Too Small For My Britches
It’s time to become comfortable in my own skin and not be overly concerned with filling out my britches and taking on more than I can reasonably handle at this stage in life. After all, good things come in small packages. – Barb Casper I was born three months and four days premature and weighed in at a whopping 2.12 pounds! My mom was required to remain in bed and off her feet during much of the pregnancy. She was hospitalized for several months prior to my delivery so she could be monitored in hopes of postponing delivery for as long as possible. However, I had a much different agenda and decided to come in with a bang on July 4, 1957. I don’t know all the specifics behind my premature delivery. Based on what I’ve been told, I would assume my Mom was suffering from preeclampsia; a condition that approximately 5% of pregnant women develop. According to the medical literature, the exact cause of preeclampsia involves several factors. Experts believe it begins in the placenta — the organ that nourishes the fetus throughout pregnancy. Early in pregnancy, new blood vessels develop and evolve to efficiently send blood to the placenta. In women with preeclampsia, these blood vessels don’t seem to develop or function properly. They’re narrower than normal blood vessels and react differently to hormonal signaling, which limits...
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