Birth Story of Spencer Ryan

Spencer Ryan
June 20, 1994
6 lbs. 4 oz

Dear Spencer,

You were born on the 20th of June, 1994, after mommy's very difficult and challenging pregnancy which included severe morning sickness, dehydration, preterm labor, terbutaline, failure to cope, bedrest ect. It was the day after Father's day, and the dr. thought you were about 7 lbs., so even though it was 5 weeks early, it was decided it was best you were born. Mommy had a temp of 104 and the dr. didn't know why. I don't remember much of my labor with you because the fever really knocked me out. I decided to have an epidural even though the one with your sister had to be reinserted. I could be having a c-section and wanted to make sure I was awake! Daddy called his mom and she was in the room when you were born. I didn't really notice, but grandma had never seen a baby born before, and thought it was incredible! I had the dr. on call at the hospital deliver you. She was from India and did a wonderful perinatal massage and put warm compresses on my perineam. I only had to push twice to get you out. Once your head was out your body slid right into the dr's arms. Your head torn me just enough not to need a stitch! You couldn't breathe very well and went almost immediately to the warming table. Your apgar scores were 6 and 7.

You were grunting and I had to beg to hold you, before the neonatologist walked you in her arms to the nicn. Daddy followed you. I was very scared when they took you away. They didn't know what was wrong. By 7 o'clock that night the dr. put you on a ventilator. Mommy cried. I was allowed finally in to see you. I got to hold you again. The nurses really liked babies to be held the kangaroo way. I was told you weighed 6 lbs. 4 oz. and the biggest baby in the nicu! An x-ray of your lungs showed fluid in them. It was determined my placenta had abrupted as there was blood in it when my sac was broken. I remember you had lots of black hair. It seemed odd, coming from a blond family, but later the black washed right out! I was discharged by a nurses aid the next day that didn't understand when I told her was passing large clots. I tried to explain with my first baby that I bled a lot after the birth. She just said in halted English to massage my uterus regularly. I came back to visit you every day. I got weaker and weaker as I passed lots of big clots every day. By the fourth day of coming to visit you, I didn't wake up until almost noon. Daddy made it to the hospital from his college classes before me! Your nurse was worried about how pale I was. She talked my into calling my dr. and the next day I had some medicine to stop the bleeding. I could hardly walk, but came to visit you anyway.

On your 3rd day in the nicu, they took you off the ventilator and you sort of flunked the breathing test. However, the good news was you didn't need a c-pac just a little oxygen. When you were 8 days old, I spent the night in a birthing suite near the nicu. You were allowed to room in with me, but I had the nurses close by if there were any problems. You didn't have any problems and the next morning we brought you home. You weighed only 5 lbs. 14 oz. but you grew so fast that by 9 months you were 24 lbs. Almost the same size as your older sister!