chapter 1: the day before your dramatic entrance
I saw a onesie recently that said …
Picked my own due date? Check. Made a dramatic entrance? Check. Rocked the NICU like a boss? Check.
I’ll never forget what we heard that day and the events that followed.
It should be nothing, let’s just make sure.
Driving to Raleigh for the ultrasound.
This is serious. Reverse blood flow. Do you have anyone with you?
She’s got to come today.
Covid precautions. Closed doors. Temperature checks.
This was the post I put on facebook that night at 1:23 am:
Hey sweet friends. Just a brief update on us. Thank you to all that have prayed and reached out! After our check-in with our doctor we were referred to get a BPP (biophysical profile) “just in case” due to some variables in her stress test in order to see how Maggie was developing. We are so thankful for our doctor and how careful she’s been all along. I made my way to Raleigh for the BPP expecting everything to be normal like it was two weeks prior. The profile showed that Maggie had low birth weight and reversed blood flow, so basically the placenta wasn’t giving her what she needed. They sent me off to UNC and Adam met me at the hospital. Poor guy was home dealing with a plumbing emergency. Everyone at UNC has been wonderful. We’ve heard several times that it’s “good timing” we had the ultrasound “just in case” today because the outcome could have been very different if we didn’t learn what was happening. I genuinely believe that was God stepping in.
Speaking of God stepping in, He has sent soooo many strangers to remind me He’s in control today- the ultrasound tech, multiple nurses, the sweet lady who greeted me after I dropped off my car and wheeled me from the COVID check-in to labor and delivery - they’ve all said the same thing - He’s in control, God has a plan. So they’ve monitored BP and have given medicine to lower it. They’ve also consistently checked her heart beat and given her a steroid for lung development. We’ll be induced in the morning and are waiting to see if we’ll be able to deliver vaginally or if they’ll need to do a c-section. Either way the plan is for her to come today (Tuesday). Prayer requests - please pray that she’s getting all the nutrients she needs. Pray for us as we navigate next steps. Pray for our healthcare providers- for wisdom as they make decisions with lots of moving pieces. Adam and I will meet with the NICU team tomorrow. Sounds like we will stay until I’m discharged and then we’ll have to leave her in the NICU and come back and forth.
As for now Adam won’t be able to visit with her due to COVID restrictions. We’re hoping her NICU stay won’t keep him from her long. Pray for my sweet parents who are here helping us. Thank you to everyone that has stepped in to help with Lady, to host our parents while we got the house fixed from the plumbing shenanigan (and hopefully cleaned tomorrow - gah), for everyone that has reached out with sweet prayers and texts - we feel you with us. Love you all.
