I originally published my preeclampsia birth story in May 2020. Since its original publication, I have gone through a lot of therapy and have remembered parts of the story that I didn’t remember last year. I also have clarified some things and made changes to make the story flow a bit more. Everything I described is true and what I experienced.
When you experienced a traumatic birth, sometimes you don’t remember everything as your brains’ way of protecting you… If you want to stay updated on my latest posts and follow along with this story click here to subscribe. Click here to read Part 1 (Watch Your Blood Pressure). To read part 3 (Have This Baby Immediately) click here. Click here for Part 4 (The Painful Time After C-Section). And click here for part 5 (Strong Emotions in the NICU).
Table of Contents
Preeclampsia Birth Story: High Blood Pressure and Protein in Urine
I spent the next week driving to my local grocery store 2x a day to take my blood pressure on their machine next to the pharmacy in the toothpaste aisle. It smelled of old sweat and toothpaste. I recorded each blood pressure in a notebook to turn in to my doctor at each appointment. I stayed elevated with readings slightly above the 140/90 range.
On May 16, 2019, during a doctor’s appointment, my doctor sent me to Labor & Delivery. He wanted to do a 24-hour urine test to see exactly how much protein was spilling into my urine. I went to this appointment alone because I left my job at a credit union to make it to the appointment.
I called my husband at work and explained to him that we needed to go to the hospital. We only had one car, and I had it. My doctor wouldn’t allow me to drive myself just around the corner to the hospital. So while I waited for Steven to show, I tried to think of what might happen. My mind was racing a million miles a minute. I kept wondering if I was going to have my baby soon or if I was dying.
Preeclampsia Birth Story: Hospital Was Expecting Me
Once I got there, the nurses were expecting me and immediately lead me to a room. They gave me a hospital gown to wear and instructed me to put it on with no underwear. After putting on the gown, I climbed into the hospital bed and they immediately placed in an IV, took some blood, and asked me admission questions. I also had two monitors placed on my belly, one to track contractions and one to track Cora’s heart rate. The nurses were kind, but I constantly felt like something bad was going to happen.
Everything happened so fast.
One minutes things were fine.
The next I pumped with fluids and to needed ask to go to the bathroom.
Once I just chilling in the hospital bed, Steven shared that he picked up Taco Bell on the way over for lunch and offered to go to the parking lot and get it for us. My eyes filled with fear with the thought of being alone so I wouldn’t let him leave. So the Taco Bell sat in our car for what we thought at the time would only be 24 hours.
To complete the observation, every ounce of my urine was collected in a bucket for a urine analysis. The bucket went underneath the seat and hung above the water in the toilet. I peed as I normally would do, but instead of going into the water of the toilet, it went into the bucket. Usually, a nurse poured the toilet bucket into the big bucket, but they weren’t always on top of it. When the bucket was full, and a nurse wasn’t around, Steven poured the toilet bucket into the bucket (true love is pouring your spouse’s urine into a bucket).
Preeclampsia Birth Story: An Extended Stay
Originally, the observation was only going to last 24 hours. Once hour 22 rolled around, I was starting to get really antsy because I wanted to get out of the uncomfortable hospital bed. I wanted to wear my own clothes and pee in my own toilet. I just kept telling myself, “Only a few more hours and then I can shower”. And then hour 25 rolled around. And I told myself again, “Only a little bit longer and then I will be home. Then I can be home and cry and really process everything that happened.”
A nurse came in, and I asked when I would be able to leave as she repositioned the monitors on my belly.
“He wants you in longer for observation,” she replied.
My eyes immediately swelled up with tears. My lungs were heavy. I lost control over all my emotions and I started to cry hysterically.
“I’m so sorry, I’m so so sorry,” I whimpered to the nurse between tears. I felt embarrassed over losing my emotions like that. Steven spoke for me, “She just thought she would be home now”.
Preeclampsia Birth Story: It Broke Me Down
I wanted to come off as strong and unbreakable. I was trying to hold off until I got home to cry as hard as I wanted to by myself. But I couldn’t do that and I lost control. The nurse then left me alone with my husband and my thoughts.
I just laid in the hospital bed, depressed. “Why me?” was a thought that flew across my mind over and over again.
