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May 2017 Moms
MollyandD
member
Birth of Thomas
MollyandD
member
I'm recovering from a very traumatic birth, but my sweet boy is just fine. Edited to add: Tommy is my Cinco de Mayo baby. He was delivered at exactly 38 weeks.
I was on track for a home birth and had an extremely healthy pregnancy. My blood pressure and urine were normal on one of my Thursday visits with my midwife. Saturday, I had bad pains that I assumed were gas pains. They came and went through the week, but I thought it was just gastric pain. At the next midwife visit, my urine had elevated protein and my blood pressure was high. We decided to monitor and check again the next day. I took off work that next Friday, and my levels were rechecked. My blood pressure was high and I was in pain again, so my care was transferred to the hospital in my area with the best NICU and high risk delivery area.
I was admitted with preeclampsia. Later, in the hospital, I went to full eclampsia when I had a seizure. Prior to the seizure I was trying to explain to the doctor that my vision was not working. I could see, but nothing went from my eyes to my brain. I remember telling him, "I'm looking right at you, but if someone gave me a paper and pencil, I couldn't draw you because I have no idea what you look like." I had an emergency c-section. My baby is fine, but I keep going back and forth. I keep asking what I could have done differently, and the doctors and nurses all told me that in my case, there is nothing I could have done other than take baby aspirin through the pregnancy. I worried about judgement from them because I saw a midwife, but the head of high risk at the hospital told me himself that because I was so normal before, it wouldn't have mattered. I'm just one of the people who has symptoms come on very suddenly.
I keep asking what I can do now to speed up healing and I'm told there's nothing but time. This isn't easy for me to have no control like that, but I'm taking all the medications they recommend. When I was told that walking would help, I got up and walked, which was so difficult at first. I have major swelling in my vaginal area and legs, which they can't do anything for. My incision was very painful at first too, but I powered through and walked around. My husband had to support my weight at first, but now I can get out of bed and go to the bathroom alone.
I know I'm jumping around, but this whole thing is a blur to me. The pains I thought were gas were actually liver pains from HELLP syndrome that can go along with preeclampsia. I hadn't heard of it until I got it. I had low platelets and elevated liver enzymes. I never had many preeclampsia symptoms like headaches or nausea. I had a blood transfusion after my c-section. It's all been scary for me and my family.
I am so thankful my Hypnobirth coach told me to make three birth plans: one for home birth, one for medicated hospital birth, and one for c-section. I was upset when I learned I'd need a c-section, but because of her advice, I was prepared. I immediately said that I wanted my husband to do skin to skin for the hour after birth with our baby, I didn't want my baby getting a bath until family could do it, and I wanted to breastfeed as soon as I was able. I had to be put under for surgery, so I couldn't do skin to skin myself. As with any plan, the goal is healthy baby first and foremost. I'm just glad that the other three things I valued were able to be accommodated.
I'm in love with baby Tommy, and I'm hoping to go home today, if I continue to improve. I'm happy that he is healthy and thriving.
I was on track for a home birth and had an extremely healthy pregnancy. My blood pressure and urine were normal on one of my Thursday visits with my midwife. Saturday, I had bad pains that I assumed were gas pains. They came and went through the week, but I thought it was just gastric pain. At the next midwife visit, my urine had elevated protein and my blood pressure was high. We decided to monitor and check again the next day. I took off work that next Friday, and my levels were rechecked. My blood pressure was high and I was in pain again, so my care was transferred to the hospital in my area with the best NICU and high risk delivery area.
I was admitted with preeclampsia. Later, in the hospital, I went to full eclampsia when I had a seizure. Prior to the seizure I was trying to explain to the doctor that my vision was not working. I could see, but nothing went from my eyes to my brain. I remember telling him, "I'm looking right at you, but if someone gave me a paper and pencil, I couldn't draw you because I have no idea what you look like." I had an emergency c-section. My baby is fine, but I keep going back and forth. I keep asking what I could have done differently, and the doctors and nurses all told me that in my case, there is nothing I could have done other than take baby aspirin through the pregnancy. I worried about judgement from them because I saw a midwife, but the head of high risk at the hospital told me himself that because I was so normal before, it wouldn't have mattered. I'm just one of the people who has symptoms come on very suddenly.
