Hoofnagle.org

I knew 2 weeks ago that my totally healthy pregnancy had something going slightly wrong with it. After 7.5 months of doing whatever the heck needed doing usually with energy and a sense of health and well being, I started retaining water and feeling generally really tired. I wasn't afraid because I'd been warned that these things happen in the last trimester but I'd gotten used to the idea that all happens to other women. Excuse me, I'm busy. I have stuff to do. Could we schedule this little inconvenient ill health for 3 weeks from now when it could be immediately followed up by labor and a new baby?

I showed up to the midwife's office totally prepared to be told to scale back work and be put on partial bedrest. I really thought I'd be able to negotiate some sort of time to give my office since we hadn't made good preparations.

The midwife looked at my weight and blood pressure and sent me over to the hospital for a few more tests, screwing up my work for the day, but I never really thought I'd be here over night. They took my bloodwork and asked me to stay overnight for observation. I seemed to have some preclampsia. In and of itself, that's not a reason to end a pregnancy, but bed rest was the minimum answer. The overnight observation was to figure out how fast the preclampsia was moving and whether my long term health could safely tolerate the pregnancy's continuing. Start thinking about talking to your office HR staff for disability, dear, you absolutely can't work. Forget it. I didn't hear that word until after dinner time.

Reed got off work around 4pm and stayed with me.

Posted by karen at September 19, 2002 12:00 AM