Barbara's Birth Story (Andrew Bailey born 12/01/01)
by Barbara, mom to Andrew Bailey

Barbara is an insulin pumper who had a beautiful little boy.
Welcome Andrew!!

Andrew Bailey was born December 1, 2001 at 3:09 p.m. I delivered at week 38 plus one day. He was 7 lbs 15 oz, 20 inches long, and healthy and cute as can be!

I had been having trouble with swollen legs, ankles, and most recently my hands and face. My blood pressure was rising steadily and I had protein in my urine. My OB/GYN was not too concerned. However, when I went to my endocrinologist, he was shocked by my protein level and had me do a 24-hour urine collection. He sent the results to my OB/GYN who then called me and said to go to the hospital immediately to be induced. It seems my protein levels were 8000+. I am not sure what that means (as it all happened in a whirlwind) and I didn't ask. Both doctors moved fast, so I know it wasn't good.

At the hospital they said that I had PIH (Pregnancy Induced Hypertension). They also mentioned Preeclampsia. They started the induction process on a Friday night to ripen the cervix and then started the IV's on Saturday morning. I'm glad I chose to go with an epidural because the whole thing was exhausting enough without the pain. After three hours of pushing, the doctor finally decided to do an episiotomy and use forceps. I had no energy to argue as I had been falling asleep between contractions and they were only a minute apart!

It was fantastic to see Andrew finally enter the world. My husband and I cried tears of joy as he was being cleaned up and tested. His Apgars were 8-9. Although his blood sugars were low nitially they balanced out in no time and he has no problem now.

As for me, my blood sugars stayed beautiful throughout the delivery - between 85-100! Right after delivery, though, they shot WAY up and have been bouncing around ever since. They're starting to level out now (two weeks later). Being on the insulin pump was a real help throughout my pregnancy (and for the last 10 years). I had to argue with two nurses to stay on it during delivery. They wanted to put me on an insulin drip. Finally my endocrinologist showed up and let them know that I could handle managing my pump. The Humalog insulin I use gets into my system much faster than the stuff they use in those drips.

So, now we are home. The grandparents have all left. My husband and I are trying to adjust to being the three of us instead of just two. Now comes the fun of learning all the cries, figuring out breastfeeding (WOW! I didn't realize how hard it could be at first and how much you need to know!), teaching him to sleep more than an hour at a time, etc. The fun part is trying to keep my BG under control with all of the food I'm eating! I'm as hungry or hungrier than during my first trimester!

UPDATE:

He's 3 months old this week and sleeping through the night (8 hrs) most of the time now. He's growing more every day, playing hard and smiling a lot. He's been "talking" up a storm. He's so much fun. My blood sugars are finally starting to get back to normal, although I have some off days. I'm feeling better and starting to get the hang of things.

My advice to any new mom is to find a support system. If friends, sisters, or mothers aren't near, look for a breastfeeding support group or a play group (like at Gymboree). By week five I was getting more depressed and feeling isolated. I joined a Gymboree class for moms and babies and a breastfeeding support group sponsored by the hospital. It gives me a good excuse to get out of the house more while I am doing something good for myself and Andrew (our other main outing is grocery shopping). It's also great to see other babies Andrew's age and older to know that we are on the right track. I never knew how emotionally and physically difficult mommy hood could be until I was there myself. Now with the extra mental support I'm starting to pay attention to my needs again. I'm getting my blood sugars back under control, thus I'm feeling better. Good luck to all soon-to-be and new moms out there! Remember to smile, stay calm, and remain positive.

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