Exciting Baby News from Anne! Meet Mary Rose Pratt, Born on July 31st

[Gina M]

So glad you and Mary made it through Anne - how scary! Take good care of yourself and enjoy your daughter

 

[AJPratt]

I have been talking with others/families who have been affected by HELLP and I cry because of how blessed we are. At one point, I heard my husband say that he didn't wait all this time to leave the hospital without a wife or baby. I wasn't sure what he was talking about. Now, it breaks my heart that everyone was that worried.

 

[chefshawna]

WOW!! You are very lucky! I'm glad all turned out well and you have a gorgeous baby to look at and thank God for! Take it easy and don't turn down ANY help when it is offered. Take advantage of it all, you deserve it!

 

[katie0128]

I'm so glad you shared your story with us. Granted my experience wasn't nearly as horrific, but I know the feeling of passing out between contractions (and I did have an epidural... I was just that sick) and about seeing Mary being whisked away as soon as she was born. All three of my kids were born in respiratory distress. 9yo DS (my first) was ash gray when he was born and the first sight I had of him was as he was being bagged. They were ready to intubate when he started breathing on his own. After the second one was in distress (and almost needed intubation as well) upon delivery, my OB didn't need any convincing to request the respiratory team be standing by during my third delivery... just to be safe. I was much more calm about it then, but it is still scary to see your tiny baby being bagged... makes them look so much smaller and more helpless.
But we are both here with our healthy babies to show how incredible modern medicine is and how amazing the miracle of birth really is!
Congrats to you all!!!

 

[jrstephens]

I am so glad everything is going good!!!! Boy time flies, I did not realize she was due.

 

[Jennie4PC]

Anne I am so glad to hear you are doing well. Definitly take it easy so you do not injury yourself any more.
It is definitly scary for the spouses when things like that are happening. I went into congestive heart failure during the delivery of #1.

 

[AJPratt]

Katie & Jennie, I am glad everything worked out.

Jennifer... Times does fly. I did have a couple of weeks to go and I could have used them to get ready.

 

[chefmeg]

DANG!

as a Lab Tech, Anne, I am totally amazed you made it through this.......I am not exagerrating(sp?). Having to deliver with a platelet count as low as 31 is sooo dangerous.....God must have some big plans for you and baby Mary, girl!
I, for one, am really glad you are still with us!

 

[heat123]

OMG Anne! I am soo glad you are ok through all of this! Take it easy and your baby is beautiful! Take care.

 

[AJPratt]

Thanks, Meg... I didn't realize how sick I was. There is something to be said for having a near death experience and surviving it.

Heather: I am glad I made it through, too. And, Mary is just so good. I think we've both been through so much, she's taking it easy on me for a little while. LOL

 

[cathyskitchen]

Oh, Anne, I'm so sorry you and Mary had to go through that. My sister went through a similar experience with her son 2 years ago, but thankfully, there was a happy ending to that story, too, and my nephew is now a big, strong, healthy 2-year-old. I hope you heal quickly and feel like yourself soon, and I'm SO glad you and Mary made it through okay. ((HUGS)) to all of you - your family, too! I know what they must have been feeling and it's definitely not fun!!

 

[rennea]

Oh Anne thank god your both ok, how scary!!! Glad you had wonderful support around you. Take it easy girl and get tons of rest.

 

[PampMomof3]

OMG Anne!! I'm so sorry for you and Mary. I'm glad you both are okay and I can't imagine how your Dh felt that whole time! Get some sleep!

 

[AJPratt]

Thanks... The more I learn about HELLP, the more blessed I feel.

 

[MORFIA]

ok permission to stop crying now!!


Boy oh boy--that is a TRUE miracle-hugs and squeezes to you and your WHOLE family--

rest take it easy--and enjoy each other-

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Holy cow Anne!

I am so glad that God was watching over you and your daughter through all of this! PLEASE be sure to listen to the drs and TAKE IT EASY!! It's common sense, really...for any type of delivery, but not everyone listens. You REALLY need to listen and give your body plenty of time to heal from that ordeal! I am so glad that you made it through and are here to be with your DH and your daughter!

Thank you, Lord, for touching Anne and allowing her to come through such a traumatic delivery. I pray that you continue to heal her body and help her to feel 100% again soon! Thank you, also, for a beautiful and healthy baby girl for them!

Holy cow is right! Wow Anne, God and your guardian angels were watching over you and Mary!!! Blessings! Now go put your feet up and rest that distended liver!

