TW: Preeclampsia, Induction, Unnecessary C-Section, Post-Partum Preeclampsia
I feel like I experience every pregnancy symptom known to man with Miles. Nauseous and vomiting my entire pregnancy - I took Zofran literally up until the day after he was born - and bad carpal tunnel. Around 27/28 weeks I started having swelling in my feet and ankles to the point I could only wear Birkenstocks. I don’t remember exactly when my blood pressure started to slowly rise, but it was around that same time as well.
At the time, I was not as well educated on holistic medicine and prevention as I am now, so when my OB told me to just monitor and if it reached 140/90 to call them, and if it reached 160/110 to go straight to the ER I just listened and agreed. Sure enough the evening of 37wks6days it reached that 160/110. We called the on call nurse and she told us to head straight to the hospital. This was the same day I turned in my 24 hour urine sample, and I ended up having Miles the next day so I didn’t ever find out the results. But I’m assuming I probably had pre-eclampsia.
When we got to the ER it had spiked up to the 180s+ and so began allllllll the medical interventions 😭 Cytotec that night to ripen my cervix, then the next morning they started Pitocin, and at some point placed a foley balloon which ended up breaking my water.
We had a doula, and she kept telling us to let her know when I was dilated to 8cm and she would head over. I remember telling the on-call midwife and she was like, “well that’s going be too late…” It was really frustrating because once those Pitocin contractions hit they were strong with hardly any break in between. Without my doula there I felt out of control and not well equipped to figure out other pain relief methods by myself, so I opted for the epidural.
While the epidural helped with the pain and allowed me to get some rest, it also confined me to the bed and Miles was having a hard time dropping. I remember my doula saying when she got there we could work on some positions to help him drop. I really needed to be working on that NOW. But, again, she was saying she’d come when I was 8cm so by the time I got to 8cm my OB was already pushing for a c section. Which I blindly ended up agreeing to.
In hindsight learning what I’ve learned I now know that the c-section was unnecessary. BUT I have come to terms with that, have been to counseling, have learned a ton through the experience, and have grown through it all.
But let’s get back to the actual c section…I actually had a big wave of calmness over me as I got into the OR and began the prep. I was nervous, but excited to finally meet Miles. However, once they started I felt like I could feel everything (although I know I couldn’t. It was just a TON of pressure, and a total mind thing). And then I started throwing up as they were operating and remember gripping onto my husband’s hand for dear life.
As soon as they got Miles out the sweet nurses were trying to hold him over the curtain for me to see him, but I was so incredibly uncomfortable and felt like it was taking all of me to focus. I remember thinking, “Do not show him to me. Do not put him on me. Just get him away!” It breaks my heart saying that, but it’s just the ugly truth. And don’t worry we are so incredibly bonded now, and have such a sweet a close relationship! ❤️
Once I was back in recovery I began shaking and throwing up again, but once I got past all of that my c-section recovery really wasn’t that bad. In fact we left the hospital a day early, and while I was definitely sore I felt like I could go on a light jog if I wanted (I obviously didn’t lol).
We got home and settled. And then the very next evening my blood pressure spiked again. I went back to the ER thinking they’d just give me some meds and I would be on my way. Well it turned into a 4-5 day stay with a magnesium drip and all that good stuff. This was an extremely discouraging time, because I honestly felt really good physically and just wanted to be home. FINALLY they were able to get my BP down to a place they felt comfortable discharging me with some rx meds.
A day or two later I had a follow up with my OB and my BP was starting to creep again. Ugh! But thankfully she just prescribed me an additional BP med, and that took care of it. I was on those meds probably a few weeks and then was able to wean off completely and haven’t had any issues since 🙏
For my next pregnancy, I changed EVERYTHING about my care and mindset and had a successful home birth VBAC. Read Evelyn's birth story here.
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