We found out I was pregnant in May 1996, several months after losing our first pregnancy at 11 weeks the previous September. The first trimester went well – I gained about 4 pounds and had some morning sickness. My blood pressure was around 100/60.
The second trimester started fine. Halfway through the second trimester, we moved out of our house and into a camper while we waited for our new house to be built. Around that time, I started having mild swelling in my hands, feet and ankles. At 20 weeks, the swelling in my hands became more severe and I had to have my wedding ring cut off! My blood pressure was still normal and I wasn’t spilling any protein in my urine. I gained about 25 pounds during the second trimester.
We moved into our house in December, near the end of the third trimester. The swelling was getting progressively worse and moving into my face, legs and arms. My blood pressure started gradually going up. At 33 weeks, it was 122/68. 35 weeks, 122/72. 36 weeks, 138/72. At this point I was put on bed rest. It was the week of Christmas. L I spent most of my time slouching on the couch with my feet up. At 37 weeks, my blood pressure was 130/78. The next two weeks, my blood pressure remained pretty steady around 130/80. On my due date, January 20th 1997, my blood pressure was 140/90 and my eyelids and lips were quite swollen. I couldn’t wear my own shoes and had to wear my mother-in-laws that were two sizes too big! I had also started spilling protein in my urine. Our midwife took one look at me and sent me immediately to the hospital.
At the hospital, Cytotek (a small pill that acts as a prostaglandin to help soften the cervix and get labor started) was applied on my cervix. Then I had to be monitored on the EFM for one hour (this procedure causes contractions) then I was allowed to get up and walk for 2 hours before they put in another pill. This was NOT FUN! My cervix was still quite thick and way up high. It was very hard for the nurses to reach, not to mention painful for me! They did this twice on the 20th, twice on the 21st, and three times on the 23rd. During this time, my blood pressure had risen to 150/100. I was scheduled to go in again on Saturday the 25th, but started having contractions around 1am early Saturday morning. They were strong enough that I couldn’t go back to sleep and was up all night. I let my dh Jake sleep ~ I’m so nice!
Contractions continued throughout the day on the 25th and became stronger and closer together. That afternoon, they had progressed to being 5 minutes apart and lasting one minute for one hour. We were told to go to the hospital when they were 5 minutes apart for 2 hours, so we figured we would be heading to the hospital in another hour! WRONG! Contractions started getting further apart! They were soon about 15 minutes apart, but still quite strong and I couldn’t rest. We called our midwife, who told us to go to the hospital and get checked. We did (around 9pm) and I was just barely starting to efface. VERY frustrating after a full day of contractions! She had me take a sleeping pill and then gave me a second one to take home and told me if I wasn’t asleep by midnight, to take the second one. We went home and I tried to go to sleep and couldn’t. So at midnight, I took the second sleeping pill. I fell asleep shortly afterwards only to be awakened by contractions again at 1:30am.
I didn't realize they were contractions because the pain was all in my VERY low back. I seriously thought I was constipated! It literally felt like I had to go to the bathroom and couldn’t. About every 20 minutes all night long, I was up and running around the house like a mad woman! I was in soooo much pain!
So, on Sunday morning the 26th around 6am, Jake called the midwife. She said it sounded like labor and we should go to the hospital. We didn’t argue! We got there and I was 3cm dilated. They gave me a shot of Morphine so I could sleep since I had now been up 2 nights in a row AND on sleeping pills, which made me VERY groggy. I slept from 10am to 6pm. It felt great to finally get some rest and I woke up feeling very good. I was at 6cm! I spent the next 4 hours walking all over the hospital. At 10pm I was at 7cm. The midwife decided it was time for Pitocin to avoid another sleepless night.
It took 45 minutes to get the IV in because I was so swollen. Once they got it in, they also gave me Stadol, which they said would take the edge off since the Pitocin would cause such strong contractions. Well, it knocked me out. I do not remember a thing from 11pm and the rest of the night. At 4am I was finally at 10cm and they turned the Stadol off. I had spent the entire night flat on my back.
I started pushing with Jake holding one leg up and the nurse holding the other leg up.
