NICU day 1

So, my euphoria over Daniela's entrance into this world was quickly tempered by the fact that she did not cry. While I laid there getting stitched up, she would mewl a little but no solid cry. Four nurses worked on her and after a few minutes she was taken to the nursery for them to continue stimulating her. She stayed in there for a few hours and was brought back to us around 10 p.m. We fed her, loved on her, etc., for about an hour or so and sent her back to the nursery (the nurse gave us the option since normally babies room in with mom at our hospital).

We're grateful that we sent her back to the nursery. Around 4 a.m. that night, the nurse in the nursery saw Daniela have a seizure. They ran a battery of blood work and tests from right after she was born until the early morning hours and all came back fine. I later learned that she was born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck three times (though all of her heartrates during labor and delivery were completely normal so there is no indication she had her oxygen cut off during labor) and her apgars were not so hot (4, 7, and then 8 at 10 minutes).

After a second seizure early this morning, the hospital called for a neonatal consult and the doctor came down from the big hospital to assess her. The call was made this morning to transfer Daniela to the big Level III NICU hospital.

The transport team came for her around 11:30 this morning. My OB was kind enough to discharge me then, a mere 18 hours after giving birth. He realized that he could make me stay in the hospital and have me stressed out and worried about what was going on with her across town or he could discharge me with the promise that I'd take it as easy and possible but still be able to be see her at the other hospital.

On the plus side of Daniela's health, so far all of her tests (blood-work and ultrasound-wise) have come back completely normal. She's got good color, good tone, etc., however, she's had several more seizures today, even with phenobarbitol (sp?) on board in her IV. The nurses have told us though that the seizures are not the problem since she's medicated and being monitored; it's finding out what's causing them that is the issue. It could be a transient issue that resolves itself and never really has a definitive answer as to why they occurred in the first place or it could be a seizure disorder, it could be a brain bleed/trauma (she was pressing on my pelvic bones for over 2 hours during L&D and came out bruised and battered as a result), or something else entirely.

She had a CT scan and an MRI this evening. Both to check definitively for a bleed in her brain. There is also some loose talk that she may have had a stroke at birth though a pediatrician friend of the family says that if there's any "good" time in your life to have a stroke, during the neonate phase is best as studies have shown newborns/infants are able to regenerate any damaged areas and long-term studies have shown these kids have no lasting effects after age two (in a local study of 16 children).

The specialist will read the CT scan and MRI in the morning during rounds so we should hopefully know more tomorrow morning. There is concern about a possible bleed in her brain though one was not seen on u/s. Apparently, the CT scan and MRI will definitively tell though if there has been any bleeding.

She's breathing on her own, 100% room O2, except for tonight when they had to sedate her for the MRI. Sedation meant intubation but they say that once she comes out of it, they'll likely take her tube out. She's got an NG tube in for feeding but so far she's just getting sugar through the tube.

We've been to seen her a couple of times today. It kills me a little bit inside to have to leave and leave her there, under the lights and surrounded by noise, knowing there is no one there to love her like I do.

I just want an answer, I want to know if she'll get better soon, if there will be any long term repercussions, when she gets to come home. That's all I really want, my girl home with us and healthy. I know it's for the best that she stay there now and get the best care possible in the county. But it just hurts so much. I just want my girl here.