Having said that, every pregnancy is different, even for the same woman. When we planned our baby, we had a rough road ahead of us, bearing a minor loss and doctors giving up on my husband's reports and then God intervened and I conceived naturally. I always believed in the fact that pregnancy isnt a disease and it is a condition so nothing changes much. You just have to tell yourself to stay positive, active, exercise and continue to eat healthy rather than stocking up and gaining wieght unnecessarily.
September 7th 2013 onwards,when I conceived, I was living a healthy life, exercising regularly, definitely with modifications, going to college and pursuing my studies and also doing my daily chores and groceries etc. It aint easy in a way during the first trimester, but it is all about what you tell your mind and it does listen to you. Everything went off well till the 25th week, when I bled from nowhere and almost went into a pretem labor. I was in the hospital for two days being given two steroid shots to develop my boy's lungs in case he had to be delivered early. Living in the US, with the world's best care espcially in pregnancy, for which this country is famous, doctors couldnt find a definite answer and all looked normal. Bed rest in pregnancy is not recommended anymore since it does more harm than benefits ,lest you are a high risk pregnancy case. However, I was sent home the third day and life again continued with multiple bleeding episodes and hospitalizations. With multiple growth scans, doctors derived that problem is not me but my placenta, an organ that forms when you are pregnant; giving nourishment to the baby through the mother. In ninty percent cases, a placental abruption can't be seen in ultrasound. My placenta was anterior placed and mostly it is posterior placed. It showed no haemorage. Doctors only derived it when my baby's belly measured small and less than 5th percentil and he was small for gestational age as compared to other babies. Now this could be genetic since we Indians are not as big as Americans. From 25th week to 30th week, my baby pulled it along with me, grew his belly to the 9th percentile and I continued to go to college and live a normal life amidst all checkups and hospitalizations till the end of 30th week, when I bled again and doctors realised I had to be in the hospital till I deliver a premature baby boy hopefully at 34 weeks, since I started to haemorage internally. The gave me two more steroid shots and two drips of Magnesium Sulphate which prevents preterm labor and helps in neurological development of babies who had to be delivered before time. It was the worst thing I ever had in life.
I looked stable again to them and they sent me home the fourth day, only to come back after six hours and dotors decided that I am not going anywhere. Third day again one of the doctors sent me home, despite the fact that my Obstetrics wanted me to be there, only to come back in three hours and hospitalized permanently this time with my doctor freaking out of the fact a life threatening case like this was sent home.
I suffer from a chronic placenta haemorage, or a placenta abruption. There are many factors like drugs, cigarettes, accidents, truma in an accident, high blood pressure, placenta previa, women over 40, etc causing it and in my case, none of these so it was all the more frustrating. One in twenty women suffer from this for no fault of theirs and often they don't bleed or show any distress till they deliver. Usually placenta is not needed after the baby is born but often it detaches itself from the uterus and in some cases, when it detaches itself completely from the uterus, you lose a lot of blood and both mother and the baby can die in minutes.
I am a high risk patient now and I got my sixth steroid shots and second dosage of Magnesium Sulphate to stabilise me. Everyday is a challenge and it is only me and my husband here, where I get to see my husband only for sometime and that too not everyday, since he has to work, go to the gym, take care of the house; so I am all alone in the hospital and yet not alone. The nurses and doctors are great and I have some great friends here.
I was used as a case study by one of the doctors for a lecture and my ultrasound scans were not only informative to them but also to me.
Each day is a fear of complete abruption; but that is life. God has been a great support. I am 31 weeks long and my baby has pulled it well so far.
I wonder what those women do who have no medical aid, insurance or any moral support.
I wish I could go back to India and educate people about this and I just pray our politicians provide basic medical care atleast to people in villages.
My humble request to people to understand various complications of pregnancy, and for that matter understand medical terms and instead of questioning patients coping with various medical problems, be a support.
I love my new temporary home... this hospital room. It has only made me stronger and also made me aware of who has been really there for me and also understand those who claim to be your friends, but find no time to ask your weel being. I don't feel bad anymore, for many don't really know the issue, and some are just coping with their own problems and a few of them don't even count:-)
I have three more weeks till I reach 34 weeks atleast safely and everyday is a challenge which doesnt end here. My baby once born will go to the Neonatal Intensive care Unit till be breathes on his own and is a full term baby.
Having shared my story, I learnt so much in this hospital. What looks rosy isnt at all. Doctors work extremely hard and do a great job and we only see their money. The nurses here are like mothers with a natural passion to serve humanity. They leave their sorrows behind and put up with the patients for long hours. The cleaners and service staff love the little treats you give them happily and look forward to it more and more and having said that, we all love food and it creates wars here too. lol
I will be updating this soon, once our little one comes to the world safely.
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