Phillippa's Birth Story:: PART 1

Where do I even begin? It has been such a whirlwind the past 40 hours that I may leave something out, but want to write this down before I start to forget.

As mentioned in my last blog post, I was on modified bed rest. I was allowed to do certain things, as long as my blood pressure was kept under control, and any signs of pre eclampsia stayed away (nausea, headaches not cured with Tylenol, right upper quadrant pain, changes in vision). Saturday was uneventful. I stayed at home most of the day and left just to have a nice dinner with my family. Low key, low bps most of the day. Sunday is when I woke up feeling like yuck.

It started off with just slightly elevated blood pressure. (140s/80-90) nothing to be concerned about. Nothing to call the doc about because I had been hanging out around that range the past 2 weeks. But I felt "off". Went to church with the family. This literally required me to sit in a car, then sit through service, I didn't stand, didn't dance in the aisles lol, just sat. But I had a feeling of "restless body syndrome" if you have ever had restless leg syndrome, it is that feeling but all over my body. I wasn't comfortable sitting, standing, walking, didn't want anyone touching me. Just REALLY restless.

We headed home and my bp was still 140s/80-90.

Foster had a few errands to run, grocery shopping, ref a rugby game, etc. So while he did that I napped. I took TWO 1.5 hr naps. NOT like me, but once again, I wasn't feeling well.

Woke up at 530pm to get ready to go to small group. Which required me to sit in the car, walk to a couch and sit on a couch for 2 hrs. No big deal. Plus I figured with everything going on, it would be a nice thing to hang with a group that would be praying hard for all of us.

After small group, I got home, Foster went to bathe Ava while I made a late dinner of sandwiches and Mac and cheese. After putting the pot on to boil I decided to take my bp because I still didn't feel well. It read 160/100. I was a bit shocked, but did what Dr P told me: lay on your left side, rest for 10 mins and retake. If it doesn't go down, call. Retake: 138/85, the best it has been all day.

So we ate and then headed to bed. Yes, I was headed to bed at 9pm even after 2 naps. The one thing I noticed is my tummy was tight. Not contraction tight, but more just overall tight. Tender to the touch. Even Ava wanting to kiss the belly goodnight was a bit painful. I chalked it up to mild contractions like I had had on and off since 28 weeks, and figured I would chug some water and lay down. It would go away like it always did.

Why didn't I call my doc? I don't know. I thought about it multiple times through the day, but I had a non stress test scheduled that next morning and figured as long as I was keeping things under control, I would be fine till then. Nothing seemed major, just had that "off" feeling all day.

I was out like a light by 9:30p. But just like every other night, I woke up about 1.5 hrs later because I had to pee....oh the joys of pregnancy. I shuffled into the bathroom, sat down and before I got the chance to start peeing, I felt a huge gush. I stopped. Oh crap. I think my water just broke. I flipped on the bathroom light, not knowing what to expect because my water has never broken, and was terrified when I looked in the toilet and it looked like a massacre had taken place. I froze. When I think of the most devastating moment in my life, it is when we found out Rosalynn had no heart beat. When I think of the most terrifying moment of my life, this was it.

I am too versed in pregnancy. I know the good, the bad and the devastating. I know that that much blood in the third trimester could mean 1 of 2 things:

1) My csection scar was opening, which is a risk with any pregnancy after csection, and when contractions have been manifesting themselves, increase this risk if they are strong enough/productive. This is one reason why docs don't like doing vaginal births after csection (VBAC).

2) A placental abruption. Any of you who watch Grey's anatomy, they JUST had an episode of a woman experiencing one of these. Both her and baby died. VERY dangerous, very scary, and happens quickly.

I yelled out to Foster, "HONEY.....wake up we need to go to the hospital NOW".

All I kept thinking is I had lost her already. That I was hemorrhaging and Pippa was gone. I honestly thought I had lost another baby.

Foster sprung into action, grabbing Ava and getting her to the neighbor's house, grabbing my bag that was still partially packed from Thursday's stay at OSU, and getting the car ready.

I called 911 and grabbed my Doppler. I didn't want to risk bleeding out and dying in a car my husband was driving on the way to the hospital. I wanted to make sure I had medical care on the transport to the hospital. But I also knew this meant 1 bad thing: they would take me to a hospital I was not familiar with, with docs who didn't know my case, and my doc had no delivery rights to.

