High Risk Pregnancy Pt2

I started consuming protein shakes and trying to keep up my calorie intake to help keep Olivia to grow at a constant rate. Toward the end of my pregnancy I started having issues with my blood pressure going up at night. The nephrologist instructed me to start taking my metoprolol first thing in the morning and the 2nd dose at night with dinner. I also started experiencing heavy heart burn that required medication. This helped a lot with the burning pain I got when I ate.

Along all the other things going on I began to struggle with sleep. At first it was the constant need to roll over because of the side I was on going numb. Then it turned into need to roll to get comfortable again after Olivia would move. I started experiencing headaches along with dizziness. It would come and go, but when the medication kicked it I started to feel better. I did what I could to rest when I felt it go up and tried to keep my water intake up to help flush my system. Around 30 weeks I started having issues with my vision and feeling like I was going to pass out. It got so bad that I called my doctor and they told me to go get checked out by the labor and delivery floor at the hospital. That wasn’t what I expected it to be like. They hooked me up to all the machines and put the monitors on my tummy. I was told to get comfy and they started tracking my blood pressure. They couldn’t keep Olivia’s activity up enough to let me go home. I was admitted to the hospital and kept over the weekend. This was the longest experience. I didn’t want to be hooked up to monitoring machines for 3 days. I couldn’t get comfortable with all the wires, but I was thankful they were concerned enough to keep an eye on us. Olivia didn’t like the sounds from the monitors. Every 30 mins or so she would move away and the nurse would have to come and find her again. This was a constant interruption to my attempt to sleep or rest. The doctors stepped in and out and told me that my daughter wasn’t moving enough. They told me it was best to watch my blood pressure and her activity over the weekend. When they released me on Sunday I was so tired and Olivia was so over being chased.

I didn’t noticed this until the following high risk doctor appointment that Olivia had been so stressed out she flipped herself. She was now breached and they didn’t expect me to make it more than a few more days before needing to deliver. My high risk doctor told me her activity was going down even with food being consumed. They also noticed she was hyperventilating and struggling to stay calm. They pulled me into the doctors private office and told me if it didn’t get better or I felt worse than I did I would need to go to the hospital right away. I was now at the end of 34 weeks. I was a day away from making it to 35 weeks. That night I went home and felt better and my blood pressure readings were looking good. The following morning the numbers started to go up and they stay up all day. Around noon o started feeling nauseous… as in more than just sick to my stomach. Followed by feeling dizzy and having major brain fog. I wasn’t feeling good and I knew if it continued I would pass out. I called the OBGYN office and told them what the high risk doctor discussed with me. She told me she would rather I go get checked out then ignore it.

I packed everything up and we headed to the hospital and up to the labor and delivery floor. Once we arrived they got us settled in and hooked me up to monitors to determine what medication I needed for my blood pressure brought on by preeclampsia. After 30 mins of waiting and giving blood, urine and checking on Olivia by monitor they determine I would have to wait till the next morning to deliver. I started to get comfy and we prepared mentally to hold our baby girl! Not an hour later the OB came in and brought an ultrasound monitor with her to check Olivia’s position. At first she said she’s not breached and then she noticed her feet were in the wrong area entirely. She told us we were needing to deliver her ASAP as I was on my 3 round of IV blood pressure medication to bring my numbers down. She called in a few nurses and they started hooking me up. Next they placed two IV for surgery. Finally they started preparing to push me down to the delivery room. As we left they told my fiancé he needed to put a gown on and wait outside the delivery door until they were down prepping me.

First I was moved over to the table and the nurses were rushing around to set things up for the doctor and prepare the incubator for Olivia’s arrival. While they did the set up the anesthesiologist came in to prep me for my epidural. As they prepped me a nurse held my hands and offered her shoulders to hold onto. At this point the medication they gave me started a series of shakes that went through my body. The doctor cleaning my back and started feeling around for the right place to place the needle. The first of 5 times to get the right placement began and left me exhausted from the constant shoot pain as the doctor hit bone and bone spurs in my spin. Finally they were on the last attempt before calling in another doctor to try. As soon as the pain started they redirected the needle and the pain stopped and all I felt was pressure. A few moments later the needle followed by the catheter was placed and the medication was administered. As they we’re finishing the medication administration it began to come back out and they rushed to lay me down. The time had come where I began to feel nervous and excited at the same time. The numbness began to spread through my legs followed by my back and then my chest. The nurse double checked my pain sensations as she poked me lightly with a needle.

The time had arrived that the doctor began cutting my abdomen open. As she cut her way to Olivia and put her into position to deliver her there was an odd sensation of pulling. I can only explain this by saying it reminded me of the time my cat used to sit on me and make biscuits on my stomach. Shortly after this feeding began it stopped. As my fiancé was pulled away from his spot by my head keeping me calm, I heard a cry. I knew my sweet baby had made her entrance into the world. I was relieved and full of joy at the same time.

the next few days were a bit of a blur. The pain medication and constant nurse pop ins. All I know is it took 2 days before I could see my daughter. I sent my fiancé the night I delivers to the NICU to visit her, love on her and take pictures!! I was begging the nurses to let me go down and see her. I pushed myself as much as I could to get to the point of waking down there. By the time I was able to go down and see her I was crying! The moment I help her in my arms I was so thankful she was doing so well.