I was ready to have kids way before my husband was - finally we agreed that at 30 we would start trying.  Luckily for us we were both quite fertile and as part of my 30th birthday present my first daughter was conceived.  Shortly thereafter I was laid off (which happened with my 2nd child as well), which was stressful enough.  I was lucky to find another job rather quickly and despite my chornic hypertension and gestational deiabetes, I had a great pregnancy.  I was eventually induced a few weeks early due to my blood pressure and after 47 hours of labor I had a great 20 minute delivery of my beautiful 6 lb 3 oz little girl (a surpise since I was positive that she was a boy).  Since her delivery was so quick, Zoey had lots of fluid still in her lungs so she was rushed to the nursery to have that taken care of, but she was great, and still is now, 5-years later.

After 4-years and a career change, we were ready to go for baby #2 and again we were lucky to get pregnant right away.  For me this last pregancy was very different than the first, much more painful and generally uncomfortable.  I still have chronic hypertension and ended up with gestational diabetes again, but this time meds & diet weren't helping to keep that under control.  At 20-weeks they saw that the baby's kidneys were dialated, which put my in the high risk pregnancy category.  Again I was induced with high blood pressure issues, and 56-hours later with a 10 minute deliver, my second daughter was brought into this world.  Unfortunately for me my blood sugers were all over the place and the insulin wasn't helping.  Moments after Riley's birth, I was throwing up all over myself, which in the end turned to be a blessing in disguise.  We sent Riley to the nursery so that I could revcover.  Good thing we did - Riley's O2 levels dropped, which caused them to have the on-call pediatrician take a look, she heard a "clicking" noise in Riley's heart.  That made them call in the cardiologist who found that Riley only had 3 chambers in her heart, not 4.  With in 48-hours of her birth we learned that she would need to have heart surgery.  Not a good moment for me.  We also learned that Riley has 22q.11 Deletion Syndrome, which means that part of the long arm of her 22nd chromosome is missing, and that can mean any number of things.  In her case, Riley has swallow issues and a heart defect.  I cannot put into words how difficult the first few months of her life were and how hard it was to shuffle back to the NICU every day, and to see other babies going home and having to leave mine behind, hooked up to tubes and monitors.

At 3 weeks old Riley had her first surgery - having a g-tube in her stomach so that she could "eat" her formula that way.  We were unable to send her to daycare due to the fact that a cold for her lead to a 10-day stay at the Children's Hospital, and we had several of those visits.  At 4-months old, Riley had a successful heart repair and that is going fabulously.

Today is Riley's 1st birthday, and she has shown me what true strength and courage mean.  My tiny baby is stonger than a full grown man.  She hardly fusses, despite all that she has been through.  I have also learned that we are amazingly blessed to have pediatric cadiothoraic surgeons in Atlanta, and not only do we have them, but they are wonderful.  There are only 70 facilities in the country who can boast the same.  Living through this past year has really hi-lighted the blessings that we have and I wouldn't trade Riley for a million dollars.

After having 3 healthy babies I guess I expected my 4th to go just as smoothly. At my 20 week appt, we were sitting in the ultrasound room waiting to find out if we were having a boy or a girl but the little crumpled body on the screen was not moving and I knew something was not right before the ultrasound technician said "there is a problem". The baby had died. The baby had a neural tube defect called anencephaly and the follow few days was a painful blur. I had to have a D&C and because the baby's blood had mixed with mine it caused my blood to lose it's clotting ability. Several blood transfusions later and a call so close they brought my husband in to see me one more time, I was thankful to be alive. It was by far the worst and scariest experience of my life but it made me appreciate my family and my life a lot more than I already did.

My best and most difficult pregnancy moment was actually all encapsulated into the same beautiful, heart breaking, empowering second.

It was when I made peace with the fact I might have to give up my life in order to give my daughter hers. I never truly held and studied selflessness so intimately until I was pressed right up against that instant.

You see, I was born with a disease so rare, most doctors have never heard of it. Cystinosis causes cystine crystals to build up in every cell, organ, and tissue of my body. It causes kidney failure, blindness, muscle wasting, bone problems, and diabetes, among other things. The day of my diagnosis in 1984, when I was 16 months old, my parents were told I would not live past my 9th birthday.

