I received this story from a very kind a generous woman who wanted to share her experience with my readers. Please take the time to read her experience. Thanks!
The Story of Blake
On January 5, 2001, I did a home pregnancy test to confirm my suspicion that I was pregnant. Actually, I think I did five tests because the positive results were so weak. My husband looked at each test result and kept telling me, “You’re not pregnant.” I knew I was pregnant because of the way I felt.
I was excited and scared to death. This would be my seventh pregnancy. I had already had six miscarriages. I immediately called my doctor. I knew that I needed to have my progesterone level checked right away. With my last two pregnancies, the level was too low and I had to take progesterone supplements. Unfortunately, even though I began taking progesterone, I still lost those two pregnancies.
I was sent for blood work right away, so the doctor would have the results when I came in for my first visit. At my first visit, the doctor confirmed that I was in fact pregnant. And yes, my progesterone level was too low. He wrote two prescriptions: one for progesterone and another for weekly blood work to monitor my progesterone level. I would most likely have to remain on progesterone until my 13th week. I was scheduled to have an ultrasound and referred to the doctors at the Mid-Atlantic Maternal Fetal Institute for further testing because of my history of miscarriage.
A few days later, I went in for my first ultrasound. There was a yolk sac, but no heartbeat. Of course, I assumed the worst when I saw there wasn’t a heartbeat. The doctor told me not to worry yet. It was very early in my pregnancy, and it was possible that it was too soon to find a heartbeat. I was scheduled for a second ultrasound the following week. That whole week I worried. I was sure it was going to happen again. I really didn’t think it was possible for me to have a baby.
My sweet little angel, Isabella, who was rather impatient, came to the world on December 2nd, 2009, at exactly 36 weeks.
Three weeks prior to that I went into preterm labor and was in the hospital for 8 days, and then home on bed rest for another two weeks. As soon as I got to the hospital, and I was 33 weeks, I was started on Heparin shots, given steroids for baby’s lungs, and was on strict bed rest.
Four days before delivery I knew that baby was coming. There were ’signs’. I packed everything just in case. Lo and behold the morning of my 36 week checkup I started having contractions in my back again. When the doctor checked me I was already dilated to a 6, and five hours later I had a c-section and a healthy little girl.
Baby C was breach, and hence the c-section, which went well and I recovered very quickly. I am still on Lovenox until 6 weeks post-delivery (only two more weeks at this point).
Although the pregnancy was really difficult for various reasons I feel successful because we have a healthy baby. I am amazed and grateful that modern medicine is advanced enough to treat blood clotting so that so many of us women can bring children into the world.
So here she is, my one and only darling little girl 
Well geez! I am officially the worst blogger ever.
I cannot believe that I only have 7 or 8 weeks left of this pregnancy. That concept blows my mind! I am finally letting go of my fears of complications and just enjoying being pregnant despite still feeling constantly nauseated and constant headaches. All the sonograms and non-stress tests are going well…this baby is really going to happen!
My mind has been all-consumed with the H1N1/swine flu issue. There are too many people I know who have had it and recovered. There are many women I know who are pregnant and concerned, too. There are many reports on how the vaccine is safe, many who have taken it and are fine, some who received it and had some side effects. There are skeptics that confuse me, and my two Doctors who make me feel safe. Still, I am confused.
These are my thoughts so far, and I would love to get some opinions, feedback and even any supporting articles/links either pro or against the vaccine.
- If I practice impeccable hygiene and keep my distance from sick friends/family or germ-prone places, I should be fine. However, if I happen to catch the swine flu, it could be fatal.
- I have read reports that the H1N1 vaccine is made the same way as the seasonal flu vaccine (which I have had many times without problems). I have also heard of side effects, but there are no medications without side effects because everyone is different and responds differently to medications and/or vaccines.
- I have NOT read anything proving that pregnant women or unborn babies have died as a direct result of the vaccine. Am I wrong, and where is the credible proof?
