Ann's Birthstory, by Ann
Wife to Mike

Mother to Tyler James, Born Christmas Day, 2003

On May 23, 2003, my husband came home from work with two pregnancy tests. I looked at him and said, "I don't need to take those! I'm not pregnant. You're just really stressing me out. And, you know just as well as me that when I get stressed I'm always late!" Well about an hour after he was home (and asleep), I decided I should take the one test to show not only myself but him as well that I wasn't pregnant and that he just worries too much! Well I guess I was the one that was wrong, because I was pregnant and I had no clue exactly how far I was!

I called my endocrine nurse at children's hospital and she told me that the only two hospitals I would be able to deliver at were University of Cincinnati Hospital or the Good Samaritan Hospital (both located in Ohio) since they were both considered Level 5 hospitals (hospitals that specialize in high risk delivery). I decided to call UC since I was born there and I thought I turned out okay!

I called to make my first appointment the following Monday, but they couldn't get me in until June 6. I was told at that time I was about 8-9 weeks pregnant, but I really wasn't told my actual due date until I asked my doctor. She told me January 21, 2004, so the first doctor I saw was wrong by about 3-1/2 weeks. The blood work they drew helped them determine when my last period was and about how far I was too! So I highly recommend you ask your doctor to draw the same blood work if you are unsure of when your last period was! It helps out a lot. All you really have to do is remember if you were doing anything that day they give you to help you remember if that sounds right!!! :)

In July, when my family and I were on vacation I felt my baby move for the first time! I was 12 weeks!! It felt like bubble gum bubbles popping in my belly! I was like WOW! I told everyone that was with us! My husband wanted to feel the baby move, but he was too small so my husband couldn't feel anything!

The following week I had an ultrasound to make sure the baby had a heartbeat and was developing okay. It was amazing! The tech told my husband and me that he was 3 inches long and about an ounce in weight! You could see everything...his little head, arms, legs, and even a little bit of his butt! It was a moment I'll never forget! We got to hear his heartbeat for the first time that day too! I was in awe and my husband was about in tears!

The whole time, since about two weeks after I found out I was pregnant, I insisted I was having a boy! I told everyone I wasn't able to have a girl. I told them I could only carry a boy! Well in August, at my 18-week ultrasound, we found out we were having exactly that - a little boy! And let me tell you, he surely wanted everyone to see what God, his mommy, and his daddy had given him. He was definitely spreading his legs so you could see everything! We were so excited!

We decided to name him Tyler James. He got his first name from one of the contestants on American Juniors. This little blonde headed boy who was just too cute! His middle name came from my dad who passed away when I was six, one of our friends who passed away in a car accident, my brother, and his dad's middle name! We thought we had his name covered! It was perfect and so is he!

I started developing pre-eclampsia about the middle of my second trimester. My blood sugars were actually under very good control except maybe an occasional high. By my 25th week of pregnancy I was put on total bed rest. I was only allowed to shower and lay on my left side. I hated it. I'm the type of person who likes to get up and go! But my doctor said since I was a diabetic I needed to be extra careful because of the baby growing inside me.

At that point I had to start going to the hospital twice a week until the end of my pregnancy. I had to get a non-stress test twice a week and every two weeks I had to have ultrasounds done to measure the baby and check my fluid! Another recommendation: DRINK ALOT OF WATER! By the time I reached 32 weeks I had to start getting ultrasounds every weeks on Friday. My fluid was low throughout my whole pregnancy, but not low enough to hospitalize me. That is, until I was 35 weeks and 6 days. I had to have an ultrasound because Little Tyler decided he wanted to sleep during my non-stress test so they went in to check for a BPP. They checked my fluid and it was down from 8.6 to 5.4. The tech told me to go tell my nurse and she told me to go tell my doctor (this was Dec 23, 2003). I walked into the room where my doctor was and told her my fluid number and another doctor in the room said, "Looks like there's about to be a baby born!!" "What?" I said, "I can't have my baby right now! My husband just found out his has cancer and I'm here by myself!" Another recommendation: Always take someone with you for moral support!

I had to get a pelvic-type exam, and my doctor wanted to stretch my cervix, I cried, "NO!" She asked if I was ready and of course I said, "No, ASK ME three weeks from now!"

