On April 16th, I was feeling weird. I was 36w 6d. I was having moments where I would become dizzy and unable to catch my breath. Pawning it off as just being very pregnant, I then started seeing weird spots in my vision that would come and go. Because the spots weren’t staying, I again just ignored my symptoms until I started to become very fatigued.

A little back story, I’m 22 now, but when I was 16 it was discovered in my health occupations class that I had extremely high blood pressure (181/98). After looking into it more, we put the blame on the birth control I was on at the time (orthotricycline?), but my blood pressure never dropped down to a range that my doctor was happy with. At age 19 or 20 I began having cluster headaches. For treatment, I was put on a blood pressure med, and since my blood pressure was running 145-150/90-95 on a constant basis, it was decided I would stay on the medication.

When I became pregnant, it was something we always had to keep an eye on. Starting my 6th month, my blood pressure began its slow incline. Looking back, I don’t know why my doctor never increased my medication, but he never did.

Back to the story, after becoming fatigued, feeling dizzy, and having occasional spots in my vision, I decided to take my blood pressure. I have a manual cuff and got 170/90. I began to panic, but knew I needed to stay calm. My now fiancé and I called one of our friends over who used to be an EMT. He took my blood pressure and it was 180/110.

I called the hospital and was urged to come in immediately. We grabbed our bags and went to the hospital. We got there around 9:30/10pm. My blood pressure remained high and topped out at 185/110 when it was decided I needed medication to lower it and I needed to be induced. They started an IV to give me the medication I needed, fluids, and magnesium. The magnesium made me feel absolutely horrible. A feeling of being sick, weak, almost achy. At 12:30am, now 37w exactly, induction process was started with the wonderful small pill being placed behind my cervix. I was 2 cm.

2:30am and another pill is placed. Still 2cm. I’m having contractions but they’re super easy to deal with. I’m told to sleep but I’m having an incredibly hard time trying to do so.

4:30am yet another pill is placed. No change, I’m still 2cm. Still having very easy contractions.

8am Pitocin is started very low. 2 cm. Contractions are stronger but still very manageable.

8:30am. 2 cm, due to no change in 8+ hours it’s recommended my water be broken.

9am my water is broken and Pitocin is upped.

9:45am and I can’t take it anymore. I request an epidural, and I get it at 10am. 

1pm i’m having breakthrough pain on my right side with my epidural, I can feel it in my right lower abdomen and my right lower back. They give me an extra boost of the medication and roll me onto my right side, It helps for a while.

3pm i’m hungry so I request a popsicle and apple juice, this kicks in nausea and I begin vomiting. I threw up all of my stomach contents, and I’m given those scent packs to help with the nausea, they don’t help. 5cm now.

5pm more breakthrough pain, and this time the extra boost of medication isn’t helping. I am so far beyond the point of exhaustion, but I’m so uncomfortable that sleep is impossible. I’m becoming very emotional, crying on and off and needing to hold my fiancé’s hand.

5:30pm, I’m having multiple bouts of dry heaving.

6pm, I’m feeling pressure in my tailbone and in my butt with contractions. I’m 8.5cm, told I can’t push yet.

6:45pm still having pressure. I’m checked again and now 9 cm. Still told pushing may be a ways away.

7:30pm, I’m having more pressure and super uncomfortable all the way around. I’m told that I’m 10cm but there’s still a tiny spot of my cervix there. 7:40pm, pushing starts!

8:39pm our little boy is born at 37 weeks exactly! 5lbs 10.9 oz 19.5 inches long. Waylon 💙 I needed two internal stitches on the left and right side.

Pics below are him now! 6 weeks old tomorrow!