Another Day, Another Doctor

Today I went in for another dose of Iron Therapy and it went much smoother. They hooked my belly up to a Fetal Heart Monitor and I got to lie there for 15 minutes or so and just hear her heartbeat. It sounded so strong. As I listened to the consistent drumming, I couldn’t imagine something so strong just stopping or giving up as the doctors say it might. Along with the heartbeat I could hear her moving all around. The nurse set up the Doppler so it would stay in place by tying stretchy bands around my waist. Well, this just pissed Anna off! I have never felt her kick as strongly as she was kicking that fetal heart monitor. I kept commenting to my mom, who was sitting across the room, “Can you see her kicking the equipment?” She couldn’t, but it was still so cool.

While I was at the Triage Unit, I asked the nurse to call my OB to see if I needed another Rhogam shot. I have been spotting for the past week. I have been reassured by my doctor that unless it gets worse, there is no cause to worry. After the nurse spoke with my OB, she said that he not only ordered the shot, but he also wanted us to get an ultrasound today. Most pregnant women love to get ultrasounds but at this point it seems that they only bring bad news.

When the Iron IV was over, my mom and I headed across the hall for the sonogram. We were telling the sonogram tech that we have an appointment with a radiologist doctor tomorrow to get another opinion on the placenta. It just so happened that the doctor that we were scheduled to see tomorrow was there at the hospital today. (Miracle number… oh, I’m losing count!) The doctor actually said that he wasn’t even going into his office tomorrow so that it is good that we could hook up like this. Unfortunately, he had no good news. After looking at the pictures from the sonogram, he admitted, that “This pregnancy has us all scratching our heads.” Not words you want to hear from a doctor. He said basically the same thing that the other 2 doctors including my OB have said. The placenta is too thick, the baby is too small, and it doesn’t look good. He spoke more of chromosomal abnormalities and syndromes… nothing a mom-to-be wants to hear. The only new pieces of information he offered were that the placenta has a blood clot on it, and that he doesn’t think that the placenta is charogioma which we had been told previously it might be. He admitted he doesn’t know why the placenta is so thick or why the baby isn’t growing as she should. He also offered this bit of info, that even if we had a name for the type of placenta, or a name for the type of chromosomal abnormality or syndrome, there is nothing we could do differently than we are already doing. We just watch and wait. Nick has begun to affectionately call me “The Human Incubator”. I love it when he calls me this! (Just in case the sarcasm didn’t translate through, I in fact, do not like it when he calls me this!)

I also got a call from my OB today saying that my lab results are back along with the results of the amniocentesis. We have an appointment for a consult Wednesday at 10:15 to go over the results. Please pray for these results to come back normal. Although a chromosomal abnormality might answer questions as to why, this obviously is not what we are hoping for.

So, in short, we know no more than we did yesterday, in fact, now with the placenta in question again, we know less. Yesterday’s reading was give to Ceasar what is due to Ceasar, give to God what is due to God. After another depressing doctor’s analysis, I have realized that Ceasar/the doctors are telling me everything that their experience and expertise have taught them. I absolutely give them the respect that they are due. However, I have not given this little girl Caesar, I have given her to God. God is the only one that can perform the miracle we need and it is in Him that I have absolute faith.

Expecting Miracles,
Melanie & Nick