My story Part 1: Pregnancy

I wrote this series of articles to share the story of my pregnancy, the birth of my son and the time after he was born. I experienced many ups and downs in this time, and I know I’m not the only one. I believe that my experience has purpose, and I hope to inspire other moms to share their stories as well.

Two weeks before the birth of my son, we were sitting in the OBGYN’s office discussing the birth plan. Tears rolled down my face uncontrollably as she explained to me that a C-section under general anaesthetic was the only birth option I had. I had planned for months what the birth would look like, and this was exactly the opposite of what I imagined.

Physically, I had a fairly easy pregnancy. I had a bit of nausea at the beginning and  back pain towards the end. My son also kicked my ribs those last few weeks. Mentally though, I was struggling. I had anxiety over the birth experience I would have and the uncertainty that would follow postpartum. I was thinking that I should prepare for both, but I also thought that I should relax and not worry too much about it.

At about 5 months pregnant, the anxiety became worse. I went to get a scan at another OBGYN (OBGYN with advanced equipment) and she mentioned that a measurement in my baby’s brain is borderline abnormal. She couldn’t really explain what it meant or maybe I was just crying too hard to listen to what she was saying. This was right  after I recovered from getting sick on holiday, where I ended up in the emergency room with a fever and chills. I was blaming myself for this situation. Did it have something to do with getting sick and not seeking help soon enough?

Thankfully a few weeks later the measurement decreased to an acceptable length. We were very relieved. Just when I thought we were out of the woods, my OBGYN made a discovery when she analysed my blood test results (taken at 6 months of pregnancy). She ordered more blood tests. When she received the results, she phoned me the same day and said she made an appointment with a physician for me, that she was concerned about some of the results. I was very nervous and didn’t understand what was going on. The next day I went to the appointment and realised that she thought I might have preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome. Again, thankfully, after doing an examination and an assessment of my test results, the physician  determined that I didn’t have either of these, but I did have a low blood platelet count.

A normal person has between 150 000 and 450 000 blood platelets per microliter of blood. According to the test results at month 6 of pregnancy, mine was only 73 000 blood platelets per microliter of blood and now at 8 months it was 52 000. The physician also ordered blood work, and they determined it to be 48 000. Blood platelets are small cell fragments in the blood that clumps together to form blood clots to stop bleeding or seal wounds. A low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) can lead to easy bruising and excessive bleeding, while a high count (thrombocytosis) can form dangerous blood clots or cause a heart attack, or stroke. 

A low blood platelet count in pregnancy means that you might heamorrhage when giving birth because the delivery or removal of the placenta causes an open wound. Even administering a spinal block or epidural can cause bleeding in the spine which can lead to paralysis if not stopped in time. Thus, the doctors felt that the safest option for both me and my son was a C-section under general anaesthetic. This way I would already be open on the table, and they would be able to stop the bleeding, if necessary.

I was devastated. I wanted a vaginal  birth from the moment I found out that I was pregnant and it was confirmed when we did pre-natal classes. I wanted to experience giving birth as God intended it and I was determined to prove that I’m mentally strong enough for a vaginal birth. The recovery time of a vaginal birth is shorter, and the baby is exposed to bacteria in the birth canal which helps shape the baby’s immune and digestive systems. Also, waiting for labour to start ensures that the baby is ready to be born. We would’ve also been able to wait for the umbilical cord to stop pulsing before cutting it (waiting for it to go white). Waiting to cut the cord allows for beneficial placental transfusion, which includes iron stores, red blood cells, and stem cells. This can improve neurodevelopment, reduce iron deficiency anaemia and reduce the risk of complications. 

For a week I was going back and forth trying to come to terms with the news. The physician prescribed steroids to try and increase the blood platelet count, but it didn’t make any difference in the end. After a lot of prayer and with the support of my husband and loved ones, I accepted the news, and they reminded me to focus on the baby and not so much on the birth.

I thank God for being with us every step of the way. Although I went through a lot with the pregnancy, God led us to the right doctors, and He gave us a healthy baby boy.  

I will be sharing my birth experience in the next article: My story Part 2: The birth of our son.