Elyke’s Weblog

Baby Selah was due on April 7, but I knew I would go over her due date. The week before my mother fell down a flight of stairs and busted her radial head (elbow) and had another fracture in her right arm. Imagine a 9 month pregnant hormonal woman trying to help her mother do the most basic of things like bathing, dressing, and eating. Thankfully my mother is a fit and youthful woman. During the diagnosis in the ER (she was out of town across the country when she fell) a chest x-ray revealed some mass. The ER doctor was concerned her cancer may have returned. This added another element to the drama. 

We went to the oncologist and thankfully it was scar tissue that had been there before. Now we had to deal with a busted arm. (Did I mention I was 9 months pregnant?) The day after the baby was due, mom had surgery and her radial head was replaced with a metal one. Ouch. At this point I was grateful (sort of) the baby was past her date so I could help mom out.

The next week, as mom was recovering, my induction date was set for the 14th. Induction sucks.

We went in at 7:45 am and all went well. Selah was born at 1:44 that afternoon. She was tiny, weighing in at 5 lb. 15 oz. Healthy, but petite. This alarmed me as my first daughter was well over 7 1/2 lb. when she was born. When I delivered the placenta, which was taking too long and posed a threat of surgery (imagine delivering a baby naturally and then having to have surgery!!!), it was discovered that I had a bilobal placental. Basically it was divided in 2 separated by a membrane which caused the baby to not get all the nutrients the whole placenta was providing. This explained the lower than anticipated birth weight. But the baby was still within the normal range, so all was well.

Until about 30 minutes later…I started to bleed out. The doctor was called back to the hospital and he went to work on me. I was cold, shaking and going into shock from the blood loss- but I did not fully grasp the seriousness of the situation. My husband did. I was revived with smelling salts and lots of conversation from the nurse…which at the time I did not want. I wanted to get under the blanket and sleep. Actually this was me wanting to pass out, unbeknownst to me.

The doctor removed another lobe from the placenta that was still in there. He managed to stop the bleeding and I had to stay in the L&D room until late that evening. I recovered well and quickly after the hemorrhaging was stopped. Only then, after talking to my husband, did I fully understand the seriousness of the situation. During the chaos my husband patted me on the hand to excuse himself and sat down. A nurse came in to tend to him! When I laughed, and no one else in the room did, I should have realized it was bad. He could watch the birth and most of the aftermath, but the blood loss was overwhelming. I was set up with an additional IV in case I needed a transfusion, but luckily I did not need it.

The next day, my otherwise cool and collected Doctor, told me what a scare I had given him! I mentioned that I had all the confidence in the world when it happened (read: oblivious) and he said “Well, I did not.” That sent a chill through me. But all is well that ends well.

Baby and I came home with no issues on the 16th. I have been up and around feeling great, aside from sleep deprivation, ever since. AND I got in my pre-pregnancy jeans within the week! Shallow til the end!

Mom is doing great too and had the cast removed. Looks like she will not need physical therapy and she is healing well.

God does provide and he has blessed my family. Selah is a word in the bible found multiple times in Psalms. It means ‘to pause and reflect on God’s word’. This was picked out for her before she was born.