Samantha's Birth Story

On Tuesday evening, March 6th, we had the Maternity tour at the new hospital we had chosen for the delivery. Remember how we were worried about if she would need extra help and we didn't want to deliver at a hospital that didn't have a really great NICU? Well, our reasons then were due to all the worries we had about her arms and legs and possible downs or dwarfism. Even after all that was ruled out, we still felt it was best to deliver at a bigger hospital. I was going to have to switch OB's because my old one didn't deliver at the big hospital. Looking back we made the right choice!

So on the 6th we went for the tour. We liked what we saw and definitely felt comfortable with our decision. The next day, March 7th, I had my first appointment with the new OB "Dr. K." My husband had left that morning for Syracuse for an overnight job with his work. He was bummed he was missing the first appt with the new OB, but there was nothing we could really do about it. So off I went to my appointment with Dr. K. I hadn't been feeling any different that morning really. Pretty swollen I guess and tired but nothing major. When the nurse called me back she had me pee into a cup to check for protein. And there was +3 protein in it. Which is not good. So immediately I was a little worried, but the nurse wasn't running to call an ambulance so I tried to keep calm. Then the u/s tech took me back. All new patients get an u/s so I was pretty excited to see the baby again. It went pretty quickly, but she did mention that there was access fluid around the baby. Again, I was concerned but didn't freak out. She printed me a picture of the baby and then brought me back to an exam room. A nurse came in to talk with me for awhile and took my blood pressure. My BP was 150/90. That's when I started to freak out a little. Then I got to meet Dr. K. She is AMAZING. I loved her right from the start! We talked for few minutes about what was going on with me, that being pre-eclampsia. And said " Here's what's going to happen. I need to you to go home, pack a bag and head to the hospital." I was in shock. Um, what??? She explained everything to me and told me not to freak out but that she just wanted to have me monitored overnight. That's everything would be fine, but she just didn't feel comfortable just letting it go. Also, there was a lot of fluid around the baby, which I later found out there should be like 5-9 and my fluid was a 29! Yeah, not good.

So, I left there called my husband, who then began freaking out because he was 3 hours away. I told him it would be okay and there were just going to monitor me. No need to rush back. Everything was fine. I called my mom and thankfully she was off from work that day and was able to come get me and take me to the hospital. I already had my hospital "delivery" bag half packed. So I just added some things to that. But little did I know that I wouldn't be home again for another 6 days.

My mom and I arrived at the hospital around 2pm that day and they took me to L&D where I was monitored all day, pricked and poked, and they decided to give me the first of two steroid shots to mature her lungs "just in case." It was a long afternoon/evening. But I wasn't dilated nor was I having contractions. Until later in the evening around 7 or so, the monitor was showing very small contractions but they didn't hurt so they just said they were Braxton Hicks. Finally around 9pm, they moved us to a different room to stay overnight. Unfortunately, we had to share a room with another girl and her boyfriend. My husband had been calling all day but I told him things were fine, my mom was with me and there was no urgent need to leave the job and come home. He told me to just say the words, and he would leave right away. But none of the doctors or nurses seemed concerned and we had told them over and over that my husband was 3 hours away so if they thought he should rush back, to please tell us! But everything was okay. They were basically just keeping me there to monitor my blood pressure and I would be discharged the next day after I got my second steroid shot. There was a possible chance they would have to keep me longer and perhaps till the baby the came, but those fears seemed to be put to rest early in the day so we weren't worried.

So my angel mother and I spent the night in a cramped hospital room with another couple. They were nice but way to talkative and wouldn't leave us alone really. I guess they had been there a week with possible preterm labor. They were also having a girl and due on April 28th too! Which was so weird! So we tried to get some sleep. But that didn't really work out. My poor mom was in a this reclining chair/bed thing that didn't seem comfortable at all. And I only slept about 3 hours because of all the during the night visits from the nurses and just my mind going too.

We were up early and I really wanted to shower. My mom was going to go home and shower and come back but I was having another u/s that morning and she wanted to be around for that. So I hopped in the shower quick and when I came out the breakfast tray was there. So I got settled on the bed again and even though the pancakes were cold I took a few bites. And then I felt a gush a fluid....that kept coming...wouldn't stop...and I began to panic....


I knew my water was breaking. I looked over at my mom terrified and I said " My water is breaking! My water is breaking!" My mom ran and got a nurse.

And this is when all hell broke loose. Doctors and nurses came rushing in to check me. At this point I was crying and in major panic mode. I grabbed my phone and called my husband in Syracuse. Through screaming and tears I said " My water broke! LEAVE NOW! Just leave now!" I just knew in my heart that this baby was going to be born SOON and by way of emergency c-section. I just knew it wasn't going to be a long drawn out process. She was coming and she was coming NOW.

