Last week, I told you I would be sharing C's birth story today. A Story Swap at Life as Mom prompted me to move up the schedule and post C's story here. So, instead of the dramatic story of our little girl's arrival, I will share with you all some details about my pregnancy to give you a better idea of how it came to pass the my daughter arrived so darn early...
I've mentioned my son A. many times in this blog. He was born in January of 2005, one week past his due date, weighing in at 8 lb even. I had an uneventful pregnancy, though I did suffer from some pretty intense morning sickness that eventually landed me in the hospital at 5 months due to dehydration. They pumped me full of fluid and I was good-to-go. My blood pressure was great, my blood sugar was great, my weight gain (at 29 lb) was considered perfect. I went into labor around midnight and gave birth at 8:05 am... not bad for a first baby. I had a vaginal birth with my son and it was amazing. Right after the delivery, my husband asked how I was doing... I replied, "I can't WAIT to do it again!" Little did I know...
Five months later, a sudden aversion to shrimp sent me reaching for the second pregnancy test that came in the twin-pack we bought when I suspected I was pregnant the first time. Two pink lines later, I knew I would be having another baby a mere 14 months after the first. Holy cow! I was filled with mixed emotions... thrilled to be welcoming another child into our homes, worried that it would somehow cut our first child's "babyhood" short.
My pregnancy seemed very like the first. Excellent blood pressure. Severe morning sickness (though this time it hit me in the evenings). Little to no "showing". This time around, however, we faced a lot of stress and tragedy during the early parts of my pregnancy. Unemployment. Settling into a new home. The loss of a parent. My husband finally finding a job, but having a two hour commute each way. About six weeks into the pregnancy, I started bleeding. The on-call OB in the emergency room (we were already at the hospital because of a family member) told me I was likely miscarrying. I was advised to return in 48 hours so they could check my hormone levels.
My levels went way up. The pregnancy was intact. I was assured that I was not at any increased risk for problems from that point forward. We were thrilled. Absolutely full of joy. Incredibly blessed.
My pregnancy progressed with no real problems. I was still pretty sick. I had a hard time gaining weight; I had only gained a half a pound by the end of the fourth month. My OB told me to "Eat, eat, eat! Anything that sounds good!" That meant I ate a whole lot of extra sharp cheddar cheese. I managed to gain four pounds in that next month. Hurray! They would be checking my sugar at the next appointment, but none of us had any concerns about it.
At 22 weeks 5 days pregnant, I got out of bed to go take a shower. My husband had already left for work. I walked in the dark to retrieve a towel, then went to the bathroom. When I glanced down, I saw my thighs smeared with blood. Total panic ensued and I struggled to gain composure. Neither my husband nor I had cell phones, so there was no reaching him until he arrived at his job, two hours away. I called the doctor's office and was told to come in as soon as I could, but not to drive. So I waited for my hubby to get to work, called him, and he made the two hour drive back in record time. Seriously, I have no idea how he got home to me so fast.
The OB examined me and noticed a small tear on my cervix, but no dilation. He cauterized the tear and ordered me to refrain from certain activities. I was put on bed-rest for two days and that was that. Phew. No big deal, apparently. Life went on.
It was exactly one week later that I started to bleed again. You can see the rest of that story here.
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