Birth story and PP Pre-eclampsia

(Are people posting these here or maybe just on the birth story board? If so, sorry in advance! but I just had to tell you ladies)

Well, little Miss came in May, but since June was always my board, I wanted to share my story. About a week ago, I left work early because my feet were so swollen I couldn't take it anymore. I went to bed that night and around 10p, my water broke, just like in the movies but in my bed. I was not having any contractions. By the time we got to our birth center, I was contracting. I specifically picked the birth center so I could have the options of the jacuzzi, the big tub, the yoga balls, birthing chairs, nitrous, etc. as well as the mentality of the midwife birth. Well, I could only labor in two positions: standing up and on the toilet. As a FTM, I had no idea what to expect. I was throwing up quite a bit and they finally gave me meds for the nausea. Well, that made it impossible for me to even stand up anymore, I was so seriously doped (also, the nitrous did nothing for me). By that time, the pain was getting far more intense and I asked for the one thing I wanted to avoid, an epidural, however, I realized I could not take the pain in my compromised state. So, off to the hospital we had to drive (BC was about 7 minutes away).

By the time we got to the hospital, I was pretty much in active labor. Things were moving so fast. It would have taken a 1/2 hour for the blood work, a 1/2 hour for something else and THEN they would have called the anesthesiologist. By this time, I was having awful back labor (God bless you ladies for being able to take that). That was honestly the worst part of the whole experience. Then her head dropped and I was on my back giving birth to my amazing baby girl. I said I wouldn't look in the mirror, but I did and watched her come out. Like 3-4 pushes per contraction. I thought my body would just know how to push. It did not--thanks to some amazing coaching of a nurse, we helped her out. Baby Violet was born at 4a last Friday morning, weighing 6 lb 7 oz, 19.5 inches. It was truly the most amazing experience of my life. I only got almost 2nd degree tears. It took about a half hour to get sewn up. I stayed in the hospital for 24 hours and then was sent on my way. Door to door, I had the baby within 6 hours at 38w2d. So you really never know. And I fought tooth and nail to be at the BC, but ended up very happily at the hospital, but was very glad that I did not get the epidural (which I really didn't want).

I did the newborn baby thing and was getting into a routine for a few days, but I wondered if my dizziness was just hormones. I had had a rare brain condition a few years ago that only could resurface in light of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia so in the back of my mind I knew to watch my BP, just in the 1 in a million chance it could happen again. I had a completely uneventful pregnancy with normal BPs and usually have low BP in real life. Well, my BP was super high and they had me monitored in the hospital 4-5 hours one night. Repeated the next night and my BP at my highest was in the 200s/100s and now there was protein in my urine. I was treated for 36 hours (which was really rough, the treatment) for PE. But I think many people think P/E is only for while pregnant but it can actually happen up to one month afterwards. So if you don't feel right, listen to your gut. Not everything is changing hormones.

Anyway, I was am a huge worrywart and had worried about a late baby, tearing, etc ad nauseum, but none of my worries really came to fruition (except the last one!) And amazingly, even though I thought I would never make threw the hard parts, afterwards, I just thought "eh, that wasn't so bad". Must be biological. Thanks for letting me share this.