I wasn't blogging when Sienna was born so now at 4 1/2 months old, I'm finally writing her birth story! It was Wednesday, May 10th when my 38 week checkup was scheduled for 9:30am. That morning I was on the phone with my sister and lost track of time so I rushed out the door to my appointment, telling my dogs I would be back shortly. I had also planned on grabbing a quick lunch and pedicure after my appointment. Just like every appointment, I gave a urine sample upon arrival. The nurse took me back to my room and did the normal check-up stuff including a blood pressure reading. I asked if it was okay and she said "mmhm". I thought that was odd because usually they tell me the numbers. In came Dr. L with another nurse and he immediately performed an exam. He started asking me weird questions like "have you been experiencing any leaking?" {tmi?} "do you have a headache?" "have you had any visual changes?". I was so confused because my answer was no to every question... and also these were questions I was never asked before. He told me to get dressed and he would be back in to take my blood pressure again. I thought to myself "they've never taken my blood pressure twice. Something has GOT TO BE up!". I got dressed and Dr. L came back in to do a blood pressure reading. He looked at the nurse and nodded as she left the room. Then he looked at me and said very calmly "you are showing signs of preeclampsia. You will need to drive yourself to the hospital where Dr. T is waiting for you and I will see you tomorrow to deliver your baby." Y'all- I was SO confused and nervous. I had no idea what preeclampsia even was. I immediately called my husband at work and told him the news. Jon left work and went home to grab my hospital bags before meeting me in triage around 12:30pm. In triage they did an ultrasound, put me on a continuous blood pressure reading, and gave me an IV. Dr. T came in to explain more. My blood pressure was "through the roof" and there was protein in my urine sample which together are signs of preeclampsia. The "cure" for preeclampsia is to deliver the baby and so I was told I would be checked into a room and induced immediately.
Shortly after being checked into my room, Dr. T said my blood pressure was not getting better and if it got any worse I would need to be put on magnesium to prevent seizures. Magnesium makes you feel hot and sick and for this reason I was not allowed to eat. {What??? I didn't eat that morning because I was running late and so at this point, I was HANGRY. I was only allowed a liquid diet. Womp womp.} Family visited throughout the afternoon and evening and then finally around 10pm I tried to get some sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night and needed the birthing ball. They offered me pain medication but I declined. After about an hour of that, I got back in bed to get more rest.
Thursday May 11th {also my husbands 28th birthday}: In the morning Dr. T came back to visit. My blood pressure was not well... it was going up. My preeclampsia came on extremely fast. Some women show signs for weeks and it slowly progresses. No, not mine. All my tests looked normal throughout my entire pregnancy and then at 38 weeks BAM. The magnesium and pitocin was started. After this, things start getting blurry {literally} and so I'll try to recap the best I can. At some point Dr. T goes home and Dr. L comes in to break my water. That was literally the worst pain I've ever felt and I'm pretty sure I have a decent pain tolerance... I mean this whole time I wasn't even feeling my contractions when they said I should be. After all that pain, Dr. L wasn't even successful at breaking my water. That's when I requested the epidural. If he was going to have to do that again, I sure as heck did not want to feel it. About a half an hour later I got my epidural and catheter. I was barely numb before Dr. L went in to break my water again. This time it was a success and then immediately afterwards I started to pass out. I couldn't hear or see anything and I just remember trying so hard to say the words "I'm passing out". I'm not even sure I got the words out, but they all knew. Apparently Sienna's heart rate started to drop too. They flipped me over to my other side and gave me oxygen. A few minutes later I came back to it and Sienna's heart rate was back up and stable. Thank God. Y'all I was not doing well. I hadn't eaten in over 24 hours, I was battling preeclampsia, and the magnesium was making me so sick that I couldn't see straight. But hey, at least I wasn't seizing and baby girl was seemingly well. Some time around 6pm I throw up... labor was progressing. Around 8pm they went to check me and I was fully dilated... it was time to push. I don't know how I did it. I'm not over exaggerating when I say it took everything in me. I didn't think I was going to make it. Not because of pain {I didn't feel anything} but because my body couldn't handle it anymore. At 8:54pm on May 11, 2017 Sienna Raquel Ciemny was born weighing 6 lbs 7 oz and 20.5 inches long.
