I have shared bits and pieces about this pregnancy on Instagram as well as Facebook with our friends and family, but it’s been hard to keep everything together because like my doctor said this morning…this pregnancy has been anything BUT predictable. It’s been all over the place the whole time. So I’m going to try to put everything together on here for an update and hopefully keep it all straight. I do need to add before I say anything else, while it hasn’t been easy (more emotionally), I realize that there are mommas out there that deal with much worse conditions and I’d never want to be in their shoes. But, this is the situation I have been given, and while I do still have to count my blessings because our baby girl is healthy and growing just fine, it’s still not been easy.
We had our anatomy scan at 20 weeks and found out that we were having a baby girl. Seth likes to joke that now that we have one of each we can stop because I always told him I didn’t want to stop until I had my girl (and 10 kids later…just kidding. There would have been a limit lol). She was healthy and everything looked great with her, but the doctor found that I had complete placenta previa. For those that don’t know, that means that my placenta was completely covering my cervix. It normally grows toward the top of the uterus. Which meant that I was at risk for hemorrhaging and if I did go into labor, she would never be able to come out because it was in the way. So they told us that it was highly unlikely to move because it was completely covering and that we would most likely have to have a c-section at 36 weeks to deliver her before I tried to go into labor. Not exactly the news you want to hear…I had a c section with our son and let me tell you, it was not fun at all. The recovery was really tough, it was super painful, really freaked me out mentally knowing that I had been cut open down there ( I didn’t ever look at my incision until it was healed for the most part), and it was a long recovery. Still is! My incision will hurt if something pushes on it and it’s been 2 years…. anyway…apart from having another c-section, we were worried about my health and everything that comes with the risks of a previa.
Skip ahead to 25 weeks. We went back to the high risk doctor to check and my placenta had moved a tad but was still partially covering my cervix. At this point the doctor assured us that it would move by 29 weeks and we would be in the clear to try to do a vbac (vaginal birth after cesarian). So we waited some more. 29 weeks came and we went back to check on it. It hadn’t moved at all from the last scan. The doctor still assured us that it would be moved by the time of delivery. I was super skeptical because this was the second time he was saying it would move and it didn’t happen the first time. They also found some blood vessels that were by my cervix and were concerned about it being vasa previa. After talking to my OB, we both agreed that we needed to schedule a c-section for 37 weeks. If at my next check up with the high risk doctor, it hadn’t moved, then we would proceed with the surgery on December 4th.
We went back Monday (33 weeks) and my placenta has moved and is now low lying. It’s not covering my cervix at all, but it is right there. It’s about 2cm away at this time. We were really hoping that after seeing the high risk doctor that we would have an answer as to what we were going to do but that didn’t happen. It was super discouraging especially being this far along and been having to deal with the unknown for months. I know that when people ask “when are you due?” they have no clue the roller coaster that we’ve been on about her arrival. It’s super frustrating to figure out what to say so most of the time I just tell them that “we don’t know yet”. Then I get a weird look. Sometimes I explain and sometimes I just leave it be because I don’t even have answers for it. Last go round was a different kind of unknown. I had a due date. If someone asked, I could tell them confidently and we counted down the weeks and days to the due date knowing that he was going to come soon. This time is just different and I’m not sure that I could explain it without just sounding like a crazy hormonal pregnant lady. It’s different because it IS unknown. It’s different because there’s a health risk involved. It’s different because I’ve had a c-section before. While I’m so super grateful that I have an amazing OB that is all for trying a vbac (some hospitals won’t even let you try due to risks and them not wanting to take that risk), there’s always that lingering possibility of having to do a c-section anyway.
I’ll also explain something else. If I have to do another c-section, because it would be repeat, there are some things that come into play. I would be required to have c-sections from here on out. It would be another surgery on my already scarred uterus which could (depending on the scar tissue and what happens during surgery), limit the number of children that we have after her if any at all. While I want to do a vbac because I want to experience a more natural/vaginal delivery, we also want to avoid having another surgery if we can.
I feel like I may have just made it all completely confusing again, but if you’ve followed along this far, then you get a gold star. We went to see the OB this morning and wanted to know his opinion after reading the report from the high risk doctor. My OB said that even though my placenta has moved, it’s just too close for him to rule out surgery. He wants to see it move at least another cm before I’m in the clear. So….we have a new plan. Which is still all up in the air at this point, which is still frustrating, but at least we know what we are doing right now.
New plan: We have rescheduled the c-section to December 19th. I will go back on December 1st to check my placenta. If my placenta HAS NOT moved anymore then baby girl will come December 19th. If I go into labor before the 19th then it will be another c-section because of the risk of my placenta being too close. If my placenta HAS moved at least 1cm, then I’m in the clear for a vbac. Or at least to try one. Again, the ever lingering maybe a c-section because they won’t induce me and they won’t let me go over my due date (Christmas Eve).
It isn’t much of an answer but at least it’s a new plan and at least she can bake a little longer. For those of you who have been praying for us, thank you. It’s been working. Continue to pray that it moves that extra cm and that I can successfully do a vbac because that’s really what we want the end result to be. I know for sure two things though. 1) Baby girl is healthy and growing right on track. She’s about 5.1 lbs right now and active all the time. She loves to push on me and stick her boney little feet in my side and ribs. 🙂 2) God’s got this under control and even though I don’t yet know the outcome, I know that he does and whatever it is will be his plan and it’ll all be just fine. Even if I’m an impatient, hormonal, crazy pregnant lady. lol
I have had an otherwise great pregnancy! If you see me waddling around, literally, or wincing, it’s because I’ve had really bad pelvic girdle pain the past month or so. Some days it’s pretty painful and I have to sit most of the day, but for the most part it hurts but I can get around if I need or want to. I’m super grateful that I’ve been able to take maternity leave this month (with the exception of one more wedding next weekend) because it’s gotten worse as I get further along…so while I’m waddling because of the big ol’ baby girl in my belly, it’s also because it is actually painful to move my legs.
On a happy note, we had our maternity session done about a month ago by Tara Liebeck Photography. I love her and her friendship and I’m so happy to have her as our “family photographer”! Baby girl is growing good and while I don’t like the circumstances, I love that we get to see her in 3D every visit to check on my placenta! We are super excited to meet her and I’m getting so anxious! Part of me is nervous about having two littles and how life will be different, but the other part is just anxious for her to get here, for Carter to be a big brother, for ALL THE THINGS GIRLY around here, and hopefully for my little mini me because Carter looks just like his daddy! Haha!
Double gold stars if you made it to the end! 🙂
Almost there…counting down the weeks!
Side note: I just have to say WOW! I know I hadn’t gained as much weight this go round but you guys… seriously… Seth has lost so much weight and is getting back into shape since we’ve been at the farm! He’s looking AMAZING! Left: maternity session for bub Right: maternity session for sis
