125. INS, Another Happy Ending

Remember Inez? She wanted her husband to be present for her delivery, which required INS approval since he is a citizen of Mexico.  At her request I wrote two letters, the first making the request, the second advising against air travel since the INS had suggested that she go there instead of him coming here.

I saw her last week for a postpartum check.  He didn't make it for the delivery, but is with her now, the INS demonstrating some unexpected compassion.

124. Happy Endng

Did I mention that Jeannette is hypertensive and diabetic?

Four days after finding out about her pregnancy, Jeannette developed severe preeclampsia, probably triggered by her hypertension, and requiring induction since severe preeclampsia can be life threatening (to mom and baby) and has no cure other than delivery.

She did well during a protracted induction and just one week after she found out she was pregnant, she held in her arms a healthy newborn 6 lb, 6 oz baby girl.

123. How Could She Not Know?

A couple of months ago Jeannette visited her family practice doctor.  She was constipated and having abdominal pain.  The doctor thought there might be a pelvic mass and ordered an ultrasound, requiring a month or so to be scheduled.

You've guessed by now: she's in her 8th month of pregnancy and will deliver this month or next.
So of course we wonder about her apparent cluelessness.

But think about it.  Many years of attempted conception; pretty much given up on it.  Too many months with periods a day or a week late and thinking, "maybe this is the month, maybe I'm really pregnant this time."  And then the tests return negative, the period begins.  Disappointment, tears, the self-promise to never allow expectations to rise again only to be inevitably broken.

So of course she's not going to allow herself to think that her weight gain, the abdominal expansion, the lack of periods, the intra-abdominal turmoil, could all be signs of pregnancy.