Mini-Series: Preeclampsia Part 1
Join us as Kristen, an expectant mother, opens up about her journey with preeclampsia. Read on to hear her heartfelt and candid account in her own words. Check back to continue following her journey through pregnancy #2!
“165/90. That was what my blood pressure read at my 33-week prenatal visit. I knew that was high and as a registered nurse I immediately thought, “oh no.”
The nurse in the office went to get the doctor. She came into the room, sat in the chair and let me know I was going to have to be admitted to the hospital. They wanted to do a 24-hour urine test to check for protein in my urine as she was confident that I had developed preeclampsia.
The day before was my baby shower. I hadn’t felt great. Was more swollen than usual. No headache, no stomach pain, no heartburn, baby was moving just fine. I just felt off but thought – I have an appointment tomorrow. If I did it again, I wouldn’t have waited.
Tears streamed down my face as I experienced anxiety and fear of the unknown. We headed into the hospital and didn’t leave until my daughter was born.
I stayed on bedrest for an entire week. Their goal was to keep me stable and get me as close to 34 weeks as possible. This is to give the chance for the baby’s lungs to be developed. I had visits from many doctors, including the high-risk team and the NICU staff to talk me through what to expect at delivery. It was all very overwhelming. Grateful for the nursing team.
At 34 weeks the wait was over. My platelet count was dropping, which puts you at more risk of bleeding, and my liver enzymes were starting to become elevated. I began an intense 36 hours of labor.
The short story of it is if I didn’t find the strength within me to do one final push, I was about to be wheeled to an emergency c section as my daughter was starting to become distressed. I received a magnesium infusion to prevent me from having a seizure. I felt horrible – hot, like I was in a fog, and weak.
The best part of this was my daughter came out crying. She didn’t need breathing support. She went to the NICU and was monitored. The worst part was I didn’t get to see her for almost 2 days.
I lost a lot of blood. I was so weak and sick I couldn’t even stand. Finally, after transfusions and rest, so I could at least sit up, I was wheeled down to the NICU to be with my little girl.
Olivia was in the hospital for 11 days after she was born. A true miracle. I was there for 10 days after I had delivered. Since she was in a unit for growth and development there was no place for us to sleep so we had to go home and came back the next day. It was the worst feeling in the world. Luckily, she was able to be discharged upon our return the next morning.
It took 9 months for my blood pressure to go back to normal without medication. I feel privileged to have had access to some of the best doctors in the world. I was also flooded with love and support from my friends and family. Otherwise, my outcome may not have been the same.
After this pregnancy my doctors told me I could have another child, but they wanted me to wait at least until 18 months after this birth to allow my body to heal.
Today my daughter is a fun, bright, creative, and compassionate little girl. Our lives are better because she exists.
In 2021 the United States Preventive Task Force published updated recommendations on the use of aspirin to prevent preeclampsia. The year my son was born. I was the perfect candidate. Did it help? More to come on that!”