So 2 weeks before Layla was born, I was diagnosed with PIH (Pregnancy Induced Hypertension). I was border line preeclampic, but not quite there (which was a good thing). For the remainder of my pregnancy, I had to go weekly down to the Naval Hospital to have Non stress Tests done of the baby. As long as she was doing good, then I was cleared for another week, and would go back and do it all over again. By this point, my feet were extremely swollen, my blood pressure was beyond what it should of been, and I felt I was just dragging my bottom half. The only thing I kept thinking was "No one told me how miserable the last few weeks of being pregnant can be!"(lol)
School was about to begin, and my students (kinder) were starting Sept. 7th. After the 1st day, I told my principal that I was not going to make it pass the 1st week. I had started having really bad upper tummy pain, didn't have an appetite, couldn't sleep, and could barely move. I got my lesson plans ready for the next week, just in case, and headed down the the hospital for my weekly stress test.
While I was there, the doctor came in and began asking me 21 questions. Apparently I was answering yes to all the wrong ones because she decided to do another round of lab work and personally call me when they came in. Needless to say I went to work the next morning (Friday Sept. 10), thank goodness it was a half day, and received a call from the doctor at 11:30 at school.
My results came back and were not good what so ever...my liver wasn't working correctly, my blood count and blood platelet count was extremely low, my blood pressure was sky high, and the list goes on. I had developed what was called H.E.L.L.P Syndrome. She told me once on the phone I needed to go in and have the baby, but it didn't sink in. The second time she told me, I was speechless and basically broke down. I was only 36 weeks and 2 days and in my mind, I still had 4 more weeks to get mentally prepared. I wasn't ready, lol!
I finally got a hold of Erik, and he was meeting me at the hospital. My wonderful friend Christina came with me to the house, packed my bags for me (since I was clueless on what was going on, or what I needed, lol), and we made our way down to the Naval Hospital. Needless to say what should of taken Erik about an hr and a half to get down there only took him about 45 mins, and he made it before we did.
As soon as we get up to Labor and Delivery...the craziness all began. The next 9 hours were a complete blur, doctors after doctors, after nurses, after corpsman, after I don't even know who were in and out of the room. Every time my doctor would come in, he had more bad news. My platelet count continued to decrease, which means I wasn't clotting, and there was a chance I would have to have a transfusion. They tried 3 methods of induction, none were working because after 9 hours I was only 1 cm dilated.
Around 10:30(ish), the doctor and nurse came slapping an oxygen mask on me, rolling me on my side, checking all the monitors. Every time I was having contractions (I had no idea I was having them because I couldn't feel them), the baby's heart rate would drop. The medication I was on for the H.E.L.L.P. Syndrome was starting to affect her breathing. So we had a decision to make....go on with another 12 hours of induction and risk the baby, or have an emergency c-section done and risk me. Because I wasn't clotting, they couldn't give me an epidural. If for some reason I would of bleed in my spine, I could of been paralysed, need back surgery, etc. So the only option would to completely put me under. They also were worried about me not clotting and bleeding out during surgery, or possible having to have a complete hysterectomy =/
After discussing our options for a few minutes, our choice was to get the baby out as quick as possible and hope for the best for me. I had complete faith in the doctor...and I was off.
The only thing I remember was being in the OR, being told what would happen, and then I was awake the next day not really knowing what was going on. I had no idea what time it was, what had happened, and the baby wasn't in the room. She was in NICU for observation and they were going to bring her to me at 11am. Apparently I was in and out of it after surgery, asking for her, wanting to see pictures, but I don't remember any of it. Oh yea and for me, minus blood loss...everything went well considering. It'a a healing process now and boy o boy is it taking a toll on me!!
They finally brought her to me and that's all they wrote...
Layla Leann Kimmey was born at 11:34pm on September 10th, 2010. She weighed 5lbs 12oz and was 18 inches long!!
More to come, duty calls...time for her next feeding =)
