I was in a motor vehicle accident in 2001 at the age of 19, which resulted in quadriplegia at the C 7/8 level. After rehab I returned to university the following fall of 2002 only to accidentally become pregnant in October of 2002. I have to admit I was terrified when that second blue line showed up on the pregnancy test. Here I was, injured for only 14 months, trying to get my life back together, in a new relationship AND pregnant. I didn't know what I was going to do.
Of course I knew I could still get pregnant but I had no idea how I was going to physically or emotionally handle the pregnancy and the baby. I wasn't even sure if the father, who I had only been dating for 2 months, would support me or leave. Thankfully he did stay, and we are still together.
My OBGYN had no experience with spinal cord injuries let alone pregnant quadriplegic women but she seemed willing to learn so I researched what little information I could find and began to relax. My OBGYN found a perinatologist with some experience with SCI and pregnancy and met with him as well as my physiatrist and urologist.
I was fortunate to have a relatively uncomplicated pregnancy. I had all the usual pregnancy complaints; they were all just magnified. Most pregnant women experience swelling increased urination, difficulty breathing and moving and so did I. I'll break my physical experience down into sections.
SKIN: The only skin breakdown I experienced was in my groin area from the additional secretions and urine leakage. It was managed with barrier creams and baby powder but didn't completely heal until my daughter was a few months old. I experienced a lot of swelling after about 7 months.
MOBILITY: I began using my power chair exclusively around 4 months and required assistance with a hoyer lift (I had previously used a sliding board) after about 6 months.
BOWELS: I didn't have any bowel changes until about 9 months when the pressure of my uterus caused accidents.
BLADDER: I use an indwelling catheter and have chronically colonized urine which I normally don't treat but because UTI's can cause preterm labour we began treating them at 23 weeks with IV drugs because the oral drugs weren't safe during pregnancy. My catheter also clogged more frequently so it was changed weekly.
AUTONOMIC DYSREFLEXIA: I experienced mild AD often during my pregnancy, which we attributed to the babies movements or Braxton-Hicks Contractions. In my 8th month I was hospitalized for two nights due to AD from a UTI.
LABOUR: I was scheduled to be induced on July 8th because I was already 4 cm dilated but I became anxious the evening of the 7th and went to the hospital. I was admitted and monitored until about 2 AM when they wanted to give me pictocin to strengthen my contractions but because they were worried about AD I was given an epidural before they started the pictocin. Then they broke my water and I lay in bed until 7 AM when my OBGYN checked my progress and much to her surprise I was fully dilated and the baby was all the way down. She left the room and came back with about 10 people! They readministered drugs to my epidural, performed an episistomy and used forceps to deliver our daughter. She was perfectly healthy and weighed 7lbs9oz. I left the hospital the next afternoon!
Emotionally the pregnancy was quite draining. I was extremely hormonal, we were worried about the pregnancy and delivery, I had extra ultrasounds and procedures and I felt like my life was very out on control. I had had all these other plans for my life when in the space of 2 years I became a quad, met my fiance, got pregnant, bought a house and had a baby. It was pretty overwhelming and I felt like I was on a roller coaster.
Our daughter Violet is 6 months old now and things are becoming more 'normal'. I've learned to care for my daughter almost independently and settled in to our little family. I don't know if I would have chosen to get pregnant, and certainly not when I did, but I'm glad it happened. Violet brings direction and purpose back to my life and renews my faith in the future. If my SCI happened for a reason, to bring my life to this point then it's worth it.
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow"
~ Anon
Of course I knew I could still get pregnant but I had no idea how I was going to physically or emotionally handle the pregnancy and the baby. I wasn't even sure if the father, who I had only been dating for 2 months, would support me or leave. Thankfully he did stay, and we are still together.
My OBGYN had no experience with spinal cord injuries let alone pregnant quadriplegic women but she seemed willing to learn so I researched what little information I could find and began to relax. My OBGYN found a perinatologist with some experience with SCI and pregnancy and met with him as well as my physiatrist and urologist.
I was fortunate to have a relatively uncomplicated pregnancy. I had all the usual pregnancy complaints; they were all just magnified. Most pregnant women experience swelling increased urination, difficulty breathing and moving and so did I. I'll break my physical experience down into sections.
SKIN: The only skin breakdown I experienced was in my groin area from the additional secretions and urine leakage. It was managed with barrier creams and baby powder but didn't completely heal until my daughter was a few months old. I experienced a lot of swelling after about 7 months.
MOBILITY: I began using my power chair exclusively around 4 months and required assistance with a hoyer lift (I had previously used a sliding board) after about 6 months.
BOWELS: I didn't have any bowel changes until about 9 months when the pressure of my uterus caused accidents.
BLADDER: I use an indwelling catheter and have chronically colonized urine which I normally don't treat but because UTI's can cause preterm labour we began treating them at 23 weeks with IV drugs because the oral drugs weren't safe during pregnancy. My catheter also clogged more frequently so it was changed weekly.
AUTONOMIC DYSREFLEXIA: I experienced mild AD often during my pregnancy, which we attributed to the babies movements or Braxton-Hicks Contractions. In my 8th month I was hospitalized for two nights due to AD from a UTI.
LABOUR: I was scheduled to be induced on July 8th because I was already 4 cm dilated but I became anxious the evening of the 7th and went to the hospital. I was admitted and monitored until about 2 AM when they wanted to give me pictocin to strengthen my contractions but because they were worried about AD I was given an epidural before they started the pictocin. Then they broke my water and I lay in bed until 7 AM when my OBGYN checked my progress and much to her surprise I was fully dilated and the baby was all the way down. She left the room and came back with about 10 people! They readministered drugs to my epidural, performed an episistomy and used forceps to deliver our daughter. She was perfectly healthy and weighed 7lbs9oz. I left the hospital the next afternoon!
Emotionally the pregnancy was quite draining. I was extremely hormonal, we were worried about the pregnancy and delivery, I had extra ultrasounds and procedures and I felt like my life was very out on control. I had had all these other plans for my life when in the space of 2 years I became a quad, met my fiance, got pregnant, bought a house and had a baby. It was pretty overwhelming and I felt like I was on a roller coaster.
Our daughter Violet is 6 months old now and things are becoming more 'normal'. I've learned to care for my daughter almost independently and settled in to our little family. I don't know if I would have chosen to get pregnant, and certainly not when I did, but I'm glad it happened. Violet brings direction and purpose back to my life and renews my faith in the future. If my SCI happened for a reason, to bring my life to this point then it's worth it.
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow"
~ Anon
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