I was diagnosed with PoTS in 2014. When I was on a combination of medication that meant I didn't have to spend my life in a wheelchair anymore, I wanted to know if it was safe to conceive again. We already had one beautiful little girl but we wanted to add to our family. At the time I was on; Metroprolol, Midodrine, Fludrocortisone and Fluoxetine. When we sought advice the specialist advised me I was safe to stay on Metroprolol and Fludrocortisone. She advised there was no research done on Midodrine to know if it was safe and Fluoxetine could cause the baby withdrawal symptoms once delivered. I decided to come off the Midodrine and Fluoxetine, which came with no increase in symptoms.
So 2015 saw the beginning of us trying to conceive. Month after month we were faced with a negative result until we finally got that positive result in the august. Sadly at 9 weeks pregnant I miscarried and lost our second baby. We were faced with a lot of rubs on the shoulder being told this is very common as if that made all the pain go away. I was quite often met with "It's okay, you can try again." But it's not okay. I know it's hard to find what to say to someone who has experienced this loss, and I too have found myself going to say those same things that were said to me, but actually all that needs to be said is "I'm sorry". All I needed was a hug and time to grieve.
When we were ready, we started to try again, the whole of 2016 passed and nothing was happening and each negative month broke another bit of my heart. The whole of 2016 passed and nothing happened, so in January 2017 I enrolled in an access to nursing diploma and applied to do my adult nursing degree at university. I figured maybe if I turned my attention to something else I would stop obsessing with those monthly pregnancy tests.
Towards the end of that January I started to experience increased PoTS symptoms, increased frequency in SVT attacks and felt generally very fatigued. I didn't think too much of it, I just figured I needed to see my consultant and adjust my medication. My next period was due in February just before valentines day, but it didn't come and we finally got that long awaited positive result!!!
My 1st trimester continued with the increased symptoms, but thereafter I was relatively symptom free. They say during pregnancy there is a high chance your symptoms will reduce due to the increased blood flow in you body from the pregnancy. I was closely monitored and frequently visited my cardiac consultant and had frequent scans to check on the baby. The cardiologist decided it was better that I delivered at a more specialist hospital which was about a 30-40 minute drive from home and they wanted me induced at 38 weeks so that we could be a bit more in control of the delivery and symptom control.
After a healthy pregnancy, 38 weeks came and we were arranged to go in for induction. I love that feeling when you go into hospital pregnant and you know you are not going to leave now until you have given birth. So the first and second pessary caused very mild but regular tightening's. My husband and I spent a long time binge watching tv series, doing puzzle books and listening to music. On the third day they explained that if this one had no effect I had to have a 24 hour break. No pressure then!
So the third one goes in and throughout the day I'm still getting those regular tightening's but they're getting slightly more painful. The night comes and my midwife asks if I would like something for the pain so I could get some sleep. Based on my 1st pregnancy I figured it would be a good to get a good night's sleep in ready for the big push!
My midwife comes back with the injection, after that's done I thought right I'll go to the toilet now and then get myself comfy in bed ready for the night. The bathroom had the most oddly placed mirror, so when I stood with the toilet behind me and pulled my pants down I could see my my left side. So I could see my injection site that had gone very red and blotchy and was spreading all over my leg! HOLY SHIT! I told my husband to get my midwife to come because I was pretty sure I had had an allergic reaction! Actually what was going through my mind was... She has injected this into my body... I'm having an allergic reaction.... they can't get that drug back out of my body... that's it I'm going to die! So I stand up and feel dizzy and have to sit back down. A different midwife came and did my observations and said you're not having an allergic reaction you just need to rest now. This wasn't good enough for me "you're not my midwife though, you didn't see what I was like before I had the injection, I need to see MY midwife!" She assured me that my midwife would be into see me when she had finished what she was doing.
So there I am laying in bed fully convinced I'm going to die, trying my hardest to fight this drug that was telling my body to rest and relax and get some sleep and Dan turns the light off! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! He said I've turned the light off so you can get some rest! No! What you have in fact done is made my midwife think that I am actually fine and I must be sleeping because the lights are off, as a result she is going to not come into the room and check on me and I am therefore going to DIE!
Have you ever tried to fight medication that is trying to make you sleep? It's really fucking hard! Dan sat on the bed trying to encourage me to just go to sleep but I wouldn't have it! Eventually my midwife came in and simply stroked my head and said, you're not having an allergic reaction, you are absolutely fine... you get some sleep now. BANG I was asleep! That's all I needed! I did, however, wake up very briefly shortly after all of this because I had a burning question for Dan! "Did you eat all your eggs?" I was high as a fucking kite! It wasn't until after I had given birth that my midwife said she had in fact given me the smallest dose but had contemplated giving me more due to my height and weight to which we were both glad that had not happened.
The next morning my midwife gave me a sweep before going off shift which broke my waters, shortly after the show was on the road! I happily accepted an epidural and was continuously monitored as laid out in the birth plan from my cardiologist. It was also put in place that I was only allowed to push for a max of 30 mins so the baby was left to progress down the birth canal at its own pace as long as it didn't cause any distress to the baby. Not long after 12pm my midwife did an examination and seemed shocked. She could barely even get the length of her nail in and she was touching the top of the baby's head!! And I hadn't even pushed at this point! RESULT!
My labour had been symptom free and was a lovely calm experience (once the epidural was in anyway!) At 12.26pm they asked me to start pushing and at 12.34pm our beautiful daughter was born.
The complications came 6 days later....
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