Part 3: Miracles & Blessings

We lost her heartbeat. Within seconds, a swarm of nurses and doctors entered my labor room. (Rob told me later that he was on the computer and had dozed off, so when everyone entered, he was shocked.). Even with this unexpected turn in our labor, our room had a very tangible peace. God was with us. As the team is in our room waiting and preparing for a possible c-section, I felt so calm. I knew God had prepared me for this moment. A memory from just a few months ago came to mind; God spoke to me in a whisper. He had told me, "You may deliver Elyse via cesarean and not as you'd expect." All I asked God for was for His will to be done to bring Elyse safely to us. I trusted Him and His plan.

One of the doctors and a nurse were trying to get Elyse's heartbeat back on the monitors by moving me into different positions.  Nothing was helping.  Thank God I decided to get the epidural! Since I was already hooked up to an IV, the anesthesiologist came over to me, administered more medication, and explained what I would and would not feel during the procedure. The medical team was exceptional, and we felt God's presence in the care and compassion they showed us. It was go time. The doctors wheeled me past Rob and into the OR. He had to stay behind until they called him back. I will never forget the worried look on his face, but I assured him we would be okay. (Side note: I have never had major surgery; the only surgery I experienced was having my tonsils taken out.). We were one step closer to meeting our daughter, and we held onto the hope and strength that our faith provided.  

Once I was in the operating room, the team quickly sprang into action to prepare me for surgery and the delivery of our little girl. The nurses moved me onto the surgical table, raised the blue curtain, and the process began. The anesthesiologist stood right by my head during the procedure to ensure I was comfortable. I felt a tugging sensation within a few minutes, and then Elyse was born. It was the fastest delivery I had ever experienced, and all I could think was, "Lord, please let her be okay."  

Praise God, I never felt any fear or worry while I was in the operating room.

A critical concern for babies born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is that they should not cry at delivery, as it can put unnecessary stress on their lungs. Any stress can lead to serious complications for these babies, so the care team was prepared to quickly move her to another area of the operating room to get her settled and intubated. Before they hurried to take her away, that's when I heard a very brief, tiny cry from my baby, and they lowered the blue curtain so I could see her. The look on Elyse's face will forever be ingrained in my memory; she appeared exhausted like she had been struggling during labor. The bradycardia had taken a toll on her, and thank God her team was watching her intently to ensure a safe delivery.

Once Elyse was in the operating room, the medical team attempted to intubate her, but after several tries, they were unsuccessful. While her care team focused on her, my care team worked to put me back together. I remember feeling nauseous and was terrified of throwing up since my stomach was wide open. The anesthesiologist kindly brought me a vomit bag and held it for me until the nausea passed. Then, Rob was brought in and sat next to my head. The delivery had happened too quickly, and he hadn't seen Elyse yet. Elyse's doctor came in to provide us with an update on her condition. She said, "Elyse is doing well. We couldn't get her intubated, but surprisingly, she is breathing well on her own with room air." Rob and I were shocked! The doctor mentioned that they would continue to try to get the ventilator in and would keep us updated. By this time, I was feeling tired and going in and out of sleep.  

The nurse placed this air blanket on me to help warm me up.

Rob was asked to wait in the recovery room as they closed me up and rolled me over. I don't remember much after they placed me on the bed to roll me into the postpartum room. I remember seeing Elyse's doctor walk in with an update when I woke up. She said, "We need your permission to perform a tracheotomy on your daughter if we cannot get the vent in. We have made several attempts, but there seems to be an obstruction. The ears, nose, and throat doctor is coming up to evaluate Elyse with a scope. Do you give permission to perform this procedure?" (A tracheotomy is a surgical airway management procedure that consists of making an incision on the front of the neck to open a direct airway to the trachea).  Rob and I both looked at each other with concern, but we said to do whatever we could to assist our daughter with her breathing.

I am not sure how much time had passed while Elyse was in the OR with the ENT team; I was dealing with an adverse reaction to the anesthesia. But the doctor returned, saying, "We are unsure what obstructed her throat. But good news, we got the vent it! We gave her some meds to help her relax, and that was all it took. She is now headed to the NICU. They will call for you when she's all set up in her bay." Rob and I both took a huge sigh of relief and praised God for his grace and goodness. Our baby has already overcome so much, and she is just a few hours old. About an hour later, Rob gets a call. It's the NICU. The nurse, whose name was Ashley, said," Elyse is ready to meet you."

Rob looked at me with anticipation. I said, "Go, she needs you." I've never seen him rush out the door so fast. It was time for him to meet our daughter for the first time. He kissed me and headed for the NICU.

Part 4 to continue...

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Talk soon,

Ashley