Baby Conlan: Baby Conlan's First Month

Baby Conlan’s First Month

It was a little rough at first. 1 week post partum, Gavin and I were trying to adjust to our new parental roles when one morning I woke up with a headache. I didn’t think much of it. I took Tylenol and went along with my day tending to our newborn. When the headache became stronger, I took Advil and then Aleve a couple of hours after that. By the evening nothing was working and my headache was growing stronger. I thought it was a migraine, so I went to bed early hoping the dark relaxing room would resolve the issue. By Midnight, my headache had grown so painful and distressing we decided to go to the emergency room. We had to take Conlan with us which was very scary. No one wants to take a week old infant to a hospital, let alone the emergency room.

When we arrived, I was whisked away to a room due to a blood pressure reading of 203/106 and was listed in critical condition. I was extremely close to a stroke and was lucky we got there when we did. After hours of medical treatment, my blood pressure went down and the pain in my head subsided. Gavin called my mom and she came down to help us with Conlan while I recovered. We are thankful she did, because I ended up in the emergency room 2 more times soon after our initial visit in the same condition. We appreciate Grandma Linda being able to care for Conlan while Gavin cared for me and took me to constant doctor appointments and tests that week. Now thanks to modern medicine I am ok and will hopefully not need to be on medication forever. The doctors think I can try life without it in a couple more months and see what happens. I was diagnosed with acute early onset hypertension (I never had high blood pressure before or during pregnancy). After multiple tests, they do not know what caused it. I was told it sometimes happens to women after delivery, but it is not common.

Although I had a rough month post delivery, we are so happy that Conlan thrived and continues to grow strong everyday.