| I found out I was pregnant for the first time on December 7, 2005, that was the most exciting day for my husband and me! I looked forward to my belly growing with a little baby on the inside, finding out if the baby was a boy or girl, picking out a name, designing a nursery, and of course shopping for baby clothes! I did not feel well for the majority of my pregnancy, after the morning sickness I felt good for about a month. Close to my fifth month of pregnancy my face, feet, and hands began to swell, I felt miserable all of the time. I went to the doctor who agreed that I was swollen but my blood pressure was normal so there was not anything they could do for me.
My thirty-third week of pregnancy I went to the doctor for a routine checkup. The doctor was not happy that I had protein in my system, he was not happy that I was swollen, and he was not happy with my blood pressure. He told me he was concerned that I might have pre-eclampsia and he made me promise that I would go straight to the hospital. I checked myself in at St. John's on a Monday night, it was a very long week of waiting. My condition and health were worsening, which was in turn affecting Natalie's health. The high risk doctor came to my husband and me on Friday night and told us they could do more for Natalie on the outside than if I carried on with my pregnancy. Those were heart-breaking words because I wanted to be healthy enough to carry my baby to term but in reality my body couldn't take being pregnant anymore.
Saturday morning I was rushed in for an emergency C-section, Natalie was born weighing 3 and half pounds 16 inches long. I wanted to hear her cry because that would give me hope she was going to be fine, she gave the loudest cry that I had ever heard! I kissed Natalie and then daddy and her were off to the NICU. My blood pressure was still very high and the doctors were very concerned. They gave me medicine to help bring my blood pressure down, which made me sleep. I don't really remember the first two days of Natalie's life.
Slowly I felt better and was able to visit Natalie more often in NICU North. I cried the first few times I saw her because she was so little and had tubes everywhere. A day before I left the hospital Natalie was transferred to NICU South. It was hard leaving the hospital without her but I knew the doctors and nurses were taking great care of her! My mother would drive me to the hospital in the afternoons and stay with me until my husband would come after work. Kevin and I would stay the whole evening until bedtime and leave for home. After two and a half long weeks Natalie was able to come home! She came home on a heart monitor but she did just fine and was very healthy!
Melissa L. |
