*Disclaimer: if you are an anxious person, currently pregnant, etc. please remember each birth story is different and even though mine was rocky everything worked out well.*

Make sure to have your iced coffee or diet coke in hand for this one, because it is going to be very chatty.

Let me start by stating the obvious, Palmer arrived extremely early to the party. Like 42 days early to be exact. To put things in perspective his original due date isn’t even until January 14, 2022. Like how wild is it that we are still 4 days out from his original birthday. How he came into the world was an absolute whirlwind so let’s begin…

I went in for my regular OB appointment on Monday, November 29. My blood pressure was running high that day but that was not too out of the normal for me. Before pregnancy I was on blood pressure meds and was switched to a different blood pressure medicine, that was safer for baby, during pregnancy. In addition, I did a 24 hour urine sample pretty early on in pregnancy to check for protein in my urine and it was elevated but not worrisome at that time.

Furthermore, at 32 weeks my OB was beginning to worry about how elevated my blood pressure was so she sent me to triage on the mama and baby floor. They wanted me to do another 24 hr urine collection but I literally could not pee. They had to insert a catheter and press on my bladder and only a few drops came out. So the urine collection was not going to happen. Next, they gave me a fast-acting pill to try and get my blood pressure down. After I took the pill, every 15 minutes or so, they would come to take my blood pressure and ultimately it was still at a severe level. They repeated this one more time before the doctor came in and diagnosed me with preeclampsia and told me I was being admitted.

So I was admitted on Tuesday, November 30 at 3:00 AM. I was immediately given fluids and put on an insulin drip for my gestational diabetes and we discussed that I was going to be put on magnesium to help control the severe blood pressure levels. The next few days we just played the waiting game and I watched pretty much every single Christmas movie on tv.

On Wednesday, the doctor came in and said well looks like you will be having a baby this week!

*insert lots of emotions*

She explained that I would be induced on Friday and we would initially try to have Palmer vaginally. So basically in 2-3 days we would be parents. It was very overwhelming news to digest. I did not have a hospital bag packed, we hadn’t had our baby shower yet and our to-do list was still a mile long. I immediately went on Amazon and ordered postpartum items for me and preemie clothes and swaddles for Palmer. When I say we were extremely unprepared that is a gross understatement. Fortunately, we have a very supportive family who sent clothes and bought items off our registry to send to us early. We were so thankful for that, it truly helped us so much!

Lots of Christmas movies, naps and popsicles later it was time to induce me.

Early Friday morning got my epidural and we began the wait for me to dilate.

After 20 or so hours I was dilated to 5 and was not making progress. The longer you wait after your water is broken the more at risk the baby is for infection and all kinds of not fun stuff. So I decided it was best we move forward with a c-section.

Began surgery prep. Cory updated the family group text. I was completely out of it the entire time because of the magnesium.

All I remember about being in the operating room is how bright it was in there, Cory’s beard hair net, how cold I was and how my right shoulder was aching in pain. The poor anesthesiologist beside me probably wanted me to stop complaining about my shoulder but I literally couldn’t stop talking about it. He was like sometimes when you are in surgery pain radiates into a different area in your body and I was like you got that right haha.

Stephen Palmer Lawson joined us at 5:47 AM on December 4 weighing 6lbs 2oz and measuring 17.75 in long.

He was perfect in every single way. An angel sent from heaven to help heal our broken hearts from the loss of his grandfather.

You know how up until this point in his birth story nothing really went according to plan well, get ready.

Most mom’s get to immediately meet their baby, do skin to skin, take a cute photo, etc. That wasn’t the case for me. I remember when he came out not hearing crying and not seeing him for a few minutes. I looked over at Cory and said where is Palmer?! He said he is having some trouble breathing babe. I was of course alarmed by this so the nurses brought him over just so I could see my son for the first time. I legitimately remember seeing him for three seconds, giving a thumbs up and he was gone again.

Palmer was was diagnosed with TTN which is short term breathing problems. Ultimately, the magnesium they had me on to keep my blood pressure down was making him too sleepy and every time he fell asleep he would stop breathing. So to the NICU he went and to another freezing cold room I went for post-op.

He stayed in the NICU a total of 16 days and can I just say go little rockstar.

Postpartum has been treating me well and I feel more like myself day by day. Today, mom and baby are both happy and healthy so that is all we can ask for!

We cannot thank everyone who nursed us both back to health enough. The doctors, nurses and NICU staff were all so helpful and accommodating during such a stressful time for us new parents.

I may do a postpartum post and a NICU post if you all interested in those topics, please let me know in the comments below!

Lastly, THANK YOU for all the love and prayers you all have sent my family during this time. It means the world.

Thanks for reading!

xx KL