Amy's Birth Stories
(baby David Skyler and baby Bailey Kemp)
By Amy
September 3, 2004
Bailey Kemp
My family seems to have had diabetes forever. My mother has it,
my aunt has it, my grandpa has it, and both of my grandmothers had
it. When I turned 16 I found out that I had it too. It was kinda
scary but I never paid any mind to it. I was still me - and I was
always going to be. I have seen what it can do, and that it could
kill you. I always thought it would kill me someday. So, I thought,
why not do what I want and eat what I want?
I did just that, and my sugars stayed around 400.
When I was 17, almost 18, I found out I was pregnant. I couldn't
believe it because my aunt who has diabetes told me I would never
be able to get pregnant. She said if I ever did that it would be
a sugar ball -LOL. Well, she didn't know what she was talking about
- I got pregnant.
I saw a nurse, and when she found out I didn't take
care of my sugars, she flipped and started scaring me. She told
me that I could have a big baby weighing between 10-12 pounds. She
said that my baby's lungs and kidneys wouldn't be all the way developed
and that it could kill us both. She acted like she was disgusted
that I had gotten pregnant. She set me up with a good doctor who
knew all about my situation. The doctor put me in the hospital for
three days to get my sugars right. They finally got me under control.
I was told my due date was October 8, 2001, but could be earlier.
I had to be on insulin shots and I had to mix two different kinds
in one syringe.
The first three months after I left the hospital it
became harder and harder for me to avoid sweets. I cheated on my
diet little by little. Before I knew it my sugars were high, like
around 200, but I was fine until my eighth month. I got dehydrated
and had to get some fluids. My doctor was very concerned with my
pregnancy. He had my baby's heart checked and gave me stress tests.
On September 24, 2001, the doctor told me he was going
to induce me. He induced me on the 28th. I was on the IV drip from
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. He broke my water and the pain came on very hard.
It was so hard that I had fits and wanted to bite my hands. The
nurses wouldn't let me so they gave me rags to bite on and I threw
them all over the room.
At 6:20 p.m. my son David Skyler came into the world.
He was very healthy, weighing 7 pounds 14 ounces. He was perfect.
After I had him, I decided to wait a little while
to try again. When I was ready to have another one, I couldn't get
pregnant right away. Finally, when Skyler was 26 months, I found
out I had gotten pregnant. I was so happy because I wanted to give
Skyler a sibling so he could play with someone.
Unfortunately, I still wasn't taking care of my sugars.
I thought since Skyler was perfectly healthy this one should be
too. My baby's heart was checked out and it was fine. I had no problems
with this pregnancy at all.
When I was 34 weeks, two days away from being 35 weeks,
I began going into labor at 12 p.m. I was scared because he was
early. The doctor who was on call told me he should be okay, but
might have breathing problems. Since I was not being induced, it
didn't hurt as bad. I was a lot better. At 8:22 p.m. my second son,
Bailey Kemp, came into the world. He weighed 4 pounds, 15 ounces.
The nurses took him to clean him up, and I saw a lot
of doctors around him. I looked at my husband and said, "What
is wrong with our baby?" He replied that he didn't know. I
wanted to see him so they brought him over to me. I went to hold
him, and they said, "No honey, I'm sorry, but you can't hold
him. We have to take him to the NICU fast." I can tell you
there is no worse feeling in the world than not being able to hold
your baby for the first time. My arms felt empty without him.
The baby doctor came and talked to us more. We were
told he was having trouble breathing, and it was all my fault because
I let my sugars get out of control. I felt really bad, but could
not put two and two together yet because of the Demerol I had during
labor.
Later that night when my family went home, I was finally
able to get up out of bed. I went to see Bailey. When I walked up
to him and saw him on IVs and in a oxygen hood, my heart sunk to
my stomach. I started bawling. I couldn't believe what I had done
to him. All that night I prayed for him. I told God I was sorry
for being such a fool.
The next morning I went to see him and the doctors
said his blood sugars were high and they couldn't get them to stabilize.
It was because of me not watching my sugars right. They had to poke
his heel every two hours to check it. Since they had an IV in his
other heel, they only had one to do it to. His foot was black and
blue.
The second morning they told me he hadn't pooped in
two days. They had to send him to Kansas City to find out what was
wrong. They said he could have a blockage, also due to my high sugars.
When he got there they did a lower GI and found out that he had
dried poop that wasn't letting the rest out. It all came out and
he was fine. I thanked God a million times for that.
The fourth day he got off the oxygen hood. The only
thing wrong with him now was eating. Because he was early he didn't
know how to eat. What he couldn't eat on his own they put down a
tube. He got sent back to our own city, but had to stay at a hospital
for eating. Three days later they said he was doing fine and could
come home.
He's almost 2 months now and is still fine. I am very
happy that he is alright. It was pretty sad that this little boy
of mine had to wake me up about diabetes. Any one who has this please
don't be like me. Take care of yourself and your babies. I will
be praying for all of you out there. Good luck and enjoy your newborns.
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Diabetes
and pregnancy, fertility issues, gestational diabetes, parenting, 
