The first 24 weeks of my pregnancy were perfectly normal. I was still able to

Posted On Saturday, April 04, 2009  by

The first 24 weeks of my pregnancy were perfectly normal. I was still able to exercise, I ate healthy and my baby was thriving in the womb. At 26 weeks I went into preterm labor, but luckily my Ob/GYN was able to stop the contractions. However, three days later, it happened again. I was then placed on strict bedrest, and was also placed on terbutaline. Within the next few weeks, I started to notice I was gaining weight. Up until that point I had only gained 14lbs. At 30 weeks I had already gained an extra 30lbs. My doctor said I should watch my fat intake and also salt because my blood pressure was creeping up. I went back two weeks later (32 weeks) and I gained another 20lbs.I was finding it harder to walk because my body was so swollen, especially at night; but I never worried about it because I was told by family and friends that it was normal pregnancy swelling since I was so close to my due date.

However, my Ob/GYN started to notice that I was gaining a lot of weight too quickly and that my blood pressure was rising. He sent me home and told me to come back the following week. I returned the following week and I had gained another 13lbs and now my feet, legs, hands, and face were visibily swollen, and my blood pressure was 150/99. He had me admitted in Labor and Delivery just as a precaution. I was immediately placed on magnesium sulfate and was told that a number of tests would be run on me to figure out exactly what was wrong. I was now at 33weeks and so scared. The following day, a perinatologist was assigned to me. I was told I had developed preeclampsia, and that they would try to keep from delivering my daughter as long as possible, but that there is a greater chance that she will be born premature.

At this point, I did not know what to think. I was terrified. Especially when I am being told that I have a serious situation at hand, and that the pain I was feeling could probably intensify. Luckily, I had an amazing Ob/GYN and also a staff of nurturing nurses that have been taking great care of me. Three days later, a Friday afternoon, I began having strong chest pains, and difficulty breathing. As soon as I made my nurse aware of my syptoms, a team of doctors and nurses came rushing in and put me on oxygen, and started taking blood, and performed an EKG on me. Within a couple hours, I was being preped for an emergency C-Section. I was told that my blood pressure was soaring - at it's highest it was 210/115 - and that for the welfare of myself and my baby, she needed to be deliver immediately.

My daughter was born 7 weeks premature, and weighed 4lbs. 7oz. and was 19in. long. Luckily my Ob/GYN has also started giving me a series of steriods for her in order to pregress the development of her heart and lungs. I'm not exactly certain was happened after she was born and taken to the NICU. I was taken to the ICU and stayed there for two days and was then switched to the maternity ward. I was kept away from my daughter for three days until my blood pressure lowered and I was no longer in the "danger zone." The first time I saw her, she was in an incubator and was so tiny. She had jaundice, so she was under the lights. Five days after she was born, she was able to start eating formula. Seven days after she was born I was out of the hospital and able to finally hold her. It was the best day ever. My daughter progressed wonderfully. She was eating formula, no longer on oxygen. Nine days after she was born, she was no longer in the incubator. She finally came home after 2 weeks and 4 days in the hospital. My husband and I were overjoyed. She came home on an apnea monitor and had GERD, and needed to take 3 different medications. However, she was healthy, and home, and that was all that mattered. She is now two weeks away from her first birthday. She is a very healthy, happy, beautiful, thriving little lady.

The last few weeks of my pregnancy and even months after my pregnancy, I was so angry. I did everything right. I ate healthy, I exercised, I took my vitamins religiously. Nothing terrible was supposed to happen. My baby was supposed to be born on time, with no complications. I felt like, it just wasn't fair. However, having been able to share my story, and reading the stories of other brave women makes it much easier. It makes me a stronger person, and I hope my story can help make someone else stronger.