Birth Story, and after
Baby came on Tuesday, July 10th - I guess he really wanted to share birthdays with his big brother! Much like last time, my water broke but I made no contractions on my own. Instead of breaking at work, this time it happened at home, around midnight when I coughed a little while laying in bed. We headed in to the hospital and they started pitocin at about 3:30am, and Aran was born at 9:05am; 8lb, 6oz and 21 inches long! I only had to push about 10 times, and I thankfully did not need an episiotomy this time, I just had a small tear. His name is Aran Jacob.
Things initially went well, he latched and nursed like a pro. His bili went up and he needed phototherapy, but everything still looked good and we went home Thursday afternoon with a home bili blanket and a follow-up to re-check his bilui Friday morning at the pediatrician. Thursday night was terrible. He was very fussy, reluctant to eat, seemed to get overheated whenever I put him on the bili blanket, we basically didn't sleep and we could tell by aout 6am that something wasn't right. We headed to the pedi's office where they found his bili had continued to climb and he had a fever. Off to the ER for lots and lots of tests, admission to the NICU, and the eventual answer that he has viral meningitis.
I had symptoms of a cold the prior wekend (lots of aches, no fever, chest congestion) and by "birth day" my husband had started symptoms as well. Aran caught the cold, but with a brand new immune system, it was much worse for him.
He had a really rough couple of days in the NICU, but then started improving and now he seems to be over the meningitis part of things. That's the good news. The less good news is that he started having episodes of rapid and irregular heart beats yesterday and he now is apparently developing myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) as a resulty of he way his immune system is responding to the virus. It's pretty scary. He's getting medicines to slow his heart down, and they treated him with immunogobulin to try to mediate his immune resonse. All they can do is support him through this and try to keep his heart from being damaged. We've only been in the NICU since Friday morning but it feels like forever. He looks great, he eats and sleeps and has times when he is awake and very interactive, but it's hard to sit here and watch the insanity that his his heart monitor. I'm lucky that he's at one of the top hospitals in the country (Texas Children's), but I'm still terrified. This is not how one's first week of life should be!
I'll post pictures when I can; he's adorable, of course.
Things initially went well, he latched and nursed like a pro. His bili went up and he needed phototherapy, but everything still looked good and we went home Thursday afternoon with a home bili blanket and a follow-up to re-check his bilui Friday morning at the pediatrician. Thursday night was terrible. He was very fussy, reluctant to eat, seemed to get overheated whenever I put him on the bili blanket, we basically didn't sleep and we could tell by aout 6am that something wasn't right. We headed to the pedi's office where they found his bili had continued to climb and he had a fever. Off to the ER for lots and lots of tests, admission to the NICU, and the eventual answer that he has viral meningitis.
I had symptoms of a cold the prior wekend (lots of aches, no fever, chest congestion) and by "birth day" my husband had started symptoms as well. Aran caught the cold, but with a brand new immune system, it was much worse for him.
He had a really rough couple of days in the NICU, but then started improving and now he seems to be over the meningitis part of things. That's the good news. The less good news is that he started having episodes of rapid and irregular heart beats yesterday and he now is apparently developing myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) as a resulty of he way his immune system is responding to the virus. It's pretty scary. He's getting medicines to slow his heart down, and they treated him with immunogobulin to try to mediate his immune resonse. All they can do is support him through this and try to keep his heart from being damaged. We've only been in the NICU since Friday morning but it feels like forever. He looks great, he eats and sleeps and has times when he is awake and very interactive, but it's hard to sit here and watch the insanity that his his heart monitor. I'm lucky that he's at one of the top hospitals in the country (Texas Children's), but I'm still terrified. This is not how one's first week of life should be!
I'll post pictures when I can; he's adorable, of course.
Banded 03/22/06 276/261/184 (highest/surgery/lowest)
Sleeved 07/11/2013 228/165 (surgery/current) (111lbs lost)
Mom to two of the cutest boys on earth.
Oh Dev! I'm so sorry to here the LO is sick!! That's not fair to him or to you and hubby and big brother!! I've got him on my prayer list now. (and your family) Hope he responds well and quickly to the treatment and that you guys get out of there as soon as possible.
Blessings to you all!!!
Linda
p.s. Can't wait to see pics of the little love!
Blessings to you all!!!
Linda
p.s. Can't wait to see pics of the little love!
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