I’m 27 weeks pregnant and have been experiencing breathlessness. I put this down to the warm weather, extra weight and entering third trimester. Last night I had some chest pains too and DH got me to call the antenatal clinic who directed me to go to A&E.
Arrived at 11.30pm and they were guessing between anaemia and worst case a blood clot in my chest. I had normal blood tests and the Dr wanted to do an artery blood gas test. I was terrified when he explained it (the needle goes in your artery at the wrist but they can’t see it, they have to feel where it is) and was shaking by the time he came back with the kit. It hurt but I was ok. Then he said he wanted a chest x-ray and explained the risk to the baby at this stage would be minimal. They gave me a vest to put around my back to protect bump as much as possible. I also had an ECG.
All results came back normal so the Dr gave me a dose of Celaxane, an anticoagulant used in cases of DVT for pregnant women. This was injected under the skin in my stomach. By then it was 3am and I was exhausted. Dr told me to go home and come back at 9am to get another injection and the assessment team would make a decision on what to do.
On 3hrs sleep we went back to the hospital at 8.30am where the assessment Dr wanted to do a VQ scan to rule out a blood clot. But as she could see I was beyond exhausted and it was 11am she called the department (who only scan on afternoons) and booked me in for 2pm so I could go home, eat and rest.
At 1.30pm we were back and I was put in a machine to take pictures of my chest while I first breathed gas through a face mask, then they injected a low dose radioactive dye (1/2 the dose is what they give to pregnant women) and took more. The radiographer was amazing and fast tracked us back to the original Dr who gave me the all clear. They don’t really know what caused it but have been told to rest etc. We got back home at 3.30pm.
The only problem now is that I just keep wanting to cry. I’m exhausted and I think my nerves have been stretched thin. I’m feeling guilty that I put bump through all this stress and exposure to dangers. The only thing that kept me going this afternoon was him happily kicking and wriggling away as normal. I almost started crying in the scanning machine because I felt like I’d messed up as a mum already.
Apologies for the huge post, I just needed to get all that out.