There aren't many things in life that you can plan! You might have your own set of plans, but God has shown us that He always has a different, much greater, and more intricate plan in the works! On October 12, 2010 God opened up the door to a journey that we never would have expected or could have planned for! Here is our story of the most amazing miracle and, aside from our relationship with Christ, the most precious gift on earth!
We found out we were expecting on April 13, 2010! We were so thrilled and excited to start a new chapter in our lives together! The days and weeks crept by slowly at the beginning as we anticipated the day we would find out if baby Gilmore would be a boy or a girl! We scheduled our ultrasound for July 8, our four-year wedding anniversary! I took two identical gift bags to the ultrasound. One had a boy onesie and the other had a girl onesie. I labeled the bottom of each bag B and G. When the ultrasound technician knew what we were having she handed the correct bag to Anthony and he opened it up. This is what he found…
We were ecstatic that our sweet Ali Maddox would be here in December just in time for Christmas! I had a wonderful pregnancy! I felt great most days and had lots of energy throughout the second trimester. Around week 28 I started feeling unwell and waking during the early hours of the morning with upper abdominal pain, nausea, and occasional vomiting (sorry for the details). I spent several sleepless nights doubled over in pain, propped up on pillows, taking deep breaths, and pacing around the house, just trying to make it to daylight. I described my pain to friends and family and many thought my complaints were not normal so I proceeded to call the doctor. The nurses and doctors explained that it was probably gas or indigestion pain and told me to take Pepcid and see if that helped in a day or so. After two days of trying that, with no relief, I returned to the doctor for a visit. Throughout my pregnancy my blood pressure had been a low and stable 100 over 60. At this particular visit it was 120 over 80, high for me, but in the normal, healthy range and really no cause for alarm. I saw the doctor, baby girl was fine, and unfortunately for my sake at the time, at this point in the day, the severe stomach pain had subsided so the doctor thought that was a positive sign that I was feeling better. So once again, I was sent home still with the thought that it was gas pain or indigestion. I was thinking, “If labor pains are worse than this, I’m in trouble!” I tried altering my diet and eating plain, bland foods for a few days. This seemed to help a little, but the pain still came in the wee hours of the morning and lasted until midday. Bringing me to tears often! I searched my symptoms on the Internet and a lot of what I was experiencing sounded like gall bladder issues. I do remember seeing Preeclampsia on one of the pregnancy sites listed under my symptoms, but since it was a rare and more severe situation I just blew it off and thought surely it wasn’t that! I would NOT recommend overlooking anything! At that point the only thing I had in common with preeclampsia was the stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting all of which can be normal pregnancy symptoms at varying times along the way. In tears from frustration, lack of sleep, and pain, I somehow made it to school the morning of October 12th because the school board was coming to visit and I had three parent conferences scheduled that morning. And for all you teachers out there you know how that goes. It is so hard to miss a day! I don’t know how, but I made it through the conferences, gritting my teeth, and finally had to leave to go to the doctor. I was originally going to the doctor that morning anyway to pick up paperwork for some labwork, but insisted on seeing my doctor right away due to the severe pain. I just knew something was not right! I called Anthony and told him to meet me at the doctor’s office on his way home from work. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long. This time, my blood pressure was 150 over 100! This alarmed my doctor immediately. I also had protein in my urine. We were sent directly to Labor and Delivery at East Alabama Medical Center, in Opelika, for further evaluation and more tests. Still at this point, we didn’t really know what was going on or what the high blood pressure meant for us.
After extensive blood work and an ultrasound of my gall bladder and liver (which came back normal while at EAMC) the nurse came in and said, “Looks like we might be taking a little trip!” We were so confused and shocked! Then the nurse mentioned Birmingham and I became very upset because I knew what that meant for my precious baby girl! The doctor came in and tried to calm me down and explain what was going on. She said my platelet count was around 80,000 down from around 116,000. (We had no idea at this point that the platelet count would later lead to my diagnosis). She said that UAB was the best place for Ali if I ended up having to deliver early and after conversing with the doctors at UAB that it was the best decision for us. I got one round of the steroid shots for Ali’s lungs and would get the next one at UAB in 24 hours. At first there was a two-hour wait for an ambulance and my doctor did not feel comfortable waiting so plans were made for a trip in the helicopter. Thankfully that changed quickly and they were able to get an ambulance within an hour. I was loaded in the ambulance and Anthony told me good-bye as I was preparing to make the trip to UAB. This was a very difficult moment and I am sure he was feeling very overwhelmed and scared, but he stayed strong and comforted me letting me know everything was okay and that it was okay for me to go by myself. He rushed home to throw together and pack what he could and meet me there. If only I had listened to him the night before when he said, “You probably should go ahead and pack a bag tonight.” He knew how bad I had been feeling and just had a “daddy instinct.” Bless his sweet heart! He had to pack for me while feeling very nervous and anxious and having no clue what I would want or need, but really it didn't matter! He had to drive by himself not knowing exactly where he was going and not being able to talk to me was definitely hard! Luckily Anthony was a bit familiar with Birmingham and has common sense. He just asked for a little direction to help guide him to Ali and I at the Women and Infants Center at UAB.