After I calmed down and talked to her some more she decided to have me go home, drink lots of water, and come back at 8a.m. the next morning (which happened to be Christmas Eve). I went in and had my non-stress test like usual and signed in to get my ultrasound. My fluid went up to a 7.3 and the baby was moving great. I went out to tell my nurse my results and she said I had to wait for her to call my doctor with my results. I was waiting and talking to my husband when one of my nurses said, "Well honey, we're having a baby today!" I was so nervous I almost started crying! I was so scared. I was shaking all over!

I made my way up to Labor and Delivery with Rita, my non-stress test nurse, and she gave me a hug and said, "Good luck honey and make sure you bring that baby back to see Ms. Rita after he is born!" At that point I didn't know what to do. I wanted to see my baby, but I was scared something was going to happen with him being so early. My doctor told me he would be fine since I made it to 36 weeks, so that made everything a little easier!

At 11a.m. they started inducing me and said that they would have to check my cervix every four hours. I tell you what, that was probably the worst part of the whole experience! It hurts no matter what anyone says! Not a thing happened until 2 a.m. the following morning - on Christmas Day. But still, I was only dilated 1/2 cm.

When I was being induced they were using some type of a cardio pill called mezo, they had to put it inside me real close to the back of my cervix and that was painful. During the next couple of hours I was looking forward to still seeing Tyler's face. I was allowed to eat, thank God, during this process. But before I was allowed to do that I was put on a magnesium IV, a sodium IV, and something else. That mag was no joke! It makes the room feel like a sauna! The first 20 minutes were the worst!

At about 3:00 I felt awful and wanted to take a shower so I asked my nurse if I was allowed. She said as long as my husband went with me I could clean up, but I had to keep my IV sites dry and sit on a seat in the shower. "Anything!" I said. Well I was almost done washing off and BAM! At about 4 pm and my water broke! I said, "Oh my GOD!" My husband said, "What's wrong?" I said, "Didn't you hear that? I swear I felt like something popped really loud inside me." We decided that my water did break.

On my way out of the shower (it was pretty painful to walk even an inch), I said, "I need to go to the bathroom!" So I tried to move some of the items my husband had sat on the toilet. Well then my "show" had began! Yeah, Tyler was on his way! We were excited, but I really felt a lot of pain. I really didn't want to see, let alone talk to, anyone! I finally made it back to my bed and the nurse as well as my doctor came in and checked me.

My contractions started as soon as I laid down in the bed! THEY HURTTTTTTTTT BADDDDDDD! I took those classes that they recommend you take, and I tell you what, I didn't remember a word that instructor said! The nurses as well as my husband had to keep reminding me to breathe so I didn't pass out. The labor process only seems bad when you're going through it, not after it's done and over, because you have a beautiful baby to hold and look at!

At about 5:45 pm I was taken into a delivery room where I received my epidural (I highly recommend this too!). Right after that, one of the doctors that was going to assist my doctor came in and said that I would have the baby by 8 pm. At 6:30 pm she came back in and said that with every contraction the baby's heart rate was dropping - so they had to do an emergency C-section. I said that was fine as long as my doctor said that was the best thing for my baby and me! And ladies, your doctor does know what's best!

At 7:55 Tyler James was born. I honestly can't say what he looked like because they ended up having to knock me out. All I know now is that I had a beautiful baby. I have a wonderful husband by my side to help me take care of him! We love him so much and it seems that after we had him we became closer as well!

Pregnancy is hard on a normal persons body and I'd say three times harder a diabetic's body, but as long as you try to keep your diet, your sugars, your family life, and your stress level under control everything else will fall in place too! I ran into my doctor about two weeks after I had Tyler. She said, "I know he is your baby, but your diabetes is your first baby." And that came from a diabetic mommy too!

So remember ladies you're very important to not only your husband, but also your new little bundle of joy too. Your health should be a number one priority to you - if not before, it should be now! Another FYI: While I was in the hospital (I'm on the pump), my insulin was stolen out of the nurse's fridge. It was in a Zip-Lock bag and in the original box and it was replaced with a bottle of saline. Please make sure all your meds you are given are correct. They replaced my insulin with another type that my body wasn't used to getting, so my BG's were all over. I had to stay in the hospital an extra day, almost two, because of that. So I plead with of you, please make sure you're getting the right meds!

Good luck and congrats to all of you expectant mommies to be!!!

Love,
Ann, Mike, and Tyler H

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