Calvin's Birth Story- The Days Before

From the beginning of this pregnancy I wondered how Calvin's labor would go. After Christian's surprise early arrival and all the issues with preeclampsia, I was praying for a more calm and uneventful labor this go around. You are most likely to have preeclampsia with your first and are not at a higher risk of having it with your second. If you do happen to get it, most patients will develop it later than they did during the previous pregnancy. (I would soon find out I would break the norm!) Each doctor's visit as they would check my blood pressure, I would say a quiet prayer and hold my breath until I heard, "Blood pressure looks great!". Then I could breath out, thankful that we made it through one more month, one more week without any blood pressure issues. We prepared for out attempt at a VBAC, attended birth class and things were looking really great.

On November 16 and 17 we went on our baby moon to Whidbey Island where we stayed at the Inn at Langley. I was able to put my glucose meter aside and enjoy an awesome and memorable dinner and just relax with Kerry. The day after we got back I started to just feel off. The best I can describe it is that my body felt heavy and very tired like I was getting sick. By the 19th, my mama instinct kicked in and I just knew I had to get my blood pressure checked. So I packed Christian up and we headed to Safeway to use their monitor. The reading was 134/88 which is higher than it should be, consider pre hypertension. So I called my doctor and they had me go to the local fire station to get a more accurate reading. So once again, I loaded C into the car and headed to the fire station. He thought this was awesome! They took my blood pressure and now it read 140/100. Not good. But Christian got a tour of the fire truck and a goodie bag out of it! My doctor determined that I needed to go right in for blood work and be seen the next day (20th).

When I got to the doctor, my blood pressure was still high and the added result of having +3 protein meant it had happened again… I had preeclampsia. :( I was just 33 weeks. I was shocked because I had just been in the week before and everything was normal and I didn't have any swelling like I had with Christian. They had me get a blood pressure monitor and the plan was to check my bloom pressure at home everyday, rest as much as possible and I would go back on Tuesday the 25th for a recheck. Over the next few days I rested, (sat calmly though my baby shower :) ) and monitored my blood pressure. It seemed to stay pretty steady around 138/90s.

I went in Tuesday the 25th at 33 weeks and 6 days expecting to maybe be put on bed rest but that was not the case! Kerry and Christian joined me at my appointment. Again my blood pressure was even higher and now my protein was +4. My doctor came in and said that he could not let me go home with these reading and I needed to be admitted. We would do blood work to see if my organs were being affected and an ultrasound to check on baby and then I would make my way to my hospital room. We went back to the ultrasound where they discovered that Calvin had IUGR and one of my umbilical arteries was not functioning. This all made for a not so great place for baby to be. He was getting the nutrients he needed and wasn't growing. Kerry took C home to drop him off with my sister Kyla and get us some things for the hospital and I checked into my room. As I walked back and put on my gown all by myself I could not believe we were walking this path again and even earlier this time around. I was in shock! I was hooked up, plugged in and started getting monitored…