On a Monday at 12:30 pm (just over a week after we came back to Kampala from Tonj) Blaise and I went to see the doctor for my routine 35 week prenatal check-up, which went really well: Clark’s heartbeat was perfect, his growth was right on track, and my pregnancy appeared to be perfectly healthy. After chatting with the doctor about what to expect at the next appointment and what to do if I should go into labor before then, we left his office and headed to the laboratory so I could drop off my Group B Strep test and routine urine sample.
1:30 pm
When I went to the bathroom to collect the urine, I was stunned to find that I had begun bleeding…significantly. Within minutes of the bleeding starting, I had already passed several very large blood clots. I immediately felt nauseous, because I knew that that kind of bleeding was absolutely not a good sign. I was trembling as I dropped off my samples with the lab and went to find Blaise. Within 15 minutes of leaving the doctor’s office, we were back there explaining to him what was happening. The doctor examined me and then immediately got us in for an ultrasound.
2:00 pm
The sonographer performed the scan without a word for several minutes, except to ask me if I had been experiencing any abdominal pain, which I had not. Finally she turned the screen so I could see and began explaining what she was seeing. She showed Blaise and I an area where the placenta had begun separating from the uterine wall, called placental abruption. She also went on to show us the “shadows” that could be seen in the amniotic fluid, which she explained was blood that had mixed in with the fluid. She assured us that the baby was doing fine and showed us that the umbilical cord was still functioning and delivering blood to the baby, but that the doctor would meet with us to talk through what was happening. I remember asking, “Can I still deliver normally?” She responded with, “Why? You don’t want to get cut?”
2:30 pm
We waited for the doctor and sonographer to confer about the scan for what felt like an eternity. As we sat in the waiting area, I pulled out my Kindle, opened What to Expect When You’re Expecting, and read the section about Placental Abruption. What I read did not do anything to calm my fears.
3:00 pm
When we finally sat down in the doctor’s office, he began by explaining the different types of placental abruption, and then told us that his recommendation was an emergency c-section. He explained that because of the amount of bleeding and the size of the separation, not delivering very soon could lead to the baby dying and possibly a poor outcome for me, as well. I was absolutely stunned. I was only 35 weeks along and terrified of what it could mean for Clark if he was to be born that early. I asked a series of questions, some of them intelligent (“What is the whole process for a c-section and premature birth?”) and some of them not so much (“Do I have time to go home and pack a bag?”). I cried in the doctor’s office and Blaise stood by me, quietly comforting me and encouraging me to do as the doctor was saying.
4:00 pm
Within the hour, I was in a labor suite being prepped for surgery, the nurses all trying desperately to put me at ease while simultaneously inserting IVs and handing me forms to sign. Blaise began calling our parents and Every Village to inform them of what was happening. I was absolutely terrified. I didn’t want to have major abdominal surgery. I didn’t want a spinal block. I didn’t want my baby to be born prematurely. I wanted to labor naturally. I calmly sat there as everything happened around me and kept trying to tell myself that this was really happening, but I couldn’t make it become real. On the outside, I looked like I was handling it all well, but on the inside I was curled up into a little ball, sobbing hysterically, and begging God to change these circumstances and wake me from this horrible dream.
5:00 pm
Far too soon, they were wheeling me into the operating room and Blaise was joining my side decked out in scrubs, a cap, and mask. The spinal block was quick and much less painful than I expected, and the next thing I knew they were cutting me open. It was a strange, surreal experience. I could feel my body moving and I could hear suctioning and surgical instruments clinking, but I couldn’t really connect with what was happening. Soon the doctor was telling me that I would feel a lot of pressure, but no pain, as the baby was being born.
5:15 pm
Weighing in at 5 pounds 12 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long, Clark was born! His cry was the most beautiful sound we had ever heard, and it was a tremendous relief that he was breathing on his own. After we got a brief look at him, he was whisked away to the NICU for a routine assessment since he was born prematurely. The doctor then continued to work on me, removing the placenta and stitching me up. Minutes later, Dr. Michael, the pediatrician, came back in to give us the thumbs up and tell us that Baby Clark was looking really good. Blaise and I were overjoyed…we had just become parents after the most bizarre and surreal day!
What we didn’t know then was that not only was our story about to become much more difficult, but we were just about to hop on the emotional roller coaster that is having a premature baby in the NICU.
All scrubbed in and ready to become a dad!
Me on the operating table, in the process of becoming a mom!
Clark on the night he was born. This was several hours later, after his diagnosis.
Part Two of Clark’s birth story to follow.