There have only been 6 other women with Cystinosis to give birth, 2 have passed away. My pregnancy was a roller coaster of ever changing emotions that span the map from absolute paralyzing fear of the unknown to hope so potent at times I felt invincible.

My pregnancy did not progress without numerous events and doctors appointments, but in the end I am eternally grateful for the access to the immaculate medical care I received. Because of the meticulous monitoring of myself and my daughter, I survived a pregnancy no one thought I would. I greeted my daughter in her first few seconds of life; she was pink, breathing and thriving. Not only that, but my transplanted kidney is still functioning today. In fact, next week on October 18th, I will celebrate 17 years since my kidney transplant.

Our daughter is 20 months old, our little ball of light, and our constant reminder to believe in the possibility of everything.

My first pregnancy was going great until 25 weeks when I started spotting.  An NST showed minor contractions but nothing substantial.  Weekly NSTs for a month showed no other activity and I was given the all clear.  I flew to AZ for a baby shower with my doctor's ok.  I was 29 weeks.  In Phoenix I started swelling like crazy and toward the end of the weekend was quite uncomfortable.  When we arrived back in CA I noticed I was leaking fluid.  I also had what I thought were some contractions.  A trip to the hospital confirmed I was 85% effaced and dilated 3cm.  Within a half hour I was 90% effaced and 5cm dilated.  Things quickly ramped up as we tried to stall my labor.

I was given steroid shots, put on a massive dose of magnesium to stop the contractions and also antibiotics for strep b just in case.  The hospital was trying to find a NICU in the area that could take my daughter and also trying to stabilize me enough to transport me.  I stabilized enough and we were transported to a town an hour away.  I was "stabilized" for two days before my water broke.  Luckily the steroid shots had been in long enough to be effective.  My daughter was born at exactly 30 weeks weighing 2 lbs 12 oz.  She stayed in the NICU for 53 days and is now a healthy, rambunctious (almost) 4 year old.

When she was almost 2 we found out I was pregnant.  A couple weeks later I woke in the night to cramps and bleeding.  I went to the doctor as soon as they opened and it was confirmed I was pregnant but that my levels were really low and I was likely miscarrying.  A second round of blood tests showed my numbers even lower, confirming the miscarriage.

Shortly after that miscarriage I found myself pregnant again.  I couldn't believe it.  I went in at about 8 weeks for an ultrasound and though the baby was right on target in terms of measurement there was no heartbeat.  I had miscarried again.  I had to have a D&C the next day.

A year later I was pregnant again.  I was put on progesterone immediately.  An early ultrasound showed a healthy baby and heartbeat.  At about 12 weeks we heard the heartbeat for the first time.  I stayed on the progesterone until about 16 weeks.  I was told to take it easy but that everything looked good.  20 weeks showed a healthy baby boy.  I was thrilled!  At 28 weeks I started having contractions and was put on bed rest and nifedipene.  I made it 35 weeks and 5 days.  My son was born weighing 5 lbs 9 oz.  He spent 15 days in the NICU and is now almost 6 months old and healthy.

There are no known reasons why I have problems with pregnancy.  Everything that should be normal is normal.  I don't know if my son is my last baby or not, but I am so grateful for modern medicine because both he and my daughter have greatly benefited from it.  I don't know if I can pinpoint one moment with each pregnancy.  Probably being admitted with my daughter and the fear of the unknown with her being so early.  With my son, bed rest was probably the hardest for me.  Even with all the hard parts I feel extremely blessed.  I love those two munchkins.

My story is a little like yours. I found out that I was pregnant in March 2008, nine months after I had miscarried my first pregnancy at 9 weeks. My mother was visiting from out of town when I found out, and I was so glad to share that moment with her as well as my husband.

Two months later, Mom was diagnosed w/a very aggressive form of breast cancer and immediately began chemotherapy treatments to try and shrink her tumor before any surgery could take place. My pregnancy became bittersweet. I am an only child, so while my mother was going through chemotherapy, I was the person that our extended family members would call for updates on how she was doing. It was hard for me to be excited about welcoming my first child when something so heavy was happening to my mother. 

At my 28 week appointment, everything looked great. I was beginning my 3rd trimester and couldn't have felt better. I had never had much morning sickness and my energy was great. The next day, my husband and I drove three hours to his hometown to attend his sister's wedding. By the time we arrived, my feet, hands and face had swollen a bit. I attributed the swelling to the August heat, but when I went to bed that night, I was unable to sleep. I had a terrible stomach ache and a knot in my shoulder that kept me awake. All in all, I only got about 4 hours of sleep that night and tried to catnap throughout the next day as my husband's family had fun with the out of town guests who had come for the wedding. 