I keep asking what I can do now to speed up healing and I'm told there's nothing but time. This isn't easy for me to have no control like that, but I'm taking all the medications they recommend. When I was told that walking would help, I got up and walked, which was so difficult at first. I have major swelling in my vaginal area and legs, which they can't do anything for. My incision was very painful at first too, but I powered through and walked around. My husband had to support my weight at first, but now I can get out of bed and go to the bathroom alone.
I know I'm jumping around, but this whole thing is a blur to me. The pains I thought were gas were actually liver pains from HELLP syndrome that can go along with preeclampsia. I hadn't heard of it until I got it. I had low platelets and elevated liver enzymes. I never had many preeclampsia symptoms like headaches or nausea. I had a blood transfusion after my c-section. It's all been scary for me and my family.
I am so thankful my Hypnobirth coach told me to make three birth plans: one for home birth, one for medicated hospital birth, and one for c-section. I was upset when I learned I'd need a c-section, but because of her advice, I was prepared. I immediately said that I wanted my husband to do skin to skin for the hour after birth with our baby, I didn't want my baby getting a bath until family could do it, and I wanted to breastfeed as soon as I was able. I had to be put under for surgery, so I couldn't do skin to skin myself. As with any plan, the goal is healthy baby first and foremost. I'm just glad that the other three things I valued were able to be accommodated.
I'm in love with baby Tommy, and I'm hoping to go home today, if I continue to improve. I'm happy that he is healthy and thriving.
Re: Birth of Thomas
Married: October 2014
Began TTC: April 2015
BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w)
BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w)
BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17
BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
I am so glad to hear that both of you came out the other side together. Wishing you so much healing, mama.
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It’s not that I don’t like you, it’s that I don’t know you. Stranger Danger.
Me:31 DH:32 Married 11/06/10
DD: Born 8/23/13 (clomid+ovidrel+IUI)
BFP 9/9/16 EDD 5/19/17
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~Charlie Chaplin
DS2 5/17
#3 Due 9/20
Hoping for a quick recovery
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
11.2011 - DS1
02.2013 - loss at 6 wks
06.2014 - DS2
10.2015 - loss at 12 wks
03.2017 - DD
Please be gentle on yourself. I know it's hard to accept not having the birth you wanted and you have every right to feel a wide range of emotions - including traumatized - about how things went down. I hope you know you're a great mom!
Married 8/27/2011
BFP #1 9/28/2011 DS born 5/22/2012
BFP #2 4/24/2013 m/c 4/25/2013 at 4w
BFP #3 1/31/2014 DD born 10/14/2014
BFP #4 1/20/2016 m/c 2/12/2014 at 7w2d
BFP #5 8/19/2016 DS2 born 4/29/2017
BFP #6 3/7/2018 EDD 11/18/2018
ETA: also if you need to talk/vent or whatever as you recover, please know this is a safe place to do so
Married:09/14/13
Baby 2 - Due: 5/4/17
I had crazy swelling in my legs and genitals right after surgery. My legs are back to normal. My genital area is close to normal, but I have a blood clot in that area. My body is reabsorbing part of it, but some had to be removed through my incision. I can't keep stitches in, with all the swelling, so I have to be packed with gauze instead. My sweet momma has to pack me twice a day. It's a bit too much for my husband.
My husband has been amazing during this ordeal. He practically carried me to the shower in the hospital when I couldn't walk on my own. He got in with me and washed me like a child. I've never been so physically weak in my life, but he waited on me hand and foot. I told the nurse I was ready to have my catheter out as soon as I could, so I would be forced to walk to the bathroom. I also wanted to shower before I moved to another room. The room I was in at first had a seat built into the shower, and I knew I'd need it.
I go back for a follow up tomorrow with the high risk doctors and for an incision check. It's still strange to think I went from low risk to high risk in a matter of days. My hospital stay seemed like a bad dream I should have woken up from. I'm so happy to be home now, but my incision is still healing and my blood pressure isn't back to normal, so I have to be monitored frequently.