2 Babies in 2 Years (Anonymous)

I found out I was pregnant with my first child in February 2004. I couldn’t wait for my husband to get home that day from work. He told me on the way home that he had news for me too. I told him I was pregnant and he told me that he got laid off. YEAH!!! All was going well until I developed pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) at 31 weeks with him. I was placed on a restrictive diet and bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. It wouldn’t have been so bad but we were on one income. I was induced at 37 1/2 weeks. After an 18 hour labor, a beautiful baby boy was born. However, he had trouble breathing. His lungs were not developed enough due to the complications of my pregnancy so he spent a week in the NICU.

I nursed him until he was 10 months old. I had to reluctantly wean him due to the fact that I found out I was pregnant in August 2005. Wow what a surprise to my husband and I. I was hoping that this pregnancy would go well and I wouldn’t have the problems that I did previously. However I was not so lucky. I developed PIH at 24 weeks literally overnight. I had been feeling great until I woke up one morning feeling terrible. I went to the doctor and he put me in the hospital immediately. I spent the weekend there and then released with meds to control blood pressure and orders to be on “part time” bed rest. I though “Bed rest” with a 14 month old. Yeah right!!! The next 12 weeks included increased medications, daily checks of my blood pressure, reduced hours at work, and a restrictive diet. I tried to make it week to week. I made it to 36 1/2 weeks. I was induced and 11 hours later a gorgeous healthy baby girl was born. She had no problems breathing and was perfect in every way.

My body has been through a lot of ups and downs in the past two years. But I would do it all over again in a hearthbeat. My scars, stretch marks, and saggy skin are a testament to my two beautiful children, who are now 2 and 9 months.