My Labor Story

From about week 32 of pregnancy I started feeling tired, miserable, couldn't sleep, and my skin would itch. I asked my obgyn that I was itchy and he told me to try lotion, benadryl to help with the itch. One night me and Trevor went on a date out to dinner. Later that night I had uncontrollable itching everywhere to the point I was in tears. I went online and found a website called itchymoms.com which there is a disease called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy that causes itchy skin in pregnancy. ICP also carries an increased risk of premature labor, fetal and maternal hemorrhaging, fetal distress, and stillbirth. I was scarred. So later the next day I called my OBGYN and got in to take the blood test to see if I had ICP. Turns out I did. It is a disease where toxins go into your bloodstream and cause the skin to itch due to your pregnancy hormones and liver/gall bladder not processing correctly. The next day I was scheduled for a non stress test. Baby looked good, but he wasn't very active and I started having contractions I thought were braxton hicks. I was dilated to a 2 so my dr sent me home and said stay off your feet. Later that night about 11:30 I started having painful contractions and me and Trevor went to Labor and Delivery. They gave me a shot which stopped my contractions and I was sent home at 5AM. The rest of that day I tried to get some sleep. I had a lot of pressure down there and some more intermittent contractions. About 5 PM Saturday night the every few minute contractions started again. We went back to labor and delivery and I was dialated to a 4 so I was admitted.

 I was 35 weeks and 6 days pregnant

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I was a little scared but what can you do? After 5 IV pokes, 1 great epidural, no sleep for 2 days, 13 hours later Austin Thomas Jensen was born Sunday Jan 23rd @ 5:52 AM. 

They took him to the warmer and a few minutes later he was not breathing and started CPR. Then they sent out a call on the radio "Code Blue"(code blue means not responding to resuscitation). Immediately we had an insane amount of people in the room. They put him on cpap and were desperately waiting for the newborn lifeflight team.  Lifeflight finally arrived and were able to stabilize him but he had to be put on the HFOV (high frequency oscillation ventilation) to help him breathe.

The new riverton hospital also does not have a NICU only a high level nursery so they lifeflighted him to IMC NICU about 2 hours after he was born. I did get to kiss him and say "I will see you later bud, mom loves you"

They cut off his baby band off my arm and took me to a mom/baby postpartum room. Trevor walked his new son out to the helicopter and sent him off. The helicopter rattles the entire hospital and I was able to see it take off from my room. I prayed he would make it there safely.

After a major breakdown moment with Trevor which I never ever want to recall again being emotionally drained from the whole experience and hadn't slept in 3 days. I somehow managed to eat breakfast and take quick nap. The good thing was the AFC/NFC championship game was on starting at 1PM Chicago's Jay Cuter vs Aaron Rogers GB Packers. (Something to distract me) Go Bears. (too bad they lost eventually) So I turn on the TV. Its broke! You take away a womans baby and NFL Game? OH HECK NO! I found the nurse button ASAP and said you either get me a TV, move rooms, or I am leaving! I started to pack. They did eventually fix the TV and we watched half of the game but my Dr discharged me around 2PM. I went home, eat, relaxed, watched the Steelers vs Jets AFC Game (crappy Pitt won) and me and Trevor went down to the IMC Nicu to visit Austin.

He was doing better and it was actually such a sweet experience. We had an awesome nurse named Wendy. No tears and somehow I felt that he would be OK. I fell in love even with all of the tubes and wires. I finally found out he weighed 5 lbs 11 ounces and was 19 3/4 inch long. A head full of hair, and all 10 fingers and toes. His major problems are: Not able to breath without major HFOV assistance, low blood pressure, and is sick (sepsis) which antibiotics are fixing but requires a 7 day treatment. The Neonatologist said it was not ICP that caused him to be so sick. They still don't know and will never know the cause of why he is so sick. I mean yes he is early but should not be in this bad of shape but we can only go up from here. Right?