On Tuesday afternoon I woke up from my nap for the ritual bathroom break. Unfortunately this time I was met with every pregnant woman's biggest fear. Blood. It didn't start out as much but as the afternoon went on, it got a bit heavier.
Typically with a miscarriage there is blood and severe cramping, or at least some form of abdominal or lower back discomfort. I only had blood. The discomfort I felt was extreme fear and sadness deep in my heart. I called my midwife in a panic. She told me she would come over Wednesday afternoon with her doppler and we would listen for the baby and take it from there.
24 hours later {longest 24 hrs of my LIFE}, my midwife is in my living room rolling her doppler over my lower abdomen. After an eternity of searching and only catching blips of a movement, Baby W #2 finally sat still long enough for us to hear the MOST amazing sound, a heartbeat. And not just any heartbeat, a strong and steady heartbeat, around 140-145 BPM.
Tears flood down my cheeks and the ugly cry ensues. The Lord has been faithful to hear our cries!! Praise Him, Praise HIM!!!
So, what's causing the bleeding? We don't know for sure. But we do have a pretty good idea. At 9 wks, we had a sonogram done to check on the baby and, well, count for baby or babies. During the sonogram, our tech pointed out that at the bottom of the screen was a small fibroid attached to my uterine wall. She said it was probably nothing to worry about and that they usually don't cause any problems during pregnancy or delivery. However, it was definitely something worth mentioning to my midwife and keeping an eye on.
She was right in that typically fibroids are harmless and don't cause problems. What she failed to mention was that when they do cause problems, that problem can come in the form of bleeding and if they begin degenerating they can also cause SEVERE cramping and abdominal pain. WooHoo! While degenerating is something we want the fibroid to do, it's not really an experience I'm looking forward to. Of course, it might not happen.
So, what do we do now? Bed rest. Joyful, joyful, bed rest. Thankfully it's moderate and only until the bleeding stops. Basically, I take it easy and listen to my body. I've also upped my protein intake and am adding alfalfa to my supplements (to help my iron). More than anything I am trusting that, no matter what, God is good and He is in full control.
What you can do is PRAY. Pray, pray, and then pray some more. If anyone out there has had {positive} experiences with fibroids or bleeding during pregnancy, I'm glad to listen. I say positive because believe me, I'm fully aware of the negatives and fear is not something I need more of.
For now, we must wait and trust. And stay off WebMD....
"When Peace like a River
Attendeth my Way,
When Sorrows like Sea Billows Roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou has Taught me to Say:
'It is Well, it is Well,
with my Soul"
