I was 19 and found out I was pregnant. It was a shocker but my fiancé and I had been talking about a baby for a couple of months. We were very happy. Everything seemed to be going fine. I was gaining weight as I should and the baby's heart rate was great!
Around my fifth month my blood pressure started to rise. Every time I went into the doctor's office I would have to lay on my left side. Then they would retake my blood pressure and it would be down to normal. A few times I was sent to the hospital because it wouldn't go down. I had to see the doctor every week and get sonograms every two weeks to chart the baby's growth. I was put on strict bed rest. In October of 1998 I was in the hospital EVERY WEEKEND. I would go in on a Friday and leave on a Monday. Needless to say, I was well known at the hospital. My husband (fiancé at the time) got into an argument with my high-risk specialist because he kept sending me home, but four days later I was back in the hospital. It didn't make sense to us.
Finally on October 29, my doctor called me and told me to come down to his office right away. So we did. He informed us that the baby had only grown 24 grams in two weeks and we needed to get the baby out now. So off to the hospital I went. I was five weeks early and they said the baby was over 5 pounds, so I was a happy camper. I was induced and everything was going great. I got to 2 centimeters dilation and 30 percent effaced in six hours! I was only having the little Braxton Hicks contractions when the baby's heartbeat would drop at every contraction.
My doctor ordered them to prep me for an emergency Cesarean Section. I cried like a baby. I have never broken a bone or had stitches, let alone been cut open! I was so terrified. At 6:36 p.m., Dylan Ray was born. He was 3 pounds, 14 ounces and 17.5 inches long. I was shocked because he was so small. He only stayed in the hospital for nine days! The doctors were amazed at his progress and still are.
He's a healthy 2 1/2-year-old now and LOVES blues clues!!. We found out that I had pre-eclampsia with a retarded placenta that was the reason for him being so small and me having complications..
This last November (2000) we had another son, Christofer. Unfortunately, he went back to heaven. He lived for six days and he weighed 1 pound, 14 ounces. He was 13 weeks premature by emergency Cesarean Section. His website is http://www.oocities.org/xxogirlieoxx/Welcome.html if you would like to take a look at it.
We are currently (April 2001) trying to conceive! Wish us luck! Check back for updates =o)
Thank you for letting me share my story with you. |
