It started when my ob remarked that my
baby seems small for 32 weeks. She said my tummy is big and the fundic height
() is in normal range but she thinks it is mostly water. Actually she had been
telling me since past visits to eat more, specifically add more protein in my
diet and to drink 2 glasses of milk a day to make the baby bigger. I think I
did just that (although not consistent with the 2 glasses of milk) and I did
gained weight but she said the baby is still small. I am not sure if the fact
that I am always tired because of work and other matters contributed to that.
My first baby is also quite small (5.5
pounds then) and she said that maybe it is a gene thing. But she still required
me to undergo another ultrasound.
I am quite nervous but still not worried
when I went for the ultrasound. But what happened after left me dumbfounded. The OB-sonologist called my doctor to inform
my condition. I actually forgot what it is called but she said something is
wrong with my umbilical cord- so the nutrients and oxygen can’t pass freely
from me to the baby. Thus the reason why the baby is almost three weeks behind
in terms of height and weight and it is called intra-uterine growth restriction
(IUGR).
My husband and I were instructed to go to
the delivery room right away and there I learned that I might need to give
birth right away. When I asked the resident doctor the reason why - she told me
that it might be the best thing to do so we can save the baby.
Apparently that
calls for an emergency because there is a risk for my baby to die while inside my
tummy. Just imagine the shock and fear that I
felt that moment. I felt helpless because the doctors and nurses seem so sure
that I need to deliver right away. I felt so nervous that when they check my
blood pressure, it was unnaturally high (I think 140/110). That is unusual because
my BP is always between 90 to 120 range. Anyway they told me to relax and my bp
went to normal soon after. They then interviewed me about my medical history.
And I was given the first shot of steroids- needed for my baby’s lungs to
mature faster.
Then I underwent a non-stress test (NST),
in this procedure they forced my tummy to contract to see if it has an adverse
effect with the baby’s heartbeat. If they see that the baby’s heartbeat weakens
in every contraction, it means the baby needs to be delivered asap. Thankfully,
the results are very positive as my baby seems okay and can cope with the
contractions. I also have no risk factors because I am not suffering from any diseases
(no high BP, no diabetes, no infections).
So my OB called to say that I can go home
but with the instructions that I need to go back very early the next day to get
the second shot of steroids and to further discuss my condition. The decision of my OB relieved my worries a
bit and I glady went home that night.
What happened the day after? To be continued…
