Brecken’s Birth Story
Brecken James Lee Robinson was born November 21st, 2019, weighing 6 lbs. 2 ounces, and measuring 18 1/4 inches. We had a c-section scheduled that morning. I remember feeling so nervous because of how difficult and scary my c-section was with Ellie (see this post). I was reassured over and over again that a scheduled c-section is COMPLETELY different than an “emergency” c-section. Let’s see if that is the case…
I got all set up in our room and the anesthesiologist was ready to take me back to the room for the surgery. The doctors told me that John couldn’t be in the room when they administered the spinal tap. I immediately started crying. I really needed my rock in there with me. They assured me everything would be okay and that it was procedure for the father to join in the room after the spinal tap was given. The anesthesiologist was very experienced (not in training like last time), and she assured me that I would hardly feel a thing. I was shaking because I was so nervous. Tears were streaming down my face. I remember my doctor standing in front of me asking about what Ellie was doing at home, who she was with, etc. to get me thinking about something else—anything else. Thankfully, the anesthesiologist really did do a phenomenal job. The spinal tap was administered before I knew it and was administered perfectly. Praise God!
A few minutes later, John was in the room and the doctors were in the room, ready to begin. I was ready. We made a plan with my OB to not use the ring that we used with Ellie that caused me so much pain during her delivery. They made the incision and I barely felt a thing. What a huge relief! I felt a bit of “tugging” and uncomfortableness, but that was about it. The c-section went flawlessly. Overall, the experience was completely different than my first experience with Ellie’s birth. Brecken was placed in my arms and the c-section was done! I got to hold him while they closed me up. I started crying with relief. I was so happy to meet our sweet baby boy.
They weighed him, measured him, and handed him back to me. I held him for about 15 seconds when the nurse noticed that he was turning purple. She tried to “unclog” anything that may have been stuck in his throat, but then made the quick decision that he needed to be taken to the NICU. It all happened really quickly, with very little information given.
They didn’t have enough room for him in the NICU at first, so they put him in the overflow room—basically just a storage room right next to the elevators.
It was the weirdest feeling to be wheeled out of the room without our baby…to go back to our room without our baby. That time in our room with Ellie after delivery was so special and sacred. This felt so empty and strange.
At first, we had no idea how long Brecken would be in the NICU. We didn’t have a lot of information and they weren’t exactly sure why he was having difficulty breathing. He was put on a ventilator while they ran tests to figure out what the issue was.
On the evening of his second day of life, a doctor came in and said they were going to try to give him a surfactant injection the next morning. They weren’t sure if it would work, but thought it was worth a shot. Surfactant is a substance in our lungs that helps us to breathe. A lack of surfactant can cause respiratory distress syndrome. Surfactant typically begins to develop in utero around 24-28 weeks. By 35 weeks gestation, most babies have developed adequate amounts of surfactant. Brecken was born at 39 weeks 1 day, and somehow did not have the necessary amount of surfactant in his lungs—a very unlikely thing to have happen to a full-term baby. When he was 3 days old, he was given a surfactant injection and just hours later things started looking up for our little guy.
Side note: We aren’t sure what caused this or why he didn’t develop the surfactant as he should have, but are so grateful that the injection helped so quickly. It also makes me think a lot about when we will have our third baby. It is really important to me that baby number three gets to grow and develop as long as possible before we schedule our c-section. Baby’s due date is July 20th. We are debating between having the baby on Friday, July 15th or Monday, July 18th. I am leaning toward the 18th so that baby can grow as long as possible (and develop that surfactant!).
Brecken was eventually transferred into his own room. We went down to visit him several times each day while we were in the hospital. We held him and did lots of skin-to-skin.
Brecken stayed in the NICU for 2 weeks total, from 11/21-12/2. He showed improvement in his breathing each day until we were finally able to bring him home! It was a difficult 2 weeks, going back and forth between home and the hospital. Trying to keep things as “normal” as possible for Ellie, while also driving back and forth from the hospital to nurse Brecken every 3 hours (once he was ready). I was so incredibly grateful that he was able to nurse after starting his life on a feeding tube. Ellie nursed for 20 months and it was a very special and sacred journey for me, so having that work out with Brecken after such a rocky start was a true gift. The last few nights before we brought Brecken home, I would get Ellie to sleep a little bit early (she was used to momma putting her to bed), and then I would rush to the hospital to make it in time for Brecken’s 8:00 feed. Then I would spend the night on a cot in his room and nurse him every 3 hours through the night. It was an exhausting time for our whole family.
He had to pass the “car seat test” in order to be released to go home. Brecken actually failed the test the first time and had to stay another day. For the test, they have babies sit in a car seat for an hour and a half and make sure their oxygen stays at a certain level. Thankfully, he passed the test on his second try and we were able to take him home!
We brought Ellie in to meet Brecken at the hospital the day before he was released to be sent home. I’m sure it was so strange for her to have a little brother for 2 weeks, to have her mom and dad gone a lot to see him, but to not actually meet him herself. We wanted Brecken to have all of his tubes off before Ellie met him so that the experience wasn’t at all scary for her. And it was PERFECT! She walked in with the biggest smile on her face, excited as can be to meet her little brother.
The first few weeks of his life were anything but “normal” and were so far from what we expected. We are so grateful for his doctors, the incredible NICU nurses, my parents for helping watch Ellie while we were at the hospital, so many friends who stopped by and dropped off meals, etc., and of course, to God for Brecken and every beautiful breath he takes.
We had Brecken home with us for 4 weeks before he got really, really sick (again lung related). A story I will save for another day.
