Being Pregnant with APAS During a Pandemic and 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Having a C-Section
I never really thought much about my birth plan, whether to have a normal delivery or a scheduled c-section because I was more concerned about the safety of my baby.
I didn't really think about myself and only focused on one thing "to bring the baby safely out of my womb".
It's hard to measure pregnancy after loss with the same parameters than women who never experienced a loss. Just the idea of announcing my pregnancy gave me so much anxiety.
Pregnancy with APAS and Health Issues
My pregnancy journey was full of ups and downs. I was diagnosed with APAS as well as other health issues.
My OB jokingly said "Ikaw kasi, kinuha mo na lahat pwede maging sakit ng buntis eh."
APAS is one of the Five Reproductive-Immunological Disorders (RID) that causes miscarriage and early losses. It's where a woman's immune system rejects the fetus because it sees it as a foreign object.
I have watched YT vlogs of celebrities who had experienced the same like Mariel Rodriguez, Solenn and Sitti. I cried each time.
I remember when I gave my first heparin injection (Innohep prefilled vial) while we were parked in Tita's cafe, I cried while saying to my husband "I can't imagine doing this for 9 months." I didn't doubt that I'll be able to do it. I could do it. But I won't enjoy it.
I used Innohep pre-filled injection at first because it was the first choice of my OB but it was always out of stock so I had to use Clexane. I developed the largest bruise I've had in my life as two of my bruises merged into one LOL. I got scared and told my OB about it and she said that bruising is a side effect of the medication.
For 9 months, my tummy was full of bruises. Like a constellation but one that doesn't look good. It was getting harder to inject as my tummy grew as I had to find an area without a bruise.
My medications included:
Either of the three: Clexane (778 pesos per injection), Innohep pre-filled injection (573 pesos per injection) and Innohep vial (1,014 pesos per vial which I use for four days) - I have experienced injecting myself all three brands.
Aspirin - I started taking aspirin as soon as I got a positive pregnancy test at home. I think this is what they usually prescribe to a woman who have recurrent miscarriages but it's also a part of the APAS treatment.
Duphaston (82 pesos to 90 pesos) - if you search about this medicine, you'll see that it is used to treat a variety of conditions but for me, it served as "pampakapit" and I took it twice a day as soon as I had a positive pregnancy test until I gave birth.
Thydin - I have normal thyroid levels (TSH, FT3 and FT4) but my endo didn't want to risk anything as FT4 should be high normal when pregnant and mine was normal but in the lower spectrum. I started taking 12.5mcg and at the end of my pregnancy I was taking 100mcg.
Levemir and Novorapid (almost 700 pesos and 500 pesos) - Long-acting and short-acting insulin pens to lower my blood sugar levels which I inject 4-6 times a day.
Obimin Plus - Prenatal vitamin
Folic Acid 5mg - High dose folic acid which I took when I got a positive pregnancy test until I gave birth.
Calvit Gold - Calcium supplement
I had monthly check-ups and ultrasound both with my OB and my endocrinologist as they have to monitor me closely. When I reached third trimester, I had to go in twice a week and had Ultrasound with Biophysical Scoring and Doppler Studies during each visit with my OB.
If you think pregnancy is hard, imagine being pregnant while grieving and during a pandemic (COVID-19)
I had my second miscarriage in August 18, during our 2nd anniversary, lost my mom in November 5 and found out I was pregnant last December 5.
It's all hard to take in and my grief was compounded and to be honest, I haven't processed the grief I had from my first miscarriage. That was the hardest one for me which resulted from me withdrawing spending time with most of my friends and being overly anxious.
I had my first miscarriage in January 1, 2019 after spending New Year's eve with my brother, his family and his friends in Malaysia. It was supposed to be a fun-filled celebration but in the wee hours of January 1st, I experienced light cramps with some spotting. After breakfast, I didn't feel well and was bleeding with clots. When the pain was too much to bear, I asked my brother to bring me to the hospital. I could barely walk and I wish my husband could carry me to the car but I was too heavy LOL.
We lost our 3-month baby as confirmed by the on-call OB when he checked through ultrasound but everything was sitting in my cervix so they had to use a medical equipment to take it out. I only stayed in the hospital overnight and was back in my brother's home the next day.
