The Days Before the Baby...

The night Tyson and I white washed our fireplace, I wasn't feeling very good after and wanted Tyson to take my blood pressure.  I have had problems with high blood pressure during this pregnancy that started around 23 weeks, but was being maintained by medication.  A few days previous to this, I had a Dr's appointment and had to increase my medication dose because it wasn't keeping my blood pressure down.  I also had to start having NSTs done at the hospital twice a week to monitor baby as well as my blood pressure.  So, when Tyson took my blood pressure, I wasn't surprised to have it be high, but was surprised at how high it was.  It was 170/108.  I went and took my scheduled dose of medication and then went and laid down and tried to go to sleep.  I was having trouble sleeping and just tossed and turned because I had a really bad headache and epigastric pain.  I woke up around 0230 and was still in pain and not feeling very well.  Tyson took my blood pressure again and it was the same, even with my medication on board.  We decided that I should go down to Labor and Delivery and be monitored for a little bit, since I was scheduled for an NST that day anyway, and figured I would be home sometime later that morning. 

I got down to Labor and Delivery and was placed on the monitor, had labs drawn, serial blood pressures, steroids, an ultrasound, etc.  My blood pressures were even higher once I was down there, (one even being 210/121) and baby didn't look that great on the monitor.  After a lot of IV medications, they finally were able to get my blood pressure down and baby started to look better.  The Dr. came in and told me that he wanted to watch me at least over night and then see in the morning how things were, and possibly send me home on bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy.  Tyson originally was going to take 2 weeks off of work after we had the baby, but we decided that whether I had the baby soon or went home on bed rest, it would be good for him to take a month off. Luckily he was able to get it all approved and got the okay to be done with work until June 18th.  One less thing to stress about. When Tyson and the boys woke up that morning, my mom came in and got the kids and took them to their house so that Tyson could come and be with me at the hospital. 

All through the day and through most of the night, my blood pressures were fine until around 0400 in the morning when I was sound asleep and they spiked back up again and baby wasn't looking great.  I had another round of IV medications given to get them back down and to get baby looking back to okay again. Because of that, I bought be another days stay in Labor and Delivery.  It got really boring being in there, not doing anything.  Luckily I work with amazing people and had a lot of people who came in to say hi and visit.  And, Tyson was a great support and stayed with me the whole time. 

Once again, all through the day my blood pressures remained okay with just my oral medication and they stayed good through the night until around 0400 again and they spiked!  So weird and random.  Baby wasn't looking great and I wasn't feeling so hot with by blood pressure being so high.  I had IV medications given again and they finally came back down. 

That morning, the Dr. came in and we discussed what the best thing to do would be.  I was still requiring IV medication to keep my blood pressures down, so going home was no longer an option.  Baby wasn't looking that great on the monitor and was starting to show some signs that were a little worrisome.  He suggested that because I had steroids on board now, that we should do an amniocentesis to see if baby's lungs were mature enough to induce.  I was super nervous about the idea because the risks really scare me, but decided that it was probably for the best. 

We went down to ultrasound and as I was lying there on the table I was getting more and more sick to my stomach.  The only pockets of fluid that they could find were small and had cord in them.  After a few minutes, I broke down and had a little melt down on the ultrasound bed.  Tyson came up and held my hand, but I just couldn't quit crying.  It hit me all at once that I was probably going to be having a 32 week baby and I was super nervous about his well being.  At that moment, I wanted to protect him so badly, but didn't know what else I could do.  After not being able to find a good enough pocket to draw fluid off, the Dr decided to move ahead with getting an ultrasound just to see how things were looking otherwise and then we would come back to trying to find a pocket of fluid big enough to draw from.

During the ultrasound, they are looking for certain criteria and they give you a score if those things are met.  The total number you can receive on the ultrasound portion is an 8.  I got 2 points for having enough fluid, right off the bat.  We then waited and scanned to see how everything else was looking.  There is a time frame of 30 minutes for when everything has to be examined.  It was getting down to about 5 minutes left and I still had only received the 2 points for fluid. Baby wasn't doing any movements or breathing and so we were at a stand still.  In my head I kept praying that whatever needed to happen would happen and that all would be well.  After the last 5 minutes were up, the total score was 2/8...which warrants delivery.  Part of me was relieved because I knew that I would no longer have to even worry about having an amniocentesis done and then the other part of me was super nervous because that meant that I was going to have to be induced, endure labor, and then deliver a 32 week baby.

Being a Labor and Delivery nurse makes things worse in a sense because of the knowledge base and knowing all of the complications that can arise, etc.  I was super nervous and was praying that everything would go well not only for my precious, little baby boy, but for my health as well, knowing how scary my blood pressures were.  Even though things were scary and nerve racking, I can honestly say that I felt at peace with things and had a feeling inside that everything would be okay.  I very vividly felt the Spirit and am so grateful for the comforting feeling I was able to experience.  Tyson and I could definitely feel the prayers that were being offered in behalf of us and our little family.  This whole experience definitely strengthened my testimony and I am so grateful for Christ and the Atonement. I know that He loves us and knows all of our sorrows and struggles as well as our happiness and joy.  I am so grateful to have the knowledge of the gospel.