My first blog

I'm nervous, I've never blogged before and I'm not sure I'm comfortable putting my life out there for others to read. On the other hand I think it will be good for me to get my feelings out, plus this will alleviate me from having to repeat my story over and over again.

Claire will be two months old tomorrow and I already feel like Adam and I have been pushed to our limits. We found out Claire had Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) when I was 22 wks pregnant. It was a shock and definitely unexpected. Tons of information was being thrown in our direction and all I remember hearing was that this could potentially be a fatal defect and that I was going to have an amniocentesis to test for downs syndrome. Luckily the tests cleared us for downs, but we still knew we had a long road ahead of us. Throughout the pregnancy Claire's tests were great, her development overall was on target despite the CDH. But don't be fooled, we were always aware that her health was a crap shoot until birth. We took all positive outlook and kind words in stride all the while doing our best to make them understand all the potential outcomes. Around my seventh month my health started to take a turn and the onstage of preeclampsia started. I was gaining 10-12 pounds a week and my body started swelling more than expected. My doctor appointments became more frequent and I became more uncomfortable.

On May 6th I was admitted into the hospital for an amnioreduction and placed on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. For those of you who have never had one an amniocentesis is unpleasant, but it is a piece of cake compared to an amnioreduction. They removed 1-1/2 liters of fluid from me, and that only put me at the high end of normal. I only stayed in the hospital for a few days and spent the rest of my time at home. It was nice being home and resting, not to mention the extra loss weight and improved swelling was a bonus. Going to the bathroom no longer felt like an impossible task. By the time I was readmitted in the hospital to have Claire, my fluid and swelling was at an all-time high and my blood pressure was through the roof, but through it all Claire was happy as a clam inside of me, unaffected by it all.

June 4th I was sent back to the hospital. My preeclampsia had become too dangerous and the doctors wanted to induce me. Every four hours for the next forty hours a pill was placed inside me in hopes it cause me to dilate. I dubbed this lovely procedure the "two finger special." Two days later and still no dilation, my blood pressure was better and there was talk of sending me home. Thirty minutes later my placenta rips from my stomach wall and I start bleeding profusely. Needless to say, I was rushed for an emergency C-section. I was allowed to kiss Claire before she was whisked out of the room. I wouldn't see her again for another 3 hours, but little did I know she flat lined twice. When I was wheeled down in my bed to see her again it was explained that they weren't sure she would make it through the night. It was then I felt my worst nightmares coming alive. By blessing alone, Claire made it through the night and has gotten stronger every day since. It took about 10 days before the doctors felt comfortable fixing her CDH.