Whatever the reason I guess it doesnt matter because it will always be clear as day in my mind. There are things I questioned but being a first time mother believed that a Dr knew best, despite that feeling deep down that something wasnt right and questioning mothers around me.
So I'll try my best to fill in the blanks up to the point we have currently arrived at.
On April 15th 2005 Asher was born at 2.30 in the afternoon. My labor was about 8hrs long with few complications. My waters were stained, which is something they left out of my hospital notes. Actually they didnt even leave it out they put no when it was a clear yes in his blue book where it specifically asks that question. Anyway this showed early on that he was in some distress. He had mild shoulder dystosia - yes babies can die from this in severe cases. So they had to use the suction to get him out quickly, which was used with such force that it took a patch of skin off the back of his head.
When he finally made it into this world I was so happy. Being a parent, first time or not, its easy to worry about your new bundle of joy. Its the times you stand over their crib after they are asleep listening for their next breathe and then the next..and not convinced still you put your hand gently to their chest to feel it rise and fall. I guess what im trying to say is that as a parent its easy to over-react sometimes and worry about minor ailments. That being said I guess thats why Drs seem to also find it easy to fob us off, reassure us its nothing and tell us to go home.
After my labor, baby in arms, I had to wait for the epidural to wear off, my legs were completely numb. So before I could be moved onto the ward I need my legs to wake up enough to stand. They were also waiting for a bed to free up. It was in this time that Kelly and Sam popped in to spy my llittle bub. Laying in the hospital crib wrapped in a tight little bundle I noticed his breathing was very loud and he was gurgling. I asked the nurse and she said sometimes babies have mucas still in them and find it hard to bring up. Anyway satisfied to an extent I took her answer as reassurance even though I had never heard a baby gurgle before. This did not stop either. Later back up in the ward for new mothers and babies Greg and I were marvelling at our boy when he turned blue, he had mucas coming from his mouth and his nose and couldnt clear an airway. I told Greg to run and get a nurse so he ran Asher to the nurses station and they took him down to the special care unit where he continued to have more episodes. If I was a little older and a little wiser I might have asked more questions, I might have demanded an explaination but I didnt and that is something that I regret. I dont know why it was never investigated further by the nurses or Dr, especially when he had repeated episodes.
On our day of discharge a pediatrician comes around to give the all clear to send you home so they came around and checked him out and he had a clicking hip. They said to have our GP check it again at our 6 week check up and we were sent home.
The first night at home was horrible. He was awake all night and I remember sitting in the lounge room crying in the rocking chair with him in my arms. I was so tired and I didnt know what to do.
The next evening he started turning blue again with the mucas and he was taking a really long time to feed and he would wake up completely wet through his clothes everywhere with sweat. So Greg and I worried took him to the emergency room.
We were in there the Drs asked a million questions and came back and forth and then asked more questions. It almost seemed like they didnt believe us and we felt stupid for having brought him in. So we ended up saying this is stupid we are just going to take him home. It was only then that they said no you were right for bringing him in and told us they were sending the cardiologist down to further investigate.
They did and they gave him an ecg or something like that. They put those little heart things all over him and also sent us up the the cardiology ward for further testing.
This happened regularly up until 6mths of ages as it was discovered that he had a hole in his heart. This was the reason he took so long to feed and woke up drenched in sweat. Thankfully at 6mths of age it had closed over and he needed no more monitoring.
At Ashers 6 weeks check up the Dr said that Asher hip was fine and she couldnt feel it clicking anymore. I mentioned to her that his shoulders felt like they were slipping out of the sockets and she said they were probably loose ligaments and they would get stronger as he got older.
To this day they never have because that was not the problem.
Asher only smiled at 7weeks old. He had no expression on his face at all until then. He never laughed until the end of June, and even then it was forced with little expression.
Asher still couldnt hold his head up at four months old. Still today when lifting him from lying on his back his head needs to be supported as it lags backwards.
Asher only squeeled for the first time at the start of August. It was then that he started testing his voice out and sucking both thumbs at once.
Asher had problems feeding at 2 and a half months - he was having problems suckling so he was changed to bottles which was less effort for him.
He has always projectile vomited - a lot - what would seem like everything you had just fed him.
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