I wrote this back in February when I needed to get my thoughts down and edited today for clarity.
My regular OB no longer delivered babies, so I had to choose another doctor. I decided on another doctor within the same practice. When we sat in her office during my first appointment, (around 9 weeks) she asked me if I had any concerns. I told her I was terrified, she asked why? I told her “I’m more likely to die in child birth than any other demographic.” She says you have to take into account socioeconomic status and education. I told her that’s not true. The fact that I have a masters degree makes me even more likely to die in child birth. Her response, “well, I’m not in the business of losing patients.” I should have run then.
I had an appointment on January 17 at 11 weeks 4 days. I told my doctor about my yellow discharge – She didn’t check, just said it could be strep b. I told her I was having sharp stabbing pains and shortness of breath – She blamed it on the fibroids. Two days later I went to the emergency room they said I had gallstones and sent me home.
On January 19 at 12 weeks 6 days I called the after hours number told the on call doctor I was bleeding and cramping. She didn’t think I needed to come in and get it checked. I learned later no one takes you seriously if you aren’t bleeding through a pad per hour. I also feel like the doctors thought I was too worried being 35 and a first time mom. What they didn’t know is I’m 35 with three degrees and if I learned anything, I learned how to research.
After texting my sis, we agreed I should go to the emergency room anyway. When I get there baby boy seemed perfectly fine with 169 heart beats per minute and he was moving around so much, even doing somersaults. They diagnosed me with a potential miscarriage and a UTI. They prescribed me a medicine that when I researched it said it shouldn’t be taken in the first trimester, so I didn’t fill it.
I talked to my doctor in the morning on January 27th at 13 weeks exactly, and let her know they diagnosed me with potential miscarriage. She said emergency rooms will call anything a potential miscarriage but we made an appt for the 29th so she could check on everything. She told me to keep hydrated.
I took my paperwork to my primary care doctor later that afternoon. I gave her all the paperwork from my last two emergency room visits. She said I had a UTI at my first emergency room visit on the 19th – why wasn’t it treated then? I had a regular appointment with my doctor on the 17th… I peed in a cup… did they even test it?
Around 6 pm that day I called the after hours number again because I was getting cramps and I wasn’t sure if they were contractions. The on call doctor told me to hydrate and if the pain gets worse to go to the hospital. I have a high tolerance for pain, what does worse mean? So I drank tea and watered down Gatorade and was back and forth to the bathroom A LOT! I had 6 pains in 18 mins (picture below of how I tracked on my phone).
I wish I would have known if I had more than 4 contractions in an hour, or if the cramps doubled me over in pain, I should have gone to the hospital because it could be a sign of labor. I didn’t learn that until 3 days later when I read it. I now know none of this would have changed the outcome, but it is helpful information.
**WARNING: Sensitive Content Below**
While I was writhing on the floor in pain I felt liquid shoot out onto my pad. I immediately knew it was my amniotic fluid. So I ran to the bathroom without my glasses. I used the bathroom and go to wipe. Something felt weird but I’m blind and could not see. So I scream at my best friend for my glasses. She brings them to me, I look again, it was my baby boy. I could see him all the way up to his hips. I screamed, “his feet, his feet!” My best friend kept her head and got me to the nearest hospital. It was a very quiet ride to the hospital and in that moment I already knew, my life had changed forever changed.
To be continued…
Road2Rainbow 