Claire’s Pre-eclampsia Birth Story

After being told many times by my mother that I need to be super careful while pregnant as my mother and grandmother experienced pre-eclampsia, it finally happened to me at 33 weeks.

I went in to my gynae for my 33 week scan, he informed me that I was not going to be leaving the hospital as my blood pressure was sky high (even on medication) and protein in my urine and our baby girl may be born 2 days later depending on if the symptoms got worse.

I was admitted into the maternity that Wednesday morning due to pre-eclampsia. I was given steroid injections for our little girl’s lungs to get stronger. The decision would be made on the Friday morning to deliver or not.

Well, by Thursday afternoon, my gynae let me know that the symptoms were getting worse and our little girl was coming the following day. With much anxiety and excitement, my husband and I tried to fathom that we would be meeting our little girl in 24 hours.

Needless to say, our baby girl’s room was not ready, nor did we have anything for a premature baby. So my mother, my husband and my sister-in-law ran around trying to get things sorted while I had to rest in hospital.

Friday, 14th December 2012 arrive, I was extremely worried about our baby girl, would she be okay, would her lungs be strong enough. The sisters at NICU gave me all the information and didn’t give me false hope, she would be right as rain and not have to go into NICU for a while, which I respected, as I didn’t need to be given false hope at this point. I’m the kind of person who needs to know exactly what to expect.

At 14:32, our baby girl, Alyssa Chloe Louise Cramer was born via c-section. Weighing 2.09kgs. I just waited for her to started crying and once she let rip, I burst into tears, knowing her lungs were working.

I got to touch her feet when she was pulled up, but she was immediately taken to the table next to me, checked out and then whisked off to NICU. My husband went along with her. I didn’t get to hold her or see her until the following morning, which will always be a sore point, but I know she needed to be looked after.

Alyssa was put on C-pap for her lungs, just to give her additional help and had a drip and feeding tube.

We were told she may be out by Christmas eve, so Christmas eve morning came and I received a call saying she wasn’t feeding as well anymore, so she had to go back on the feeding tube. I was totally heartbroken. Not having my baby home for Christmas. But I know that she was supposed to be there and it was the right thing for her. Christmas day was very emotional for me, all I wanted was my baby girl with me.

I felt so empty, carrying her for 7 months, giving birth, yet she wasn’t with me. She was feeding like a pro within a few days after that and finally came home on New Years Day. I saw 2013 in with my baby girl and hubby. 2013 could not have started off any better 🙂

Read this post to find out the best formula milk for premature babies in South Africa. 

She is now nearly 5 and a half months now and up to par with any full term baby at her age.

She is the light of my life and brings her daddy, me and our families so much joy.

Even though she came very much earlier than expected, I wouldn’t change a thing, because she is our little girl and she is too gorgeous.

Written by Claire Cramer