While I was on the phone with 911 I had my Doppler in hand. 

"Mrs Foster, can you feel your baby move?"

"No, I haven't felt her move since the gush. I have a doppler in my hand but I am terrified to put it on my belly" I told the operator. "What if my daughter is gone already?!".

"Ma'am most squads don't have a way to check fetal heart tones. So if you want to check it would be best to use it."

As I placed the doppler on my belly I held my breath.......and THANK THE LORD Pippa was there. It was the first time the entire pregnancy I didn't have to search for her or chase her with the doppler. Thank God for small favors!! I knew she was at least alive.

TO BE CONTINUED........

I am exhausted, my pain meds are kicking in, and I need to head to bed. Sorry lol. I will finish typing her story tomorrow:-) 

Pre-Eclampsia and "Modified Bed Rest"

Ok, So we have a plan, and HOPEFULLY this plan will keep little missy in for another 3 weeks 6 days. BUT there has been some talk of as early as 34 week delivery.

According to my 24 hour urine collection, I do indeed have pre-eclampsia. Mild, but there. My BPs have been "behaving" around 140s/80s with rest. But they have definitely creeped up over the course of the 3rd trimester. Pippa is passing her non stress tests, and we are getting a growth scan to make sure these BPs are not effecting her growth, and will be getting our second round of steroid shots JUST TO BE SAFE. But she is behaving and seems content.

So what now? They want to send me home. They feel like as long as I rest and relax, I can hopefully keep the BP levels down and keep other symptoms at bay. For now I am ok with this. I have an amazing support system of family, neighbors and friends who will be helping with Ava, and I SHOULD be able to keep my feet up and rest for a little over 3 weeks. I have a REALLY bad issue with sitting still, but at least I will be sitting still in the comfort of my own home. I will have time to get caught up on all client sessions, album designs, and maybe even catch up on some online workshops and such that I have purchased but been unable to watch due to being so busy. Pippa is MAKING mommy slow down and breath for a few weeks. So far I have had some AMAZINGLY understanding clients (helps a lot of them are doctors and nurses). I think that was one of my biggest stressors I was dealing with when trying to get my head wrapped around any form of "rest".

As far as treatment and care plan:

2 day a week non stress tests with Dr. P with 1 day  week lab draw to watch my liver enzymes, creatinine,  and platelet levels. If these go up they are indicative of liver problems, and reasons to deliver earlier. As of right now they are all within normal range. My only abnormal levels are my BP and my proteinuria (Protein in my urine) which these two alone are enough for a Pre Eclampsia diagnosis. So no need to retest my urine, BUT I will be doing BPs frequently through the day at home. Any indication of increased readings, symptoms getting worse (swelling, vomiting, right upper quadrant pain, headaches that don't go away with tylenol, vision changes, etc) I am to call the doc or go directly to L&D triage.

Goal is still May 25th delivery, but we are preparing for anything at this point. We obviously don't want any NICU stay, and especially don't want an extended NICU stay, but the girls over there are already calling dibs on who gets to admit and take care of Phillippa, so I know regardless she will be well taken care of if she does get a short stint with them.

I have gotten asked NUMEROUS times in the past 24 hrs if there is anything anyone can do for me. So....what can you do to help? Well, I HATE asking for help, so even this is hard for me. If I had any requests, it would be food. Foster and I both cook, but I typically do the majority of the meals in our home. SOOOO it is going to be really hard for me to NOT want to cook for my family every day especially since the kitchen is RIGHT THERE. So anything would help, premade meals I can pop in the oven easily, freezer style or crockpot style meals that can be made easy, gift cards for food, etc. I HATE feeling useless, and one of my biggest ways of feeling like a true mom and wife is by feeding my family. So this will be my hardest challenge to the "resting" issue.....because lets face it, no one REALLY likes cleaning;-) lol. If you are interested text, private message, etc and I will give you more details. We have no allergies, and the only food Foster won't eat are mushrooms.

Now, I am also up for company. Because we are going to be TRYING to maintain some normalcy in Ava's life so she will still be going to school so I will be home twiddling my thumbs Mon, Weds, Fri. So company is always welcome:-) I can't promise I will be showered or the house will be clean LOL, but I am still good company.

