In a single day, my pregnancy life was turned upside down.. I tried to recall my experience on that day:
My 30th week is finally here and I was so excited to see my gynae for the usual check-up. I always look forward to my gynae appointment because I get a peek of the little creature inside my tummy through the ultrasound.
The usual routine check seems so normal, until I noticed my urine test flashes an unusual color according to the chart. From then, my gynea start to notice rising blood pressure and the protein in the urine. The ultrasound that she did shows that the baby is on the small side. My water retention seems to be worsened as well. Everything points to a condition in pregnancy called Pre-Eclampsia.
Pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects some pregnant women usually during the second half of pregnancy (from around 20 weeks onward)
Women with pre-eclampsia have high blood pressure, fluid retention (oedema) and protein in the urine (proteinuria). If it’s not treated, it can lead to serious complications.
In the unborn baby, pre-eclampsia can cause growth problems.
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Although the exact cause of pre-eclampsia is not known, it is thought to occur when there is a problem with the placenta (the organ that links the baby’s blood supply to the mother’s).
Pregnant women with pre-eclampsia may not realise they have it. Pre-eclampsia is usually diagnosed during routine antenatal appointments.
Mild pre-eclampsia can be monitored with blood pressure and urine tests at regular antenatal appointments and usually disappears soon after the birth. Severe pre-eclampsia may need to be monitored in hospital.
Mine is categorized as severe Pre-Eclampsia because the amount of protein in my urine is very high. When my gynae told me that I have to be warded as soon as possible, I started to panic. This can’t be happening, my pregnancy is still in the 30th week! Unfortunately, that day Winston have to work on Saturday in some remote area. Tearfully, I alerted him about the situation.
I wasn’t prepared for such a threat to my pregnancy that I broke down in tears in her office.
My gynae, Dr Kang Wee, told us the possibility of the outcome, the baby will be premature and she has to go to NICU and it can cost us 40k-50k if we decided to be warded in Mount Alvernia (the hospital where my gynae practices). Dr Kang Wee used to practice in KK Hospital for 20 years, she suggested to be transferred there. As the biggest and most advanced hospital dealing with woman and children in Singapore, KKH sounds like a better plan for us, not to mentioned that it’s a government structured hospital. Singapore’s public health sector rates among the best in the world and they offer subsidized rates for citizen and PR.
That Saturday 14 July 2012, we checked ourselves to KKH.. and for the next 3 weeks it became the location of my story…
2 Responses
Jia you, Hellen! Din know you have been experienced so many unexpected things during ur pregnancy.
Take care, and hope u n ur baby will getting better each day.