Preeclampsia Torture Birth Story & Lessons learned

Concerns and Experiences Learned:

1.Baby Blue after birth is real: for three weeks at least for me, support from spouse and family are very important, chatting or speak out to release your anger, pain, and concerns, find something to do to comfort yourself, or read other real birth stories experiences from this glow app to feel that you are not alone for the worst experience or things are not go well as planned. I find this way is very helpful so that I decided to write my-story.

2. Ask Doctors for detail plan, what to expect, second choices, other opinions, from OB to doctor team including all residents, they do not always give the best advices. Research your case and speak out what you think may work best for you. Speak to doctor what is your preferences on birth delivery methods, or you don’t have any. (I always have surprise for what is going on and most information I received from the nurses, which partly also my fault and mistakes for not thinking thoroughly and ask questions)

Everyone has different experiences, some has a smooth and unpainful, some has even worst complication. And you will never know what happened to you until last minute even though you have prepared and taken some classes.

For the last 6 weeks of my pregnancies, I got a little bit high blood pressure that later develop to preeclampsia (only 10% of pregnancy will get this), a complication that will disappear after giving birth. Normally, C-Section will be a choice in my case if baby is in full term but water is not break yet, but doctor said we should try induction to deliver naturally. The surprise part is beside the fluid IV, they also inserted magnesium fluid to control seizure because I diagnosed with “severe preeclampsia’’, this chemical made your body “burning”, but you can only drink half cup of water (75 ml) each hour, this chemical fluid will continue to infuse into your body until 24 hours after you gave birth ( another surprise that I didn’t expect). I felt so thirsty that later on drive me crazy and angry.

I very regretted that I did not ask for C-section earlier or at the beginning after going through hell and torture for 35 hours for induction process. Doctor literally tried on the induction method on me including prostaglandins place inside vagina, balloon, break the water, prostaglandins.... plus every 6 hours they need to draw blood ( because of preeclampsia) so I think I got poked 10 times... very torturing and I thought I went to hell and came back. I yelled and asked for C section after 35 hours of torturing and because my cervix only dilated 6 cm at that time.

I should not always listen to doctor’s recommend. I don’t think induced labor works well, it is more painful than labor that starts on its own and successful rate is not optimistic.

C-section carries many risks but so does natural delivery, and pregnancy itself is a risk already. After going through hell, and experience the “agony” painful (all induction methods, two epidurals ( one at the beginning and one at the surgery), I can say that C-section is not that bad (we always have biases about C-section). Yet, the truth is it required longer recovery and help from family is very important. But the labor pain is more intense, and epidural is not working well after 15+ hours, so I don’t think I can stand that labor pain. But of course, if we have choice, smooth and vagina delivery always is better than C section.

Again, I think C-section saved my life, my nightmare to be continued on that day. I am still struggle and regretted why I didn’t get C-section at the beginning and why doctors did not recommend that after 35 hours of no food, little water and exhausted, I don’t think I can push anymore even if my cervix was dilated enough. Doctor did not recommend C-section because riskier, recovery longer, or cost more (insurance may not cover if do not have good medical reasons??) I don’t know the answers, but I did see that medical claim is $80K.