I had a great pregnancy with Maxwell, no morning sickness and I didn’t gain a lot of weight. When I reached 33 and 1/2 weeks I started to get pains just under my ribs which I though was just one of those things that goes along with pregnancy (as this was my first child I really didn’t have much of a clue) so I didn’t worry about it.
I went to the doctor for my regular check up and found, that my blood pressure had sky rocketed and I had protein in my urine, the doctor said that I had Preeclampsia and had to go to hospital for bed rest but the worst case scenario was that I would need to have an emergency caesarean.
So I rang my husband to come home so he could take me to hospital. While I was waiting for him I finished packing my bag as I hadn’t done it yet because I thought that I would have plenty of time and would probably be overdue before I delivered as both my mum and nanna were both overdue, with both of their pregnancies.
I reached 33 weeks and 6 days when my blood pressure jumped to 180 on 105 and I was in so much pain with my liver and kidneys as this is what PE affects and I was so tired not having really slept for weeks as I had insomnia.
The birth of Maxwell
I was admitted to hospital at 4.30pm and all I wanted was for it to be all over as I was in so much pain and just so tired all I wanted to do was sleep. I was checked over by the obstetrician and told that I was to have an emergency caesarean.
I was then taken into an operating theatre where I was given a spinal block, I let the tears run down my face (this is not one of the things that you expect to happen to you when you think that you should be having one of the most wonderful experiences of your life). It was 7pm when they administered the spinal block and within 1 minute there was no feeling in my lower body. With a spinal block you feel things but you don’t feel any pain.
I knew when they broke my waters because every one had to put on protective goggles and then the sheet in front of my face was raised so I didn’t get splashed, my husband was watching them while they did this and said it looked like a geyser when it blows.
My son Maxwell Dean was born at 7.20pm weighing only 1804 grams or just under 4 pounds. My husband then went with Max while they took care of all the usual newborn tests and got to have his photo taken with Max.
While this was happening I was put back together and sewn up, it felt like someone was kneading my belly like it was bread dough! I was in recovery for over an hour before I was wheeled up to see my new son who was wrapped in bubble wrap to keep him warm.
Because of every thing that happened after that I ended up having 5 platelet transfusions and I was on so much medication for pain, which in turn made me sick, so then I would be given something to suppress the nausea. So I don’t remember the 2 days after my birth except that I knew that people talked to me and I to them, but who they were and what was said is a mystery.
Finally on the 3 day I was well enough to see Max and try to start to bond with him. Within no time at all I found that I loved being a mum so much that I couldn’t wait to do it again!!
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