Stetson's Birth Story- Happy Due Date!

Happy 40 weeks to my micro preemie baby boy Stetson Rhett Martinez! Today was the day he was to make his arrival and complete our family; however, we all know he had plans of his own and was a bit too excited to enter this world. I had high hopes with this pregnancy that I would be able to have a water birth with soothing music in the background, a photographer present and just fully enjoy the last time I would give birth to our final baby. BUT NO! The first news that caught me off guard was basically being called older! LIKE WHAT! Being that I was considered "geriatric," my appointments were a bit more monitored than usual. The good thing about it, we were able to see baby more frequently.

Prior to Stetson's early arrival, we had some unusual complications that ended me up on bedrest for the remainder of my pregnancy. My body was changing and not how my other pregnancies were. I was feeling lightheaded and nauseous very frequently and had an episode where I passed out. Very soon after, my water broke at 21 weeks while I was laying in bed. I was admitted to our maternity ER that same day for monitoring. After confirming what I didn't want to believe was true I broke down in tears. I was terrified of what news we would hear next. I had a visit with another doctor who was on duty in place of mine and he was extremely caring. He walked me through medications to take in hopes baby would cook a bit longer and offered to pray that this pregnancy continues.

I was discharged on medications 3 days later and was then placed on bedrest. I didn't ask any questions after I gave birth about what happened because I was still in shock and wasn't sure I wanted to know fully what my body had done. My OB told me that sometimes it's better to not know but after a while when I met with her for my 10 week post op, I asked her to tell me what exactly it was that was an emergency. It was all but 2 weeks after my water broke that I felt something exciting my pelvis area. I was terrified to say the least. I couldn't quite make out what it is but my heart started beating extremely fast and I felt as though I couldn't walk because I didn't want anything coming out right then and there. I took a seat on the toilet and ended up taking a photo to see if I could see anything. I was terrified to see that I was not wrong thinking something was indeed exiting my body. But it didn't look like a baby. I slowly walked out of my bathroom and went straight to my mother in law and told her that I think we needed to go back into the emergency room. We got in the car and I called my husband. We ended up pulling over so my husband can take me the rest of the way and that entire time I kept feeling as though I wouldn't make it.

When we arrived to the ER, they took us in right away. I undressed and waited for the doctor only to be told, "Oh honey, I'm so sorry!" She quickly said, I needed to be rushed back now- and while about 10 6-7 nurses came in she also explained the severity of what was going on and that there is a high possibility I would never be able to conceive again. Tears filled both mine and my husbands eyes as we were expecting the worst. We had so many other doctors come in and talk to us about possibliities and already had to think about whether we wanted the doctors to attempt saving our baby even after my water had broke. That Friday after Stetson arrived, I was suppose to be admitted to the hospital for the remainder of my pregnancy and given steroid shots in hopes his lungs would develop faster and stronger. I wasn't able to get those after all so it was up in the air if he would survive or not. We had a chaplin enter, we had bereavement specialists and more. All just talking to us and me not taking in one thing as tears continued down my face and shock across my body. We decided to tell our OB and neonatologist that we did not want our baby to suffer nor be in any pain. We wanted to make a decision but we couldn't. It was incredibly hard right on the spot with everything going on around. My husband took over as I truly could not function as needles were being poked in me, I was getting medications and people surrounded me. As they rushed me back to the operating room, every single nurse was incredibly kind but seriously rushing to get things done. My face was covered with an oxygen mask and I just felt as though I couldn't breath. All I wanted was my OBGYN. She arrived and I felt her presence near me as I now understand she ran in to grab a hold of my hand. She prayed over me for the second time and told me that she would not leave me and she'd be there for me and baby as my husband was not able to be in the room during this emergency. As soon as I was able to wake back up- I finally got to see my husband next to me and again, a ton of nurses. They continued to give me more medication and IV's. We had one nurse rush in while so much commotion was going on and she insisted they wheel us back to Stetson's room as soon as possible. Right there, my husband and I thought he wasn't surviving. All the nurses were trying to calm us down and walk us with so much hope in their voices. Then that's when we got to see our littlest guy. With 10 doctors/nurses surrounding him. They asked us more questions and continued to help him- which we are forever grateful for.

What I saw coming out of my body was the umbilical cord. The early rupture of my membranes was just the beginning. It was soon understood that I ended up having an infection in the placenta which possibly played a huge part in the umbilical cord prolapse. Stetson's blood supply was cut off and he was not able to get any of the amniotic fluid for his lungs to continue. It was extremely hard to understand how this can all happen to me after birthing two healthy babies but we know God was right there next to us. As of now, Stetson is over 5lbs 10 ounces and had a successful eye surgery to where his ROP is cleared completely as of Tuesday! Just Wednesday, we introduced bottle feeding to see how he would do. He has since taken 5ml's of milk 5 times over the span of these few days. We are praying and hoping he continues these amazing strides to come home soon!

We would like to thank each and everyone who has been following his journey. Everyone who has shared his story, everyone who has prayed for us and him to continue the fight. We have so much love in our hearts that our little man has been on so many people's minds and hearts. We know how loved he is not just by us as his family but by everyone who continues to check in on him and cheer for him to grow big and healthy. Your support means so much to us.

As his due date has arrived, if you would like to send him a little something, we have created this baby registry for him, please feel free to take a look or share. <3

-TheHotMessBrunette