#3 pregnancy

So our third child, our sweet baby girl, will be born in the morning so I thought I would share my pregnancy story. This is mostly so one day maybe, my children can read it and know that I really really love them! As all my pregnancies, I knew this one would be difficult! We planned for this baby b/c we knew we wanted a third child but knew we had to be totally ready for what the pregnancy would bring. I got pregnant one month after going off my birth control but lost the pregnancy only 5 weeks into it in May of last year. I had only known I was pregnant for like 5 days. I am thankful that I had not had any symptoms yet of pregnancy but was very sad. I did not have to have any medical intervention, everything happen naturally, so that is another reason to be thankful. The doctor said I could get pregnant right away and we did. We were pregnant by July. In August at 7 weeks pregnant the sickness started. I can remember the day.....August 8th. I called the doctor and ended up with phenergan that did not work. I was in the ER before I had even stepped into the doctor's office as always! I got fluids, went back to the doctor the next day and they admitted me for dehydration. This started the long road to figuring out how to get me through the next 7-9 weeks. We decided to try something new which was a zofran pump. John would stick me with a small needle in my leg or abdomen that would then in turn give me continuous zofran subcutaneously. Zofran is a newer med that the doctors are using for hyperemesis with pregnancy. It is really a drug they use for chemo pts. We went home from the hospital with the zofran pump. It might have helped some but not much. I still could not eat or drink much, stayed dehydrated, weak, and pretty much miserable. The medication irritates the skin as well so I had huge lumps underneath my skin where the needles had been (still have a bruise on my abdomen from it to this day). When I saw Dr. McAlpine again, we decided that it was time to put a PICC line in again and give me fluids from home. I went to outpatient surgery where they inserted a PICC line. I went home with continuous IV fluids and a home health care nurse. John and I did most everything ourselves but she would check on us and change my dressing every three days. The fluids basically keep me alive and out of the hospital but do not stop the vomiting and nausea. I have to say that this time I did not vomit as much but the nausea was almost worse on me. I was nauseated every minute of the day and nothing seemed to help. I had to force myself to eat food and drink fluids gagging all the way through it. This was so hard on the kids but they got really use to me throwing up and being in bed! John was amazing and did everything from laundry, to cleaning, to cooking, to homework. Our friends and family took turns keeping kids and making food. We really could not have made it through without our friends, family and church group! When I thought we could see the light at the end of the tunnel at about 10 weeks pregnant, I became severely ill. One morning I woke up shaking and vomiting severely. I had a headache as well. I thought I felt so bad from the headache. I couldn't even make it out of bed. My neighbor came over to feed the kids breakfast. My friend Ann was called to come get J.D. and I called my Dad to come get me! I felt so horrible. I went to my parents house and my dad stayed with me all day until my brother could come watch over me. That evening when my mom got home, she said I looked terrible and took my temperature and what do you know I had a fever of 101.5! We went straight to the women's pavilion and I was admitted. To make a very long story short...after seeing my ob doctor, a hematologist, an infectious disease doctor, and a Perineonatologist...they figured out that somehow a bacteria had entered my blood stream and attacked the PICC line and I was bacterimic. I ran fevers in the hospital for three days. They did every kind of test possible and checked on the baby. Baby seemed fine so far. I was put on high dose antibiotics and the PICC line was removed. I was discharged the day before my birthday and went home with a regular IV line and was to receive IV antibiotics at home for 12 days. John stuck me everyday to replace the old IV line and catheter. It is so nice to have a husband that knows what he is doing! I felt so much better when the antibiotics finally kicked in! That was the last of the worse and when I hit about 14 weeks I started feeling better. The rest of the pregnancy has been o.k. I have pretty much vomited in the mornings for 7 months but once is all and I can handle that. The heartburn has not nearly been as bad as with the first two babies. I got some really cool ultrasounds due to all my complications! It really is crazy how I can go from feeling sooooo bad in the beginning to lying in my shower thinking that I wasn't sure if I could get through it to saying "it was only 7 weeks of pain and trouble". "I could do it again". John thinks I am crazy as probably other people do as well but there is just something about my babies :) I love them so much and the first two were so worth it and I am sure the third one will be as well!