In the ambulance I was strapped to a very narrow stretcher, turned on my side, hooked to an IV where I had begun receiving fluids and the worse medicine, magnesium (to prevent seizures), and a catheter! Ugh! Not fun! A nurse from EAMC rode with me and along the bumpy ride had to try to get Ali's heart rate on a doppler every several minutes and record it. That was scary because it was difficult to find along the way. I just prayed and prayed the whole ride there for God’s peace and for His hand on my sweet angel. One of my most cherished devotional books, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young, taught me that sometimes when we don’t know what to say or pray to just whisper, “I trust You, Jesus” over and over! So that is what I prayed continually. He was faithful and covered me in His peace on the lonely ambulance ride and through the long two days that followed. Once I arrived more blood work and ultrasounds were done to check my levels and keep a close watch on Ali. I was hooked up to a fetal monitor, contraction monitor, IV, and blood pressure monitor that took my blood pressure around the clock. The doctors and nurses were watching me very closely. The first night I was there I had another ultrasound done to check my gall bladder, kidneys, and liver. At this time my liver was enlarged which explained the abdominal pain. I also had two more ultrasounds to check on Ali. One when I first arrived and one right before induction to make sure she was still in position. That amazing little girl was head down, low, and ready for her entrance into the world. She knew exactly what to do! God is so amazing! The doctors went back and forth trying to determine a diagnosis for the low platelets, protein, and blood pressure. My blood pressure had come down a little since leaving EAMC staying around 138 over 90. I got the second booster for Ali’s lungs and that altered my platelet count making it look like they were going back up. The doctors were perplexed at times and wanted to rule everything out and only take Ali early if absolutely necessary. During the course of that first night and next day I had many doctors and nurses checking my stats often. Blood work was taken around the clock every 2 hours. I was awakened throughout the night for blood work, blood pressure checks, temperature, and probably other things I can't even remember. Thankfully we had the greatest nurses and doctors around! They were all incredible! Finally on the morning of October 13th, Dr. Sutton and Dr. Owens, along with their colleagues, determined that I had HELLP Syndrome, a life-threatening complication of pregnancy. HELLP stands for (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes, Low Platelet Count). Dr. Sutton and Dr. Owen explained what it meant for Ali and I and that the best decision for both of us was to induce labor. They explained everything that could happen and go wrong so of course when I heard those things I tuned out everything else and became upset. Partly, I am sure, due to being medicated and unable to think as rationally as normal. But the Lord's peace prevailed and He continued to see us through our fears and the unknown. Now that we had an official diagnosis, we could better understand the plan that was necessary to protect my health and the health of my sweet baby girl. Unfortunately the only cure for HELLP is to deliver depending on the mother's condition. So I was monitored closely and when the doctors determined that my levels were not going to get better the plan was to induce labor. We were looking at meeting our precious angel 9 weeks early!
Here is more detailed information about HELLP Syndrome: (I have included a medical version and a more “user friendly” version as well).
http://www.aafp.org/afp/990901ap/829.html
Here is more detailed information about HELLP Syndrome: (I have included a medical version and a more “user friendly” version as well).
http://www.aafp.org/afp/990901ap/829.html
Women really need to be made aware of this condition and its symptoms. Especially since they come on so quickly and present themselves as other common pregnancy symptoms. I had never heard of HELLP and never would have known to seek a doctor’s counsel if I hadn’t listened to my body. I just couldn't settle for the diagnosis of gas pain. I knew the persistent pain could not be a good thing. I can’t imagine what the outcome would have been if I had waited any longer. Even an hour longer could have been detrimental for Ali or myself! Always listen to your body! You can never be too cautious! Fortunately we caught my condition at just the right moment. Even an hour earlier my levels could have been normal and spiked a few hours later without me knowing. God is so good!
Anthony’s parents and sister were all out of the country on vacation. He had to endure all the ups and downs and waiting without the support of his parents. Thankfully my parents and his grandparents were able to be there for support. And two of our very dear friends, Marie and Stephen, who live in Birmingham, came to sit with us the first night while we were waiting to find out what was going on. God was at work from the start and handled many issues that seemed like obstacles to us. To God they were just part of the plan. Anthony was able to contact his parents with the help of a sweet, precious nurse in High Risk Obstetrics. She helped him contact Carnival cruise lines and get a message to his parents to call him. The Carnival cruise staff were amazing in helping his parents communicate with us and allowed them to make and take what would have been extremely expensive calls, free of charge!
