Well, Marlowe Lin made her official entrance to the world on 1/19/10 at 2:56pm via scheduled c-section. Although the experience of the c-section was not ideal for me, it most definitely turned out to be the best decision for our baby girl. All of the concerns the doctors had through out my pregnancy turned out to be 100% true and a little more severe than we had thought. At my last growth scan at 34 weeks, they estimated her weight to be 4lbs 10oz…on her birthday, at 37 weeks 2 days, she weighed in at 4lbs 9oz (she is sooooooooooo tiny!!!!!). So either they underestimated her weight on the growth scan or she had not gained a single bit in the last 3 weeks she remained in my belly. They did confirm the velamentous cord insertion and she also had the cord wrapped snugly around her neck.
Due to her size, Marlowe was immediately sent to the NICU. Fortunately, the additional steroids I received must have been very beneficial because her lungs appear to be doing awesome. The IUGR has proven to cause all the normal issues it is known for. Marlowe is having trouble with feeding/digestion, controlling her own body temperature and her tummy is distended due to large amounts of air she can’t seem to pass on her own. But overall, she is doing very well…just has some hurdles to get through. In just 2 days, we have already begain the NICU rollercoaster. We hear a different story on her progress everytime we are there bc her situation can change rapidly. In the last day she has started refusing feedings, which doesn’t make her pumping mama happy (HAHA), and has had a feeding tube inserted. The hope is to get enough food in her to strengthen her and give her the desire to start feeding more on her own.
As for me…I am doing ok. I think I am healing as expected and I don’t feel too horrible. I have pain and I am pretty damn uncomfortable…but I would do it all over again to ensure my baby girl made her entrance into the world in the safest way possible. Every single person in this hospital has confirmed we made the best possible decision and that this baby could have never endured labor for multiple reasons.
Thanks again for all of your support and prayers during this whole journey. I will continue to share more pictures and updates on our newest adventures in the NICU. They hope Marlowe will be able to come home in the next 10 days or so, but tell me to expect that she could be there til her due date on 2/7.
Here are some pictures from my phone…I will try to get some better pictures of her in the near future. But for now, these will have to do!
Here she is being checked over by the NICU nurses in my operating room (excuse the blur, my husband was rather shaky, LOL)…
Here is our first family picture with Marlowe…
Here she is waiting for her bed to be ready in the NICU…
And this is the very first time I saw her since the operating room, in the NICU…
And here she is today, getting her occupational therapy and showing off her new feeding tube…
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