It all started when I was about 32 weeks and I went for a routine appointment at my OBGYN office. They told me that my blood pressure had started to become too high and that it was a problem. Fast forward through several weeks of twice and sometimes triple weekly appointments with a few hospital visits where they discussed possible delivering me early mixed in there and I was so. done. being pregnant. The danger with having high blood pressure readings during pregnancy is that it can develop into preeclampsia and that can lead to some pretty serious problems for the baby. It turns out that I just have high blood pressure in general though. So, finally at my 38 week appointment they decided that I needed to be induced when my blood pressure reading was 170/110. The doctor told us to go to the hospital that night and I would start the cytotec. We were so excited and relieved that the endless doctors appointments would be over and we could finally meet our baby!
We got to the hospital and they gave me 3 doses of the cytotec over about 9 hours. Mark and I watched t.v. and hung out and slept and nothing too exciting happened. In the morning after my last dose of cytotec, the nurse came in to tell me that I was having contractions every minute and that that was too fast. They told me I didn't need the pitocin and they gave me a few shots of something that was supposed to slow down my contractions, but it didn't work. I was still having contractions every minute but Bennett still wasn't really low enough for me to start pushing so they gave me some pain meds and left me alone for another hour. Every time a contraction started Bennett's heart rate would dip way down and then stabilize but then dip again. All of the sudden I was dying. My contractions were coming even faster and it felt like the pain medication was doing nothing. I started throwing up and crying but at the same time apologizing to everyone for doing it. After about twenty minutes they gave me an epidural and I was basically immediately O.K. It was time to push then and Mark counted for me to push and I just kept pressing the button for the epidural medication.
After a few hours of pushing, Bennett Hampton Wenger was born! I waited but I didn't hear him cry, so I wasn't too surprised when all of the sudden the room filled with about ten more people who were crowded over my baby. I was so relieved when I finally heard him cry but I didn't know why no one brought him to me after more minutes passed. Finally someone brought him over to me, but they said that they were going to have to take him again. I grabbed him and looked at him and the nurse held out his arms for him after just a few seconds. Mark and Bennett left and the doctor told me that they would be back in just a little bit and that they were just checking to make sure his breathing was O.K. After the doctor finished with me, they helped me down to my room on the mother/baby floor and I waited and waited for almost 5 hours.
Finally Mark brought me back pictures of baby Bennett and the nurses said I could go up to the NICU with him to see our baby. His breathing was fine now but his blood sugar levels were low, which is something that happens after a stressful delivery sometimes. He was so beautiful and I loved finally being able to see him. After 5 days that felt like 50 in the NICU, teaching him to eat on his own, and a few days of billirubin lights, we got to bring him home! It was the best day!
I had a hard time the first few days because I felt so guilty. I had wanted to be induced so badly, but obviously it was a little early and my body wasn't as ready as it should have been. If I had not been induced and gone into labor naturally I feel like he probably wouldn't have had such a stressful time and there would have been no problems. Everything is O.K. now, but I still can't help but feel like I could have prevented it by refusing to be induced or something. The important thing now is that Bennett is completely healthy and perfect. He is the best baby and we love him so much!
