Seton Baby Talk

My 36-week prenatal appointment was routine until the nurse took my blood pressure. “Oh boy,” she said. “Your blood pressure is high. Lie down on your left-hand side, and let’s see if your pressure goes down.” What? Although some of my other numbers tend to be high (such as my weight and cholesterol), my blood pressure is always great.

After lying down for about five minutes, the nurse took my blood pressure again, and although it had gone down, my doctor was still concerned. “I think we need to monitor you for preeclampsia,” he said. Great.

After doing some research, I learned that preeclampsia, or pregnancy-induced hypertension, occurs when a pregnant woman develops high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Women with preeclampsia also have high levels of protein in their urine as well as sudden swelling in their faces and/or feet.

I had noticed that my feet, ankles and hands were swollen, but I figured that this was just a normal symptom of pregnancy. I did become concerned when I awoke one morning to find that one of my eyelids was so swollen that it looked as if I had been punched!

As the weeks progressed, my doctor noticed that my symptoms were getting worse. My blood pressure continued to go up, as did the amount of protein in my urine. Of course, the most noticeable symptom was the swelling. My once bony feet were now big round lumps of flesh. “Sheesh, it looks like you’re baking loaves of bread in your shoes,” my husband told me one evening. I laughed it off ... until I had to buy bigger loaf pans (aka, shoes!). Friends and co-workers would hound me to put my feet up, which usually reduces swelling. Unfortunately, swelling due to preeclampsia really doesn’t go away, no matter how long your feet are elevated.

Concerned friends and family asked me what I could do to reduce my blood pressure. Eat less salt? Rest? Turns out the only “cure” for preeclampsia is childbirth. My doctor decided to closely monitor me, but made it clear that I would eventually have to be induced to avoid putting my baby or myself in a dangerous situation.

This news definitely stressed me out. As I struggled through my last week at work (before we closed for the holiday break), I worried about my condition, how it would affect my baby and the additional problems that an induction could cause. I worried so much that I made myself sick. I had to take two sick leave days during my last week of work because I felt so nauseous and uneasy. At this point, my doctor had increased my prenatal appointments to two a week. I dreaded each one because I knew that each appointment could lead to my doctor recommending that I check into the hospital for induction.

One of my last appointments was scheduled on my last day at work. As my husband and I drove to my doctor’s office, I felt the panic rise in my chest. I wasn’t ready for my little one to arrive! There was still so much to do! Fortunately, I didn’t have to be induced that day. Later, on my way to work, I felt so relieved that I had some more time to get ready before my baby arrived. Little did I know how close I was to meeting my baby daughter...