The story of Eleanora- The beginning of the craziness
May 18th, 2015 part 1- Things got really crazy really quickly. I went in for a scheduled ultrasound (because of my Gestational Diabetes diagnosis) on May 5th at 11:00am. I was 34 weeks + 4 days pregnant. I woke up that morning thinking that it was a day just like any other day. I was running behind and didn't even take the time to shower that morning. I grabbed a granola bar and my water bottle for breakfast and rushed out the door. I would just eat a real meal and shower when I got home in an hour. I would still have plenty of time before going to work that afternoon. Little did I know...
The tech showed me on the ultrasound that she was (still) a girl, her heartbeat, a few 3-D pictures, etc. Then she told me that she was now only in the 6th percentile for babies at her gestation. The term for any babies under 10th percentile is Intrauterine Growth Restricted. She said that the blood flow in the umbilical cord was also a little slower than she would like to see. I was obviously very concerned about this, but kept trying to convince myself that everything was fine and I would probably just give birth to a little peanut.
She called one of the high risk doctors in, who told me that we were just going to keep a really close eye on things, and that I would have to come back weekly for ultrasounds and non-stress tests. She then sent me to get my first non-stress test.
The NST basically just monitored Eleanora's movements and heart rate. First they checked my blood pressure. It was very high (168/108), so they said they would give me a few minutes and check it again. When they checked it again, it was still higher than it should be (131/86). Eleanora was moving normally and her heart rate was good, so I wasn't too concerned. Also, I really didn't know much about blood pressure or what the numbers meant.
The woman administering my NST called another high risk doctor in who told me that because my blood pressure was so high, they would be transporting me upstairs to labor and delivery, where I would go through a series of tests and be monitored. I asked him if I should call my boss and tell her that I would be late that afternoon. He said, "Yes. You will definitely not be going to work today..." Since my ultrasound was at 11 in the morning, I finally realized that things were somewhat serious.
I texted Jared at work and told him that he needed to come to the hospital. Although I was beginning to feel nervous, I held it together until he got there...then I started crying. I was wheel-chaired to the "Maternity Welcome Center" where they had me quickly register. Then a sweet nurse named Alex wheeled me up to a Labor and Delivery room. I remember thinking to myself, "this is ridiculous that I have to be wheel-chaired around. I'm perfectly healthy and can walk all by myself." At the time, I didn't realize the gravity of the situation.
Graphic warning: The first thing they did was put an IV in me (remember my complete disdain for needles?). That was pretty painful and my blood squirted everywhere. They also drew labs from that to see if I had pre-eclampsia or any other issues. Then they told me that they would be collecting my urine for a 24-hour period to check it for high protein levels. They took the first urine sample away for testing. I had a blood pressure cuff on my arm going off every 2 minutes (I think?) and a monitor around my stomach to check on Eleanora. By this time I was starting to get very hungry. I think it was probably around 2 or 3pm. Alex, my nurse, told me that I wouldn't be allowed to eat quite yet.
Jared and I sat and waited. I was crying on and off, feeling so scared of whatever was next and wondering why this pregnancy had been filled with so many complications. We updated our families on the situation and tried to watch TV to distract ourselves.
After a little while, a doctor came in and told us that my blood work had all come back normal and that they would be moving me to antenatal, where I would be on bed rest and monitored for at least 24 hours. Alex came in to cap my IV and we waited to be transported. She said that she would get me a sandwich and I would be able to order dinner from the hospital in a little while. I thought to myself, "this is the craziest day ever. I can't believe all of this happened. My boss, sister, mom, etc will never believe when I tell them this story tomorrow...I guess I'm not going to be able to go to my prenatal yoga class tonight."
It seemed like we had been waiting a while when Alex came back in to check my vitals again. I casually asked her if she thought that Jared should take the next day off work. Her eyes got really big and she nodded her head emphatically "yes", but didn't say anything. I had a feeling that she knew something that we didn't know. She left the room and came back a few minutes later with the doctor.
