Saturday, November 16, 2013

Maternity Ward Frequent Flyer

I was admitted into the the hospital again. sigh.
Earlier this week my blood pressure was running around 160/120 when all I was doing was sitting on my booty on the floor. I moved to the bed, laid on my left side, & managed to work it back down to borderline acceptable with only a mild headache. The following morning I had my regular weekly appointment with my OB & boy did I get fussed at for not hauling myself to the hospital the day before. 
Dr.Z checked me & said my cervix was beginning to open. I also had lab work, a biophysical profile, & a fetal non stress test-all a normal part of my visit with my condition. My blood pressure in the office was still running too high so I was sent over to the hospital for observation & of course it calmed down to a beautiful 117/77 (making me look like a hypertension faker), where it hasn't been for nearly a month. We were discharged, walked to the car, I sat down in my seat & immediately felt a gush of blood.
We turned around & went back to maternal observation, thankfully we had been gone for such a short amount of time that my chart hadn't even been closed out & we were able to pick up where we had left off. My BP was back up & now I had a date with the Perinatologist.
The perinatologist was awesome & so thorough. She discovered that my cervix was dilated one cm at the top & is full of blood. She also revealed that my placenta had previously only traveled up enough to sit on the cusp of the cervix & as the cervix begins to dilate the placenta is slipping into the opening, causing bleeding & Brit's head is resting directly on top of the cervix. 
The result of all this is a scheduled c-section to take place in the next 2-3 weeks, a far cry from my long time plan of a a natural vaginal delivery using Hypnobabies. I feel like I'm in some sort of a state of grief for not getting the delivery that I have wanted for so long.
Having a c-section means that we no longer have control over labor & delivery, we won't get to assist in pulling Brit from my body, bonding may be delayed, breastfeeding may be more difficult, I will now have drugs coursing through my body, & the recovery from major abdominal surgery will take much longer than a natural delivery. In short, I'm scared & sad to lose the birth experience that I want but know that the only important thing is that I'll be holding a baby in my arms, I'm sure we won't care how he arrives once he's here.
After being admitted my in laws came to town & kept me occupied. I stayed overnight for observation, IV fluids, labs, & a 24 hour urine collection. My BP remained borderline but acceptable & the protein in my urine was within normal limits so I was discharged to come home for continued bed rest. My mother in law has filled my belly with delicious food & I've been able to snuggle my puppies, we are grateful for the help so that Chris has not had to bear the role of caregiver alone after a difficult pregnancy.
I have a doctor appointment on Monday where we schedule the c-section, probably during the first week of December. After 4 long years of waiting, I cannot believe that meeting my son is just around the corner...

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