My eldest

I have two sons, Austin, the oldest at 24 and Cameron, my baby, is 20. When I was pregnant with Austin I went into labor at 4.5 months. I was placenta previa and basically, I was bleeding to death. Dr. McClinton stopped the labor and bleeding with a shot of terbutaline. The last words I remembered him saying were “complete bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy” I went deaf after that. My mind was spinning. COMPLETE BED REST! “Doesn’t he remember how active I am? I can’t lie in bed for the next 4.5 months!!! I will go crazy!” is all I thought.

I went home the next day and the lying around started. I washed my face sitting down. I brushed my teeth sitting down. I went from the bed to the sofa and back to the bed. This was going to be a LONG 4.5 months. Six weeks later I am back in the hospital bleeding uncontrollably. This time they gave me a shot of Magnesium Sulfate and my heart raced so fast it stopped. I died. I remember closing my eyes and thinking this is the most peaceful feeling I have ever experienced.

When I “woke up” my husband was sitting there looking at me, and I swear his eyes were as large as saucers. I was back! I asked them not to give me that stuff anymore, I didn’t like it. They made a note of that. The bed rest was now to continue in the hospital. Joy, joy I was not allowed out of bed for ANY reason. Yes, you know what that mean.

I was receiving steroid shots to develop his/her lungs faster. I joked with them every time I received a shot saying “the shot is not working. My boobs haven’t grown any!” Obviously this did not affect the joking side of me.

With two months left to go, the bleeding again started one night in my sleep. I didn’t even feel what was happening. The nurse called Dr. McClinton and the fun began. The bleeding could not be stopped this time. I was loosing a lot of blood extremely fast, and I needed a transfusion. This was the time that AIDS was first becoming known and, there was not enough time to let my family to come up and give blood. I was scared when they put the needle in my arm and the blood started flowing down the tube. Before it got to me, I pinched off the tube and told them “NO! Take it out!” Dr. McClinton told me that I would be dead in a couple of hours without it. I let go and let it run.

An amniotic fluid test was preformed to see if his/her lungs were developed enough to go ahead and take him/her that evening. It was positive. And we found out it was a he. I was happy, and Scott was REAL happy. Pre-op started and I started crying. Those who know me know it takes A LOT to make me cry. I was scared to death!

The epidural was given, I was numb, and the cutting began. Now, talk about a weird feeling? WOW! Pressure, the tugging and pulling and then a baby’s cry! I cried, Scott cried, and this whole ordeal was over. I briefly got a look at John Austin Cole before they took him away. He could not breathe on his own. The test was wrong. He was two months early, 4 lbs 15oz and 18 inches long.

Austin remained in the hospital for 10 days before we could take him home. Then our life began. My boys are four years apart for a reason. The chances of being placenta previa again were much greater with the next pregnancy and, I did not want to go through that again. I finally gave up and along came Marshall Cameron Cole. He is another story on his own.