My birth experience started on April 1st after I went in for my weekly stress test/sono due to being diagnosed with GD at 27 weeks. At the appointment I was told that my urine had a high level of protein. They sent me on my way with a bucket for a 24 hour urine catch. Catch was completed on Wednesday. The office got back to me the next day on Thursday April 4th. They said my urine was boarderline for preeclampsia, which they will continue to watch and that after out next appointment I’ll be sent home with another catch test on Monday. Although, I had just gotten back from my appointment with my endocrinologist. I had informed them what I had told her, after asking if I was having any vision changes, if I should be concerned with a strange increase of eye floaters that morning. They weren’t worried bc my blood pressure at that appointment was 102/60 but I felt that I should mention it to my OB office. After hearing that; they requested that I come in just so they could double check my blood pressure. I was worked up and alone and drove myself due to my husband being at work. I did feel fine but I was becoming more anxious. At the office my husband then stupidly calls me up to tell me that he received a speeding ticket. After all this news my blood pressure was elevated but they could tell and gave me a second and took it again and it was much lower. The doctor then decided that the test shouldn’t wait and that I needed to do another urine/blood test. This was the only time that someone had mentioned to me that they were more concerned about my blood platelets count. This was officially the day when someone finally told me that I shouldn’t go back to work and to take sometime until they knew officially what was going on. Did the catch starting that night after leaving, turned it in again on April 5th, they called with the results on the 6th. Informed me that my protein was a little higher but still boarderline and my platelets were slightly lower but not considerably lower and that once again they just wanted to double check my blood pressure and that if that was fine they would continue to monitor me. Once again husband was at work, I felt fine, they still didn’t seem worried, so I just figured let’s go and drove myself......somewhere within that time span, it was decided that they would admit me. After taking my blood pressure 110/70 the doctor said ok go to the hospital for a blood test. So to the dismay of my entire family I drove myself to the hospital. I didn’t know that once I was there they had no intention to let me leave. I really had no idea. I was admitted for the night, gown and all. My parents were able to make some phone calls for me to help get my husband there to be with me. They were in TN dealing with a rental property and my mom got more and more worried about not being there. I knew I might go early I felt it in my bones but no one figured this early.

Had another urine catch and more consistent blood tests, with concerns about clotting if they were to suddenly drop. Next day it was the same. I was in the hospital staying in a PP room and was told that everything was stable but they didn’t feel comfortable to let me leave. I was staying another night. Then around 7-8 when my siblings/grandma were visiting, I started to experience pains on my left hand side. My first thought was muscle pain from the hospital bed, second gas....the pain was weirdly similar to kidney stone pain which I have a lot of experience with. Once they left I mentioned it to the nurse but she agreed that it’s probably just gas from being in bed all day. I started to do laps around the labor floor. The pain got worse and started to move to the front. Also happens during a kidney stone. I said something about it again. I wanted to sit down. They decided to double check. Turns out I was having minor contractions. The doctor then informed me due to everything even without a official diagnosis they wouldn’t make a effort to stop labor now if it started to progress, they had already given to two doses of steroids for her lungs. Then not even two hours later my new results from the urine came back for preeclampsia. I was going to be induced. That night on April 7th they place the medication to ripen my cervix. It was a uncomfortable night. The pain continued on and off and by the next morning I was 2 cm and 50% effaced. From there they gave me the picocin and things progressed rather quickly. I honestly don’t remember much of the breakdown of it all. I was sitting there just trying to get some sleep. Between being placed on magnesium and unable to get out of bed bc of it and still having to have regular blood tests as well as blood sugar monitoring. I had no time to close my eyes for more than 20 mins at a time. I received the epidural around 12:30am though at around 4cm bc there was a cesarean at 1. I was finally able to sleep after that. Out cold. By 5 pm I was 7- 8 cm by 6 pm was at 8-9 cm. By this point the epidural was completely useless on my left side and then very quickly entirely. I was thinking that they were a complete joke. They talked about giving me another bolster but bc I was at 9 cm they felt it would just be better to try and hold off and wait until she dropped into position. Well let me tell you ladies, it wasn’t happening. No matter the pressure I was never right about wanting to push. They finally gave me the bolster but it didn’t last long. It was decided that I would try and push her down. To the dismay of my husband, who we both agreed that he didn’t have to look down the lane, next thing he knows he’s being told to grab a leg and saw everything. Pushing her down felt like eternity, but I got her there. Several pushes later she was here! I knew they would take her for the NCIU nurse to check her out but they took so so quickly that I didn’t even have time to properly look at her. I didn’t even notice she had a full head of hair bc when my husband showed me a picture as I was being stitched up, she had a hat on and I was ready to assume she was bald like most of my family. Turns out the cord was around her neck, lightly but they just wanted to be sure. So here is Kira Jane born at 6 lbs 2 oz at 9:58 pm and after spending only two nights in the nicu. She was absolutely perfect and strong and healthy with no complications on her part except for some jaundice.