My first pregnancy ended in miscarriage. It was early and I was devastated. I lived in a new state, a new area of the country, and only had a general practitioner (who had previously dismissed my concerns about migraines and medication, despite the ample research I had done and despite my living with migraines for 30+ years). I went to the doctor, who refused to believe me when I described my bleeding and sense that something was wrong. He ordered some tests and said he’d call with results; I never received a call, despite calling his office 3-4 times a day for a week. Within that time span, of course, I miscarried the baby. A nurse finally called me, a week later, to say the doctor had ordered the wrong test and I should come back in for a new one.
I was shocked when I became pregnant shortly after. I was terrified I would lose this baby. I was terrified about the health care I would receive, and ultimately, my husband and I moved across the country again to be close to our family. I developed preeclampsia, and had to be induced at 37 weeks. I had a 77-hour labor. Seven different interventions were used on me. I was, essentially, strapped to the bed with monitors on me, without food or drink, for most of that time. I had a migraine and severe cramping. After pushing for three hours, it was determined my baby was facing the wrong direction and couldn’t get past my pubic bone. I had a c-section.
Because of all the interventions and medications, my baby was lethargic and lost a lot of weight in her first weeks. I spent a week in the hospital after her birth, and ended up back in the ER because of preeclampsia. I had to see a cardiologist and have ultrasounds of my heart taken. I tried countless medications designed to get my blood pressure under control after her birth.
Finally, it settled. And now, 15 months later, I am in both physical therapy and cognitive therapy as a result of my experiences. I love my daughter dearly, more than I ever imagined. And I never want to be pregnant again. Preeclampsia is deadly, literally deadly, and I never want to risk my life or another child’s life. My husband and I are determining which form of birth control is best for us, and we are consulting with our physicians. No one else should ever take part in that conversation, especially not our government.
