Pregnancy was not really my friend. I don't regret a minute of it, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I am planning on doing it all again. I, however, was miserable. My blood pressure started a steady climb around 26 weeks. I was swollen and uncomfortable. At my 28 week check up, my blood pressure was 146/95. I was sent to L & D for monitoring and I did my first 24 hour urine catch. My blood pressure settled back down and my 24 hour came back with numbers in normal range. At my next appointment, my ob had concerns about how low baby girl was sitting. She told me when I started feeling pressure that I needed to sit and put my feet up. My next appointment was relatively normal, but my 34 week check up resulted in another high blood pressure, another trip to L&D, another 24 hour urine, and an overnight stay in the hospital for monitoring. This time I was sent home on bed rest. I was super bummed. I hated to start my FMLA leave because I wanted to use every possible minute of it to stay home with baby girl. I started going to the ob for 2x weekly NSTs and 1x weekly AFIs. On Tuesday, Sept 27, my AFI came back with very borderline fluid levels and I was supposed to have another AFI on Friday. My ob wanted to hold off until 37 weeks to deliver baby girl, but it was right around the corner. When I got to my ob appointment on Friday, my blood pressure was 167/110 and I was placed on hospital bed rest. The husband and I spent the weekend in the hospital, and while we were there we had to make some choices about how we wanted baby girl to make her appearance. My ob was concerned about attempting induction because I was not having contractions, I wasn't dilated at all, and apparently I have narrow pelvic bones. Unfortunately, my ob was not on call over the weekend. Another doctor from the practice came in to talk to me about induction vs. Csection. While she provided me with lots of information about the procedures, she was overall very unhelpful regarding which direction she thought I should take. In addition, I didn't feel fully supported when I opted for a c section. I felt rushed through my visits with providers in the hospital, and I was very frustrated by the care I received. In addition, following delivery I was placed on blood pressure medications with no explanation as to why when my pressure was on the way down. When I asked another provider, she told me she thought I had chronic hypertension instead of PIH. My discharge instructions were poor, and I Will not be using this ob office again.
On the upside, at 5:23 P.M. On Monday, October 3rd, my husband and I finally got to meet our beautiful, amazing baby girl. She was born at 37 weeks gestation and weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and was 19 inches long. I have never been so in love.
