Pregnancy Update

The past few weeks have been chaotic and emotional. We are very excited to be expecting another addition into our family, a little girl! I never truly realized the blessing it was to have easy pregnancies with our first two children. I am not so lucky this time around, but still very grateful that things are continuing to progress.

About three weeks ago I first started experiencing bleeding around 20 wks. I was in and out of the hospital that week until they admitted me over the weekend until the bleeding would stop. The doctors suspected a chronic abruption of the placenta. I was released home on bed rest. During my 20wk ultrasound, the doctor believed that I had a complete placenta previa. The previa diagnosis was odd because it didn't show on other ultrasounds.

On Friday, July 22nd, I was experiencing heavy bleeding and again went into the hospital. The bleeding was causing contractions, which in turn would cause more bleeding. After a couple shots they were able to stop the contractions and slow the bleeding. The doctors explained that if the bleeding got worse they would have to do an emergency c-section. I was currently 23 wks along. They sent in the neonatalologist to discuss our options. After we decided that we would want to resuscitate if the need for a c-section arose the doctors gave me a round of steroid shots to help the baby's lung development. The doctors were able to get things settled down and stable and I was able to go home on Monday.

It was during this time that my team of doctors got together to discuss my due date. My original due date was Dec 3, but was moved up after my first doctor appt to Nov 20. However, during the 20 wk ultrasound, the baby's measurements were within 7-8 days of the Dec 3 due date. So it was decided to move back to the Dec 3 due date to cover all the bases and we will track the baby's development in regular scans further along in the pregnancy. It is also in the plan to give me another round of steroid shots when I hit 24 wks with the Dec 3 due date.

On Friday, July 29th I started experiencing painful, regular contractions. Again, into the hospital we went. They put in an IV with magnesium sulfate to stop the contractions. They slowly lowered the dose of the mag. until they were able to take me off it Sunday morning and sent me home with a few doses of indomethacin.

While I was in the hospital they did another ultrasound. There were two high risks doctors and three residents there with me trying to figure out what was going on. The ultrasound showed the placenta on the left side, away from the cervix. So my diagnosis gets changed again! It is back to the original diagnosis of chronic abruption of the placenta.

Chronic abruption of the placenta is when a piece of the placenta is detached from the uterus and there is a higher risk for preterm labor and stillbirth. I will continue to be on close watch and the doctors have said to expect to be in and out of the hospital through out the pregnancy.

Through all of this chaos I have seen how much we have been blessed by our Heavenly Father. He has blessed us with wonderful friends that have been there to take care of kids, bring meals, and just check in on us to make sure we are okay. He has blessed us with loving family members. My sisters Michele, Bekah, and C.C. have taken time out of their lives to be with us and help while I'm on bedrest. I have a wonderful mother and mother-in-law who are both planning trips to come and stay with us and help. And even more family and friends that have kept us in their prayers.

Most of all, our Heavenly Father has blessed us with His love. I have been so grateful to have the priesthood in our home and the strength that I have received from priesthood blessings and the knowledge that I have of the gospel. It has strengthened my faith that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us, and even if we don't know what that plan is, He will be there for us, to comfort us and guide us.