Once again, I was unable to sleep that night. I realized this time, though, that my "stomach ache" was actually rib pain. This made sense to me. I had entered my third trimester and had heard that rib pain toward the end of pregnancy is killer. 

The next morning, we headed for home. Over the next 10 days, the pain in my ribs intensified. I was averaging 2-4 hours of sleep per night. During the awake times, I would search google for ideas on how to alleviate the pain. I would take Tylenol every four hours (at times, I would stand in front of the clock and wait for the exact minute). I tried hot drinks, cold drinks, stretching, baths, showers, ice packs, heating pads. You name it, I tried it. Nothing helped with the pain. I got two massages to try to loosen my muscles so that my baby might have more room to move, but I felt like she was still firmly planted in my ribs. All of my friends commiserated with me, telling me how bad their rib pain had been during pregnancy. I called my doctor's office twice to ask what to do and was told that I was doing everything right and that the pain was just "part of pregnancy." I felt like the biggest whiner on the planet because millions of pregnant women had gone through this, yet to me, I felt like I was dying.

September 8th, I didn't even bother going to bed. Again, I paced my living room, stretched, took one bath and eight showers to try to help relive some of the pain. Finally, around 4am, I was able to fall asleep for about 2 hours. When I awoke, I was drenched in sweat and had a pounding headache. I waited until it was a reasonable hour to call and wake my mom. As soon as she answered, I started to cry. I was officially 30 weeks pregnant and I was terrified that I had to endure 10 more weeks of this misery. She told me to make an appointment to see my doctor. I agreed that it was time. I knew something wasn't right. Even if all they could do was give me prescription muscle relaxers or pain medication, that would help!

My appointment was at 1:10pm. As soon as I was checked in, they asked for a urine sample. Because I had been feeling so sick, my urine was cloudy and brown. I was embarrassed because I hadn't been drinking enough water and was sure that the ugly urine sample was my fault. As I handed the cup to my nurse, her eyes got really wide and she dipped her little test strip into the sample. Immediately, she turned to me and said, 'Honey. I think your kidneys are failing.' She then took my blood pressure: 200/130. I was immediately admitted to labor and delivery for "24-hour observation." I was hooked to monitors and given magnesium sulfate through an IV to help prevent a seizure since my blood pressure was so high. I was also given two shots of morphine to try and reduce the rib pain, but nothing helped. The magnesium was awful: It made me hot, then cold. It made me itch. It made the room spin. It made me nauseous. After about an hour, my nurse made an off-handed remark about me not leaving the hospital until our baby (a girl) was born. I flipped out! I was going to be in the hospital for 10 weeks!?! She laughed and said, 'No. I'm guessing you'll have a baby by the weekend.' 

(part 1 of 2)

(part 2 of 2)

I called my mother to update her. She had chemo scheduled for the next morning, but promised to catch the first flight she could to be with me. I told her not to worry... we still had a few days and she could take her time. 

The next thing I knew, I was given a steroid shot to help with my baby's lung development. I was informed that if I hadn't had her within 24 hours, I would receive another shot. All of a sudden, we were talking 24 hours!? I called my mom to update her again....

Finally, the doctor came to talk to us. My blood test results were in: I had HELLP Syndrome. HELLP stands for: Hemolysis; Elevated Liver enzymes; and Low Platelets. There is no known cause for HELLP syndrome and only one known cure: Deliver the baby. I told my doctor that I understood I would be having her by the weekend (it was Tuesday) and she took my hand and gently told me: My platelets were less than 1/4 what they should be and that a blood transfusion was on its way to my room. My rib pain was caused by my liver, which was on its way to rupturing. My liver enzyme count was so high, in fact, the doctor was shocked that it hadn't already ruptured. My kidneys were failing, and my blood pressure was still through the roof. We did not have until the weekend. They were cleaning and preparing the OR and I was next. I was having an immediate, emergency c-section. And because of my low platelets, I was a hemorrhage risk and had to be put under general anesthesia, which meant that my husband could not be in the operating room with me.