Then I lost my mom in November and I was literally crying every day. Crying myself to sleep, waking up to cry, crying during work and it was really affecting my daily routine. I thought I was only grieving but it turns out, my hormones were out of whack because I was already pregnant too.
Being pregnant during a pandemic and while grieving has taught me many things and I know I will treasure this experience forever. It was definitely NOT easy but it sure is WORTH IT.
My mind and body was going through so much grief but God gave us a precious gift at such a difficult time.
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Having a C-Section
I opted for a scheduled c-section instead of being induced at 37 weeks because I don't want any surprises. I don't want to be induced and labor for days only to end up in emergency c-section.
And I am so happy with my decision. Everything went smoothly.
Recovery is different for each person
Thinking about recovering after having a c-section gave me a lot of anxiety because I thought I wouldn’t be able to move around and just stay in bed all day.
While some women will have to, I was up and moving slowly the morning after my c-section.
The thing that made me worry was that I wouldn’t be able to prepare food when I get home but thankfully, I was able to cook food the next day after being discharged in the hospital.
I honestly felt great that I was already checking work emails and did light work on my laptop the next day after my c-section.
You'll be naked in the OR Table
Warning: Too much information in the next paragraph. LOL
This was really not an issue if everybody were strangers inside the OR. Unfortunately for me, as a nurse myself, one of my friends was on-duty that day LOL. They raised my gown and placed it over the curtain that blocked my view which exposed my boobies. And if that wasn't embarrassing enough, they opened my diaper and shaved me again because clearly I didn't shaved it "ALL" LOL.
Getting up and out of the hospital bed is ROUGH
It was painful and probably one of the hardest things I experienced in my life. Walking was okay but getting up and out of the bed... ooooph, so hard.
Take it slowly
Every day gets a little better but if you overwork and over exert yourself, it will feel like Day 1 all over again.
Week 1 Postpartum I was already in the mall as I had to buy more bottles as baby had a problem latching and only preferred a specific brand so we had to buy more newborn baby bottles. That same week I had to go back to the mall to buy groceries and more baby stuff in the other mall.
On Week 2 I was rearranging our room and moved some furniture. Not so good idea but our room finally looked better and more organized.
I noticed that every time I move so much or walk around for a long period, I'll start bleeding again and my lower belly feels heavy.
You may feel like you're ready to be active again but you have to remember you just had a major surgery and it could take months to recover.
Never, I repeat, Never skip your pain medication
The morning after my c-section, they took out my IV and catheter so my pain medications were given orally at this time. One of the nurses forgot to give me my pain meds so I skipped one dose and I was in so much pain by morning as last pain meds was given at 2am.
When I got home, I still continued taking my pain meds for three days and then only took it as needed.
It feels uncomfy to laugh hard, sneeze or cough
I'm now 3 weeks postpartum and it feels weird to laugh, sneeze or cough. It's not painful but it feels different (so hard to explain LOL). I'm sure my c-section mommas know what I'm talking about.
I didn't get any chills/shivering in the hospital but experience both at home
Even at 3 weeks postpartum I still get chills randomly usually at night or early in the morning. I really don't know why, but according to the c-section community on Facebook that I'm a part of, they have experienced it too.
When the anesthesia wore off, I felt fine. I spent an hour in the recovery room and I didn't get any chills or shivering even after they wheeled me back to my room.
You need all the help you can get
I knew I'd need some help after my c-section and it does help that me and my husband both work from home but still, it's hard to do errands with a newborn baby and while recovering from a major surgery.
I'm so thankful that I live with my sister and her family and have some help from my relatives.
Find the best sleeping position for you
For me, it was lying on my back with 3 pillows propped behind me like in a sitting position. I don't remember how long I slept like that but as the days went by I was needing less pillows until it was comfy enough to sleep on my side.
Using a belly band or abdominal binder is a MUST
My Mamaway binder is one of the best investments I bought while pregnant. LOL I feel like it's one of the reasons why I could move around comfortably because it holds everything together. It's not itchy on the skin and the material is breathable.
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