Our (Early) Birth Story

Since our delivery story is a little different than many others, we figured we'd document how Colton Kenneth Robinson decided to make his way into this world.

On Thursday, January 30 I started getting contractions at work. They weren't painful but they were consistent--meaning they were coming every 5 - 15 minutes for about 3 hours. I felt strange calling the doctor again (since I called and got evaluated at the hospital 2 weeks prior due to contractions) but after calling Drew and telling him what was going on he insisted that I call. And thank goodness he did!

The nurse told us to go to the hospital to get evaluated again. We arrived around 5:30 p.m. I immediately got checked by a midwife who said my cervix seemed fine and I was probably just having braxton hicks. I felt a little silly since if they were braxton hicks contractions there probably was no need for me to be getting evaluated. They put me on a machine to monitor my contractions for a couple hours. After two hours another midwife came in to check me since my contractions were continuing. When she checked me she said my cervix seemed short and thin: not good. Dr. Buescher then immediately came in with an ultrasound machine to see if the baby was head down and to check my amniotic fluid. Dr. Buescher then checked me since two midwives felt two different things in my cervix. Dr. Buescher said my recent check was correct and that I was 70% effaced. She then said they were keeping me overnight to monitor me and I should be able to go home in the morning.

On Friday morning Dr. Zern came in around 8:30 a.m. and said I should be able to go home in a few hours but would need to take it easy. Before discharging me she wanted to check my cervix just to be extra sure. She checked it, looked at me and said, "Remember what I told you a minute ago? Forget everything I just said." I was 90% effaced and was certainly in pre-term labor at this point.

The next couple hours are a complete blur. She quickly told me the plan was to put me on magnesium for 48 hours to delay, and hopefully stop, the contractions so they could get two steroid shots in me to be sure that the baby had what he needed to ensure his lungs were fully developed if I were to go into labor. At that point, it was clear that having a baby in the next few days was possible.

I started to cry because I was scared…so scared for our baby's health. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. He was supposed to be born healthy and able to come home. If he is born now, the doctor's said he would survive but would be in the NICU for 6-8 weeks. I continue to cry and my fears continued.

A team of nurses swarmed my room to get a catheter in me and to start the magnesium immediately. It is said that magnesium is an ICU-level drug that makes you feel like 'you are entering the doors of hell!" It makes you feel extremely hot and sweaty, relaxes all of your muscles, dries out your mouth like you've never felt before in your life and overall just makes you feel like you have the worst case of the flu ever. Well that happened to me times 10. My body became sensitive to the magnesium and my levels were off the charts…so much so that the nurses and even the doctor said at my levels some people may have even stopped breathing. Reassuring, I know! Thank goodness my Mom and Drew were there throughout the day to help me. I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything but my mouth was so dry that I insisted on sneaking ice chips just to rub up against my lips. I was craving a yellow gatorade and would have paid anybody $1,000 for just a sip of water.

Fighting to make it through the magnesium, going strong!

During this time the NICU doctor came in to explain the risks of having a baby at 31 weeks. I was so drugged up that I wasn't processing exactly what he was saying, but what i did know was that I wanted this baby to stay in me for many more weeks. The goal: at least 32, but we were striving for 34 weeks!

After about 12 hours they were able to get my magnesium level to one that was 'comfortable' to me. By Saturday I was feeling much better. Still on the magnesium but it was tolerable. At this point we had 24 hours of steroids in me and the goal was to make it another 24 hours. I prayed that this was working…and it was.

Saturday Morning: At a much more comfortable magnesium level. Thank you Jesus!!

By Sunday morning the magnesium had been turned off and we were in the 'safe zone.' Thank goodness. The contractions were minimal and the doctor didn't seemed worried about it at all. By mid-afternoon we were moved down to the mother/baby unit so they could monitor me for 24 hours before discharging us on Monday.

Sunday I was able to eat for the first time since Thursday at lunch. I had a chicken sandwich from the hospital and it was the BEST chicken sandwich I ever ate in my life! Later on, my Dad and Karen came to the hospital with lots of goodies for the SuperBowl, including a cheeseburger form Five Guys. Drew and I were in heaven!

The most delicious chicken sandwich I've ever eaten!!!

SuperBowl Party: Daddy finally gets to have a well-deserved drink. Thank you Nana Karen!

Poor Drew had been sleeping in a recliner for three nights so he finally was able to lay down flat on a cushioned bench to sleep. It wasn't our bed at home, but it was a step up. We both fell asleep early that night (before the game ended) and slept soundly for most of the night. That is, until 5:30 a.m.

At 5:30 a.m. a sharp pain in my lower abdomen woke me up. I went to the bathroom and walked around to try to get it to stop but the sharp pain kept coming every 4-5 minutes. At that point Drew was awake with me and we called the nurse. A monitor was placed back on my stomach to read the contractions and they were still coming, every 4-5 minutes. A house doctor came in and checked me and said I was still at 90% and he was calling Dr. Zern. They immediately rushed me back up to labor and delivery and a team of nurses again swarmed me, putting in my IV, setting up the monitors and giving me pills to try and stop the contractions. But they kept coming every 4-5 minutes.

Dr. Guidice arrived around 10 a.m. He checked me and I was 1-2 centimeters dilated. At that point, I looked at Drew with a very scared look on my face. Dr. Guidice said at this point if the pills they gave me to stop the contractions weren't working, then my body was telling us something and he didn't want to interrupt my body's natural progression at this point. He was absolutely against putting me back on any magnesium. And so were we! We completely understand and agreed with his assessment. For some reason, this baby wanted out and we just had to listen to my body.

So a few more hours went by and Dr. Guidice came in and checked me again around 3:00 p.m. I was about 3-4 centimeters dilated. I had tried everything to stop it the contractions from happening every 4-5 minutes. I tried going to the bathroom, walking around, swaying back and forth, sitting up in bed, laying on my side, then the other side, laying all the way flat on my back…nothing was working!

Drew sat by my side for the entire time. At about 3:00 p.m. I turned and looked at him while I was lying in the hospital bed and said with what I know was a very scared look on my face and said," We're having a baby today!" Drew looked at me and said "Everything is going to be OK." I started crying. Why was this happening? Why was my body going into labor? Was the baby going to be OK?! I couldn't believe this wash happening.

The contractions continued every 4-5 minutes and were getting a little more intense each time. Dr. Guidice put his last resort in place. They gave me some medicine to knock me out for a bit (it made me feel like I was really drunk and I passed out). He said sometimes people just have contractions and he didn't officially say I was in labor just yet. But I couldn't handle the pain like this for the rest of the pregnancy. So I got the meds and passed out. It worked for about an hour and then I woke back up and the contractions continued every 4-5 minutes at the same intensity. I still felt light-headed and knew I wasn't completely "here." I felt real off.

Around 6p Dr. Guidice came back in. Contractions were still going strong. He checked me and I was dilated more. I don't even remember what number he said at this point, but what I do remember is that he offered me the epidural. YES PLEASE! And at that point, I was officially in labor!