Bennie Wayne

I had no risk factors and a healthy pregnancy so far, so this was all very unexpected. Friday, 7/22, I was feeling slightly off. I had previously looked up some information on preeclampsia out of curiosity and it had been on my mind. I did not have any major symptoms, just a gut feeling that something was not right. I did have some increased fluid retention, but it was also super hot outside so I was not sure what was normal. I was at work that morning and asked one of the nurses to check my blood pressure for peace of mind. Surprisingly, it was very elevated and the nurse encouraged me to call my Ob office. They asked me to come into the family birthing center for a check. When I arrived to check in, the front desk asked me if I had completed my birth certificate paperwork- I almost laughed because I was 27 weeks and 5 days and it had not even crossed my mind. Once we settled into a room and had some blood pressure checks, the Ob came in and let me know that I had early onset severe preeclampsia and that she might have to deliver my baby that day. I was completely shocked. Luckily, with some medication treatment they were able to get my blood pressure down for a few days. This provided time for me to get some steroid shots to support the development of baby’s lungs. I thought in those few days that I might be in the hospital on bed rest for a few weeks. I was so hopeful to give baby more time to develop and grow. Joe and I started to quickly try to decide on a name that would fit our sweet, strong girl. We confidently decided that Bennie Wayne Hester would be a perfect fit.

Overnight and early morning on 7/26, my blood pressure started to spike again and was not coming down with medication. The doctor let me know that I would have to have an emergency c-section. Just moments later a whole team of nurses was in the room and getting me prepped for surgery.

Joe was prepped with the NICU team to welcome Bennie and go with her to her NICU room at delivery. It was all a whirlwind to say the least.

Bennie was born with a cry at 28 weeks and 2 days on 7/26/22 at 853 am. She was placed on cpap to support her breathing. She weighed 1 lb 13 oz and was 13 inches long. Joe spent some time getting to know her and helped with some of her care. I was still being treated for high blood pressure after delivery and was not feeling well, but I luckily got to meet her that evening and hold her hand. I was shocked by how tiny and fragile she appeared, but also felt a sense that she was very strong. It was pretty heart breaking to be separated from her after delivery. Joe was an incredible support and spent time with both of us each day. He also helped me get started with pumping and delivered the milk to the NICU. He knew how important it was to me to breastfeed so he did everything he could to support me and take some of the burden off. It took some time for my blood pressure to resolve before I could safely visit Bennie in the NICU.