Sometime either on Tuesday or Wednesday a team of Neonatologists came to speak to us about the risks and complications that could occur with delivering a 31-weeker. Some of the complications she mentioned were that Ali might not be breathing, that she likely would not cry, she might face breathing and lung problems, mental retardation, learning and developmental delays, blindness, deafness, and even death. We were scared to hear some of the possibilities, but the Lord continued to cover us in His peace! 31 weeks (I was 31 to the day) was a great place to be and Ali had received both sets of shots to help strengthen and mature her lungs. Since the beginning of my pregnancy the Lord laid a prayer on my heart so I prayed that He would prepare Anthony and I to face anything He had planned for Ali. I am so thankful He laid that prayer on my heart because I feel confident that He answered it! One of the main doctors that spoke to us was Dr. Campbell. She was so kind and excited to be a part of our experience with Ali. She informed us that there would be a team of doctors just for Ali in the delivery room as well as a team of doctors for me. They would also have a resuscitation team for Ali in case they were needed. Our prayer was that they wouldn’t be needed at all!
Wednesday morning I was induced and received the epidural that evening. I had to get the epidural early because if my platelet count dropped any lower I wouldn’t be able to get it at all. So they inserted a catheter in my spine to allow for a continuous slow release of the medicine. I had a spot on my right side that didn’t numb so the anesthesiologist kept coming back to check and move the catheter up and give me more pain medicine. It helped for a few minutes, but then feeling would come back. The anesthesiologist finally said that I couldn’t have any more pain medicine because it could interfere with my breathing. This scared me terribly so I was completely happy to deal with the pain. I was already pretty anxious about delivery, knowing that bleeding was a risk with HELLP syndrome to even think about something else life threatening that could happen to me was more than I could handle. And honestly, the pain of the contractions was nothing compared to the stomach pain I had endured over the previous two weeks. The nurse talked to the doctors and they decided to break my water to get things moving along. I remember being very worried after they broke my water and getting upset. I know part of my anxiety had to do with the magnesium (anti-seizure medication) I was on, but I became very fearful that I wasn’t going to survive. I felt confident that my sweet Ali would be fine, but felt very scared for my life. My doctor, Dr. Amelia Sutton, came in and saw that I was upset. She sat on my bed, held my hand, looked me in the eyes, and said, “You are going to be just fine! We are about to have a baby!!! You just focus on this once in a lifetime experience! You just enjoy this time and focus on your baby!” Her genuine concern and reassuring words calmed my fears and helped me get through to the next step. I quickly dilated to 6cm and one of the doctors checked me and said he felt an ear! So they decided not to check me anymore and that it was almost time! Anthony went out into the waiting area to let our family and friends, who had gathered over the past couple of days, know it was almost time! Our family and friends formed a circle and began praying! I believe in the power of prayer and that God was with us every step of the way and used the prayers of our family and friends that were able to be there with us and of many others that weren’t with us! We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!
The delivery room was full of nurses, doctors, and students! UAB is a teaching hospital so that was to be expected! My husband and I aren’t 100% sure, but we recall seeing about 15 or so people in the room, each with very important and special roles! Never in my life did I see myself delivering a baby to such a great audience, but the number of people present was not even in my thoughts at the time! All I focused on was seeing my sweet baby girl!
At 1:53 pm our beautiful, amazing, strong, and precious daughter, Ali Maddox Gilmore arrived, weighing in at 2 pounds, 15 ounces, and measuring 16 1/4 inches! I remember Dr. Sutton holding Ali up for me to see and I immediately said, “She looks just like you!” (talking about my husband). And she did look just like her daddy! We heard a little whimper and I saw her gorgeous eyes! The doctors and nurses checked her vitals and cleaned her up a little and determined that she was doing very well. Then a nurse asked Anthony if we had a camera. He flew back down the hall to get my dad’s camera and came back! We didn’t prepare to have a camera because we weren’t really concerned with getting pictures and were more concerned about making sure we would be okay. We are so thankful for that precious nurse and my dad's great camera. We don’t even know her name, but she is a special part of the memories we were able to capture with! They wrapped Ali up and a nurse brought her to me! That was an amazing moment! We were both prepared to not hold or possibly even see her right away! Ali was so strong! She didn’t even need oxygen right after birth! She was breathing room air from the start! This was an incredible answered prayer! After I held her and told her I loved her, daddy took her, placed her in her isolette and they were off to the NICU. Ali got to breeze past our family and friends on her way. That was a special and exciting moment for everyone who had been anxiously waiting! We were so thankful and felt so blessed that our precious angel was off to a more than wonderful and better than expected start!
