When I was placed on bed rest, our first goal was to get to 24 weeks… aka the viability point in the pregnancy. For those who have not experienced complications in pregnancy, this is a terrifying thing to even have to think about. Our specialist explained to us that if I were to have another major bleed or more complications prior to 24 weeks, doctors would only be concerned with saving my life, not the life of our growing child. Anything under 24 weeks is considered not viable, meaning that the baby would likely not make it if she happened to come early. I put it in my head right away that I was going to take this pregnancy in small strides and set small goals to keep me focused on what is most important, a healthy baby. We hit 24 weeks last Tuesday, and to us that is a huge milestone and one thing to mark off the list.
We had an appointment last week, and as usual, I was excited to see our baby’s growth and to see if any changes had occurred. The specialist that we saw this time was one we had never seen before, in fact she was new to the practice. When she entered the room, asked a few questions then proceeded to tell us what she saw on the ultrasound. The baby had not moved up at all from the last time, which meant that I still had complete placenta previa going on, but she has continued to grow right on schedule. There was no mention about the hematoma, so I decided to ask a few questions. She told us that it wasn’t a big concern at this point, but didn’t give us any real indication of if it had grown, stayed the same or shrunk. I also asked questions about my bed rest to get her opinion on the matter. To my surprise she had a very different mindset about bed rest, and went as far as to tell us that she didn’t believe in it. In her words, “studies have not shown bed rest to be an affective way to prevent pregnancy complications.” This was shocking to hear, and me being the eager type that wants to get moving again, wanted that to be true. Thankfully my level-headed husband was in the room to calm my excitement and to ask more questions.
The doctor said that she wouldn’t be surprised if my regular doctor would be mad if she had heard her say that. This statement alone was enough to make me question her judgment. She continued on to tell us that weeks 24-28 are the most important and that I should probably stick to bed rest until the next appointment. She was confusing me and completely contradicted what she had originally said. When we left I was perplexed about what had just happened and had no idea how to digest it. We grabbed lunch and talked about things, and per usual, Evan had wise words and sound advice. Darn him for being so logical.
He told me that we should talk to my regular doctor to get her opinion and to stick to what we had been doing. If I listened to this new doctor and started doing more around the house or went back to work and experienced another bleed, I would not be able to live with myself knowing I was doing something to risk our baby or my own life. If I continued bed rest and experienced a bleed, then I would know that I have done everything in my power to protect our baby and will have no feelings of guilt. As much as I want to go back to work and be free to do things around the house, it is not worth risking anything. We have come too far, invested too much energy and love into this little human to even consider messing that up now.
Bed rest has continued and I saw my regular OB earlier this week. She confirmed that she highly disagrees with what the specialist said, and that we made the right decision to continue with the plan. She explained that too much movement can cause irritation to my cervix and in turn could result in another bleed or cause contractions. The last thing we want at this point is to be put in the hospital to prevent an early delivery. Even though 24 weeks is considered viability, the baby could have major life long issues, and we need to keep her in there as long as possible. We discussed getting things lined up for a planned C-section in early July and ensuring that we have all of our ducks in a row. It’s hard to believe that our little miracle will be here in roughly 3 months or so. Time has passed slowly, but at the same time I can’t believe that we have hit the 6 month mark and she will be here before too long.
On my phone I keep a countdown to important things, or exciting things that are to come. We marked off 24 weeks and at this moment the list consists of the following; 3rd trimester, my Mom coming into town, our baby shower, a tentative c-section date, Nora’s original due date, our 5-year wedding anniversary and Evan’s birthday (this just rolls over each year. I like to plan ahead. I’m a weirdo like that). Looking at these dates on the countdown keep me focused on where we are headed and as the they approach, I get excited. Seems silly, but when you’re stuck at home all day ever day, it is a little something to boost my mood and keep me on track. We have so much to look forward to this year and we are counting our blessings. I’ve got my eyes and heart set on our next big goal, hitting our third trimester. Each day that passes gets us a little closer to being a family of six… yes, I said six. I am counting our three wild dogs.
For now I will keep reading the stack of books that my wonderful friends and family have sent me, putting together puzzles, crafting, writing my book and watching Ellen at 3:00p.m. (I have always loved the Ellen show, but since being put on leave, it has become a highlight of my day and something to look forward to). That woman is hilarious, kind and seeing the positive impact she has on other’s lives just makes me realize there is still good left in this world. Thanks Ellen, for being a reminder to always be kind. Any who, I digress…
As each day passes, I still can’t believe that I am pregnant and that our Pathway to Parenthood has gone this direction. Six months ago I was frustrated with the halt in our foster/adopt process as we were trying to sell our home. At the time I had no idea what was in store for us… but I am sure glad it happened. Just another reminder that everything happens for a reason.
Pathway to Parenthood 