And of course last but most importantly, PRAYERS. If you are too far to visit, don't consider yourself a chef and afraid you would poison my family, above all else we need prayers! Prayers my BP behaves, prayers my labs remain normal, prayers Pippa behaves, prayers for my sanity as I take this much needed rest, and prayers my hubby and daughter survive this "Jabba the Hut" mommy LOL. Because if I don't shoot myself from boredom, My hubby may kill me out of annoyance;-) (JUST KIDDING, I am having NO thoughts of harming myself and Foster would never hurt me...don't call the police;-)

Problem Child: 31 Weeks and In the Hospital

SO it looks like Miss Phillippa is going to be my problem child. She has been lovingly dubbed "little stinker" by me:-)

Yesterday I was watching my niece and Ava but felt "off". I decided to nap while the girls did, and still didn't feel very good. So before leaving Bug's house for the day, I had her take my BP. I purchased a manual BP cuff because I don't completely trust digital cuffs, and my years of taking BPs I figured I would trust my own ears better than the digital readings. Well, my sister, the NICU nurse got the following readings:

160/90 Left arm
155/95  Left arm 10 mins after "resting" on the couch
150/95 Right arm after resting.

Yeah......not good.

So I called my doc. I just wanted to go to their office and have my BP checked and maybe a urine dip to check things out, but instead she sent me straight to L&D.

First few readings at L&D showed high (140s/90s) but with resting they quickly started going into normal range (120s/70s). Of course they would. All I was doing was laying around. They drew blood, monitored Pippa for 2 hrs, and she behaved this time, gave me a 24 hr urine to go home with and instructions to return today around 5pm to turn in urine, monitor Pippa again, and recheck BPs.

I had originally had a regular prenatal appointment set up for this morning at 8:30 with Dr. P. I was getting Ava ready for school, getting myself ready for my day, and started feeling "off" again. Nauseated, dizzy, head ache. So I sat down and took my BP digitally. It came to 170/95. Then I threw up. Waited a few mins and then took it again but manually this time: 170/100.

GREAT. So off to my appointment I went.

My doctor came in VERY quickly. Checked my BP, rechecked my BP and both times were high. So we started talking.

OBVIOUSLY when in the hospital and doing NOTHING my #s start looking great! But how is that going to work outside of the hospital? How am I to keep my BP in check when just doing normal activity gets it to skyrocket?

Dr. P wanted to send me to the hospital for 24 hr observation again. First starting in triage. If my BP didn't want to come down while being monitored there, then we would be talking delivery sooner than later. If it DID come down, then we would be monitoring me on antepartum floor with frequent checks on Pippa, frequent BP checks and more blood work to find out if this is pregnancy induced hypertension or the dreaded Pre-Eclampsia.

So here I sit. My BPs were not critical like some of the readings we were getting earlier today, but they are still higher than normal. So no delivery today THANK GOD!! But we are monitoring and waiting for labs and my 24 hour urine to be done tonight to determine if A) this is Pre-E or B) if this is pregnancy induced hypertension.

What happens if Pre-E? Most likely admittance till delivery (hopefully still 4 weeks from today instead of sooner) but they will need to keep close eyes on my BP and blood work and if either becomes critical, it will be a quick delivery via c-section.

If Hypertension? HOPEFULLY it is something that can be treated with some BP meds and "taking it easy" for the rest of the pregnancy with the hopes of making it till May 25th.

I am praying for the hypertension, but JUST IN CASE, they have administered my first steroid shot for Miss Pippa's lungs, which would hopefully equal a shorter NICU stay. But I am also praying for it for my own sanity. Although I will do ANYTHING to get this child here safe and sound, and I know some people, like my mom would rather me be admitted till delivery, I would go INSANE. Any of you who know me in real life know I am busy all the time. Have a zillion things going on, and i THRIVE on that. So sitting still for 4 weeks would be killer. BUT I will do ANYTHING for Pippa, just like I would do ANYTHING for Ava:-) But man oh man will I miss home.

So if you are the praying type, I have always been told by my mom that pray specific and you have a better chance at getting those answered:-)

Pray for NO pre-E
Pray for med controlled hypertension
pray for sending home and resting
pray for delivery at 8am on may 25th like planned:-)

I will keep updating as I can.