(Continuation of Emma's birth story from below)...
Babies room in with you at University. The only time they leave is when testing is needed. Emma needed a couple routine tests so the nurse came to take her Saturday morning at 3am. We had already made plans for Hai to go with her to the testing. She needed an escort for her late night date. So around 3-ish the nurse and Hai leave to go to the nursery. Just a few minutes after Emma leaves the room I hear her crying. In retrospect it struck me weird but I attributed it to the hall lights or something. Never, never doubt mothers first instinct. Hai tells me Emma threw up a liquid green gook. The nurse said it was nothing and they continued to the nursery.
Hai was able to watch the testing from the window. He tells me that at some point Emma threw up again, green stuff, and the nurse rushed out of the room with her. She told Hai Emma needed to be evaluated in the NICU. Hai immediately came down and got me and we went down to the NICU. The nurse met us and informed us they were evaluating her and would speak to us soon. For what seemed like an eternity we waited...and waited...and waited. I called my parents to come in because I was just sooo scared. When my parents came Hai and I decided we had waited long enough and would just go talk to the NICU.
When we arrived the Nurse Practioner met us at the door. And let me say, if you haven't been in a NICU before you could never imagine the sight. Small babies everywhere in tiny incubators. Very sad. Emma had her own private room in the back. The Nurse Practioner had told us to be prepared for all the IV's and tubes but you just can't prepare for that. Seeing a baby hooked up to monitors, IV's and tubes is the WORST sight EVER! The nurse explained to us throwing up green can be an indication of bowel failure. They started talking about moving her to CMC-Main, running different tests on her, etc. The tube they had down her mouth suctioned all the green stuff...and they were getting plenty of it.
I had ask my mom to call our preacher and have him come pray with us for Emma. It was the only thing I knew I could do or knew how to do. It wasn't long and he was there. We prayed over Emma for God to leave his touch upon her and have his will and way.
It wasn't too much later in the day when the nurse called to my room to inform me the Neo dr. wanted to try giving her a supplement. In the words of the nurse "The doctor came by and said feed that baby - she is just HUNGRY!" After a couple of feedings she was doing better. No more green stuff. Just pee and poop. We had to count how many poops and how many pees she had. I never in my life prayed for pee and poop like I did. It seemed like we would get pee's but poops. Or poops but not pee's. It was a rollercoaster of bodily functions.
Emma really transformed over the next 24 hours. The more she ate the happier and healthier she became. She gained practically a pound in the nursery (the first night in the hospital she had lost a pound). The doctors and nurses stopped talking about transferring her or anything serious being wrong. The doctor truly felt she had just got dehydrated. Apparently, due to the c-section and rough labor my breast milk had not come in. The entire time I thought I was feeding Emma - I wasn't. The nurses were so comforting and encouraged me to keep pumping because my milk would come in. However, it wasn't easy on my emotions knowing I had deprived my child of food. However, I was glad to hear it was simply that and not something serious. So, I didn't want to be too sad about it. They continued to monitor Emma until Sunday. They eventually let her come back to the room to be with her mom and dad :)
Looking back, Emma has completely changed since her birth. Though she wasn't really cranky she was fussy and never seemed satisfied. Even looking at pictures she appears so different - her color is flushed and she looks uncomfortable. However, after getting such great treatment in the NICU she looks so much more refreshed and healthy. She only cries when she hungry or needs a diaper change. She seems so content.
I truly believe Emma did so well because of the power of prayer. God answers prayers. And many, many people were praying for Emma. I would like to thank everyone who prayed for Emma and sent well wishes our way. Those thoughts and prayers did not go unnoticed. To God, I will be forever grateful for taking care of my little girl.
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