Reagan's Story Part 1

This blog is for Reagan, so here is her story on how she came into this world! 

I have always known since I was a little girl that I wanted to be a momma. TC and I were shocked and excited when we found out I was pregnant. Things went smoothly in the beginning. I wasn't very sick and I LOVED every bit of being pregnant. We had normal ultra sounds and everything looked great. Around week 28 we went in for the 4D ultra sound where you get to see what the baby actually looks like. It was amazing, but we didn't get great shots. Luckily the ultrasound tech said we could come back the next week. 

A week rolled around and TC was busy with his new job. I had taken off work early for the appointment on a Thursday afternoon. Luckily, mom and dad decided to come with me at the last minute. We went in for the ultrasound and the tech rushed thru it. We got some shots of Reagan's face, but nothing great. The nurse came out and said the Dr. would see us in a minute. A little confused, we sat down to wait. (This is where we should have been suspicious looking back, because I wasn't scheduled to see the Dr. that day.)

My doctor, Dr. Mentel, came into the room. I really can't remember what he said because the tears started pretty quickly. Something was wrong with my baby and we didn't know what. I couldn't even call TC, mom had to do it for me because I was hysterical. The doctor immediately admitted me to the Labor and Delivery unit at DCH. He started giving me steroid shots to develop Reagan's lungs and try to figure things out. I was hooked up to the fetal heart monitor for 3 days straight. From Thursday afternoon to Sunday afternoon I laid in the hospital bed and watched her heart rate on the monitor. We thought at the time we were going to have a c-section right then and there and knew she would be in danger. 

I was released on bed rest that Sunday afternoon with a follow up appointment the next Monday with my regular doctor. At this point I was 29 weeks pregnant. Too early for a baby to come!

That week I was referred to a maternal fetal medicine specialist at UAB. They dealt with high-risk pregnancies on a daily basis. Upon that first ultrasound there, we realized my placenta had not formed correctly. Basically, the cord is suppose to come in from the top and the blood is suppose to flow around the placenta. Well, mine had formed on the side, therefore, Reagan wasn't getting good blood flow and the nutrients she needed to grow. In doctor's terms, she was a "failure to thrive". 

Every other day I would go for an ultra sound in Birmingham or in Tuscaloosa. It was beyond nerve racking. At any point in any of the ultrasounds that she looked distressed it would be an immediate c-section for her safety. I was on bed rest and couldn't drive and TC had a new job. He went to as many appointments as he could make, but there were a lot of times that dad would take me. I think he was there so much the nurses would get confused whether he was my "sugar daddy"and the daddy of the baby or my actual father!! 

Doctor's appointments continued for about three weeks. I was 32 weeks pregnant when we went to the specialist at UAB. Reagan didn't look great on the ultrasound and he was admitting me to the hospital. I was in tears and begging to return to Tuscaloosa for delivery. He looked at me and said absolutely not, this is a world renowned Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and this is where you need to be. 

I was admitted and put on the heart rate monitor. I was started on another round of steroid shots to develop Reagan's lungs. You can only get one shot every 24 hours, so this took 3 days since I needed three shots. 

After the third day of steroids I was told I would get an ultrasound that following morning.  TC, his parents and my parents had not left my side. That night TC stayed with me, his parents stayed in a hotel close by and my parents drove back to Tuscaloosa for the night. On the morning of November 6, 2009 we had an ultrasound at about 6:30. The doctor said my amniotic fluid was very low. That meant we were having a baby that morning!! 

Right before my c-section

TC waiting to be told he could come in!