Sweet baby girl getting her assessment!
Daddy getting some special sugar!
Our precious little miracle!
An unforgettable moment! Many moms and dads in our situation don't get the opportunity to do this right away! We are so blessed and thankful to have these memories!
Holding daddy for the first time!
Ali's welcoming crew on her way to the NICU!
Settled in her isolette in the NICU.
Special time with daddy! Poor mommy couldn't be there yet!
1340 grams=2 pounds 15 ounces
She loved being stretched out! I think she was happy to be out of her cramped space even though I am pretty sure at around 3 pounds she still probably had some room to move!
Getting ready for her first sponge bath and enjoying time with daddy.
Here we go...
Ali girl was not a fan, but daddy said her cry was a beautiful sound!
Resting all cozy and warm! Bless her precious tiny body!
Ali's room in the NICU.
Ali's vitals...the green number monitored her heart rate, the blue number monitored her blood oxygen, and the white number monitored her respirations. These numbers were near perfect soon after being born. She only required a few seconds of O2 after her arrival in the NICU. She was on room air from birth! We have a strong little girly! We got very used to this monitor and her numbers only got better from here!
Ali had to stay under the phototherapy lights to lower her bilirubin levels for several days, but this is pretty normal and she did great!
This is one of our most favorite pictures of our new family!
They had a music therapist that came around to sing lullabies to the babies. Her voice was so beautiful and soothing. This was such a special moment! It was the first time that Anthony and I had been alone with Ali. We were both overwhelmed with emotions!
Ali had a monitor lead for her heart rate and respirations and a probe on her foot that monitored her blood oxygen levels. She also had an NG tube that went in her mouth or in her nose and lead directly into her stomach. She began taking 3 mls of mommy's milk in the NICU and went home taking 45 mls!
Kangaroo care was a big part of our life at UAB. Kangaroo care is the practice of placing the baby skin to skin with an adult, preferably a parent. The skin to skin contact helps improve the baby's blood oxygen levels, regulate heart rate and breathing rate, maintain body warmth, encourage more time in deep sleep and more alert awake time without crying. It also helps stimulate mother's milk production when breastfeeding is not an option at the early stages of babies development. Another really cool fact about kangaroo care is that mom's body will regulate baby's body temperature and dad's acts as a heater.
Skin-to-skin with daddy...only 2 days old!
We spent a lot of time snuggling our precious girl! Her body temperature stayed very stable so we were able to cuddle a few hours at a time most days! It was great to spend time with her out of the isolette.
Ali had a weight check each night. This was an exciting part of our day to see how well she was gaining weight.
One of the milestones Ali had to reach was taking all of her feeds by bottle. She worked really hard and mastered it after 4 weeks of life! The next milestone she had to pass was going five days without any bradycardia episodes or apnea episodes (heart rate drops and stop-breathing).
We came to know these as As and Bs. Then Ali had to master maintaining her body temperature outside of her isolette in her crib. Picture to follow...
Ali's first real bath!
She loved the bath and still does!
First day to wear big girl clothes! She weighed around 4 pounds and a few ounces here.
Ali graduated to her big girl crib! We were getting really close to going home!
She loved her little bed. It was great to have her out of her little "box" as daddy called it!
This is Kim...mommy's favorite L&D nurse! She was an angel and took such great care of me at night during the scary and uncertain moments before Ali's arrival! I am so thankful for her! We were so glad she got to come meet Ali.
Ann was one of Ali's amazing day nurses in the Continuing Care Nursery! We love you Ann!
The best night nurses!!! Mary Beth and Carla took great care of our sweet girl! I had great comfort and peace when these sweet ladies were there to love on our Ali girl through the night!
Another awesome day nurse for Ali, sweet Ashlie! We love you Ashlie!
We also had sweet Teri many days in the CCN, but I can't find my picture of her with Ali! :*(
I will post soon! Sorry Teri!
On the morning of November 17, 2010 we received the wonderful news that our precious angel was ready to go home! We were ecstatic, but at the same time quite nervous to take home our tiny girl weighing only 4 pounds 8 ounces and without her monitors and nurses!!! But the Lord gave us strength and comfort as we prepared to go home! What a happy day!
Getting ready to leave our home for the past 5 weeks! It sure felt longer than that!
I'm ready mommy & daddy!
Snuggled safe and sound in her bassinet in mommy and daddy's room!
Well, believe it or not, that is the short version of our five weeks in Birmingham! I am going to post again soon and give a quick glimpse of the past 8 months and get caught up to present day so stay tuned! Thank you for your many thoughts and faithful prayers during Ali's incredible start in life! She is an absolute gift and blessing to us! We hope you enjoy watching her grow!
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