Welcome Cole Robert!!!

I was admitted last Tuesday (Feb 5th) for pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure and toxicity), we spent a few days in the hospital and they decided to do an amnio to check Cole's lung maturity and induce labour if he was ready. While doing the ultrasound for the amnio, they discovered he had stopped growing pretty much about 3 weeks before that, which was when my last ultrasound was. Because my blood pressure had been so high, it was restricting blood flow between Cole and the placenta and effectively starving him. It was then they decided they didn't care if his lungs were mature enough or not, and decided to induce and get him delivered.

They started inducing labour on Thursday, and it took awhile. My water finally broke and contractions started in earnest on Friday morning. Cole's heartrate started dropping dangerously low during contractions so they did a test where they take a sample of blood from his scalp to see what his oxygenation level was like, and if he was in serious danger. I was in an OR for a forceps delivery less than 10 minutes later since I had fully dilated, and they could get him out that way without the trauma of a c-section. Cole was born at 3:39pm on Friday, February 8th. He was 5lbs 13oz, 18.25" and 4 and a half weeks early. He is the most beautiful, best behaved, quietest baby. I never thought I could love anyone this much.

Mike had been in the hospital with me since Tuesday sleeping on a pull out recliner that went flat to a bed. Cole was checked out by a pediatrician at delivery and sent to room with us, assumed healthy. He spent 2 days in our room, and then had a blood test done to check his billirubin levels since he was getting jaundiced. Totally normal in newborns, especially preemies. When they did that bloodwork, they did a random glucose check. His glucose level was dangerously low. So we had to force a ton of formula into him to try and get his sugars up. It didn't work. The same pediatrician who checked him out following delivery decided to admit him to the NICU for glucose IV therapy to try and bring it back up.

Cole was transferred to the NICU at Royal Columbian (we were there already) on Sunday night. I have never had my heart break so completely before. I don't think I've ever cried so hard or much in my life either. He's doing somewhat ok now. His IV is gone, but because of the low blood sugar he has to eat a certain amount every 3 hours to keep his sugars up. Unfortunately preemie babies with low blood sugar and jaundice are lazy babies. And well, he is our kid too. LOL. But the laziness makes him unable to eat all his food at every feeding, so yesterday they had to put a tube in his nose to force feed him what he won't take in a bottle. He was born too early to breastfeed, so I pump a lot and he gets my milk that way. He should pick up on that in about 2 weeks they figure. Now, Mike and I spend a lot of time going back and forth to the hospital for feedings and cuddle time. Mike is an amazing dad and does all the bottle feedings while I pump. Cole won't take a bottle from me because he can smell that I've actually got the real thing, and why should he eat from a bottle when I'm right there. He has to eat exclusively from a bottle or breast for 48 hrs before he can come home.