually looked better in there, my fluid appeared better and he was moving and she said he looked happy and I was actually not going to be induced then but she said she would be surprised if I lasted another 2 weeks and she wanted me to go to the hospital every 2 days for an ultrasound to check on him. Talk about being frustrated! I didn't know what to expect or when he was going to come! so 2 days later back I went for a scan. He looked good, was moving lots and fluid was ok, was told to come back 2 days later. That day came and that morning I knew something was off. He wasn't moving as much as normal, even after I had my morning coffee which he normally would move like crazy after. I felt nothing. We went for the ultrasound and I informed the doctor I hadn't fell him move that morning yet. she did the scan and said that within just 2 days his bowel had dilated much more and was starting to dilate in his tummy as well. My fluid was low again and when she was doing the scan he wasn't moving as much as normal either, so she told me it was time to have a baby! I had just hit 33 weeks gestation. Thank God for the steroid shots I had been given days prior! She checked my cervix and said it was in no way ready to have the baby and induction may have taken days and she wanted him out immediately so opted for a C-section. Things moved pretty quickly from there and he was out within an hour of me arriving at the hospital for the ultrasound! Neil William James came out screaming at 2:42 pm on July 23rd weighing 4 lbs 6 oz, 18.5 inches long. The NICU team were present at the birth and got him all prepared to be taken to the NICU immediately, I got a glimpse of him for about 2 seconds before they whisked him away. I got stiched up and didn't get to go and see im until 3 hours later. He had lots of iv's and wires everywhere, it was so overwhelming to see and I broke down and cried a lot. Very hard to see your baby like that. His bowel was placed in a silo above his tummy where they came multiple times over the course of 24 hours and pushed it back inside his tummy within 24 hours! They then placed his umbilical cord and strong tape like stuff (I forget the name) over the whole to let it close naturally (He didn't even need surgery-amazing!) He was on strong pain medication for about a week (Morphine and another kind that I forget the name of) and it was the hardest thing I ever had to see. 9 days after he was born I got to hold my son for the very first time. 10 days after his birth he was extubated (came off oxygen and breathing on his own!) 2 days after that we got our first long cuddle. Slowly he came off multiple IV's and currently is only on 1. He has still not yet been able to eat. He is receiving nutrition only through IV fluids as his bowel is taking a while to start functioning but doctor's tell us that takes some time and it's just a waiting game until he will be ready to eat. We are hoping it will be sometime this week or next. The NICU team is truly amazing and I owe them everything. It's amazing to see how far he has come in a month. I will post pics from when he was born to now to show how proud of him I am
He is my little fighter and as the name Neil proves to be true-it stands for "Champion". The first picture is him right after he was born. The last 2 are of him yesterday. He's come a long way
We can't wait to take him home!
Thanks for reading if you made it this far!
xxx.
![531321_10151066655868491_1628474905_n[1].jpg](https://babyandbump-data.community.forum/attachments/730/730003-ab0de966dc7893240d4ca1e965f7ad5b.jpg?hash=qw3pZtx4ky)
