Coming Home

Experiencing a High-Risk Pregnancy When Your Husband is Deployed

Posted on March 23, 2012 - 12:00:00 by

--Guest post by military wife Connie Pineda, San Antonio, TX

When my husband was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010-2011, it was a completely different experience than his first deployment to Iraq in 07-08. Instead of just me and the dog, this time around it was me, the dog, a 16 month old toddler and I was 3 months pregnant. Fortunately, my husband, was able to attend our unborn child's first ultrasound, so he got a glimpse of baby before he left. I was also fortunate enough to use travel reward points to fly my mom in from Guam for about $200 rather than the usual $2000!

Having my mom around was a huge help! She was my buddy, my support, and my birthing coach while my husband was gone. With an active toddler, that still
needed carrying and chasing, Nana was super helpful and a joy to have! It was also a blessing in disguise to have her. Some complications were found in my
pregnancy and I had to go through numerous ultrasounds. By then, we found out we were having a BABY GIRL!!!

After 3 ultrasounds, I was sent to high risk OB and was told that I had an Amniotic band. After further ultrasounds, I was told that a band was hanging above baby in her amniotic sac. If it tears a hole, she may get her little hand or leg stuck and cause physical birth defects. If it actually tears, she can get her limbs tangled in the bands causing even more severe defects. I was so afraid to tell my deployed husband all the risks that may follow in this pregnancy.

After a long talk over the phone, we both felt helpless and worried about our baby girl. He worked it out in the gym. I worked it out with lots of retail therapy for my soon-to-arrive Princess.

After the news, my mom called friends and family from all over, and asked them to pray for our little one, and she was in God's hands. The last couple months of my pregnancy was spent attending birthing classes with my mom, my coach. It was also spent doing Non-Stress tests and ultrasounds on our baby girl, every week until I delivered.

On January 12, 2011, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl at 7:20pm. She was 6lbs.10oz and 20 inches long. We named her Lourdes Marie. All the prayers from friends and family worked, and the amniotic band didn't affect her at all. She was beautiful and healthy. My mom had my husband on standby on my cellphone, and he was able to hear his baby girl's first cry!

A couple hours before we were able to leave the hospital, we waited for the Pediatrician to do "Lulu's" newborn evaluation so she can sign her discharge papers. She discovers that when she rotates Lulu's legs, she hears a loud click. She leaves the room and returns with an Orthoepedic doctor, who confirms that our baby girl had congenital hip dysplasia on both her hips. Her hips easily moved in and out of her hip sockets. We were sent home with my baby girl in a hip harness. More news to break to daddy over the phone, but we weren't going to let that bring down the excitement of bringing baby home.

My husband was due home in a couple weeks! I got red, white, and blue outfits for my son and I. For my girl, I found a mini red, white, and blue tutu! I even got my hair done. I made two signs to hold up at the airport, and decorated the front of the house with red, white, and blue ribbon and a welcome home sign.

On January 31st, my little family and a couple good friends of my husband gathered at the airport and welcomed my husband home! My son was the first one to run to his daddy and give him hugs! By then, he was 20 months old. He kept staring at his daddy's face, as if he was in awe after only seeing daddy through skype. Then it was my turn, I gave my husband a kiss and hugged him as he carried our son. Then I pointed behind us at my mom. She had a sign in front of her that read "CPT Pineda, come and meet your newborn baby girl!"
He carried and kissed his new baby and was a bit shocked to be coming home to a new baby. Having missed the majority of my pregnancy and the delivery, it finally hit him that he was a daddy for the second time! Lourdes Marie was 2 weeks old. After greeting his family, he greeted his buddies and we invited everyone to our house for lunch!

As for our baby girl, she ended up in a Spica cast two weeks after homecoming. She wore a cast for 3 months to keep her hips in place, and the day before my birthday, her cast was finally removed and her hip dysplasia was fixed!

Amen to prayers! Amen to prayer warriors! Amen to friends and family! We are truly blessed!