“Did you take the stairs?”

“Yes, why do ask?”

“Your blood pressure is really high.”

“No, let me pull my sleeves up. You have to take it directly on my arm.”

The medical assistant retakes my blood pressure on my arm.

“It’s still high. I’m going to have you lay on your left side, and I will come back to take your blood pressure.”

Laying on my side, nervous as to why on earth is my blood pressure so high. 170’s/90’s! I never in life had this issue. I laid there for 15 minutes on the table waiting. The medical assistant comes back into the room and retakes my blood pressure.

“It’s still high. I’ll be back.”

I bury my face into my hands and begin to cry with my husband by my side.

The OB enters the room, “Hey sweetie I am admitting you into the hospital with preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. I want you to take this to OB triage.” The Ob hands me an admission prescription. In disbelief, I walk out of the exam room confused. I was supposed to go with granny to scan items for my baby shower. I hope this won’t take long. 

Still, in disbelief, I get to triage to be admitted, and three days later, I am on the operating table having a c-section.

I remember being on the operating table and my husband cracking jokes that made the OB yell at me. I also remember the pain of feeling my OB ripping my insides out. Yes, I felt every part of that.

At 28 weeks, I delivered a 1lb 13ozs baby boy. Thank God for my husband and his support. If it wasn’t for my hubby, anyone could have taken my baby, and I would not have been able to tell anyone what my baby looked like. I was on bedrest until the magnesium drip was weaned off. Therefore I could not see my baby until the next day. When I was coherent to see my child, there was joy and sadness at the same time. I wondered why I could not have the birth I dreamt of? How come everything never comes out perfect? I couldn’t take my baby home with me, like most mothers could, which left me with this emptiness and this sadness. I had to touch my child through an incubator and kiss my hand to his little toes through something that separated us.

My son was in the hospital for 2 months and in the NICU for one month. By God’s grace, his breathing was not an issue. My son was just smaller than most babies. 
Who knew going to a regular check-up at the OB would send me to the hospital.

I had no prominent signs of preeclampsia. I had swelling, but for a first-time mom, the swelling was a regular part of pregnancy.

After delivering my son, I was on blood pressure medication for a few months and struggled with keeping my blood pressure down. It took months for my blood pressure to normalize. I really am blessed to have a great OB that recognized the signs and helped to save my son's and my life.