Friday, April 17, 2009

Bloody woods

SO, while waiting for my doctor to call back (she never did), I started to really bleed. Right through my knickers. I bawled. I decided not to go to the ER, but did promise that I would take Thursday off and show up at the OB/GYN practice at dawn and demand some answers.

-I went to acupuncture.
-I bawled.
-I calmed down.
-I called the emergency line at the practice just to make sure they
agreed with my decision.
-I talked to some of my female gal pals who have been down this
road.

The next day, they let me right in and I had a lovely ob/gyn who calmed me down and had a really good explanation for how the placenta can dig in looking for a blood vessel and then detach, thus causing bleeding. She was very relaxed, which, in retrospect is exactly what I needed. I was indeed in a happy place. I should have been more suspicious when she said (without batting an eyelash or asking if I had done IVF) my ovaries were big but that's "normal with pregnancy." Everyone else says "Whoah...big ovaries."

That aftenoon, my actual OB/GYN called me and was a little more gloom and doom. Not in a negative mean way, but in a way that I needed to hear. Her message was:

-This is serious, you need to take it really easy and let the placenta heal if that’s what it is. (again-nobody knows......)
-No, you can’t do yoga (not that I have been, but I just asked...I miss it so much)
-If this goes on into the 16th week, you will be considered high risk and could have an early delivery.

I am now on the "hear the heartbeat once a week" schedule (this is for my peace of mind, not theirs), and if I am STILL bleeding this Tuesday, I will ask about bedrest. For now, I am back to a trickle.

So, almost out of my first trimester but not out of the woods. Any experience with this, anyone?

4 comments:

  1. Oh I so totally agree with your comment on my blog (of course)-- I am both lucky AND dang scared-- and both are reasonable and allowed and gosh darn this IF journey. I am go sorry you were still bleeding so much and so glad you sought/demanded help. And I am relieved to hear you got some answers that were not all doom and gloom, and even some guidance and some whatnextness. So they will ultrasound each week? or just listen?
    I wish on you peace of any kind, peace of mind, peace of cake, something- And know I am thinking of you. Hope you are out of the woods soon.

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  2. No experience there myself, though my sister bled most of her pregnancy and had serious bedrest for the last 3 months. (Her "baby" is now 21.) I can, however, pass on an observation my husband made that helped me through our own recent scare and current state of limbo--we shouldn't have to grieve more than once per pregnancy, so lets try to hold off on the despair until we are 100 percent sure it's over. That helped me a lot. And, as mekate says above, you have been given some answers and some guidance. That's worth a lot. Just hang on. It sounds like you are in good hands.

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  3. Yeah...just sit tight. Good for you for taking charge of the situation and the care. Wishing you the best.

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  4. I would say that I totally understand what you are going through. I am 12 weeks and 4 days. I commented last week. I have been spotting since week 8 and I had bleeding during week 10. Yesterday while I was at my genetic screening/sonogram appointment I started bleeding heavily. Luckily I was there getting my ultrasound or I would have really freaked out. The doctor at Advanced Fetal care said bleeding is common in IVF patients. His explanation was that when you take progesterone your placenta gets nice and fluffy for baby and when you quit taking the progesterone some of the placenta dies off because you only need so much placenta. So that is what causes the bleeding. Unfortuantly by the looks of the ultrasound I am not done with the bleeding. So like I said I totally understand what you are going through.

    Angela
    ab1973@hotmail.com

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