Writing on the Wall

Posted on by Teresa Brinson
2 p.m. Sunday, March 6, 2016. “We may have to induce you and bring Victoria into the world,” my doctor said as I laid on the hospital bed in discomfort.
“What?!” I cried  back. “I’m not due for another two months.”

How It All Started

Rewind…
10 a.m. Sunday, March 6, 2016. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Central Texas. Mother Nature was pleasant. My body, just the opposite. I was irritable, tired and puffy – think Michelin man. I couldn’t stand too long so cooking was out of it. My breakfast was a cold drink of Gatorade. It was pretty much one of the few things I could stomach.
My entire pregnancy up to this point was rough and what made it even more tough was the fact that my blood pressure kept rising. I had a high risk pregnancy and suffered from preeclampsia, a condition only during pregnancy where there is a sudden, sharp rise in blood pressure. Women also experience  swelling (edema).  The exact cause is unknown, but it can be dangerous for mother and baby.
My doctor was worried that at the rate I was going, I would get eclampsia, the next level up. Those who suffer from eclampsia can get seizures, which are life-threatening for the baby since a seizure could reduce the oxygen supply in the womb.

That Morning

That morning, like every morning, after finding out I was high risk, I checked my blood pressure. The systolic number, or the number on top, was 171. Anything over 160 is considered bad.
My husband looked over my shoulder,  “Why don’t you take it again. You’re stressed and that’s what may be causing it.”
So I did, and the same thing, this time my systolic number was at 172. We called my doctor, rushed to the hospital and got checked in.

After a several hours of blood work and tests, my doctor walked in and said, “Baby is doing fine, but you’re not going home tonight, Teresa. Your blood pressure keeps increasing. We may have to induce you and bring Victoria into the world.”

“What?!” I cried  back. “I’m not due for another two months.”

“I know, but like I said, I don’t want to risk you having eclampsia,” my doctor said. “I need you to rest up. I’m going to look at more tests, but it looks like you’ll be giving birth no later than tomorrow.”

Writing on the Wall

As she walked out, tears began to roll down my eyes. I looked over at my husband and he was just as confused as me. We were by no means ready – we didn’t have a car seat, crib, clothes, nothing.

The nurse in the room walked over, pulled up a seat, grabbed my hand and said, “Honey, be strong. Your husband is here and your baby is doing fine in there. You’ve been so good and so strong through this pregnancy. There was nothing you did wrong. It was just the writing on the wall. Your writing on the wall.”

Victoria Arrives

Fast forward…

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Victoria Rose Kay Brinson has her daddy wrapped around her fingers.

I was transferred to another hospital that specialized in high-risk pregnancies that night. After hours in labor, my sweet Victoria Rose Kay Brinson came into the world at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 7. This strong girl, with strong lungs weighed in at 3 lbs. 12 oz., and she already had the diva attitude – full of strength and confidence.

We stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for 23 days – a miracle given the fact that Tori, as she’s affectionately known, was born two months early. She’s our joy and just as talkative as mommy and funny like daddy.

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Victoria at 5 months in daycare. See the attitude?

Life’s Course

Was this experience hard and scary? Of course!  I couldn’t change what was happening, but I could change how I handled it and eventually the outcome.

I looked at all the positives in my situation and took the silver lining.

I learned how to properly bathe Victoria from the experienced nurses in NICU. I learned how to test the heat of bottles, how to change her without too much movement, how to take her proper temperature, and how to bundle her and keep her warm. All these things, I learned hands-on from nurses who did this day in and day out. I learned tips from the pros. No book could teach me that!

This experience was meant to be and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I learned humility and patience. Sometimes life just takes its course and you never know where it leads you. But it’s up to you on how it’s handled.

Feedback?

Experience something similar to my story? Send me an email, I’d love to learn how you handled it. Or, comment below. Maybe someone can learn from your experience, too.

10 thoughts on “Writing on the Wall”

  4. This is beautiful Tee. I can relate to this. My son was born 2 1/2 months early and weighed 2 pounds, 13 ounces. He spent 52 days in the hospital. I remember crying when they told me that I was in premature labor because all I could think of is that it was too early and I didn’t know if my little one would survive. I was a whole 20 years old and quite naive. And I had a 1 1/2 year old at home. Praise God that with lots of faith and prayer, we brought home a strong little born named Aaron (the meaning of Aaron is “fighter.”)

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  5. How beautiful! I remember being due around the same time as you and when I saw that you went early it surprised me! I’m so glad everything turned out well and that you have that sweet girl in your life. Thank goodness for the doctors, nurses and technology of our day. 🙏 Great job mama!

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