The rest is a blur: the door to my room opened, and a flood of people entered. My blood transfusion was started. I was prepped for surgery and wheeled into the OR. I remember lying on the bed before they knocked me out thinking I just wanted to sit up and ask everyone to please leave me alone for just five minutes so I could process what was happening. I was terrified, but knew that I had no choice. I was having a baby.

Kenley was born less than 30 minutes after I was told I was having her that day. She weighed 3 lbs, 1 oz and was 15.5 inches long. Her first Apgar score was 3 and she needed to be resuscitated. My husband accompanied her to the NICU where she was put on a ventilator. I was taken to recovery without ever having seen her. But, immediately, my ribs felt better.

I was still very sick. I was not well enough to see my sweet baby until she was about 28 hours old. By then, she was off the ventilator, and by the end of her first week, she was breathing without the help of a CPAP or an oxygen cannula. And, after 38 days, we were able to bring her home. Exactly one month before her due date. 

We were asked to post about our "best or most difficult moment of pregnancy." This story is both for me. I was so terrified and sick... but I became a mother. And, almost more importantly, my mom became a grandmother. 

11 months later, my mom died. I know that my daughter came early so that she could spend that extra 10 weeks with my mom on this earth. My mother loved my daughter more than anything and was an amazing grandmother. 

Now, Kenley is a healthy, spunky and energetic three year old big sister. She is one of my two most amazing blessings and I am so grateful to have her in my life considering her rough start.

I had my baby shower completely last minute and that night I started feeling contractions by the following night I was being rushed to the hospital by my dear husband who was managing to remain quite calm.  Everything was going great... I was moving along nicely. My mom made it to the hospital in time to be in the delivery room with us and before I knew it. It was time to push.  2 sets of pushes later and this is my most difficult pregnancy moment... 

   2 set of pushes and out comes this little baby...followed by A LOT of blood... my mothers face dropped... my husband turned white.. a nurse hit a button and in rushed a slew of nurses and doctors, hovering and asking questions. I couldn't make out what they were saying because I was trying to hear something else... My baby crying.. I didn't hear a baby crying. I tried to see but couldn't... there were too many people between me and the nurse who was holding my baby (I didn't even know what it was yet) I kept waiting and looking. I looked at my mom and my husband I had never scene the looks that were on either of their faces at that moment. It seemed like forever but was maybe a minute I can't be certain... all I know is that most difficult moment was followed by the greatest moment ever. I heard crying! My baby was crying... and then so was I and my mom and husband. I was able to see that little being mouth wide open crying and finally they said it's a boy. 
  Shortly after that they wrapped him in a blanket that nearly swallowed him up and let me hold him. My full term baby boy was 3 lbs even.  He was completely healthy except for a lack of body fat that kept him from being able to maintain his body temp. He was in the NICU for 18 days. and when he was finally 4 lbs I was able to bring him home. He was worth the wait.

My first birth was a Csection at 36 weeks for a breech baby after my water broke. My second birth was a midwife attended hospital vaginal birth.

My third birth was for an unexpected pregnancy. I was laying on the couch when my midwives walked in and asked where my husband was. (He was 20 minutes away getting the camera which I sent in the diaper bag for the other kids to Grandma's house!. I was in the birth pool in the middle of our living room when he returned home. As he hung up his coat, the midwife told him to hurry over and catch his baby. Naomi was born into Daddy's hands and he pulled her up out of the water and placed her on my chest.

I have had 3 types of births, I have been grateful for modern medicine and I have been thankful for a peaceful home waterbirth. Birth is an amazing thing and such a miracle!

my most difficult pregnancy moment hasn't been a specific moment in time, but a collection of moments. i am blessed to have 2 wonderful, beautiful children. i'm currently pregnant with another child, which i couldn't be happier about, but i'm also very nervous. you see, i've lost 5 babies in the last 5 years. this is my 7th pregnancy in that time. i've had 3 miscarriages, a chemical pregnancy, and a twin death. getting pregnant on purpose once more has been a HUGE trial of faith for me, and i've had quite a few moments of panic already - and i've known about this pregnancy for less than 2 weeks. i'm cautiously optimistic for a healthy, normal pregnancy this time around, but when you've been through what i've been through, it's hard to stop worrying. i know that i won't completely stop worrying until i have my new baby in my arms, safe and sound. it going to be a LONG 9 months, but in the end, i know it'll be worth it.