Becoming a Mum

Hi everyone, and thanks for reading my first blog! It's a scary thought this blogging business, I'm not sure I've got much to say but I've certainly constantly got lots of things going round my head so that's a starting point right? I've got things I want to talk about but I don't think they are "first blog" appropriate, nobody wants to get bummed out or be thinking too deeply into anything...you'll never read any of my stuff again!

Instagram really opened up for me when I became a mum. "Mummy" isn't my only name, but let's face it, without that tag I wouldn't be sitting here typing. So this piece will be all about my transition from "super swollen, pre-eclamptic mess" to "super swollen, first time mum"

I had a great first pregnancy. I didn't suffer from morning sickness, or excessive back pain and I genuiely loved every minute if it. At 35 weeks I attended a routine midwife appoint. I brought my folder, my little bottle of pee and waited to be called in. With 5 weeks to go, I was told I had raised blood pressure, excess swelling, an unusual headache pattern and needed to start on medication promptly to ensure my safety. Nobody actually mentioned the word "pre-eclampsia" so Ithought nothing of it. From then, I attended the consultant clinic weekly. I was putting on roughly a kilo a week and could only wear UGG boots but I felt totally fine and was just desperate to have this baby that was making me drink a bottle of gaviscon a day.

On my due date I saw my consultant again for a sweep. It was Monday 10th March at 9am and I had an induction booked for the Wednesday. Same old questions asked, same old tests done, however this time the faces of the professionals had changed. They were worried because of my pre-eclampsia (a term nobody had admitted to me yet).....and I could tell. My bloods, urine, kidney function had all got a bit pete tong and in the calmest voice my midwife turned to Gary and I and said, "I'm going to call an ambulance, you are going to have a baby today" Of course, I politely declined an ambulance (they are for people who need an emergency and let me remind you, this whole time I felt absolutely fine) So a rather worried Gary chauffeured my marshmallow body back home, where I fannied about looking for the last minute things that needed to go in my bag. I think I remember darling husband trying to suggest we hurry up, I doubt I did...I felt fine remember?

One arrival to the hospital, more questions, more tests....the insertion of a pessary (nice) and then was told "I'll come back and see you in 6 hours". There's only so many times you can visit costa and WHSmiths in 6 hours, however thankfully things began to progress. My wishes of being in the midwife lead unit were "reconsidered" as I was hooked up to all sorts of machines...as was the baby inside me due to my ever increasing blood pressure. Have you ever tried to go to the toilet, with all sorts of attachments whilst feeling like you may split in two every 5 minutes? (Sorry if you are pregnant and reading this, it's all totally worth it!)

During all this, my blood pressure sky rocketed to approx 205/110...that's bad. This was when it was suggested to me to have an epidural, to control my erratic body. Easier said than done it would appear as it took the sodding anaesthetist 3 attempts tosite it, whilst having the odacity to tell me to hold still during my contractions....he and I did not make friends that day. I think I was actually quite rude to him.

However, as soon as that magic potion started spreading through my body, everything was immediately better. The pain reduced, my blood pressure settled and at 02:15 on the 11th of March, our first daughter Lily Jessica Campbell was born. From the moment I exclaimed "IT'S A BOY!!" (whilst looking at her umbilical cord), my life has been filled with more love than I knew was humanly possible. And that love has just grown stronger everyday. For those of you curious, I did stay on meds for a couple of weeks but soon my blood pressure settled, and I didn't experience any pre-eclampsia symptoms during my second pregnancy- it was a COMPLETELY different experience, but more on that another day.

Lots of love

Suzy xxx

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