Double Update

So I have had two appointments in the last two weeks but our Internet has been down for weeks so I haven't been able to update! Two weeks ago I started bleeding and then spotting a bit but it wasn't that bad and only lasted about 5 days. My peri had told me it would be normal but after a month of nothing, it wasn't fun. Anyway, he wasn't worried about it at all and we had our best appointment last week! The SCH shrunk a little bit more, down to 4.5cmx2cm so the volume is so tiny compared to what it started with. It is also well "consolidated", meaning it's clotted up and not fresh blood which is good and means the body should be able to continue to reabsorb it. The other awesome news is that all of my placental issues have been healed!! He was very happy to see all of this and said that one thing at a time was resolving itself and to consider myself almost halfway there. The decision is also that I won't be getting a cerclage unless he starts to see significant changes in my cervix and he will monitor me closely. Right now I'm only seeing him every 2 weeks but probably from 20-24 weeks I think I will see him every week.

Then we had another appointment this last Friday since he was going to be gone for a week and he didn't want me to go too long without coming in. No changes but everything still looks good and stable so we are all happy about that. This won't mean much to most of you but for some it might, so I will say that my cervix was about 4.6cm normally and 3.8 with lots of pressure, so that still looks really good. I'm trying not to be nervous about not having a cerclage but I will say that it will be a miracle if it turns out I don't have IC. He said that once I hit 28 weeks he'll consider me in the clear and the most amazing thing about that is that I may be able to actually have a normal pregnancy at that point. Just praying that the SCH disappears completely soon, that my cervix stays nice and strong and that we don't have any preterm labor issues! I'm still on modified bedrest (about 7 weeks now!) and he did give me a little more freedom. All I can say to that is Hallelujah! I have really been getting stir crazy this last week and am loving that I can go to church and out to eat, especially with all of this nice weather. :)

So that is my latest update! Thanking the Lord for all of the peace and joy that I have had, despite these circumstances and for continued healing. I will leave you all with a picture of our cute baby and a 17 week belly picture...I am getting HUGE so fast. Eeek! Also a pic of my little man and me at Easter. :)

 

Appointment Update

So I just realized that I never updated after my appointment last Friday! Let's start with the good news. :) First, I am 14 weeks and now in the 2nd trimester, which is what my OB said was the first milestone. The baby is also still measuring a week ahead, which is good because some of my complications can restrict growth, which is not happening at all. The other amazing news is that the hematoma is now less than half of the size that it was three weeks ago! Praise the Lord! It was measuring 10cmX8cm, which is very large and now it is 4cmx3cm. That is huge progress in a few weeks. I am to continue on modified bedrest like I have been but he did say I could go to church once a week, out to eat occasionally, etc. I really want to do more but I also don't want to push it because the progress has been so good so far. Oh, and now I am thinking it's a girl but we are still really trying not to find out. And especially if it is a girl, as much as I would love to buy some girly stuff, I really think I would have some anxiety if I found out for sure it was a girl, so I would really rather not know.

The not so great news is that all of my other issues are still there. The membranes are still a little separated and the side where the SCH is has been rubbing on the membranes so they are ragged and weaker than they should be, which puts me at a high risk of my water breaking early (Pprom). The edge of my placenta is still low lying over the cervix but will probably move up and the edge of the placenta is still lifting up (small abruption) but he is hoping that it will reattach when the placenta moves. The last big news is that I will NOT be getting a cerclage! I have very very mixed feelings about this. Because the SCH is still right over the cervix he said a cerclage will definitely cause more bleeding and would possibly cause my water to break so the risks are just not worth it at this point. My cervix was measuring 5cm, which is really long and good and he will continue to check it every 2 weeks to measure the length. If it starts to shorten significantly, we will probably do the cerclage even with the major risks involved. So, this really scares me because if I truly do have IC, checking every two weeks likely will not catch it in time and I could lose the baby. On the other hand, my old doctors could never agree if I truly have IC or not and with the cerclage with Benjamin, my cervix was 4 or 5cm the entire pregnancy, which is beyond fantastic. I always wondered as well if I truly had it, especially after my last pregnancy. Of course, I assumed I would just always get a cerclage because I wasn't willing to "test it" and know for sure, but now that is out of my hands. So, all I can do is rest...and wait...and continue to pray for a miracle. Medically speaking, I feel like it is highly likely that this baby won't be coming home and the odds are definitely stacked against me, but I do know that God is bigger than all of this and I have been feeling peace about all of it. Time to just trust in the Lord.

I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4