The doctor explained that they had gotten my urine results back. He said that a result of 0.3 grams or less of protein in the urine was acceptable, and that I had over 3 grams! I gasped when he said this because I knew that it meant I had pre-eclampsia. He said that the protein levels in my urine, combined with the consistently high blood pressure readings meant that I had severe pre-eclampsia. He said that they would be inducing me right away.
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| Last pregnancy picture- 34 weeks |
The tech showed me on the ultrasound that she was (still) a girl, her heartbeat, a few 3-D pictures, etc. Then she told me that she was now only in the 6th percentile for babies at her gestation. The term for any babies under 10th percentile is Intrauterine Growth Restricted. She said that the blood flow in the umbilical cord was also a little slower than she would like to see. I was obviously very concerned about this, but kept trying to convince myself that everything was fine and I would probably just give birth to a little peanut.
She called one of the high risk doctors in, who told me that we were just going to keep a really close eye on things, and that I would have to come back weekly for ultrasounds and non-stress tests. She then sent me to get my first non-stress test.
The woman administering my NST called another high risk doctor in who told me that because my blood pressure was so high, they would be transporting me upstairs to labor and delivery, where I would go through a series of tests and be monitored. I asked him if I should call my boss and tell her that I would be late that afternoon. He said, "Yes. You will definitely not be going to work today..." Since my ultrasound was at 11 in the morning, I finally realized that things were somewhat serious.
I texted Jared at work and told him that he needed to come to the hospital. Although I was beginning to feel nervous, I held it together until he got there...then I started crying. I was wheel-chaired to the "Maternity Welcome Center" where they had me quickly register. Then a sweet nurse named Alex wheeled me up to a Labor and Delivery room. I remember thinking to myself, "this is ridiculous that I have to be wheel-chaired around. I'm perfectly healthy and can walk all by myself." At the time, I didn't realize the gravity of the situation.
Graphic warning: The first thing they did was put an IV in me (remember my complete disdain for needles?). That was pretty painful and my blood squirted everywhere. They also drew labs from that to see if I had pre-eclampsia or any other issues. Then they told me that they would be collecting my urine for a 24-hour period to check it for high protein levels. They took the first urine sample away for testing. I had a blood pressure cuff on my arm going off every 2 minutes (I think?) and a monitor around my stomach to check on Eleanora. By this time I was starting to get very hungry. I think it was probably around 2 or 3pm. Alex, my nurse, told me that I wouldn't be allowed to eat quite yet.
Jared and I sat and waited. I was crying on and off, feeling so scared of whatever was next and wondering why this pregnancy had been filled with so many complications. We updated our families on the situation and tried to watch TV to distract ourselves.
After a little while, a doctor came in and told us that my blood work had all come back normal and that they would be moving me to antenatal, where I would be on bed rest and monitored for at least 24 hours. Alex came in to cap my IV and we waited to be transported. She said that she would get me a sandwich and I would be able to order dinner from the hospital in a little while. I thought to myself, "this is the craziest day ever. I can't believe all of this happened. My boss, sister, mom, etc will never believe when I tell them this story tomorrow...I guess I'm not going to be able to go to my prenatal yoga class tonight."
The doctor explained that they had gotten my urine results back. He said that a result of 0.3 grams or less of protein in the urine was acceptable, and that I had over 3 grams! I gasped when he said this because I knew that it meant I had pre-eclampsia. He said that the protein levels in my urine, combined with the consistently high blood pressure readings meant that I had severe pre-eclampsia. He said that they would be inducing me right away.
I'm really enjoying reading your story. I'm so sorry the whole process was so complicated! Mindy told me much of the story but it's great to hear it from your perspective. I'm so glad you have a healthy, beautiful daughter and are healthy yourself after all you went through! Things sometimes just do NOT go the way we plan or wish, yet God is so faithful and sees us through.
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