- I can never be too careful in keeping myself healthy, and with only 8 weeks to go I want to do what I need to do to keep myself alive and bring this baby into the world alive, healthy and whole.
Please share your opinions!
A month? Oh geez. I didn’t realize I had gone this long without updating my blourgal (blog/journal – catchy, eh?)
The past four weeks have gone by fast! Now that I’m past the half-way mark the time seems to be moving at a faster pace which I like, but on the other hand I am realizing how much I need to do, and haven’t done.
THINGS DONE:
- registered a three different places, thinking of dropping Babies R Us because their prices are outrageous.
- baby shower number one (a surprise), which marks the beginning of collecting the necessities.
- research cloth diapering, decided to do it and do use gDiapers (that is another post all in itself).
- decided on a name = Isabella. And no, I am not naming my son Edward, sorry.
- bought a pattern for a blessing dress, which my mother will be making from the scraps of my wedding dress (I love you, Mom!)
THINGS TO DO:
- rearrange our one-bedroom apartment to fit baby things in bedroom, and feeling grateful I have at least 1,000 sq feet to work with
- buy crib set from Amazon. A friend of mine found these sets on the cheap, and I’m okay with NOT spending almost $200 for something my baby is going to poop all over.
- pick up crib, swing, Pack and Play thing, and misc from my awesome friend who donated them to me (and all in nearly-new condition)
- write thank you card and make bread for this wonderful friend
- research diaper bags (Diaper Dude seems to be comfortable enough…I have to be able to sling it over my body). Suggestions welcome
- buy materials to make changing table (I’m tall- – I need one made special). Kiss and thank husband for offering to make it.
- figure out what else I need to do.
FVL Experience
I spent a couple of hours with a friend of mine on Saturday. During her first pregnancy she found out she had FVL (heterozygous) and only took a baby aspirin for the last 3 months of pregnancy #1. She is now 6 weeks along with #2 and has been concerned and interested in learning more about the condition. We had a long talk which resulted in a commitment from her to ask her Doctor to look through her medical records (she has had clotting before) and to recommend a high-risk Doctor. I’m am so glad that she felt comfortable enough to seek my advice, although limited.
In reality, having blood clotting disorders, of any kind, should not be taken lightly. Nor does it mean for us women that it would only affect us during pregnancy. We can develop clots anywhere at anytime. Another friend of mine decided not to get tested even after learning that her four sisters all have FVL. Her reason is that she has five children so she is fine. Maybe that is true. Maybe she does not have FVL or any other variation of disorder, however, that does not make her exempt from clotting.
Hopefully we clotters understand that our risk is not in pregnancy only, and that we encourage other women and mothers-to-be to get tested and educated so that we can take care of ourselves.
Until next time – and I promise it won’t be a month,
Me
PS – I think I need to update my blog to look a little girly
A few days ago I had a little scare with baby. I started bleeding, quite a bit more than usual, so I freaked and called my Doctor. I suppose that many woman bleed here and there during pregnancy but when I bleed the first though that goes through my mind (and both my doctor’s minds) is “am I losing the baby?”. Everything is fine, thank goodness. Who knows why I even had a day of bleeding, but at least it has stopped and all is well, including my nerves.
I find it really interesting (and a bit humorous) that when I started telling my circle of friends that I was having a girl I started hearing all sorts of horror stories. “Well, my sister thought she was having a girl but then it came out a boy!” Or even better, I got the “don’t buy anything pink until you are 100% sure” advice, or the classic “your doctor could be wrong”. Geez, burst my happy bubble already. Sheesh. All I wanted was some excitement. Is that too much to ask?
So I get all worried and when I saw my Perinatologist two days ago the first thing I ask is if everything is okay. Yes, he tells me. The second question is if he is certain that the baby is still a girl. Yes, it is, he assures me. I got curious and asked him to show me how he knows it is a girl and he electronically pointed to a ‘girl part’. Then I asked him if he has ever been wrong. His answer, which made me feel better, is that he has never been wrong about gender identification after 14 weeks. Suh-weet! So no more stories about how my little girl could be a boy, ok? I am having this crazy little girl and she is going to wear pink, purple and all sorts of frilly things. End of story.
