To start this off I want to say Calla's birth was a journey. Literally, a journey. I have learned so so so much in the last 5 weeks. I will TRY to put all of these lessons in words, but really.... it would be impossible.
On Tuesday, August 11th I went in for my normal check up.
Flashback: I should add that I went in the week before. Technically I was still on a two week appointment schedule. However, when I went in the Tuesday before Dr. C (not my regular doctor, but another fave) noticed that my blood pressure was a bit higher than normal. One problem of having perfect blood pressure and being pretty dang healthy is when one little stat slides, doctors tend to raise an eyebrow. I can't remember what my blood pressure was exactly, but it was just slightly higher than normal. I explained to her that we had just gone back to school (preplanning) and I was actually up and moving rather than taking it easy at home like I had the majority of the summer. I was just a little frazzled trying to get my CC schedule worked out. She agreed that the change could be the reason, but she wanted to see me come back next week for a check and also ordered a 24 hour urine test. (Keeping up with your urine in a jug for 24 hours was just as much fun as it sounds. Especially when you drink 2 gallons of water a day.)
Week 33 was the first week of school. I have always said that there is no tired like teacher tired after the first day of school. Well, really... there is no tired like teacher tired at 33 weeks pregnant. I was beginning to swell, and just feel super super pregnant for really the first time all pregnancy. I TRY really hard not to complain and be negative. Looking back, I was just ughhhh. Not myself at all. My feet and hands just hurt. Nothing out of control bad, but they just hurt and I was HOT. I couldn't get cool. (But I need to give a shout out to my amazing husband who agreed that we needed a new AC unit and this was installed this week!) I spent the weekend on the couch. I went ahead and packed our hospital bags because nothing makes my stomach hurt quite like being unprepared. (Lesson #1)
This brings us back to August 11th. We have officially had our new students three days. I asked Coach to go to the doctor with me this day. I scheduled my appointment at 4pm because I don't like missing school. The whole time I was just praying. I just KNEW in my head that the doctor would say, "You look great! Carry on and you will birth this baby in 7 weeks or so!" Although I knew my body was off. I was off. When I looked in the mirror I looked about 56 weeks pregnant. People were sure to tell me as well. I had the "look." (Which now I associate the "look" with looking miserable and HUGE.)
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| First Day of School 2015: 33 Weeks Pregnant |
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| The Last Cain, Party of 3 Photo |
The first thing the nurse did was check my blood pressure. I am horrible with understanding what the numbers mean. However, I could tell by my husband's eyes that the numbers were high. The decided to hook me up to the monitors to hear Baby Cain and just check the baby. All was healthy and great with her. She was doing great. It was me they were concerned about. Doctor C came in and said, "Carley, we want you to spend 24 hours at the hospital. They will monitor you and the baby." My response, "Ok. But I can go back to work after that, right?" Her, "No. You are done with work."
At this moment my blood pressure went even higher. I was having cross country tryouts the next day. I did not have my lesson plans ready. I did not have my names written in my grade book!!!! I had some coaches that I was trying to reach that had yet to contact me. I instantly started sobbing. (Lesson #2)
We went to have an ultrasound to check the growth of Baby Cain and to see if she passed all of the development tests. Was she practicing her breathing? How much did she weigh? How were her lungs? She was looking great and healthy, just weighing around 4 pounds. (Just an estimation.) She passed all of the development tests. Once we finished with the ultrasound, we went directly across the street to the hospital where I had the real breakdown. Nothing but sobbing in the car. Why? I knew my baby was healthy. I THOUGHT I was healthy. I just wasn't ready to leave my jobs. (Lesson #3)
We went in and I decided that I was going to smile the whole time and pray. I read Supernatural Childbirth and I knew that if I had the smallest amount of doubt at all I was allowing Satin to steal my joy and I was doubting God. My goal from that moment on was to not doubt. God was in total control. (Lesson #4)
I checked in, got in bed, and waited for the labs and tests. I had never spent the night in the hospital before. Never had an IV. Never had internal monitors. This was all really really new.
The first item up for business was the need for a steroid shot to help develop lungs. That thing was pretty painful in my back. It confirmed that I would be horrible at an epidural.
Then the IVs and FIRST round (of ten after everything was said and done...) of a medicine that we will call MAG. Or the horrible terrible no good very bad medicine. Somewhere I called my mom, Coach called his mom, and we called the BFFs for backup and dinner.
I think the whole time my goal was to a) smile b) not think about what all had to be finished at work and home and c) pray for Baby Cain.
The doctor came in with a nurse and their faces were just... off. That is when I was told that I was going to need to be sent to Savannah because there was a large chance that my body was DONE being pregnant and I would have to deliver. Here are the smiles and more tears. I was crying and smiling. I had too many thoughts going through my head to even remember what I was thinking.
In come the BFFs with dinner, and in come more doctors. "Savannah is full. We are going to send you to Augusta or Albany."
Here come more tears. And more smiles.
Coach requested Augusta because a) that is closer to our family. b) we lived there and had friends near.
No dinner for me... no water.... nothing. More medicine. Then Coach left to head home to get our bags, take Dub out, and then rush to Augusta.
About 30 minutes of doctors rushing in and nurses rushing around went by and the next thing I knew I was on a bumpy ride... in an ambulance... headed to Augusta. It was around 8pm.
I called my mom and informed her that Baby Cain was never moving away from me. I mean, how horrible was it that I had to call my mom 4 hours away and tell her I was in an ambulance? I can't even imagine. I then text my prayer friends and asked for prayers. How insane was it to get a text from me saying, "Hey! Please pray for baby Cain and me. We are in an ambulance headed to Augusta. I have high blood pressure and they are really worried!" I think my texts sounded like I was crying and smiling.
I was chatting with the EMT, making friends with her... when I told her I needed to REALLY go to the bathroom. She looked at some bags.. and told the driver, "Turn on the lights. We need to get there soon."
Apparently they were worried about my kidneys... and a seizure.
More to come...
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