This is the birth story of my daughter Adalyn. I became pregnant with Addy the Summer of 2011. I found out I was pregnant on Thursday, July 28. I was very excited when I found out about my pregnancy. I started to look around at some different OBGYN’s right away. I made an appointment with one I was referred to by a friend. A few days prior to the appointment I started bleeding. This concerned me very much because I knew bleeding during pregnancy was not a good sign. I called the doctor immediately and they had me come in the next day. It was really upsetting because the doctor I met with did not seem to care about my problem of bleeding. She told me that spotting could be normal in the first trimester or it could become a miscarriage, “...which would suck” as she put it. It was then I knew I need to switch doctors.
I went to another doctor soon after. He was very helpful and knowledgeable. The bleeding subsided. From there on I had several appointments with my new OB. They were all very routine and everything seemed normal. My due date was set for April 13, 2012. I had quite a bit of morning and night sickness in my first trimester, but it stopped when the second trimester came. I found out in November that I was having a baby girl and couldn't have been happier! I was working full time in a hair salon and taking a couple classes in college. I stayed active and felt really great throughout the pregnancy. I had plenty of energy and was eating healthy along with taking my prenatal vitamins.
On Friday, February 3, 2012 I went by to visit my parents after work. I went to use the bathroom and when I wiped I had lost my mucus plug in the tissue. I instantly was afraid because I knew this could not be normal. No one had talked to me about this being common in pregnancy; plus I still had 10 weeks to go! I called my doctor right away and told him. He asked if I was in pain and when I said no, he told me not to worry about it. In very rare cases women can lose their mucus plugs as early as the second trimester. The next day I was highlighting my mom’s hair when I started experiencing severe cramps every five minutes. The remainder of the afternoon and into the evening brought continuous cramping. I called the OB again and they told me to take Benadryl and that if I couldn't fall asleep after taking it that it was contractions and I was most likely going into labor. Again, I felt that no one on my OB team seemed overly concerned with my symptoms, but me!
Well, I did not sleep the whole night and decided early Sunday morning that I was going to the emergency room. The hospital I went to informed me I was indeed going into labor and that I was one centimeter dilated! I couldn't believe it! This was so overwhelming to me since I was not supposed to have my daughter until April. The hospital told me that I was going into premature labor and that they had to send me via ambulance down to another hospital (MUSC) because they did not have the level 3 NICU for premature babies.
| Addy at One Day Old |
Upon arriving at the hospital I was a nervous wreck. I tried to remain as calm as possible but they were not giving me very much information. They were using medications to try to slow down contractions in hopes of stopping the labor. It did helped ease them, but the contractions never fully stopped. My contractions and my daughter’s heart rate were being monitored the whole night. The doctor came in the next morning. She pulled out the long paper strip of results. Instantly she said she did not like was she saw and that we're going to deliver my baby NOW! I immediately started crying. I did not know what was going to happen. Everything was happening so fast. When I asked questions they gave me very vague answers. Later I realized it was because the hospital staff did not want me to put more stress on my body for me or Addy. I was given an epidural and take into the operating room where they performed and emergency cesarean section (c-section). The final diagnosis from the doctors is that my placenta had ruptured and that every time I contracted her heart rate would plummet. They tried to stop the labor and once they saw that was not working they proceeded with my c-section.
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| Addy at One Week in the NICU |
My daughter, Adalyn, was born 10 weeks early on February 6, 2012 at 10:28 am. She weighed 3 lbs 7 oz. They kept her in the NICU for four weeks until she was finally able to come home with me. I was in the NICU with her every day. It was very difficult and such a scary experience to go through. She was 4 lbs 10 oz when she was discharged. She came home with a heart monitor that she used for six weeks. I am pleased to say that Adalyn is now two and half years old and weighs 35 lbs. She loves to color and eat bananas and blueberries.
Addy coming home with her heart monitor.
My message to expecting moms is that if you feel something isn't right share it. If your doctor doesn't listen then find someone that will. For first time moms it can be so hard to know what is normal and was it not. Please don’t let my story scare you, rather use my experience as a message. You may not be able to control what happens, but you do have the power to use your maternal instincts.
6 Months
Two and a Half
