Jackson's Birth Story
I had been having intermittent pains since Sunday but I just thought I had probably been overdoing it with packing and moving boxes. I figured it was probably just those Bracton Hicks you hear so much about. On Wednesday afternoon I started to worry because the pains were still happening and I hadn't felt Jackson moving as much. So I went in to the doctor and they hooked me up to a monitor. When I got there and they had me take a pee test like they do every time, I was bleeding a little bit. The doctor said that was nothing to worry about (just one of the hundreds of times as I retell this story I want to scream really?! REALLY?!?!). Once I was on the monitor they said Jackson's heart rate looked fine, I wasn't having contractions, it just looked like I had an irritated uterus. They sent me home and said it was nothing to worry about, just call if the pain or bleeding gets worse.
Later that night the pain and bleeding both got worse. So I called the doctor and she had me go to labor and delivery to get checked. Again they hooked me up to the monitor but still said everything looked fine, no contractions. By this point the pain was nonstop, it just kept moving from my back to my stomach. They ran a blood test but apparently missed the part where my white blood cell count was off the charts. They called my doctor, who was on call, but never bothered to come in and check me. She just said if the machine said I wasn't having contractions then I was fine to send home. By this point it was 1am, I was exhausted, uncomfortable, in pain, and just wanted to sleep.
I asked the nurse if I should be on bed rest or anything. But she said no that was not necessary, and I was fine to continue going to work. She recommended heat packs for the back pain. I didn't get much sleep and by the next morning was definitely in more pain but figured this must be normal since the doctor and nurses didn't seem worried.
I went into work late since I didn't get much sleep. About an hour into a meeting where I had done nothing but grimace, pace around, and at one point even tried crouching on the floor in the corner I decided this wasn't normal (by this point my coworkers were probably the ones thinking really?! REALLY?! what is wrong with this girl). I called my mom to come take me to the hospital. (So thankful my mom happened to be in town visiting this week, don't know what I would have done without her).
Hunter was in Gillette, WY so my mom called him and said we don't know what's wrong yet but I really think you should come home. Thankful she did. There is one flight a day from Gillette to SLC. He drove straight to the airport and made it there 30 minutes before the flight. He had nothing packed and had to argue with the ticket agent to let him through. I can just picture Hunter yelling in the middle of this tiny airport 'My wife's having a baby!'
By the time I got downstairs the pain had escalated exponentially. We went to the hospital and they hooked me up to the monitor again which STILL said I was not having contractions. After an hour of me crying, yelling, and writhing in pain the nurse finally believed me when I said I think I'm in labor. She checked and, shocker, I was in labor. She got me the pills to stop labor and I immediately got nauseous and threw them up. They did an ultra sound to see how Jackson was doing and sure enough he had moved and was ready to make his grand entrance. 45 minutes after the nurse believed I was in labor, still no one had brought me more pills to stop the labor, my water broke. It wasn't until this point that I realized I was actually going to have Jackson today.
Once my water broke it all happened so fast. The nurses kept yelling 'Don't push! Don't push! We have to get set up'. For those of you who have had a baby I'm sure you agree, yeah right! There is no 'not pushing', it is physically impossible. Might as well have been screaming don't breathe. A doctor had never come to check me during all this, but one came in who happened to be delivering next door (apparently that delivery was taking a little longer than ours). Two pushes later and Jackson was here. The doctor announced it's a girl! WHAT?! It took my mom correcting them three times for them to start saying it's a boy. (Really?! REALLY?!?! Sorry Jackson).
Hunter's flight was delayed 2 hours but he made it that night. And the rest is history...extremely documented blog history. Welcome to the world Jackson Shaun Parker!
After sitting in the NICU for 100 days I've seen plenty of babies come and go. I've watched them spend hours setting up for a new baby. One day when the NICU nurse who was on when Jackson was born was setting up for one I asked her what it was like for them to admit Jackson because they definitely did not have several hours. She kind of chuckled and said 'yeah labor and delivery let us know we had a 27 weeker but they didn't think you'd be delivering today. But I heard you screaming down the hall and knew yeah right, this is happening.' So glad they knew!
They never really knew why I went into labor so early. Their best guess is my body had some sort of infection because of the extremely high white blood cell count and how fast he came.
We're just so happy Jackson is doing well and will be coming home soon. Fight On Jackson Shaun Parker! FOJSP!!!
What a story! So amazing to see how well he is doing. You and Hunter are great parents! And I am SO glad to hear that you finally get to bring him home!!!
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