Birth Story

Now that I've been discharged from the hospital and finally have internet access, I can post Elise's birth story.   After making everyone wait an extra 6 days (Uncle Dan, Auntie Beth AND Kai Po Po all flew away without ever having met her) she is definitely Gong Gong's favourite because she decides to come with only 24hrs left of his visit.  Let's just say that our girl knows how to make an entrance!

Saturday July 24, 2010 - Baby is 5 days overdue

Morning/afternoon – Enlist eagerly waiting grandparents to help with gardening and overall upkeep of exterior home

7:30pm – Delicious dinner prepared by NaiNai

8:15pm – Diarrhea & bloody show.  Read about this and question if labour will finally start soon.  Tell Alex about the show but keep info from grandparents so as not to get hopes up too soon.

9:00pm – Mild cramps but still not sure if actually in labour, nothing regular or timed.  Spontaneous worship & fellowship time with family. Popo was playing the piano while the rest of us stood round singing hymns.  I remember thinking that if I was in fact in labour, what a wonderful way for the baby  to prepare itself to come into this world .  The 6 of us did a short Bible study and prayed together.  God is so amazing in connecting our family together through Him, for giving us these opportunities in which I am so thankful.  We also prayed for baby, knowing that we are completely inadequate as parents and not by our own strength or wisdom, that it will come to know, love, and follow God.

10:00pm – Alex suggests walking around superstore to speed things up if it is labour.  Wander around until store closes.  Cramps getting worse, approximately 20 mins apart w/ milder ones interspersed - still not sure if they can be timed properly

11:30pm – Try to get so sleep, read that it will be necessary to have enough energy for delivery if in labour.  Woke up sporadically with cramps.

Sunday July 25, 2010 - Baby is 6 days overdue

12:30am – Contractions now increasing intensity and around 5 minutes apart.  Alex starts packing the hospital bag according the list I've prepared.  Also sets up carseat and playpen while I breathe through contractions

12:55am – Decide to get ready to leave for hospital.  Internsity of contractions getting to closer to unbearable and heard that it may take at least an hour from asking for an epidural to actually getting one.  Noticed bright blood.  Asked Alex and he says we need to leave immediately.

1:30am – “Rush” to hospital.  Alex tries to appear and stay as calm as possible while slightly freaking out inside.  I remember reading the blood isn't a good sign but not sure exactly why.  

1:45am – Arrive at Obstetric Triage; showing more blood and a small clot.

2:15am – Nurse assess 3-4cm dilated but baby in a very posterior position (ie. very hard to feel dilation).  Baby has decreased heartrate variability (ie. should show different beats but instead very steady) tachycardic at 165 (ie. heartrate faster than normal).  Nurse recommends that the family doctor who was going to deliver my baby should consult OB/Gyn.

2:30am – My regular doctor (Dr. Cescon) arrives and agrees with nurse recommendations.  Doc explains that blood may be from a partial rupture of placenta from uterus.  But baby seems to be undergoing some mild stress and so may not tolerate a natural delivery if it ends up being too long (eg. 10 hours of labour).  A Cesarean surgery may need to be considered.  

2:45am – Consult Dr. Potts.  Dr. Potts decide to watch for 45 min – 1 hour to see if changes will happen and if natural delivery can still an option.  Transferred from Triage to Delivery Room.  Told to hold off on epidural as this may change measurement readings.  Decide not to call parents yet since everyone was exhausted from yard work and we didn't even know what was happening yet.  

3:30am – Ask for epidural.  Nurse says should be okay, especially since Cesarean section is likely as not much change in readings.    

4:00am – Get epidural.  Dr. Potts reassesses situation and decides to proceed with C-Section.

4:05am – Alex calls family to finally let them know.

4:10am – Transferred from Delivery Room to Operating Room.  Remember thinking how odd it was to be "on the other side (ie. on the table)".  Had been in enough OR's for eye surgeries but very different perspective from under the lights.  Also didn't realize that they strapped your arms wide open and legs down.  Felt I could relate just a little bit to how vulnerable Jesus must have felt naked on the cross - at least the nurses weren't there to gawk and humiliate me.  Prep in OR delayed because anesthetic issues.  Epidural re-positioned. 

