Nov 2, 2020 Leo Alexander Slinger decided to come into the world 2 weeks early, which was totally fine with Mom! All week I was feeling lots of pelvic pressure, and back pain, and just tired. We had a wonderful Halloween/Birthday weekend with Grandma and Grandpa, who were set to leave Monday morning. In the middle of Sunday night (Nov 1) I woke up for really no reason, I felt a little bit more pressure in my belly but I put them off as more Braxton-Hicks contractions. A couple minutes later when my water broke and a huge gush of liquid came out I knew we needed to head to hospital. We arrived at 11:35 pm, and I was 4 cm dilated. Nurses took me to a delivery room while Spencer moved the car. 20 minutes later I was 8 cm dilated and nurses said there was no time for an epidural :( :( :( The contractions themselves were bearable, definitely lots of pressure but it just made me want to push. The pain I couldn't handle was all the little dinky things they would poke into me or do to me: trying 3 different spots to put an IV into the back of my hand, a COVID test where they shoved it crazy deep up my nose (I was negative). I almost thought they were going to try to make me wear a mask the whole labor but I quickly threw the mask across the room, and I almost felt bad breaking the rules but then my COVID test was negative.
I came into the hospital with a slight temperature for whatever reason (I didn't feel sick) but that gave the baby an elevated heart rate so they were worried it was an infection. About an hour in to pushing they realized I would need some help getting his giant head out, so they decided to vacuum assist. Spencer told me I definitely needed the help getting him out, but in retrospect this highly contributed to his jaundice :(
At 2:25 am Leo was born after a crazy tiring, painful labor (they said it was a little difficult). 9 lb 1 oz, 22.5 inches. Big little dude, I'm happy he came early for that reason as well!
Our first picture together totally showcases what we both went through! His head was pretty misshaped, and I don't even want to know everything they had to put stiches in for me, I know I had an epistomy also, and sooo many more stiches, uh! 2 weeks later and I'm finally starting to feel ok sitting down. Leo had to go straight to the NICU because of his elevated heart rate, and I slept for an hour or so.
We got to go see him at 7 am or so, and the nurses told me that during his 4 hour observation there was one time where the nurse had to help assist him breathing, scary! She said becuase it was a difficult labor this was not super concerning but that they wanted to keep him another 24 hours under observation in the NICU :( So we spent most of our time in the NICU with him, and I slept upstairs and came down to feed him. Long night! His head was still crazy misshaped, like almost flat on his left side and big cone head, poor little thing! But over the course of 48 hours it was CRAZY how it went to a nice round perfect little head! The nurses in the NICU were amazing! So loving, caring, and good at their job. They would prop him a bit on one side so his head could even out, they were so helpful to me, and it was a great experience even though we were in the NICU. After 24 hours of good news, and eating well (breastfeed) he was cleared to come up to my/Spencer room to be with us in the Family suites, YAY!
I was really missing Elsie at this point, Grandma Elsie was so amazing and decided to stay at our house until we got out of hospital. Spencer would go home at night to give my mom a break and put her to bed. And because of coronavirus both Elsie's couldn't even come visit the hospital :(
Our last night in the hospital was pretty chill, we just watched election coverage all day but there was no clear winner even by the time we left hospital, so it was more stressful than entertaining, as we were all hoping for a HUGE Joe Biden blowout, but the mail in ballot counting took the rest of the week to complete, so it was sadly almost looking like Trump was getting another 4 years.
The nurses in the family suites were also sooo amazing, especially Nitasha who was kind of like a mom to me while I was there. Discharge took way longer than we all wanted as the doctor was called into an emergency c-section so couldn't sign the papers. But overall another great experience and we are so glad to have Leo with us at home now!
Weighing and checking him over, all hands on deck there were probably 4 nurses and 2 doctors in the room from what I remember.
Little Leo my lion! The nurses are so good at swaddling. The purple thing is a little sugar syrup they would put on his pacifier when he got fussy. You can kind of see his cone head here, didn't get a good photo of it cuz we had a hat on most of the time.
Tried to get a picture of his head, it was super flat on this side.
Visits in the NICU, have to wear a mask!
Brand new human!
IV for antibiotics, heart rate monitor, breathing monitor, lots of pokes into his feet to get blood, cords everywhere when I held him.
First diaper change for dad! I think the different plumbing threw him off for a little bit.
Tiny coming home with us. Let's just say this car ride home was not so tentative :) haha
My babies ;) <3
