I read this post from the beautiful Cafe Bebe this week and it really made me smile. At her babies 8 week check her GP offered his congratulations, that she is pregnant again. I reassure you dear reader that she most certainly is not!
When Joseph was 6 weeks old I was asked to go in to my GP for the standard antenatal check, but also the consultant who had overall management of my pregnancy also wanted to see me. The GP appointment went without a hitch, they just took my blood pressure and offered their congratulations, and were most understanding that going for my post natal check without my baby wasn't the easiest thing. They even made sure they saw me on a non-clinic day, so that I wasn't surrounded by cooing mums and bouncy babies.
The following week I went for my consultant check. Now there isn't anywhere for a recently delivered premmie mum to wait but in antenatal. So my husband and I sat down and waited.
Firstly, Dr C, the big Ghanaian doctor who helped deliver Joseph, came into the waiting area, saw me and ran over and scooped me up for a big hug! He was so lovely "oh I am so glad to see you, how is Joseph, and please, please tell me your not pregnant!" I grinned at him and said "no, no just a check up!", with obvious relief he wandered off.
Then Dr B came in, for some reason, although he never treated me in pregnancy, he and I had become quite friendly and he always popped in to say hello. He walked over, scooped me up for a big hug, asked how Joseph was and said "if your pregnant again I'm changing specialty to geriatrics!" I smirked and explained again.
Finally Dr A came in. Now I credit Dr A with really setting my care on the right path. When I was seen at 24 weeks, she put me on a daily monitoring plan, and spotted that the medication that was recommended by the senior consultant was not suitable for me, as I am asthmatic. She also reassured me that I was welcome to come to delivery at any time to be checked over, and that I wasn't paranoid, but at risk of pre eclampsia. She was in charge of my care the night after delivery, and was so kind. She had tears in her eyes as she said "I am so sorry this has happened, but so grateful that we had you on a good care plan".
She walked into the waiting area, and gazed at me with suspicion, she looked utterly terrified, and didn't smile. "Kylie, why are you here", I cruelly patted my tummy and looked at Corey. The colour drained from her face, I grinned and explained. The sigh of relief could be heard all around the waiting room, and all the other still pregnant women laughed! By that point I'd become a minor celebrity as the medical team all knew me!
But, in all seriousness, I do know women who have had premature babies who have been "caught" whilst their babies are still in NICU or shortly after discharge. I don't think expressing breastmilk gives the same protection against preventing pregnancy as standard breastfeeding (my periods returned bang on schedule 4 weeks after delivery), and often we either don't get the "contraception after childbirth" talk, or are so shell-shocked about what has happened, it is inconceivable that you will ever have sex again!
So if you are going through NICU, or recently delivered, or in fact pregnant, have a think about what contraception you will use.
When Joseph was 6 weeks old I was asked to go in to my GP for the standard antenatal check, but also the consultant who had overall management of my pregnancy also wanted to see me. The GP appointment went without a hitch, they just took my blood pressure and offered their congratulations, and were most understanding that going for my post natal check without my baby wasn't the easiest thing. They even made sure they saw me on a non-clinic day, so that I wasn't surrounded by cooing mums and bouncy babies.
The following week I went for my consultant check. Now there isn't anywhere for a recently delivered premmie mum to wait but in antenatal. So my husband and I sat down and waited.
Firstly, Dr C, the big Ghanaian doctor who helped deliver Joseph, came into the waiting area, saw me and ran over and scooped me up for a big hug! He was so lovely "oh I am so glad to see you, how is Joseph, and please, please tell me your not pregnant!" I grinned at him and said "no, no just a check up!", with obvious relief he wandered off.
Then Dr B came in, for some reason, although he never treated me in pregnancy, he and I had become quite friendly and he always popped in to say hello. He walked over, scooped me up for a big hug, asked how Joseph was and said "if your pregnant again I'm changing specialty to geriatrics!" I smirked and explained again.
Finally Dr A came in. Now I credit Dr A with really setting my care on the right path. When I was seen at 24 weeks, she put me on a daily monitoring plan, and spotted that the medication that was recommended by the senior consultant was not suitable for me, as I am asthmatic. She also reassured me that I was welcome to come to delivery at any time to be checked over, and that I wasn't paranoid, but at risk of pre eclampsia. She was in charge of my care the night after delivery, and was so kind. She had tears in her eyes as she said "I am so sorry this has happened, but so grateful that we had you on a good care plan".
She walked into the waiting area, and gazed at me with suspicion, she looked utterly terrified, and didn't smile. "Kylie, why are you here", I cruelly patted my tummy and looked at Corey. The colour drained from her face, I grinned and explained. The sigh of relief could be heard all around the waiting room, and all the other still pregnant women laughed! By that point I'd become a minor celebrity as the medical team all knew me!
But, in all seriousness, I do know women who have had premature babies who have been "caught" whilst their babies are still in NICU or shortly after discharge. I don't think expressing breastmilk gives the same protection against preventing pregnancy as standard breastfeeding (my periods returned bang on schedule 4 weeks after delivery), and often we either don't get the "contraception after childbirth" talk, or are so shell-shocked about what has happened, it is inconceivable that you will ever have sex again!
So if you are going through NICU, or recently delivered, or in fact pregnant, have a think about what contraception you will use.
Good advice. I have a dear friend whose 2nd baby was born at 32 weeks gestation, one week after her 28 weeker turned one. It having taken years to conceive #1, the last thing they were expecting was #2.
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