10/13/17

Patience…I’ve been working on patience this week. Patience with the kids, patience with myself, patience with FMLA/Disability, patience with this SCH.

This week I took up a new hobby, crocheting. I figure that’s one hobby I can do laying around. I’m starting to get the hang of it and after time I’ll get faster and better (hopefully). I enrolled in some free online courses that start next week; the courses are on how to assist children with math. Hoping this will show me new ways to assist the kids with their homework.

The ultrasound showed the SCH grew to 9.5 cm (9.5cm long,  7.8cm wide, 3.5cm deep). Doc said she is ok with this and not to be discouraged. I’ll continue to be on bedrest for awhile.

I’m still in limbo on FMLA and Short Term Disability…hoping to find out something this week.

Thank you all for your continued prayers.

10/06/17

What a week! It’s been full of laying on the couch, watching HGTV. At times I was sure I was going to loose it, but it has been nice relaxing and taking it easy.  Today I had my follow up doctor appointment. During the ultrasound, baby was waving and sucking his/her thumb. Super cute! We could see the fingers, toes, and most precious heartbeat (always a relief seeing  the heartbeat).

The position of the hemorrhage has moved to in front of the placenta rather than on top of the placenta. It is slightly larger, but the doctor expected that. I’ll be off work at least another 2 weeks, possibly another 2 months.

I ask for prayers that this thing becomes dormant (go 2 weeks without side effects) and  my FMLA/disability leave time. Currently everything has been denied because this all started 1 day before my 1 year anniversary. My HR rep is fighting for me, but it being in limbo is make by me nervous.

9/28/2017

Since my ER visit on Saturday, I’ve been on strict bed rest. Today I had another ultrasound and the subchorionic has grown to 8 cm x 3 cm.  Baby dinosaur (the name the kids have given the baby) is still growing perfectly. While the bleed is completely around the sac; the placenta is still providing nutrients to baby. Praise God!!  Since the subchorionic is growing; they’re keeping me on bedrest for at least another week. I’ll go back for another re-evaluation on Friday.

I’m a little discouraged that the subchorionic has grown so much and I have to be on bedrest so early in the game; but incredibly thankful the baby is doing well.

My prayer request is that the baby continues to grow and receives the nutrients it needs.

 

9/22/17

Another day off my feet, laying down. The older boys are having a hard time understanding why I can’t get up and do things; Ava wants me to pick her up so badly and Patrick wants me to go play with him.  Mark is doing great helping me out; I feel terrible asking him for things when he’s chasing around 4 kids and trying to finish up our patio project.  If you see him, give him a pat on the back; he could use it. I was up for about 1 1/2 hours today for our family pics. I started cramping at the end and another bleed started.  After waiting awhile to see if it would slow or go away, I called the doc exchange – they sent me to Mercy’s Mither Baby’s Unit. More bloodwork, an exam, and ultrasound was performed. Baby looks beautiful with a strong heartbeat. The hemorrhage has grown another .8cm; 4.8cm and has reached under the corner of the placenta.  More resting and off my feet till I see the doc again on 10/2.

The Journey with Baby 5

I started this online journal to help me…I am terrible at expressing how I feel verbally and tend to bottle up inside as much as possible. I hope by writing this helps me with the anxiety of this rollercoaster ride.

We found out we are expecting baby #5 in August.  The first few weeks of the pregnancy were exciting; then I was told I had a Subchorionic Hemorrhage.

August 12th – We were prepping for Devan’s birthday party – I had worked all day, picked up Patrick and Ava then started hitting the stores.  All day I had some cramps, but didn‘t think too much of it.  After going to 2 stores the babies and I went home to unload, eat dinner, then I was going to Walmart to get  few last things  (and Devan’s gift).  After the Walmart run; I discovered a bleed.  Freaked out of course, I call my OB and they send me to the ER (10:30 at night).  Thank God my sister in law lives just down the street, she was able to come sit at the house.  We wait FOREVER at the ER – of course the ER was crowded with crazies when we arrived.  5 hours of waiting, having blood tests, and an ultrasound we had somewhat of an answer.  Subchorionic Hemorrhage/Hematoma.  I was told to take it easy and not to lift anything and follow-up with my doc.  I left the ER confused, scared, and incredibly exhausted.  We got home after 3am – we had a birthday at the park and I was supposed to “take it easy”. Ha!   But Mark made me listen and did a GREAT job running the show. After reading the paperwork and lab reports, I had learned the SCH was 3.4cm x 2.1cm; which is considered large.  I followed up with my new OB who I just transferred to and she just blew it off – didn’t read the lab report, just listened to my interoperation and urged me to reconsider not having an all-natural birth.  She was FIRED.  I transferred to the OB that delivered Patrick and Ava.

