When Your Third Trimester, Labor and Delivery Do Not Go As Planned - Pre-Eclampsia
by Rachel Layman on 10/20/16As new mothers to be, we all have visualized how we would like to feel in our last few months of pregnancy and we have set up expectations about our ideal labor and delivery. It is a process in which we spend months planning and hoping for and so many nights we spend dreaming of.
What happens when you get to that time when all ideals are halted in a moments notice? What happens next, what do you do with those plans and hopes and dreams?
When your doctor tells you that you have pre-eclampsia and must spend your next four weeks in the hospital you experience a life changing event. In an instant your goals change, your focus becomes more clearly defined and you must make new plans, set your mind on new hopes and begin to dream and visualize your labor and delivery in a new light.
The Pre-Eclampsia Foundation says this:
Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum period and affects both the mother and the unborn baby. Affecting at least 5-8% of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. Swelling, sudden weight gain, headaches and changes in vision are important symptoms; however, some women with rapidly advancing disease report few symptoms.
Typically, preeclampsia occurs after 20 weeks gestation (in the late 2nd or 3rd trimesters or middle to late pregnancy) and up to six weeks postpartum (after delivery), though in rare cases it can occur earlier than 20 weeks. Proper prenatal care is essential to diagnose and manage preeclampsia. Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) and toxemia are outdated terms for preeclampsia. HELLP syndrome and eclampsia (seizures) are other variants of preeclampsia.
Globally, preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death. By conservative estimates, these disorders are responsible for 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths each year!
Typically, preeclampsia occurs after 20 weeks gestation (in the late 2nd or 3rd trimesters or middle to late pregnancy) and up to six weeks postpartum (after delivery), though in rare cases it can occur earlier than 20 weeks. Proper prenatal care is essential to diagnose and manage preeclampsia. Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) and toxemia are outdated terms for preeclampsia. HELLP syndrome and eclampsia (seizures) are other variants of preeclampsia.
Globally, preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death. By conservative estimates, these disorders are responsible for 76,000 maternal and 500,000 infant deaths each year!
The answer to the question, "What Happens When" comes in a single moment. You wait patiently for your inducement, which may be weeks away, all the while you read everything you can get your hands on. Your goals, plans and dreams are ultimately unchanged regarding your baby's safe arrival, however you come to understand that you are facing an early delivery of your child and that the reality of an ever more painful labor and greatly increased chance of cesarean section are what you WILL plan for.
Sometimes we must make choices that we simply did not ever dream of. It is important to surround yourself with a caring team to nurture you through this change of events and during your labor and delivery. It is okay to seek support beyond your doctor and family.
Adding a Doula to your care team may bring you the greatest level of support because she will be there for you and focused on you and your comfort and for moral support.
With the myriad outcomes possible for having a baby, we can never stand in judgement of another women who must deviate from her original plan for a "natural birth." Every woman will choose her path to deliver her baby based on the facts about her condition or based on her own sense of well being.
Back to the ultimate goal, plan and dream; To bring forth a healthy baby and a healthy mother through the process of childbirth.
My goal as your Birth Doula is to nurture you through this process.
However your goals,plans and dreams become a reality, it is your Chosen Path.
Lovingly
Rachel Layman, BD
Chosen Path Doula Services
813-716-3728
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