Thursday, February 28, 2013
Pregnant after Prematurity
Alternate post title: It's official, I'm insane.
I wanted to write this post to let people know how we mustered up the guts to try this again and what steps we took/are taking to prevent another premature birth.
First things first: The decision to try for a second child
Let's pretend Channing wasn't born 13+ weeks early. That she wasn't misdiagnosed with a brain defect. That she didn't have horrible feeding issues and severe reflux. Let's pretend her first year of life didn't suck in a million different ways. Instead let's say she was full term, happy, healthy. Even if she was, having a baby is hard. Having a newborn is really, really hard. Deciding to do that all again is a huge decision (at least for us and I think anyone else that enjoys sleep). We debated this for a good long time. So many factors went into it. Ultimately, we decided that we wanted to at least try and if it didn't happen for us we wouldn't be devastated because really Chan is pretty awesome and we are beyond thankful for her.
Then what: Research and more research
I have incompetent cervix (IC). After we made the decision that we wanted to try, I talked to my doctor a lot. I scoured the internet and my preemie internet boards for info. The good thing about IC is that in most cases it's 'fixable'. There are two different treatment options generally recommended for IC. Both have their pros and cons. The first being a TVC and the second being the TAC. I chose to have a TAC placed robotically prior to getting pregnant. This is the most aggressive IC treatment option. Usually, it's not recommended unless you have had two prior losses with a TVC. Can you imagine that? You have to lose two babies before they recommend the TAC! This was just ridiculous to me. I haven't had a loss but luckily my doctor (and my insurance company) realized that the TAC option was the best choice for me. One of the big pros of the TAC is that usually no bedrest is necessary. I have a full time job that I must keep and I have a toddler. Bed rest is doable but I wanted to try everything to avoid it. Plus, the peace of mind with the TAC is HUGE! I will also receive weekly progesterone shots to prevent pre-term labor. I'll be monitored weekly during the danger zone 16-32 weeks.
I said 'peace of mind'. . .yeah right!
This process is still incredibly nerve wracking. You don't know how many times I have asked my doctor "Are we really doing this? Are we crazy for even trying this again?". My doctor thinks that I will have a successful pregnancy. He actually thought I could have gone ahead with the less aggressive TVC and still had a positive outcome but he knew I needed the extra assurance of the TAC. I try not to worry. A wise friend once told me "worrying about tomorrow only steals the joy of today". So true. Honestly, I try not to think about it. We have done absolutely everything medically available to prevent a premature birth. Ultimately whatever happens will be and that's just life.
With that said, if you feel so inclined and that's your sort of thing, please say a prayer/send positive vibes into the universe/light a candle for Baby G #2 and me. We'll keep you updated!
p.s. I have no idea why my formatting is wonky.
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