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I became pregnant with my first baby in May 2005. We were so excited that |
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I became pregnant with my first baby in May 2005. We were so excited that we were pregnant because I was so irregular and we thought that it would be very difficult to get pregnant. At about 6 weeks I had some bleeding and was put on bed rest for the remainder of first trimester. Second trimester was good. I was teaching junior high science and coaching cross country. We were also a little naive as to what to expect at each doctor's visit. I did not realize that they were suppose to take my blood pressure EVERY time. Well, at 24 weeks I was swelling in my ankles. I was told that I would not make it to term, but not to worry. Well, four weeks later my blood pressure was 160/100! I went home and called my doctor and she told me to monitor my blood pressure over night. If it was over 128/85 in the morning to go to the hospital. This was at 28 weeks. We went to the hospital where they immediately put me on Mag-sulfate and called for a helicopter to air lift me to another hospital that had a NICU that could handle a baby before 34 weeks. I was also given the steroid shot. I was on hospital bed rest for a week, before my liver started to shut down. My liver started to shut down at 2 pm on Thanksgiving Day 2005. Immediately they started to induce me. This would have been fine, but again in my ignorance, I wanted to have as natural of a birth as possible and my wonderful doctor (different from the OB that I had gone to for my prenatal) listened to me. This was another problem, because once they added the electronic monitor to the baby's head, I was not able to get out of bed. Therefore I could not use the bathroom. My labor was over 16 hours. Finally, I agreed to an epidural. Once this happened I was given a catheter and 1.5 liters of urine came out! Thirty minutes later our son was born. He had 8 and 9 APGAR scores, and weighed 2 lbs 14.2 oz. I was able to hold him for a few minutes then they rushed him to the NICU. He was only on a C-Pap for 10 days and had to have billie lights for that 10 days. After that 10 days he was moved into the CCN unit where he stayed for another 42 days. This was the longest time. We had to wait for him to learn to suck, swallow and breathe. This happened at what would have been 37 weeks gestation, which is where it develops in full term babies. Our son is almost 5 and doing great. There is no sign of prematurity and as soon as I delivered my blood pressure went down and I lost 30 of the 40 pounds I gained in 3 weeks. We became pregnant again in May 2007, same due date and everything. Knowing more about preeclampsia, we took a more proactive approach in knowing the signs and symptoms. My proteins were not high and my blood pressure never went about 130/90. So we thought that everything was going smoothly. Just over 36 weeks, our midwife came to our house to do our home study. This was Jan. 10, 2008. That was when my proteins were very high and my blood pressure was elevated. Induction started through natural ways. They also put me on bed rest. They came back the next day. Everything was the same, the baby's heart beat was even 140. When they came back on Saturday Jan 12, there was no heart beat. Our baby had died. I was taken to the hospital where I was again put on Mag/sulfate and induction was started. Micah was born at 5:02 pm weighing 3 lbs 10.5 oz and my placenta was only 5 cm in diameter. It is suspected that I had preeclampsia starting at 30 to 32 weeks without any of the signs. We are now pregnant with our third child. I am going to a high risk group and will be watched very carefully. This is the same group that we were with when I was in the hospital with our first son. I am nervous and excited. We are praying that the precautions are for nothing and that I have a normal pregnancy. |
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