It was the best moment of my life. I finally had my baby girl and she was healthy. For an hour we do skin to skin. Then they take her measurements, clean her up, and family comes in to hold her. At this point I am over 36 hours without food so I ask if I can eat. This is when I find out that I will be kept on the magnesium for another 24 hours {and thus, not allowed to eat}. My blood pressure was not stable enough and if they took me off, I would have a seizure. Over the next day we all enjoy our new baby girl and my body tries to stabilize. On May 12th at 9pm I am finally taken off of magnesium and my catheter is taken out so I can walk again. For 24 hours after that I can only walk short distances and with assistance. And I was finally allowed to eat!!! On May 13th, after Sienna and I pass all of our tests, we are sent home. My family visits that evening. Sunday May 14th was Mothers Day {my first!} and Jon's family came over to visit. That evening around 8pm Sienna stops having wet diapers and stops eating {I was exclusively breast feeding and she stopped latching}. From about 9pm-12am May 15th Sienna cries and will not latch. She falls asleep and sleeps from 12am-7am straight. She was very yellow and I just knew something was wrong. At 8am when our pediatricians office opened, we rushed over and demanded to be seen asap. She drank about an ounce of formula before we were sent to the emergency room. She drank another ounce and then we were checked into our room. Sienna's bilirubin levels were high and she would need to be "under the lights" for 12 hours. During this time it was also important to get her hydrated again so I started pumping around the clock and we bottle fed her while she had to stay under the lights. After 12 hours, they test her again and her numbers went down. We wait another 6 hours {this time she was not under the lights} for her to be tested again and her numbers continued to drop so we were allowed to go home. Thank God.
Being burped by daddy
Ever since then, Sienna and I have both been healthy. My future pregnancies will be watched very closely and I will be put on aspirin starting at 12 weeks. If anyone has questions about preeclampsia or jaundice, please email me and I will gladly answer to the best of my ability based on my own person experience!
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also Luke 12:34
Thursday May 11th {also my husbands 28th birthday}: In the morning Dr. T came back to visit. My blood pressure was not well... it was going up. My preeclampsia came on extremely fast. Some women show signs for weeks and it slowly progresses. No, not mine. All my tests looked normal throughout my entire pregnancy and then at 38 weeks BAM. The magnesium and pitocin was started. After this, things start getting blurry {literally} and so I'll try to recap the best I can. At some point Dr. T goes home and Dr. L comes in to break my water. That was literally the worst pain I've ever felt and I'm pretty sure I have a decent pain tolerance... I mean this whole time I wasn't even feeling my contractions when they said I should be. After all that pain, Dr. L wasn't even successful at breaking my water. That's when I requested the epidural. If he was going to have to do that again, I sure as heck did not want to feel it. About a half an hour later I got my epidural and catheter. I was barely numb before Dr. L went in to break my water again. This time it was a success and then immediately afterwards I started to pass out. I couldn't hear or see anything and I just remember trying so hard to say the words "I'm passing out". I'm not even sure I got the words out, but they all knew. Apparently Sienna's heart rate started to drop too. They flipped me over to my other side and gave me oxygen. A few minutes later I came back to it and Sienna's heart rate was back up and stable. Thank God. Y'all I was not doing well. I hadn't eaten in over 24 hours, I was battling preeclampsia, and the magnesium was making me so sick that I couldn't see straight. But hey, at least I wasn't seizing and baby girl was seemingly well. Some time around 6pm I throw up... labor was progressing. Around 8pm they went to check me and I was fully dilated... it was time to push. I don't know how I did it. I'm not over exaggerating when I say it took everything in me. I didn't think I was going to make it. Not because of pain {I didn't feel anything} but because my body couldn't handle it anymore. At 8:54pm on May 11, 2017 Sienna Raquel Ciemny was born weighing 6 lbs 7 oz and 20.5 inches long.
It was the best moment of my life. I finally had my baby girl and she was healthy. For an hour we do skin to skin. Then they take her measurements, clean her up, and family comes in to hold her. At this point I am over 36 hours without food so I ask if I can eat. This is when I find out that I will be kept on the magnesium for another 24 hours {and thus, not allowed to eat}. My blood pressure was not stable enough and if they took me off, I would have a seizure. Over the next day we all enjoy our new baby girl and my body tries to stabilize. On May 12th at 9pm I am finally taken off of magnesium and my catheter is taken out so I can walk again. For 24 hours after that I can only walk short distances and with assistance. And I was finally allowed to eat!!! On May 13th, after Sienna and I pass all of our tests, we are sent home. My family visits that evening. Sunday May 14th was Mothers Day {my first!} and Jon's family came over to visit. That evening around 8pm Sienna stops having wet diapers and stops eating {I was exclusively breast feeding and she stopped latching}. From about 9pm-12am May 15th Sienna cries and will not latch. She falls asleep and sleeps from 12am-7am straight. She was very yellow and I just knew something was wrong. At 8am when our pediatricians office opened, we rushed over and demanded to be seen asap. She drank about an ounce of formula before we were sent to the emergency room. She drank another ounce and then we were checked into our room. Sienna's bilirubin levels were high and she would need to be "under the lights" for 12 hours. During this time it was also important to get her hydrated again so I started pumping around the clock and we bottle fed her while she had to stay under the lights. After 12 hours, they test her again and her numbers went down. We wait another 6 hours {this time she was not under the lights} for her to be tested again and her numbers continued to drop so we were allowed to go home. Thank God.
Being burped by daddy
Ever since then, Sienna and I have both been healthy. My future pregnancies will be watched very closely and I will be put on aspirin starting at 12 weeks. If anyone has questions about preeclampsia or jaundice, please email me and I will gladly answer to the best of my ability based on my own person experience!
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also Luke 12:34
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