My Birth Story- The Saga Continues

So I came home late Friday evening, and Saturday I woke up to my legs being even more swollen.

We took Collin to the Peditricans and I did not have a single pair of shoes that my feet would fit into- it was so embarassing.  My parents came over that evening to make us dinner so Joe and I could take it a little easy.  My father brought his blood pressure cuff over so I checked my blood pressure a couple times-  NOT GOOD!

I started getting headaches which continued on Sunday.

My pressures were alot higher than when I was in the hospital.

So on Monday per Joe and my parents orders I called the midwives office.

Th instructed bedrest for 24 hours and then they would follow up on Tuesday and decide if I needed to come back into the hospital.  Just for the record do you know how hard bed rest is with a new baby!!

So Monday I was on strict bed rest, not my idea of fun and I was checking my pressures- still terrible!  Headaches still continued.  

When I called my midwife Tuesday morning I knew what the answer was going to be- they wanted me to go to the ER to be evaluated to see if I needed to be readmitted.

Joe had to drive me and the ER at Loudoun Hospital and it was packed.  

I made Joe go wait in the main lobby because I did not want Collin anywhere close to the ER.
My mom ended up showing up and taking Collin home which I was happy with because it took us 4 1/2 hours in the waiting room before we were called back to the ER.  Then once called back they did labs and check blood pressure- which were bad.  

The labs actually got worse!  

The ER doctor told me they discussed my case with the OB physician and they were going to admit me to the ICU for Magnesium prophylasis to help decrease my chances of seizing since my labs and pressures were bad.  

I cried!!  And cried.....
"Do you know what it is like to separate a new mother from her baby!"

It was 10 pm on Tuesday night before I got to the ICU.
This is when Joe realized how sick I was- as they wheeled me into the ICU I was the only young person and I was the only patient that was not on a ventilator.  
I remember looking at him and tell him
"Joe I am sick" and I think for the first time he got it!


At that point I sent Joe home to be with Collin and to take him breast milk- fortunately the nurses were great and got me a pump the minute I got into the ER.  I was in the IUC Tuesday night, all Wednesday and the early part of Thursday morning.
The magnesium sulfate makes you feel like crap!
I had hot flashes and could not even move.

My parents and Joe took turns visiting so they could take the breast milk home to Collin.  

Thank God my milk came in as it gave me something to concentrate on.  

Wednesday evening my pressures were not getting any better on the magnesium.  

The nurse informed me that they might not be letting me go home on Thursday-
 that they might want to keep me until Friday.  

I lost it- crying!
I thought they were going to sedate me!

Of course I was by myself and called Joe and at home.  He did not know what to do-
thank god for my parents help.  

They turned off the Magnesium around 1 am on Thursday morning and placed me on blood pressure medication.  I was moved to a step down unit so they could continue to monitor me.
As soon as the nurses changed shift at 7 am, I requested to be discharged home on blood pressure medication and requested to see the OB.  The OB came in by 8 am and agree that my labs again had stabilized and the blood pressures had come down on the blood pressure medication and she did not see the need to keep me another night as I had a newborn at home which was not helping my blood pressure in the hospital- finally the voice of reason!!

She told me at 8:35 am I could go home and I called the nurse in to find out what needed to be done to get me out of here.  My dad came at 10 am to pick me up as Joe was home with Collin and I did not want him to have to drive back to the hospital with him.  

By 11:20 I was home.

It has never been so good to be home!

I had my follow up appointment this week for my blood pressures and they are doing great- to the point that they want me to watch to make sure it is not dropping it to low- if it is I am suppose to stop the medication, and if not I will see the midwife at my 6 weeks postpartum appointment at which time they will try to stop it.  
I have lost all of my water weight and have ankles again which is amazing!!!

After having the easiest pregnancy in the world, I can now say that I did not have an easy delivery or an easy postpartum period.  But that being said thru out the labor I just told myself he was going to come how he wanted to come and I think this helped me relax and ultimately let me have the vaginal delivery that I really wanted.  Now it is not the way I would have picked it but that is life.  

My postpartum period reminds me how lucky Collin is to have such a great father, who just picked Collin up and "ran with it!"  I am lucky to have such a great husband and Collin such an amazing dad!  

Thank you for all the thoughts over the last couple of weeks, the texts to help keep my spirits up, the food that so many people dropped by to help us survive, to my parents for being on call 24/7 for the first week.  We are so lucky to have everyone home safe and sound!