I’ll be 30 weeks tomorrow. So about 4:00 on Friday afternoon after putting my students on the bus, I was talking/walking with a colleague and was out of breath. Went home to relax. By 6 I was struggling to fill my lungs halfway and my heart rate was going up. We went to bed early to try to sleep, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t take deep breaths without coughing and my body was getting really hot. I had chills. Baby was moving fine, but I could not relax enough to sleep. After freaking out my husband, crying, and speaking to the on call doctor, we went into the ER at 2:30am.

When we got to the ER, they immediately gave me an EKG and my heart rate was 140. I had a fever of 102.1. Baby’s heart rate was 175, which is normal, but he’s always been between 140-155 so I was worried I was stressing him out. They told me they were worried I had a blood clot and would need a CT scan. That came back clear, and they started me on IV fluids. Once they determined I didn’t have a blood clot, they said it may be a viral infection, so they were going to put me in observation so they could get more samples from me and test them. By 6am I was in observation and I had to have a catheter (not a pleasant experience). But that urine came back clean as well. I spent the better part of the day in observation, monitoring my heart rate which was going up and down with my fever. They would give me Tylenol and my heart rate and temp would go down and it would be a little easier to breathe, but then as it wore off I would get chills and my heart rate would sky rocket back towards 140.

By about 3pm (haven’t slept yet) they told me that I would be leaving observation and head up to L&D; (I immediately tense) but they said it was just to monitor the baby and see if there was possibly anything they have missed. So we go up and they put baby on the monitor and he’s perfect, but they heard some crackling in my right lung so then I’m scheduled for an X-ray. I still am having difficulty breathing, so they put me on oxygen and I am in heaven. So much easier to breathe and my heart rate comes down. X-ray comes back clear. So now they’re still thinking I have an infection. I’m admitted to a room (it’s actually a delivery room) to spend the night on oxygen and receive IV antibiotics. Getting the antibiotics took forever, but I finally got them and they were able to take my IV out at 10pm Saturday.

Then, sweet baby Jesus I slept. Since not sleeping since Thursday night. Woke up so sweaty and gross smelling (stress sweat is so real). So now I’m here in L&D; Sunday morning still on oxygen and they don’t know when I’m going home.

BUT my husband and I are so thankful that all the doctors and nurses have been wonderful, our son is fine, and I am relaxed. Our nurses said “Hey, at least when you come back ten weeks from now you’ll have already had the grand tour!” 🤣