 

[AJPratt]

Thanks, Morfia and Kacey. And to think all I was worried about was if my husband would pass out or not. LOL

 

[Ann F]

Anne, I'm almost speechless! Somehow, I've missed out on the news of your pregnancy (I had to quit CS cold-turkey about that long ago and couldn't catch up on all the news...) although I'd wondered and thought about you often.

I'm so thrilled about the news of your daughter, and so very thankful you pulled through.

Praise God for answered prayers and bountiful blessings He continues to bestow.

Hugs and kisses to all 3 of you.

 

[MORFIA]

Thanks, Morfia and Kacey. And to think all I was worried about was if my husband would pass out or not. LOL

mine didn't do that until our sons 1st stitches---

 

[lacychef]

Thanks, Morfia and Kacey. And to think all I was worried about was if my husband would pass out or not. LOL

Ha, glad to see you haven't lost your sense of humor

 

[pamperedbecky]

WOW, Anne!!!! I'm just now catching up on this thread. I'm so happy you have a healthy baby girl and that you're OK!!! My case wasn't as severe as yours, but I also had preeclampsia and had to be induced with my son. I went in for some upper abdominal pain that was horrific (sounds like the same thing....the ended up saying it was basically my liver) and learned all of my liver enzymes, protein, blood pressure and all of that was totally out of whack, so I had to be induced. I was on magnesium sulfate too. My face started twitching and it was very scary because of the risk of seizures and stuff. I was just about in the ranges for HELLP but they weren't quite that severe. My son also had decels and needed some help getting out. SCARY!!! I feel for you.

I'm so glad you're ok. I was the same way----I didn't know how serious it was until afterwards as I read up on preeclampsia and HELLP. I felt it was good I didn't know the full story as I was going through it. I'm glad you're home and enjoying your little one. Take good care of yourself!!!


ETA: My son was 5 lbs 15 oz and was totally ok and is now a totally typical, healthy 6 1/2 year old. I DIDN'T have preeclampsia with my daughter who is almost 4, although my blood pressure did start to creep up at the end of the pregnancy. She was a very healthy 8 lbs 9 oz - HUGE compared to my son!

 

[buckeyefan08]

Congratulations doesn't seem like the right word!
Your baby is beautiful! Focus only on yourself and taking care of her. The most important thing for her right now is having a healthy mommy and a happy daddy to take care of her.
Both of my DD had to be bagged. I will never forget seeing that horrible sight. Haley (DD#2) was stuck untill they could break her collar bone to get her out. They streached her nerve bundles in her sholder and she was diagnosed with Erb's Palsy. Three years and a little bit of therapy later you would never know anything happened. That is the best part, they don't remember! I know how horrible you feel knowing DH didn't get to cut the cord (my DH couldn't do it and we had three babies!!) just know that it was probably the furthest thing from his mind!
It is amazing what women go through to give birth! Know that you are an amazing & strong women and your beautiful daughter will be the same!

 

[Flamingo]

congrats................ Ok, after reading everythng that just can't begin to describe how I feel for your family Ann.... you have been so blessed it's amazing......

 

[Kitchen2u]

OMG! I just got back from a mini vacation and catching up on CS...just glad everything seems to be looking a LOT better all of you...can't imagine what your DH was going through!

PS: Mary is a ADORABLE!

 

[AJPratt]

Thanks, guys!

 

[AJPratt]

Anyone with medical field experience?I was reviewing my daughter's discharge form and under Mother's History, there are some of those greek letters that are abbreviations for whatever. Can anyone tell me how to decipher these or where I could go to find out what they might mean?

 

[Ann F]

I may be able to help, Anne. I'm a pharmacist. Those Greek letters are actually Latin!

You can email or PM if you'd rather.

 

[kathijenkins]

Wow, Anne!! You had my sympathy at "induction", "no epidural" & "mag. sulfate"....then to add all the other things....jeez, hun, your guardian angels must be worn out for awhile after all that. So glad to hear you & Mary are doing good. Big congrats to you & your family.

I went through the above mentioned things with my last child, along with gestational diabetes, pre-term labor, pre-eclampsia & bordering on stroke at delivery....let's just say, even if I wanted another, wouldn't be a great idea after all the strain my heart had last time. Not to mention my doc would shoot me! LOL

 

[PamperedDor]

WOW - what a miracle!!! I am so happy it worked out for you and your beautiful daughter!!!

Ya - induced labor with no drugs is no fun - I did it with my first 3 (by choice no drugs - what was I thinking??) I can't imagine being so afraid at the same time - Thank God you are both ok - seems Mom and Daughter are both fighters!!! She will grow up to be a successful, wonderful person then!!!

 

[AJPratt]

I may be able to help, Anne. I'm a pharmacist. Those Greek letters are actually Latin!