August 28th- I went to my new OB, she immediately called for an ultrasound to see if the SCH had grown or shrunk.  It in fact grew to 5.6cm x 1.5cm.  Concerned but confident my doctor continued to restrict all my activity to going to work (sitting as much as possible) and going home and be a couch potato.  She wanted to see me back again in a few weeks.  At this point I was nervous, but I believed and trusted in my doctor; which helped tremendously.

September 11^th–  I was scheduled for another follow-up ultrasound. I was feeling confident, beside the morning sickness; I hadn’t had cramps or bleeding the few weeks from the last appointment. The ultrasound tech discovered the SCH had resolved and the body absorbed the bleed. I was ecstatic to say the least. I was able to be up moving around again, cooked dinner, did a few loads of laundry; it was NICE.

September 15^th– I was at work and had been cramping all morning. I was worried, but that I was working myself up for nothing out because the ultrasound tech said it was gone, we were smooth sailing and I would be back at week 12 to have another ultrasound to make sure the issues I had with Patrick and Ava weren’t going to be the same this pregnancy. Well as I was in a meeting with my boss, I started bleeding again. I waited a bit to see if it went away, but instead it got worse. So I called my doctor’s office and they sent me over to Mercy Maternal and Fetal Unit to be evaluated – oh and I had to get there in 20 minutes (thank goodness my office is right down the street from Mercy). The ultrasound techs were wonderful and the doctor was even better. Honest and straightforward (I really don’t need sugar coating or beating around the bush). They found a new SCH, but it was small, only 1cm x 1.5cm; about the size of the tip of my pinkie. Relieved that the bleeding was because I was miscarrying but frustrated that a new SCH had appeared. The doctor explained the SCH more into detail and what it means and the potential side effects. Knowing answers is incredibly helpful. I left the appointment somewhat confident because it was so small and I just knew it would be gone soon and we would be good.

September 21^st– Time for another ultrasound (mind you, this is ultrasound #5 and I’m only 11 weeks along). As I’m lying on the table I felt confident still. I have had some cramping and bled for 6 days; but I was so sure that it was because it was shrinking and moving out of my body. I was WRONG!!! In fact, that 1cm x 1.5cm had grown to over 4cm in 1 week and is almost wrapped around the womb. When the doctor told me that, I had felt I had just been defeated. I followed the rules, I haven’t done squat and yet it got worse, not better. The doctor encouraged me that the baby is growing perfectly and the heartbeat is strong, 172bpm.   So why am I worried and why are they watching this thing so closely? Here are some facts about SCH…

• SCH usually forms at conception – it’s a void between the uterine wall and the womb were the egg doesn’t fully attach and the void is filled with blood.
• This is very rare that they see one SCH resolve and a new one appear.
• They don’t know exactly what causes an SCH, why at conception the egg doesn’t fully attach.
• An SCH can cause the placenta to not fully function, placental abruption, placental tears, fluid leaks and preterm birth
• Even after the SCH resolves it still causes fluid leaks and preterm birth
• Obviously the bigger the SCH, the more likely hood for issues to appear

Mercy hospital considers 23 weeks a sustainable pregnancy and if issues occur; they will treat you as a maternity patient in the hospital, stop labor if they can or deliver if necessary.

I’ve tried to really think positive and not let this SCH worry me, but between this and the issues I have had in the past; the odds are really against me right now. In the past and it’s trending to be the case with this pregnancy; I have had an incompetent cervix; meaning the length of the cervix is not as long as they prefer and can also cause preterm birth. She likes to see cervical length at 4cm, mine is currently 3 cm – the more into your pregnancy the thinner it gets. A cervical length between 2.5 and 3 cm before 32 weeks increases the chances of preterm delivery.

With the SCH and the cervical length news today, I melted down. A YouTube video was posted on my grandpa’s wall today and it helped me remember who is in charge and I really need to stop this worrying. Of course, I won’t stop worrying about the kids but I can have some reassurance that God is in control.

https://www.facebook.com/fahleson/videos/2013600266183/