Bear - The Beginning

In honor of my first Mother's Day coming up, I am sharing the story of my son's entry into the world and the events that shortly followed.

I was induced just after 39 weeks because of elevated blood pressure and uric acid.  And because he was estimated to be large.
My induction was successful however I had a great deal of difficult pushing his shoulders out.  He had severe shoulder dystocia and was extremely bruised and stiff after birth.  He couldn't figure breastfeeding out, was super tired, and never cried.  The nurse kept giving him Tylenol because he was probably in pain.  I am still angry with my delivery experience for this.  For not advocating for my son that he be examined IMMEDIATELY.  I waited.  I had a nurse tell me "he just wasn't hungry".  I had another nurse tell me "It's normal for babies not to cry".  Then the 2nd night he came undone, he screamed every 45 minutes, would take about 1-2mL of formula, pass out and repeat.  We begged for help and none came, instead we were told we were "paranoid first time parents".

At 11AM the next day a pediatrician came to take Bear for his discharge exam.  She came back noting the nursery had gotten him to take 2/3 of an oz of formula, which he then immediately vomited all over her.  She said he had red flags, and was extremely stiff, he was seizing and needed to go the NICU before he stopped breathing.  I held him in the nursery till the NICU staff came.  The loaded him in an isolette on a gurney, wheeled him in my room to say good-bye. 

It was shocking. 

It the course of an hour I went from about to leave with my newborn to go home, to leaving with an empty carseat praying my son kept breathing long enough to get to the NICU.  Hubs and I headed home, it was on the way to the 2nd hospital, to get clothes, a snack, and anything else we would need.

We then headed to the NICU where we were informed we would not be allowed to see Bear.  We waited about 2 hours before we were allowed in.  He as asleep in an isolette, with the nurse who transported him watching over him.  He had an IV in his head and when she handed him over to me it took everything in my body not to break down and cry.