| Aubrey was born on February 26, 2002 at 11:37 pm, three months earlier than her expected arrival. She weighed 1 pound and 3 ounces. She would have been bigger but my pre-eclampsia caused some growth restriction. She was 27 weeks gestational age but measured that of a 23 weeker. Everything was going normal through most of the pregnancy. About a week or so before she was born I would wake up in the middle of the night with what I thought was severe indigestion or I would think that Aubrey was in my ribs. The pain was so terrible couldn't lye down on my back. I thought that maybe I didn't couldn't handle pain very well. We didn't go to the hospital because I was afraid they would tell me the baby was in my ribs and send me home. I didn't want to be just another silly pregnant woman worring about everything. Well when we went to my Doctor's appointment my blood pressure was higher than it normally runs. He was about to send us home and give me a prescription for another diagnosis of bladder infection (turned out to be protein in my urine) and then he noticed my blood pressure was higher. He had the nurse to check it again thinking it may be just a mistake, but that time it was higher. So he sent us to the observation part of the hospital to be monitored. It was a little while after that I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. They put me on magnesium sulfate to prevent me from going into seizures and called another hospital that was better equipped for early babies just in case.(I still say they already knew) I was catheterized and poked it seemed like a million times. When the ambulance got there I was more than relieved. It was gonna give me a rest. When we(me and husband) got there we were given several papers to sign, introduced to several doctors, and told they were going to do an emergency c-section. My husband was unable to come in with me because my platelets where too low and I had to be put under so neither one of us got to witness our precious baby's birth. I didn't get to see my little Aubrey for like two days. It was horrible. I would ask my family who got to see her what she looked like and I got the same answer every time. "She's small." When I finally was able to go see her I was almost scared because everyone's reaction when they came back from seeing her. But when I did get to see her it was another story she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. That's basically the birthing experience. My advice to pregnant women is don't be afraid to go to dr. even if at two in morning and you think it's something minor. Here's one of the first pictures taken. She looks way better now and looking better each day. |