I tried to sleep as often and as much as I could because there was nothing else I could do but stay in bed.
Preeclampsia Birth Story: Unexpected Support
Later that night, I got a surprise. Steven woke me up and standing in front of me was my mom and youngest sister. They drove late at night to come to visit me and be with me. They lived 3.5 hours away so it meant a lot to me. I cried tears of joy to see my mom there.
My mom and sister stayed for an hour or so but then left to sleep at night and told me they would be back the next morning. My mom offered to stay so Steven could go home, shower, and sleep in his own bed, but he refused to leave.
The next 2 days were a blur.
I kept thinking, “Today will be the day I go home” and the nurses and my doctor kept preventing me from doing so. There were a lot of blood draws, blood pressure checks, and different concoctions of drugs administered. I also got steroid shots on my hip to help Cora’s lungs develop in case she would need to be delivered earlier than 37 weeks. Those shots hurt like hell. After they were administered I would curl up in the fetal position (as good as I could with a huge belly) and cry hysterically from the pain.
Preeclampsia Birth Story: You Get To Go Home
On day 3 I was discharged, and it was a glorious day. Although I was discharged on strict orders of bed rest and as little salt intake as possible. As I was being discharged I was told that I had preeclampsia with severe features and I would be monitored and once it got too severe my baby would be delivered no matter what. My goal was to make it to 37 weeks with a scheduled induction, but that was contingent on how my body was reacting to the blood pressure medication and how Cora was doing.
I spent the next week at my doctor’s office nearly every day because of spikes in my blood pressure. I had multiple NSTs (non-stress test, which is a test to see if the baby is in distress) and ultrasounds to see if Cora was growing and check the amniotic fluids. On my visit, my doctor delivered the news I wasn’t ready to hear.
“You will have this baby within 5 days”.
The following weekend was Memorial Day weekend and my doctor still wanted me to have an NST and ultrasound so I was scheduled for 2 outpatient visits at the hospital. One on Saturday, which happened to be the day of my baby shower, and one on Memorial Day.
The Saturday outpatient visit was a breeze. My blood pressure was high but wasn’t high enough for my doctor to need to do anything else. I was grateful for that because I could still attend the baby shower my friends put on for me. I was so grateful for it because I was able to get clothes that would fit her. Everyone there knew that she was going to be born early and small so I got preemie clothes and diapers. Steven and I went online shopping to get everything else we needed for Cora.
Preeclampsia Birth Story: More Time At The Hospital
The outpatient visit on Memorial Day was a different story from Saturday’s visit. I was in the hospital for 6 hours. My blood pressure was high, but I was having contractions, according to the monitors. I didn’t feel any contractions. To me, it just felt like she was moving around. I had an in-depth ultrasound that measured every single part of Cora. Her foot, her head, her belly. It also measured the amount of amniotic fluid that was surrounding her.
Once the ultrasound was completed, my doctor let me leave with a promise that the second I felt bad (throwing up, felt the contractions, etc) I would come straight to L&D. He told me I needed to come in first thing Tuesday morning.
At the time, I felt fine and thought everyone, including my husband, was overreacting. I just wanted to go home and all of this to be over. I didn’t want to be pregnant anymore. Preeclampsia was something I didn’t want to deal with anymore. I just wanted my body to go back to before I was pregnant and before I knew preeclampsia existed. This wasn’t what I imagined being pregnant would be like.
Preeclampsia Birth Story: Ready To Be done
I didn’t imagine blood draws, nearly every day, that made my arm bruise. My husband not sleeping at night because he was in fear that I would have a stroke or seizure while sleeping was something I didn’t choose to deal with. I didn’t imagine any of this.
When I woke up the next day I thought it was just going to be just another one of my many appointments. Lots of blood pressure checks, an NST, and an ultrasound just sent me home.
The nurse checked my pressure, got my weight, took some blood, and then brought me and Steven into a room.
A minute later my doctor came in.
“You’re having this baby today.”
Click here to read part 3 (Have This Baby Immediatly).
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Preeclampsia can come on fast. It is important to be on top of your pregnancy and prepared for anything. Checking my blood pressure regularly was very important to me and if you are pregnant it should be important to you. Here is the blood pressure cuff that I used to stay on top of my health. Click on the picture below to get one for yourself.
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