You can email or PM if you'd rather.

That's right. I was so out of it when I wrote that. Duh.

 

[katie0128]

Let me know if Ann can't help. I worked on a maternity unit for a bit and had to read the charts to do the birth certificates and lots of reporting for the state.

When I started I thought I'd basically just be typing out names and having the MD sign. But at least in OH, it is waaaaaaay much more than that. I had to read the prenatal visit charting and the entire medical record for mom and baby from the hospital (including the discharge instructions) to get the necessary information that I had to report on for each delivery.

If you want to scan/fax the chart to me, I'd be glad to help. If I can't decipher something, I'll take it to the maternity manager at the hospital where I'm working now... she owes me a favor and some chocolate anyway!

 

[AJPratt]

Thanks everyone for your offers to help! I went to my local pharmacy for my vitamin refill and I asked them if they could tell me what it meant. The pharmicist told me it was the number of pregnancies and number of live births. I am glad it was nothing else serious.

 

[AJPratt]

Baby updateSo, I wanted to post an update and wasn't sure about starting a new thread. Mary is in the hospital. (I am with her.) She was grunting and groaning/screaming like she was constipated. She was fussy most of the day on Wednesday, which she has not been like so far. So, after DH and I went back and forth, and we decided to call her Ped. (You know you feel like an idiot for calling for every little thing, even though our Ped is wonderful.) She told us about some OTC stuff we could try and at the end of the conversation asked us to take her temp. She said if it was 100.4 or higher we needed to take her to the hospital. She also said to brace myself if we go, and explained the battery of tests they would do. Well, after 6 tries and 6 different readings ranging from 99.3 to 102.0, we decided to go to the ER and have them do it. We weren't sure if we were doing it right or if the thermometer was working. They took her temp and it was 101.5. I started to cry thinking of all the tests. The ER doc suspected it might be a case of sepsis that wasn't treated fully and that since they took so much blood in the NICU it compromised her recovery. Since then, they have ruled out some things (menangitis, RSV, tumors, pneumonia) but they aren't sure. Her hemoglobins were very low, so they gave her a transfusion, which has helped. Her fever did break today, thank God. We are still waiting for some more results, but she seems to at least feel better. I actually got some sleep today. Thankfully, my Mom and Stepdad and then Dad and Stepmom came by and I got a chance to rest. I didn't want to leave her side. The people here are wonderful, but I just couldn't leave her, even just to sleep in the bed next to her. Ugh... I hope this post makes sense, because I am just beat. LOL

 

[pcchefjane]

Keeping you in my prayers and the little one! God will hold her close and you as well!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

Oh, little Mary will be in my prayers! And prayers for rest, strength and peace as you and DH go through this trying and scary time! I will pray for the doctor's too!

Hang in there, Ann!

 

[chefshawna]

Oh, you poor thing and poor little baby!! I pray she does well and you get some answers soon. I know how helpless it feels to just have to sit by and watch while they poke and prod your baby. My daughter used to spike VERY high fevers and had a febrile seizure when she was 13 months. It was the most scared I have ever been and I was a wreck. There was never an answer to what caused her spiked fevers. I hope you get an answer and she gets to come home soon!!

 

[AJPratt]

Thank you all! It has been tough. And she has been such a good girl. They all love her... but it is sooo hard to just sit and wait.

 

[Gina M]

Prayers for Mary to get well soon! Hang in there Anne!

 

[ChefLisa]

Prayers to your little one and to you and your hubby!

 

[lacychef]

Hugs & prayers to all of you Anne...thanks for updating us Have you recovered well? (other than the stress now)

 

[AJPratt]

Thanks... I am still recovering. My liver is still a bit distended. I am going for more blood work this week, so I should know soon. I am feeling a lot better though.

 

[lacychef]

Take care of yourself & come say hi here when you can

 

[pamperedlinda]

You are so strong Anne! I would be like you, and never leave my child's side - remember to take care of yourself though. Mary needs you, but she also needs you to be healthy. Prayers for all of you.

 

[buckeyefan08]

Having a sick child is so hard! Good luck to all of you!

 

[tlag1986]

Prayers are going out to you and your family for strength, health, and comfort during this difficult time.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

Keeping you in my prayers Anne and little Mary too!

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Oh gosh, praying for all of you. Please keep us posted.

 

[Jennie4PC]

Anne hope Mary makes a fast recovery you will be in my thoughts and prayers

 

[Teresa Lynn]

praying for a full recovery for both of you quickly

 

[crystalscookingnow]

Anne - you are both in my prayers. I know how scary it can be with a baby in the hospital!