March 1, 2019, Lana's water had broken at 22 weeks 5 days. The condition is called PPROM, (preterm premature rupture of the membranes). PPROM is just something that happens spontaneously, it is unknown why it happens, neither Mommy nor baby are to blame. Lana was admitted to the hospital and was restricted to bed rest.
At that point, we were told that Jacob was not viable until he was 23 weeks gestation. It was unimaginable thinking he might not make it. Lana and I decided that we would let Jacob tell us what he wanted to do. Over the next 48 hours, we waited and hoped that no infection would set in, and active labor wouldn't start. There is no way to repair an amniotic sack, so it was up to Jacob to be the boss! We were told all of the risks and downsides of continuing the pregnancy. We hoped that if we could make it two more days, just after midnight, the hospital could start treatments to try and save Jacob since he would be officially 23 weeks, and "viable." He weighed 580g at that point and there was virtually no amniotic fluid around him, which restricted growth and lung development. As soon as the clock struck midnight, Lana started IV antibiotics to fight any infection, and steroids to help Jacob's lungs develop.
Then we waited....Every day was stressful not know how Jacob would endure the stress of no fluid, and what position he would be in if or when Lana would start labor.
Lana started having contractions, and we were wondering why they left Jacob on the heart monitor for so long. There were fluctuations in his heart rate.
Lana’s contractions got closer together, and Jacob’s heartbeat was a bit erratic. Lana had an internal exam and showed that she was 3cm dilated. For babies coming this early, a mother may not dilate a full 10cm, which we learned very quickly. The staff at Lenox hill began to prepare an operating room, and Lana's OB was on her way, and I was asked to step out while Lana got an epidural.
Daddy was able to cut the cord, but Jacob went straight to the NICU team. Honestly, both of us didn’t look at him for very long after delivery. I think we were trying to protect ourselves from all of the possibilities we were briefed on, day in and day out, for the past 20 days. We knew there was still a possibility the NICU team would ask us if we wanted Jacob to receive "comfort care." When a baby like Jacob is born, and the likelihood they will survive very long is low, parents are given the option to spend a few private moments with their baby before they let them go. Like we said the entire time, Jacob would tell us what he wanted to do, so if he wasn't going to be strong enough, we would spend what little time we had with him, then allow him to rest.
We were told Jacob’s one-minute APGAR score was 3-5, at 5 minutes it was 5-8.
The NICU doctor gave us Jacob’s status. We were hanging on every word. My mind was racing back to March 1st when we heard things like “not viable” musculoskeletal deformities, and all the other grave news that day. Jacob’s lungs were in great shape, he cried a bit and took a breath on his own at birth. He was on 24% oxygen through the ventilator ( there is 20% oxygen in the air we breathe.)
I was waiting for the doctor to say ...” and now the bad news...”. There was no bad news!! Although it was emotionally draining, and at the time we were angry and frustrated that this happened to our family, we were grateful and relieved Jacob was doing well. Lana was still recovering from the epidural and magnesium, so she needed a little time to recover. She encouraged me to go with the doctor to check on Jacob and snap a few photos so she could see him.
As of this post-Jacob is 1260g, 2lbs 10oz, and he's turning a corner. Jacob's story is just beginning! Jacob is getting amazing care at the Lenox Hill NICU. He still has a long way to go, but he's a fighter, and will be walking with us next year!
With preterm birth rates continuing to rise, the U.S. remains among the most dangerous developed nations for childbirth, especially for women and babies of color.
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