Our Report

We had a long but good afternoon in Burlington.

Well, I should take that back. The time in Burlington wasn't long; the time driving to and from seemed far longer than the 3 hours each direction that it was. I know that many prefer scenic routes to thruways that barrel along with nary a sight to see, but at least I don't get carsick on the thruway. Driving through small town after small town in fairly intense sunlight, no interstates or steady speeds or straight paths, made my stomach feel... well... yucky. It reminded me of when I first moved to Pittsburgh and just driving to church from our townhouse (a whole 6 miles!) made me feel sick.

At any rate, we got there, and without significant illness on my part.

The ultrasound was very thorough. First I spent 30 minutes with a technician who was funny and talkative and pointed out every single thing that she did (I thought that was nice since, as a mom, I enjoy learning about all things pregnancy-related). Then I spent 30 minutes with a radiologist who's been doing this for over 20 years and was very good. My favorite part about having the radiologist actually doing the ultrasound was that we didn't have to wait to hear what she was finding: she told us right away.

From the ultrasound, I would say that the two biggest things we learned were that 1. our local hospital has done a very thorough and excellent job at diagnosing what's going on and, 2. *insert drumroll* we are almost definitely having a baby girl! (Daniel, who officially went on the record as guessing girl last week, is once again right and I am once again wrong!*) There weren't any significant changes or surprises concerning the placental hemorrhage, which is still very present and very size-able, and yet our baby is continuing to grow without the slightest hint of a problem. (They estimate that she is up to almost 9oz now.)

Following the ultrasound, we had a consult with a specialist right there in the OB wing. She was a very thorough woman who spoke plainly but without unnecessary negativity. She took the time to draw pictures of what different subchorionic bleeds can look like, what mine specifically is, how the placement and size of the bleed puts me at risk for different things, what I can do in the meantime, and how she envisions the rest of my prenatal care. Many fears were virtually put to rest by knowing more about the hemorrhage itself, and now Daniel and I feel that we can intelligently pray about how to proceed from here.

As I sat in the exam room waiting for the specialist, I started imagining her coming in and telling me that life could go back to normal. That didn't happen. But I'm still praying for a complete resolution and healing of this hemorrhage (I don't care that specialists have only confirmed that this problem will persist and threaten the duration of the pregnancy) because I haven't a doubt that sickness is not His portion for me or this baby. I truly believe that the reason this pregnancy is an anomaly today is because God sovereignly intervened at a time when babies are typically lost, due to the size of my hemorrhages, and protected this baby's life. Not only that, but He has made two hemorrhages one, and that one is slowly but steadily decreasing in size. (Yesterday it was about 9x7x5cm.)

Yes, I am still on bedrest. This is not so much because anyone in any way envisions this "fixing" the situation, but more as an important tool in protecting me from symptoms (mainly, ongoing bleeding). I am always surprised by how strongly the medical community reacts to my anemia because, to me, it's just part of life and pregnancy. I forget that coming home from Jackson's birth with a hemoglobin level of 6.2 is not normal to the point of being dangerous and that I am fortunate to have a doctor who didn't absolutely insist on a blood transfusion. My marching orders for the rest of the pregnancy are to avoid blood loss at all costs, to take my prescription iron diligently, and to eat high-iron foods as much as possible-- particularly animal protein since I could also use more protein in my diet.

The specialist in Burlington would, of course, like to see me every 4 weeks or so from here on in (well, she made it sound like she'd prefer every 2 weeks but, because of how far we have to drive, would be okay with every 4 weeks-- assuming there are no more complications). This is one of the things Daniel and I need to pray about. I feel very strongly, especially after yesterday's visit to Burlington, that my doctor and local radiologists have done an excellent job at diagnosing and tracking the bleeds. Personally, I would rather let them do the continued care, unless they at any time see something alarming enough to warrant another opinion, which I feel they are honest and humble enough to ask for.

The biggest risk we are facing is pre-term labor, since this pool of blood could easily irritate my uterus and, in turn, my uterus could try to expel it. But as of now (I think largely because the bleed has moved to the end of the placenta instead of being directly underneath it) I'm only at about a 25% risk for that (a "normal" pregnancy faces a 7-10% for pre-term labor). I told Daniel after the appointment that pre-term labor for me would be 38 weeks with a 7lb baby, so we've got nothing to worry about!

If you want the more detailed report, let me know and I'll e-mail you. There's simply too much to write on here.

(Oh, and no name yet. Sorry.)


<Edit>*I have to note that I'm not always wrong about the gender. With Gabriel, both Daniel and I thought beforehand that we were having a boy. When pregnant with Jackson, I vacillated back and forth a lot and never really felt sure either way. The funny thing is that when I was expecting Bronwyn, I really thought she was a boy. Like, I really thought that. So I'm 1 for 3 (I never really made a guess with Jack, which I suppose could also be counted against me) and Daniel is 4 for 4, which definitely gives him bragging rights. Oh well...! </Edit>