LIFE AS IT COMES......: 2009

It was 29th Sept 8:00 P.M. i got admitted to the hospital as my labor pains started. I was lying in a private room, baby's heartbeat was monitored continuously. I started feeling restless and sweat was rolling down my forehead. My husband(Gaurav) was observing the heartbeat reading, at 8:45 PM he noticed that the baby's heartbeat started falling, in about seconds it reached 40bpm from 150bpm. He immediately called the nurse. They shifted me on stretcher and gave oxygen and rushed me to the Operation Theater. A doctor did internal check up and told me it was the case of meconium. I was dumbstruck, was feeling senseless, was having mixed feelings....the most scared was i could lose my baby. My gynecologist came and started the operation....at about 9:12 i heard the cry of my lil baby. One of the doctors showed me the baby and said its a girl, i kissed my little angel and thanked God that everything was ok.

I was shifted to ICU. I thought that everyone will be outside to see me but no one was there, everyone ( mom, massi and Gaurav) they rushed to see the baby. I waited in ICU that someone from my family will come and will meet me....but no one came, then at about 10:30 or 11:00 PM Gaurav came and asked the doctor to if he could meet me, but doctor refused. I asked doctor to let him in...but he refused saying that the meeting hours are over. I could not sleep whole night due to pain secondly because i was not able to meet gaurav.

In the morning Gaurav and Dr. Sujata Bhat(gynecologist) came, she checked me and said we can shift to room...I asked doc when will they give the baby. She said probably today night. We shifted to room in the Evening at about 3 PM. I kept on asking Gaurav when will they give the baby. Then doctor Sujata came to my room in the evening and told me that although they sucked the meconium(first stool) from baby's mouth and nose, still she inhaled some particles, those particles have blocked some portion of her lungs. So she will be kept in nursery for treatment may be for 3-4 days....Tears rolled down my eyes.

The problem that the baby was facing is known as Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001596.htm), in which the baby passes the first stool inside womb due to some stress and inhales the particles, these stool particles block the lungs and reduce oxygen saturation

which causes higher breathing rate. Her breathing rate was very high and was having difficulty in breathing. Doctor put her on ventilator on 30th sept, i went to see her on 31th sept eveving, when i saw her with 5 drip, a urine pipe and ventilator pipe in her mouth i could not control my tears...her condtion was critical. Doctors said they are doing the best, rest is in the hands of God anything could happen...

Each time i went to see her...i cried when i came back to my room...Gaurav supported me so much in this condition that i dont have words to express my feelings

for him...he is my lifeline..my soul...my everything. ..i cant even think of my existence without him.

On fourth day i was discharged , every time we asked the doctors when will the baby be discharged, we heard the same sentence 'After 3-4 days' But the doctors were right they also didnt know when she will become perfectly all right. We kept on going to the hospital to see her in the morning and in the evening, asking for the latest updates from the doctors. Her health was improving little by little.She was kept on ventilator for 7 days, and

was then moved to oxygen mask. The drips were removed one by one...and then milk was fed through a pipe attached to her throat. She was also given the antibiotic course side by side to

completely remove the infection from her lungs, Her lungs x-ray were now becoming clear day by day. Then she was given my breast milk by spoon. On 16th sept doctor told me that i can breast feed her...I was sitting in the feeding room...sister brought her to me wrapped in the white cloth...i held her for the first time in my arms..again the tears...i tried to feed her....she was not able to hold the nipple...it was my first time..i also didnt know how to feed her.

Sister told me to bring someone with me for help. then in the evening i and my sis-in-law(Ritu Di) went to hospital. She taught me how to feed the baby. Then it became easy for me. Next day was Diwali 17th Sept...oxygen mask was removed...I and Gaurav stayed in the nursery whole day with Naureen(yes we named her Naureen, meaning bright light) to feed her after every 2-3

hours...we expected that doctors will discharge her today but they said some of her tests are pending after seeing the reports they will discharge.

Next day 18th Sept, we went to hospital around 9 am....Asked doctor if everything was ok...They said YES

all the reports are fine..and we can take her home once all the billing and other formalities are complete. This was the day we were waiting for....a long wait...19 days...the hard time of our life.....All the formalities got completed at about 4PM...sister dressed and wrapped the little one and handed over to us....We went to Gurudawara Sahib to thank God, finally our prayers were granted.....

My Brave Daughter fought for her life......Naureen was welcomed home