Oh- -and we got a video of the sonogram. I highly, highly recommend it. We invested a few bucks and it’s been the best investment so far. I think we’ll opt for a video again when we see her in four weeks. Very, very worth it.
On a side note, my Twitter followers are increasing, which surprises me since I am the most awful Twitterer (?) on the planet. I guess I need to beef up my Tweets
It’s a girl! My husband and I went in last week for another sonogram (I’m loving all the ultrasonic attention) and the Perinatologist said that we are having a little girl. The funny thing is that we had both felt almost 100% sure that we were having a boy, so imagine the sweet shock we experienced when we couldn’t see any boy parts Needless to say I was doing the happy dance for days afterward.
This last sonogram was good, baby is growing fine and still no signs of clotting in the uterus or placenta. I feel like patting my Lovenox shots on the back 
Believe me when I say that every appointment that produces good news makes me feel better and better and more confident that this baby is going to actually make it!
A few days after our good news I was at WalMart and noticed that the cutest little onsies were on sale. So I bought one for a whopping $3.00 and now feel officially open to baby shopping season. For some crazy reason I am also in the sewing mood (which never, ever happens) and have started some burp rags for a friend of mine who is having a girl. I think slowly but surely I am starting to get in the mood to think pink, although the thought has not quite sunk in all the way yet.
I hope all my ‘gals’ who are keeping up with me (and who are also expecting or in the same blood clotting boat) are doing well! Keep me posted on your progress, too!
At fifteen weeks I thought I would jot down some of the things that I have observed and/or noticed about my pregnancy. I think that it would be fun (or not) to remember how I am feeling at this point in the pregnancy when I read this down the road…
Some thoughts after 15 weeks of pregnancy have passed…
- Saltine crackers didn’t do a thing for my nausea, but seems to be the number food advice that flies out of any woman’s mouth when they hear I have been so sick.
- In fact, nothing really helped. It varied by day and time.
- “Morning Sickness” should be stricken from pregnancy lingo and replaced with “Pregnancy Sickenss” since I felt bad all day and night, not only in the mornings.
- At 15 weeks I feel a lot of baby movements, more like squirming (not kicking) and it feels really, really weird.
- I don’t feel any better and I am waiting for that day when I do (and please come soon!)
- Cravings really don’t exist in my pregnancy world right now. I just have to eat whatever doesn’t sound nauseating.
- The smell of bread toasting or chicken broiling are my two worst enemies, and next to that is heavy, musky perfume that someone (I don’t know who) wears to church all the time. Ew.
- I have been very exhausted and thankful that I can sleep in to my little hearts content…because I hear that once I have this kid I won’t have that luxury anymore.
- The past week I have told more people that I am expecting and they are all shocked that I am past tri-one and didn’t say anything earlier. Is that so uncommon to say something after 12 weeks? I didn’t think so.
- No one, not even my husband, can tell that I have a baby bump but I know it’s there because I feel it getting bigger and bigger…I wonder when it will be noticeable? Hm.
- My Mom is probably more excited about this baby than anyone I know…she is very anxious to start sewing anything and everything that I want. Sweet!
- I am thankful that I still have 23 weeks to prepare for the arrival of Baby C. There is so much that I want to do before my life changes.
- Sometimes I feel weird telling people that I am pregnant…mostly people I don’t really know. Is that weird of me to feel that way? Maybe.
- Modern medicine is great, and without it I would have never known about my FVL and MTHFR, nor would I have known what to do to keep this pregnancy going strong.
Tomorrow we (hopefully) find out the baby’s gender. Baby, please don’t cross your legs and be cooperative for Mommie and Daddy : )
