I was going into LONG doctors appointments bimonthly throughout the entire pregnancy so they could keep an eye on Jace's development and heart function. The sonographers always measured the little man to be on the big side, and since we didn't know exactly when I conceived, it was quite possible that he was further along than we thought. His due date was November 29, black Friday. He measured 2 to 3 weeks bigger consistently since I was 4 months pregnant. I started having false labor at about 37 weeks. Since he measured so big, the maternal fetal doctors said I should do a csection unless I went early. I so badly wanted a vbac that I waited, hoping eventually to go into labor. At 38 weeks my doctor said I should do a csection for sure if I hadn't had him by 40 weeks. So, I had scheduled a csection for black Friday, which is apparently a holiday for the cardiologists, because Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day the OB scheduler called to tell me that they rescheduled for Monday. At this point, contractions kept getting worse, but never to the point where I could go to the hospital. I just waited and I think I may have had him naturally on Monday anyways because contractions got so bad.... but I made it to the csection table, and wanted it all over with at that point!
Jace was born by csection December 2nd, 9lbs 8oz! I was able to see him for just a second, they assessed him and cleaned him, brought him back so I could touch him, and then whisked him off to nicu, where he was the biggest kid on the block! I went through recovery and then they wheeled me by nicu and I got to hold Jace for the first time.
He was beautiful! Lots of hair, warm, and looked as healthy as could be! Now, I am so into natural parenting, I do cloth diapers and breastfed my daughter exclusively for 18 months, and only stopped because it started to hurt when I was pregnant! My heart sunk a little bit that he already had a passifier in his mouth when I got to hold him (if you breastfeed it can harm the baby's latch to get a passifier too early), but I knew even if I was fortunate enough to breastfeed at all, it wouldn't happen for a few days anyway, and even then, no guarantees.
I was wheeled to my room, 2 floors and in a separate wing away from my baby. My husband stayed with Jace and my daughter was with my mom and dad who had to split their last vacation days of the year to watch Eliana while we were in the hospital for the week. Then my mom had rolling layoffs the following 2 weeks. I don't know what we would have done without my parents in this time. I was alone in my hospital room, and for the first little bit I was greatful! I could sleep, and I had the things I needed in arms reach. I skyped with my husband and got to see my beautiful boy. But as time progressed, it was so hard to go through the healing process of a csection with no husband in the room. I wanted him with Jace, but I wanted him with me too! I couldn't go to the bathroom without help, I couldn't pump without help, I had to call the nurses for every little thing. They came much later than I needed them usually because the mom baby ward was on overload. I didn't have a baby in the room, and was tucked away in the back, I just wasn't high priority. I definitely was healing much better than I did with my first csection, but I also overdid it a lot. Once they gave me the ok, I did everything I could without the nurses. (Bathroom, washing my pump, even took a shower! That was probably dangerous on my own, if I had fainted, all alone in my distant room it would have been bad.)
Jace, on the other hand, was doing really well. They did sonograms, echocardiograms, and X rays. My husband got to talk over the plan and our hopes of breastfeeding to see if we could go home and what we would have to do once we were at home with monitoring his pulsox.
Daddy holding Jace in the NICU
One of many kisses from Mommy
Eliana had to wear a mask when she came to see Jace, so Grandpa helped by wearing one too!
So far the cardiologists were really confident that Jace would be able to go home, but wanted to confirm that his pvc had closed before making the final decision. (This is a valve everyone has in the womb but closes a few days after birth. When it closes it can change the pressures in your heart, which can cause bad things to happen if you're born with half a heart.)
His valve closed, and I got him breastfeeding, and to me, all was right in the world! He had a good 5 days total in the nicu and got to go home. At the time I was thrilled, but since this was what we prepared for, I was taking it a little bit for granted that he could be a normal baby for a few months before we had to deal with the heart issue.
Eliana loves her little brother so much! Here's a big kiss!
We had Jace home for an amazing 9 days! We didn't get nearly enough pictures, as I came to find out. Little did I know that Jace would not make it 4-6 months surgery free. I wish I had more time with him in ignorant bliss of what having a heart baby really means.
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