4:50am – First incision.  Alex keeps his promise of being purely husband and distracts me from the pulling/tugging sensations by conversing with me.  

5:00am – Baby out, assessed by pediatrician Dr. Cresswell.  Baby well and rigorous!

5:15am – Transferred from OR to Recovery Room.  Dr. Cescon informs us that they could not find any rupture so not sure where the blood came from.  However, still a good decision to do Cesarean because the baby had her umbilical cord around her head twice, tight enough that they couldn't just unravel it but had to cut through instead.  Also managed to get the cord around her leg as well.  Baby was under enough stress that she pooped a little meconium while inside the belly.   

5:30am – See family in recovery room.  Grandparents see baby Elise for the first time.

F.O.B. Baby Elise (Fresh Out Of Belly)

Doped-up Mommy still on drugs

Newborn Elise in first picture with Daddy

Our first of many family portraits!


Gong Gong & Po Po seeing Elise for first time

Yeh Yeh & Nai Nai seeing Elise for the first time

Trip to NICU

So over the course of yesterday, we've had quite a number of new occurences in the Wang World.

On baby Elise's second day of life, she had lost her weight down 6.5% from birth weight.  This isn't really a big deal but just warrants keeping a close eye on things (dangerous if things reach a loss of 10%).

So we put on our smart glasses and tried to make sure she ate as much as possible.

The next morning she had lost 9.5% of her birth weight and was down to 2850g (from 3155).  This triggered a series of events leading us to end up in the NICU.  Neonatal Intensive Care Unit...sounds a bit scarier than it really is.

Ultimately Elise needed to bulk up and rehydrate a bit more than what breast milk was able to provide so we had to give her IV fluids and bottle feedings.

Here she is being burped between feeds (note the little cotton headpiece - that's where the IV goes in babies.)

This picture looks scarier than it actually is - just a bunch of monitors as is protocol in the NICU.

She was there last night and will be there again tonight.  Mom will be pumping breast milk and feeding it to her by bottle every 3 hours.  As you can see she rather enjoys the bottle! (Video 1)

Hopefully if her hydration status does well overnight and moms milk starts coming in (which it has already! yay mom!) then our baby girl will be able to come home with us tomorrow!

Here's hoping that the hospital days are over!
(yes, daddy is a miserable man for making Elise pose for this picture, but he just couldn't resist!)

Welcome to the world Elise En-Hui Wang!

So the day finally arrived!

At 5am on July 25, 2010, The Wang family had one brand new addition!

Elise En-Hui Wang.  Now some help with the Mandarin middle name:
Meaning: "God's Grace"

now here's the tricky part the pronounciation:
"En" pronounced like the letter "N" and "Hui" pronounced "Hway"

She was born at 6lbs 15oz by C-section (surgery rather than natural birth) - more details to come as to the birth story...but she and mom are both healthy and doing VERY well!

So here's the good stuff...the pictures!

Mom and baby in the recovery room.

Baby getting a nice snuggle from dad - first of many to come!

Close up of baby in her new hat (hospital gives us two nice knit ones! yes!)

Gong Gong and Po Po admiring their first grandchild.

Nai Nai Yeh Yeh enjoying their growing family.

Baby posing.

Little feet!

Little fist!

Our first "Family Photo"

Another cutie picture.

Now we're just 2 days away from bringing our new little princess home with her little Princess Crown =) We shall keep you all posted!

Due Today...

Baby where are you?  It's supposed to be your birthday today but still no sign that you'll be coming any time soon.  Must be very comfy inside my belly!

Gong Gong and Popo flew in from Vancouver last week; they have been staying at Yeh Yeh and Nai Nai home here in Waterloo until the 26th.  Here are some pictures of everyone hanging out at our place after lunch over the weekend:  

Group Photo of Wongs and Wangs...yes yes...very funny!

Yeh Yeh (Grandpa) and Nai Nai (Grandma)

Gong Gong (Grandpa) and Popo (Grandma)

Baby, hope you come soon! We are all waiting for you and can't wait to meet you! (Even Bert and Ernie!)

Love you! See you soon!