The Birth Day
My prenatal appointments had been going well, but I was concerned that this one would be different. I was concerned that my doctor would send me home on bed rest - after all this little peanut wasn't supposed to be born until near the end of July. However, being born on June 25th did have the advantage of being the perfect birthday - it was quite literally half of a year away from Christmas.
"How was the urine test?" I asked at the end of my appointment.
My doctor looked it up and said that my test showed 303 and the cut-off for pre-eclampsia was 300. He was admitting me for hospital bed rest and then the baby would be born as soon as I made it to 37 weeks. However, since the last ultrasound that I had had was my 18 week one - he ordered another one.
When the technician measured the baby inside - she immediately called the doctor and he said we'd be having a baby today. She was measuring six weeks behind. So instead of being nearly 6 pounds - she was only 3 pounds 6 oz. He didn't want to wait any longer and so as soon as my husband returned from a full-daily rate lost parking ticket trip home - I was prepped for a C-Section and our daughter was born.
I remember that day. I remember that she was small and squawky. I remember that I couldn't hold her because of how the IV was inserted in me and I couldn't move my arm. I remember seeing her and hearing her, but I don't remember much else.
She was taken to the NICU - but man was she fiesty. She still is, of course. She alarmed the nurses because she could do things that no baby, especially one that was premature and one that was only a few days out of the womb could do.
Let's take a took at what would have happened if I hadn't asked the question. I could have died. My baby girl almost certainly could have died - as my doctor said, "At this point, what are we waiting for?"
The flurry of emotions that surrounds a new mom is overwhelming. It is overwhelming because you now have to take care of someone other than yourself and you have to put your children's needs ahead of your own - in theory. However, when you experience a NICU stay, you realize you must take care of yourself before you are anywhere close to being able to take care of your baby.
With my daughter being my first, I had loads of support. Every time I turned around the baby had visitors and they were asking if there was anything I needed. But what about the moms that don't have that and know that they need to make a decision early on to terminate a pregnancy? What about the moms who could die if they are not in the right place at exactly the right time? Is it okay for society to dictate to them what is best for their health?
In Part 3, I will tell the story of my son's birth - and the emotional overload that I still experience.
Let's take a took at what would have happened if I hadn't asked the question. I could have died. My baby girl almost certainly could have died - as my doctor said, "At this point, what are we waiting for?"
The flurry of emotions that surrounds a new mom is overwhelming. It is overwhelming because you now have to take care of someone other than yourself and you have to put your children's needs ahead of your own - in theory. However, when you experience a NICU stay, you realize you must take care of yourself before you are anywhere close to being able to take care of your baby.
With my daughter being my first, I had loads of support. Every time I turned around the baby had visitors and they were asking if there was anything I needed. But what about the moms that don't have that and know that they need to make a decision early on to terminate a pregnancy? What about the moms who could die if they are not in the right place at exactly the right time? Is it okay for society to dictate to them what is best for their health?
In Part 3, I will tell the story of my son's birth - and the emotional overload that I still experience.
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