I pushed it to the back of my mind, assuring myself that everything was fine. I was just giving in to my tendency to worry - I was still feeling her move a little, even if it wasn't as much as before. Still, the worried feeling didn't go away, and Ellie kept being pretty quiet inside of me. I tried to rouse her by pushing on my tummy, but she didn't respond. Josh and I talked about it, and he convinced me that it was worth it to call the doctor, even though she would probably just tell me I was worrying too much, and to go home because everything was fine.
Friday morning, I called the doctor and explained that I hadn't felt my baby move as much as I was used to. The nurse told me to come right in, and they would put me on the fetal monitor to make sure everything was okay with our little peanut. I left right away and arrived at the doctor's office about thirty minutes later. Soon, they had me hooked up to the fetal heart rate monitor and a monitor to chart any contractions I might have. They also handed me a Coke and told me to drink up so that little Ellie would get sugar and caffeine to help wake her up. I sat there, reading a book and sipping my Coke for about an hour. Josh came over on his lunch break to join me. At this point, we were sure the doctor would send us home shortly with the report that everything was just fine.
The nurse came back into the room to review the monitor print outs. Just as we'd expected, she told us everything looked fine. I mentioned to her that I had also noticed some continual cramping in my abdomen for about the past four days. The nurse recommended that we stick around for the doctor to examine me, just to be sure nothing was out of place.
When the doctor did the exam, she mentioned that I was "more dilated than [she] would like to see at this point," and recommended that I go straight to LDS Hospital for prolonged monitoring."And then do you know what you're going to do this weekend?" she asked, "Nothing!" She told me that I would be on bed rest as I tried to keep the baby inside for three more weeks. I was under strict instructions to think '37 weeks' repeatedly, as that was our goal.
When we arrived at the hospital, I changed into a hospital gown and got comfortable in a hospital bed so the nurse could ask me questions about my medical history. I answered all sorts of questions while I listened to the steady "thump, thump, thump" of the heart rate monitor in the background. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the "thump thumps" slowed to about half their speed.
"Your baby doesn't seem to like the way you're laying. Let's have you turn to your side," the nurse said. A few seconds later, four other nurses entered the room. Before I could really process what was happening, they went straight to work, poking and prodding all over. One nurse started an IV while another nurse attached a blue patient bracelet to my wrist. They gave me a few shots in the arm, secured an oxygen mask over my nose and mouth, and checked to see how far I was dilated. In an attempt to get Ellie's heart rate to rebound, the nurses had me roll from one side to another and then onto my hands and knees. Finally, her heart rate reached a normal level again, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
The next four hours were spent listening carefully to the heart rate monitor. Ellie's heart rate dropped twice more, but she rebounded more quickly than the first time. One of the nurses told me the goal was to keep me pregnant for 24 more hours so they could administer the second dose of a medication meant to speed Ellie's lung development in the event of an early birth. My doctor arrived soon after (it was about 8:00 PM by this point), and sat on the hospital bed to chat with me. She explained that my baby was doing fine at the moment, but there was something going on inside of me that was causing the baby distress, and Dr. Macy didn't know what it was. She wanted to get the baby out as soon as possible to be sure that the situation didn't get worse... and that meant an immediate C-section. Of course I was surprised and a little nervous, but I was amazed at how calm I felt. I attribute that in large part to the Priesthood blessing I received from my sweet husband and one of the missionaries at the hospital. I am so grateful for men in my life who can administer Priesthood blessings in times of uncertainty and worry.
Both Josh and I began to prepare for surgery. Josh got to wear a very fashionable jumpsuit and hat. I donned the oxygen mask once more, as well as a cap like Josh's. We walked together into the OR, and I turned to Josh and said, "I can't believe this is happening to us. We are having a baby tonight!"
During the surgery, Josh sat right next to me and talked to me the whole time about our little girl and our plans for the future. He kept me calm through the entire surgery. Because of him, I didn't focus on what the doctors were saying, or the fact that I was in the middle of major abdominal surgery. Heaven bless my sweet husband.
The doctors finally found out what was causing Ellie's heart rate to drop. First, she had a very short umbilical cord. She had started to drop head down into the birth canal, and that put too much strain on her cord. In addition to that, her little head was wedged in my pelvis. Those circumstances combined were enough to bring her heart rate down to very low levels.
Soon the moment came for Ellie to be born. Josh stood up to peek over the curtain and watch our daughter come into the world. The doctor held Ellie up so I could see her over the barrier curtain. When I saw her, I was overcome with emotion. My heart felt like it might burst with all the love I felt for her and the relief I felt that she was safe and she was crying. I knew that if Ellie was crying, that meant that she was breathing, and that alone was a miracle.
Elisabeth Joy Tanner was born (with a great set of lungs) on July 11, 2014 at 9:08 PM weighing 4 lbs. 9 oz. and measuring 17.5 inches. Every moment of her life from that point on has been a miracle. I wholeheartedly agree with one of Ellie's nurses who said, "It's like no one told Ellie she was a premature baby."
Josh and I feel so blessed to have this little angel in our family. She means the world to us, and we are grateful that she was able to come home so soon. We look forward to many adventures ahead with our little Ellie Joy.
