On Wednesday, May 30, I had a routine OB appointment for my 37 week checkup. I was extremely concerned about my baby being breech still and I’ve acquired extreme/severe itching all over but more in my feet and hands. My doctor mentioned ICP which is a condition that can affect my baby’s heart and can cause a stillbirth if untreated ASAP. Blood work was obtained and a follow up appointment was scheduled for Friday, June 1, with HOPES of getting my labs back.

Thursday, May 31, around 11:30pm I began to itch so severely that I went and got my hairbrush to scratch my entire body. This went on for an hour when I then realized that I wasn’t feeling and baby movement. I began to panic. I called the on call OB and basically the doctor said, I’ll meet you at the hospital to run tests and check the baby.

Friday, June 1, around 12:15am I wake up my husband and tell him, “doctor says it’s time to head to the hospital my itching is worse than ever.” I then showered and got my hospital bag and last minute items for the hospital just in case we were admitted or anything. 1:30am we arrive to the hospital and I get hooked up on the NST and they insert an IV. They asked us questions and performed an ultrasound to check the baby. Baby Girl was perfectly fine but this mama was so itchy and uncomfortable, along with starving and dehydrated. Around 2:15am my doctor comes in and says, “Well, your labs never came back, and considering your health history throughout your pregnancy, we are going to take this baby girl out within the next hour...” By 3:00am I was prepped for my c-section and in the operating room. The local anesthetic was super painful because of my anxiety causing me to shake uncontrollably and they couldn’t get a good injection site. Plus, the anesthesiologist was practically punching my spine with a needle causing me to jump. After they administered my spinal tap I was laid down, strapped to the table, and a catheter was inserted. Before I knew it, my doctor asked me, “Did you feel that? I just pinched you VERY hard and you didn’t flinch. Oh, and you’re already cut open and I can see your daughter.” Throughout the procedure I felt intense pressure on my chest and I felt like I couldn’t breathe, which was normal apparently. By 3:56am my daughter, Krysta Lee, was brought beautifully into this world. I say this because the surgeons and doctors and nurses all kept saying, “Wow she’s so beautiful even after coming out of the womb!”

By 4:30am, I was in recovery... worst part of the whole procedure. They practically turned me into a mummy with heated blankets to attempt to stop my shivering, and had to keep giving me cups and buckets to vomit in from the medication. Because of the spinal tap, I couldn’t move from my armpits down so leaning forward to vomit was impossible. I felt super drunk in the sense where if my eyes were open, the room kept spinning and spinning and I kept vomiting and vomiting. I had to keep my eyes closed in order to be rolled to my room. Once we got to our Postpartum room, I was still dizzy and vomited once or twice after ice chips but it got better from there on out.

All in all, I would say the worst part of the whole experience was the recovery, and with that said, I’m not scared to have another baby via c-section. Finally by Tuesday, June 5, my lab results came back and it was confirmed that I did have cholestasis. Thankfully my doctor made the right call and I got to deliver a happy and healthy baby girl 3 weeks early at 37+2.