Before I write out Luke's birth story, I wanted to give some background on Little Bear's birth and how preeclampsia played a factor in both births.
The month of May happens to be Preeclampsia Awareness Month so it's only fitting I tell our story. You can find lots more info on preeclampsia here at the
Preeclampsia Foundation.
When I was pregnant with Little Bear I had an amazing pregnancy. No morning sickness, had lots of energy and just felt really good for the first 6 months. Around the fifth month I started to have swollen feet. Yes, swelling is part of being pregnant, but this was early for it to happen and it got progressively worse throughout my pregnancy.
When I was 38 weeks pregnant I was diagnosed with preeclampsia. There are three factors that need to be present to be considered preeclamptic. They are swelling, high blood pressure and protein in urine.
Preeclampsia can be dangerous for both the baby and mother. If untreated it can lead to seizures, organ failure and even death. Most recent numbers show that their are 76,000 maternal deaths a year due to complications with preeclampsia and 500,000 deaths among newborns.
My blood pressure was so high that I was put on a magnesium drip to prevent seizures and Little Bear was born that same day via c-section.
The amazing thing about preeclampsia is the only "cure" is to deliver the baby. In the operating room my blood pressure returned to normal as soon as Little Bear was born.
 |
| Flashback 3.5 years when Little Bear was in the NICU for a week after I gave birth |
Fast forward three years to being pregnant with Luke. My pregnancy this time around was different. I had some morning sickness, lacked energy and all around felt crappy. However, I passed that 6 month mark and had no swelling. I thought for sure I was in the clear and would not have preeclampsia for this pregnancy.
Around 32 weeks ,my blood pressure started to sky rocket. I also had some lovely swelling, but no protein in my urine. We tried to control the blood pressure with some meds so I would be able to carry Luke to as close to full term as possible.
At 35 weeks I ended up in the hospital due to my high blood pressure. Lab work confirmed what I already knew that I was preeclamptic. The hospital sent me home and wanted to continue to monitor the baby in the womb.
At this point, I was upset and angry. Of course, I wanted Luke to have time "to cook" in the womb, but I was also thinking of my health. I felt like a walking time bomb. Basically, we were waiting until my pressure was sooo high to justify taking the baby out before he was full term.
At 36 weeks 5 days, I had an appointment with the head of Labor & Delivery at the hospital to see if we could potentially move up my c-section due to my preeclampsia. My blood pressure was 160/110. I was admitted into the hospital and several hours later Luke Thomas was born.
I was exhausted and out of it for Luke's birth, but I do remember Tommy telling me that Luke was a big baby. We later found out he was 7 pounds 11 ounces. Can you imagine if I carried him to full term? He would have been a giant. Oh and a cute random story. As I was laying there waiting for my c-section to begin I mentioned to Tommy I was sooo thirsty (nothing to drink or eat for hours) and the only thing that would cure it was a slurpee from 7-11. How funny is it that was Luke's weight?
In recovery we realized that my blood pressure wasn't going down despite having delivered the baby. This is when I found out that you can have preeclamptic signs up to 6 weeks after delivery. I spent the next 4 days in the hospital trying to medicate my pressure where it was safe for me to come home.
The first 24 hours after birth I was on a magnesium drip for seizures. If anyone has experienced the dreaded magnesium drip they know it's pure hell. One nurse described it as feeling like your blood is boiling and your cooking from the inside out. Basically you are so hot and miserable.
My first week home has been spent at lots of doctors appointments and labs for blood work as we keep close tabs on my blood pressure and liver enzymes. It's not the ideal week I pictured in my mind, but I am so thankful that both myself and my little lion are okay.
Pin It Now!
Posted with Blogsy
Posts