My husband was in shock on the other end and said he was leaving now. He yelled to his co-worker/friend Mike that they had to leave NOW. And so began the craziest...fastest...most emotional car ride that he's ever taken. And I'll come back to this later.

So, there I am in panic mode..crying...freaking out...in shock...

The doctors and nurses are checking me. And all this time the couple next door is just on the other side of the curtain and I'm screaming that I want my own room! I wasn't dilated yet but I had lost so much fluid that they were worried. They wheeled in a an u/s machine and there was almost no amniotic fluid left. So they moved me back to an L&D private room. By then I was feeling major contractions and they put me on oxygen. I was just beside myself. There was nothing calm about this birth story from the moment my water broke until after she was born. I was a mess!! Everything just happened so quickly and I was scared and I was so sad because I wasn't sure if my husband was going to make it back in time for the birth of his daughter. And I knew it would just kill him if he missed it.

So they monitored my contractions for a little bit but with every one her heartbeat would drop. So I could see all the doctors and nurses pacing back and forth deciding whether the baby needed to come out now. I begged them to please wait a little while, that my husband would be back soon! But they finally said they couldn't wait and that Samantha needed to come out now! Again, like I said I was hot mess. And terrified of the c-section. At the maternity tour (a few nights prior) we learned that you can have one person in the operating room with you. And under no circumstance can you switch out people at the last minute. But my doctor is so nice that she said if he gets here in time, we can switch your mom out for your husband. Now, it became a race against time. The baby needed to come out. The husband needed to get here.

While I was getting prepped for surgery, the scene from from husband's car ride back was a crazy one. His good friend Mike was driving at 98 mph! My poor husband in the passenger seat crying his eyes out because he was afraid he was going to miss it. Our families were in the waiting room and mapping out his best route to get to the operating room once he got there.

Back in the operating room, they did my spinal. Can't tell you how scared I was. And turns out later on I learned not all the meds went in because after I could feel a little soreness when they were sewing me up (Yeah, nice right?) But anyways, it took awhile for me to go numb and then my mom came in and sat down next to me in scrubs.

So, many things were going through my head at this point. I was terrified of the surgery! I was scared that the baby wouldn't be ok! I was heartbroken that my husband wasn't there! I do remember feeling a little loopy though and joking around with the staff. I said to my dr " Are there like a thousand people in here?" Because when they first brought me in there were SO many people. And she goes" No, just 999, and when your husband gets here it will be 1,000." And then I think I remember saying I wanted music and some dr put his iphone down near my ear, but unfortunately I can't remember what song was playing. I also remember telling them I don't want to know when they are cutting me. So there we sat, me and my mom, both of us pretty much freaking out. I almost threw up a few times. And then like something out of of a movie I hear "HERE COMES THE HUSBAND! HERE COMES THE HUSBAND!"

And I just started sobbing so hard. He made it.

My mom jumps up and leaves and in rushes my husband in scrubs. And we both just cried and cried.

I'll never forget that moment.

Minutes later, my doctor pulls our beautiful daughter from my belly and she is rushed over to the NICU team that is waiting. I can see them from the corner of my eye wrapping her up and working on her. And a few minutes later they wheel her by on the way up to the NICU. And for just a few quick seconds we get to lay eyes on our sweet girl. And then they whisk her away...

Samantha Roselyn
Born March 8th, 2012 at 32 weeks 5 days
10:51 a.m.
3 lbs 11oz 16 inches long

Everything happened in the blink of an eye that morning. And there is no doubt in our minds that we had guardian angels looking over us...

The first 24 hours after the surgery was rough. They had me on Magnesium so I wasn't allowed to see or touch my baby. So Matt had to go visit her alone and take pictures and bring them back to me. That night was so hard because all I wanted was to see her and touch her and I couldn't. And the magnesium makes you feel so sick. And loopy. I could only have ice chips and I was so thirsty and hungry. But somehow I made it through that night and they moved us to our post partum room that we made our home for the next  5 days. I ended up seeing a few nurses that I had the day before and they were all like " What the hell happened??!" One day I'm doing okay and about to go home, next day I'm recovering from a c-section and our preemie baby is up in the NICU.

We have so much to be thankful for. Family and friends who love us and our baby so much and just the outpouring of support we have received!

We can't believe she is here! Saying that we love her would be an understatement. She is so beautiful and perfect and she's just our everything. It might be a long journey in the NICU but she seems to be doing well and all we can do is keep praying.

I now know what people mean when they say "It was worth it." She is SO worth all the tears, heartaches, BFN's, money spent, IUI's, shots, appt's and IVF. I would go through it 1,000 times over for her...

We love you Baby Samantha. Such a big miracle, in such a little girl...