I learned I was pregnant on labor day
2008. We were excited since we had
been trying to get pregnant for a few
months. Shortly after we found out we
were pregnant I started bleeding.
After an ultrasound at 7 weeks, we
found out that we were having twins
but lost one. We had a 50% chance of
the remaining baby surviving.
I started bleeding again around week
9. It was unexplained bleeding,
however I just lost our family cat and
was real stressed over that.
Weeks 10-19 were uneventful, I finally
started to relax and think that this
pregnancy would be fine from now on
and our baby would be ok. We had our
U/S done at 18weeks and found out we
were having a boy. But we were also
given the news that they think I have
a condition called Vasa Previa.
At 19w1d I felt a small gush. I went
to the bathroom and my underwear was
wet. I put on a panyliner and thought
maybe is was a little pee and went on
with my day. Well ALL day I kept
getting these little gushes of clear
fluid.
So my husband and I went to L & D that
night. The had me go to the bathroom
and wipe clean with the sanitary wipes
and give a urine sample. Immediately
after that she performed the test to
see if I was leaking amniotic fluid
and it came back negative. Well,
DUH...I just wiped everything clean
and I hadn't leaked form the bathroom
to the bed yet. Anyways they sent me
home. As soon as I got home I had a
BIG gush. I filled a regular sized
pad in a second.
I called my OB in the morning and
explained what happened, that I didn't
trust the labs that were done at the
hospital and demanded to have an U/S
done. My fluid levels were
7cm....they were LOW. I knew it!
My OB placed me on bedrest for the
weekend and told me to drink LOTS of
fluids and we would do a repeat U/S on
Monday morning. Well my fluid levels
went down to 4cm.
I was devastated. I knew what this
meant. I was only 19 weeks! They sent
me to the hospital to be admitted for
observation. They pushed IV fluids
for 24 hours and repeat U/S the next
day...no change in fluid still 4 cm.
I was given the statistics of me going
into labor or getting an infection and
was told I should terminate the
pregnancy. But I was also given the
option to wait and see. I was told IF
i even made it to viability, which is
24 weeks, my baby's lungs would be
underdeveloped and he won't be able to
breathe on his own.
This was my last pregnancy, I wasn't
going to try again....and we couldn't
terminate, I still felt him moving.
We decided to wait and see what
happened.
I was sent home on strict
bedrest...only up to go to the
bathroom and I showered once every two
or three days. I had an U/S weekly
from weeks 20-24. My fluid went up to
8cm at one point. At this time the
DR's were not convinced I had ruptured
my membranes and could never find
evidence of a leak. But I knew I was
leaking, I could feel it.
Week 24 I started bleeding. To the
hospital I went were I remained for
the rest of my pregnancy. The doctors
were finally convinced my membranes
had ruptured. They gave me the 2
steroid shots and 10 days of
antibiotics to fight of any infection
that I might have. The heavy bleeding
lasted 2 days and I continued to gain
and loose blood tinged fluid for the
next 6 weeks. I had and U/S EVERY
DAY! 41 ultrasounds in 6 weeks. My
fluid got up to 7cm and as low as
1.5cm.
Week 30...I started having horrible
period like cramps. I called the
nurse in and asked to be put on the
fetal monitor. They intensified
quickly and I was screaming in pain
within 20 minutes. My DR came in and
checked my cervix and said I was 1 cm
dilated. They rolled in an U/S
machine and did a quick U/S to make
sure they knew where the baby was and
to see if he was ok. They checked my
cervix again, 10 minutes later and I
was 4cm dilated. DR said ok...this is
it.... and they rushed me in for a c-
section (I have had 2 prior c-
sections, so a vaginal delivery wasn't
an option)
15 minutes later my baby boy was
born. CRYING!!!! He weighed 3lbs 4oz
and was 16 inches long. He scored an
8 on the Apgar scale. He of course
was rushed off to the NICU. He had a
partially collapsed lung that they had
to put a chest tube in to drain around
it, but that came out after 4 days.
He was on a ventilator for 5 days. He
was holding his own temp and in a
bassinet by 2 weeks. He is now 4
weeks old..gained almost a whole pound
already. He has started bottle and
breastfeeding. He is having brady
episodes, which is where he forgets to
breathe and his oxygen levels and
heart rate drops, but I've been told
that is normal for preemies. They
estimate he will be home in about 3
weeks.
A week after my delivery I went in for
my check up and they realized that I
was severely anemic. My hemoglobin
levels were 6.6, and I was sent to the
ER to get a blood transfusion done.
But I am recovering well now....11
weeks of bed rest was well worth my
little boy! Don't ever give up hope!
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