What Extra Treatment Did You Get In Hospital?

[Ling]

My Cardiologist has warned me that I can land up in bed for a few weeks after delivering my baby girl. Did any of you receive extra treatment in hospital to help strengthen your bodies after the deliveries? One of you mentioned extra drips .... ? What can my gyny do to help me from not landing up in bed. I will obviously fight this with all I have. I have been dying to be a mother and can?t wait to play with my angel. I desperately want to breast feed and look after my baby girl myself. Any advice please? I see my gyny tomorrow. I will update you then on the latest development. Dying to know if she has picked up weight or moved yet.

My heart is becoming more active now and I find myself having funny heart beats even when I do nothing. Is this normal towards the end? I am now 33 weeks pregnant.

Thank you!

[persephone]

My mum went back to work the day after I was born- she felt right as rain. Not everyone is totally wiped out after giving birth- you might feel fab! (unlikely, I know....)

Good luck, keep us posted! and put up pictures :-)

[Be Still]

Having POTS does not necessarily mean you will be laid up in bed afterwards, but extra rest is a must. Staying in the hospital longer is a personal matter; for myself, I get less rest there.

Here, we can write a letter to the hospital ahead of time, stating what we want them to do and not to do with a birth (called a birth plan.) I gave directions for my meals, that I wanted to be as natural as possible, what type of interventions I would consider, that I didn't want my baby to have certain procedures or ever to be given formula, and to go home as soon as possible afterwards. This was mostly followed, and I'm glad I did it, it saved me from some discussion, but I was still pressured to go against it at times. I think it is a good idea to have some decisions made ahead of time and to be firm about them, but always go with what seems best at the moment. Be prepared.

If I had to do it now, I would talk to the anesthesia department ahead of time, to discuss procedures if things go off-plan. I would make sure I was getting an IV from the beginning. (Then again, I might try to deliver at home! )

One thing that is sometimes not encouraged enough, is breast-feeding. La Leche League has some excellent materials regarding this natural event, that now and then is a little tricky getting started. Pursue your goal and if there are some problems, ask for help solving them, rather than letting the hospital personnel or doctor persuade you to give it up.

Best wishes!

[dianaD]

When I was breast feeding, I promised myself that while the baby drank, I would be sucking down the water at the same time. I had a big ol' insulated mug with a huge straw, and finished one of those EVERY TIME I nursed. And that was before pots! I would think that hydration would be a MUST for you. Maybe that will help! Have fun! It's an incredible experience!!

[AJVDK]

This one is kind of hard to say for me, as I started to go into labor at 29 weeks they did everything to stop it. I had 2 IV for the next two weeks, plus meds for my son, Blake, and meds for me. At 31 weeks they went ahead and induced me, and I gave brith to my son. He was in the NICU for 6 weeks. He is now 4 years old and full us energy. I can say I think all the fluids did help me. The nuses and doctors where so good to us. They would push me over to the childrens hospital so I could see my son. Once I got released the NICU team was so nice to. The childrens hosital rooms where so nice, we had a bed, tv, dressers, and even a frig so that we could stay in the room. they got me a wheel chair to use, and would bring up food for me to make sure I was taking care of myself also. they would bring in blankets when I was cold and everything, and here it was my son that was there, as I was alreadys released. There was one day I got really sick, and they took me done to the ER at the adult hospital to make sure I got taken care of. I can not say enough about how well things went for me and my son!

Good luck, keep us posted!

Amy

[MomtoGiuliana]

I was sick/extremely weak for weeks after birth--however, I was undiagnosed at the time. Also I had a very difficult delivery with significant blood loss. However, I was able to breastfeed with no problem--it was the one thing that did go well. And b/c I was so inactive, I had plenty of snuggle and bonding time with my daughter.

I don't know how to advise you except that keeping hydrated should be helpful. If you are on an SSRI and can stay on it (I think you are, and that this has been helping you) that will probably help keep your autonomic system from going haywire.

Ectopic beats are normal in all women during pregnancy. I had them throughout pregnancy--but mostly in early to mid- pregnancy.

I guess my only other advice is to remember that sometimes you have to take life as it comes. You can only be so prepared for a birth. I was all ready to have a natural delivery, and ended up with significant intervention. I did not have a name for what was wrong with me, so no special things were done for me in the hospital, and I survived. They even gave me a low salt diet after birth b/c my blood pressure kept spiking--when I probably needed more salt.

Good luck. This is an intense time but, in time you will forget about all of this, and enjoy your child, your relationship, and your new lifestyle as a parent!

Katherine

[calypso]

Hi Ling! I've been thinking about you and hoping you're feeling OK.

I developed POTS postpartum -- actually, it all started the night I left the hospital. I didn't get properly diagnosed for months, so I pretty much stayed home and went to the ER twice, plus saw about a half-dozen doctors over the next six months, who all thought I was totally losing it and had postpartum depression. Please make sure no one talks you into believing you have postpartum depression (unless you feel you actually do, of course!). But I doubt you will.

I am thrilled that you will breastfeed. Also, some people may try to talk you out of it, especially if you start to have any POTS-like problems. But just stay with it. I so regret giving up at 1 year; I should have kept going for another six months or so. I ended up stopping because I was sick of all my doctors telling me I would stop losing weight if I quit breastfeeding. And they were wrong, but it was too late ... my daughter looked at me like I was nuts when I tried to get her to breastfeed after having stopped for a month. She didn't remember what to do.

I also had some ectopic beats at the end. I got very short of breath as well. I should also mention that my blood pressure dropped WAY LOW when I got an epidural (which I was also talked into because my midwife thought it would lower my BP, and I had preeclampsia). So beware of that. Is your BP OK at this point? Even a mild increase can be an early sign of preeclampsia, so just make sure you know what your readings are at every appointment.

Take care, and keep us posted!

Amy

[MNsue]

Ling,

I was undiagnosed with POTS when I had my two children. I had C-sections because I was not strong enough to deliver the first and did not want to risk a v-back with the second. I had problems with Hypothermia following my second daughters birth, and had some wild postpardum tachycardia issues in the days following the delivery.

I felt good after the birth of my second daughter for about 6 months after her birth, but then everything started up again.

I did not breast feed because I was diagnosed with CFS at the time, and the lack of rest was an issue.

Best of Luck. Having my children dispite my illness was one of the best decisions of my life.

Rhonda