The first time I saw this picture was around a week after giving birth to our little bear. I didn’t take a great deal of notice that first time to be honest, in between feeds and the general care of a newborn bear.
Fast forward a few months and I looked at it again. This time with hubby
“Wow, didn’t I look yellow?!” I said to hubby.
Some may not see the yellow, particularly against the hospital gown but I could see it.
The yellow was the mild jaundice that I had just one day into parenthood. It was my liver beginning to give up on me because of HELLP syndrome. (Find out more about HELLPS at the end of this blog).
I was not as jaundice as some mums who experience the condition but I was still not a very healthy colour. Put mildly, my body, especially my liver had taken a huge battering over the past 24 hours.
You will forgive me for looking more than a little weather-worn and ‘out of it’, because I had not long had a platelet transfusion, an emergency c-section and welcomed our little bear into the world, with hubby waiting in the next room, having not had time to scrub up.
Others may not see it, but again I do. I see the slight tinge of yellow in our little bear’s skin too. We were advised to leave her by the window, to get some daylight and to leave no more than 4 hours between feeds, to encourage the blood cells to break down I believe.
Gradually, she lost her shade of yellow. Thankfully she was perfectly healthy apart from the jaundice. We didn’t go outside the hospital for 3 days. Me having had a section couldn’t push her along in her crib outside of visiting times. Understandably the amazing staff were too busy for this, and when hubby, my rock, visited, I think we were all to shell-shocked to consider it to be honest.
So yes, my liver nearly gave up on me, on our little bear, on my hubby, on our bear’s daddy.
But it didn’t.
My blood pressure was controlled by meds, my liver enzymes leveled out. We were allowed home for good a week later. It was time for a celebration. But I still didn’t raise a glass because HELLP syndrome is a potentially very dangerous pregnancy condition. Find out how you can ‘hellp’…
I’m linking up my ‘yellow’ post with #TheThemeGame at The Reading Residence and Redpeffer. Looking for something new to do? Join in!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read my emotional and inspiring true story ‘Diary of a Complicated Pregnancy’. Available now through my website at Virtually All Sorts. 50% of sales to the charity Action on Pre-Eclampsia. …and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @ComplicatedPreg
Also available – my indispensable guide to avoiding ‘Working Mum Guilt’. Whether you are about to return or have already started back, this book offers practical solutions and feedback from real Mums with real families in real situations. Covering topics such as Post Natal Depression, childcare options, yours and your child’s development and time management – Ditch the guilt today! … and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @WorkingMumGuilt
Thank you.
mummybearsblog 