Exciting News!!

I have wanted to share this with my friends and family the day I found out.  However, I decided to wait a little while and make sure everything was going well since not every pregnancy I have ends in a happy one.  I'm pregnant!!  Caden was the first to know.  He came up to me when we were eating dinner with my parents on May 15th and asked if I had a baby in my belly.  I told him I didn't think so and he said, "well, I think you do!"  The next day I took him to the park with some friends then went and picked up a pregnancy test.  It was positive.  I cried, not because I wasn't excited but because I was so scared.  Everyone I know who has had a miscarriage or complications during a pregnancy knows the fears of pregnancy.  A loss of a child, any child, changes your perspective on life and children.  Four of my babies never saw the sunlight.  So when I found out I was pregnant with my 6th pregnancy, my first response was fear.  Like I said, I cried.  Collin was not home, he was working.  I've never taken a pregnancy test without him around, because like I said, I didn't think I really was.  But I was also excited.  Excited that maybe this child will come into this world and God will give us another gift.  I also know I'm very lucky that I can get pregnant, there are many women who are unable to.  I'm enjoying everyday of this pregnancy.  While I'm giving myself shots to when I'm throwing up.  I know this child is a gift from God.

 

My due date is: January 23rd.

In case you are new to my blog, my pregnancies are considered high risk.  If you've had 3 or more miscarriages you are considered high risk.  I have had 4.  You can also be high risk if you have certain genetic conditions.  I have a balanced translocation, about 1% of the population has it.  This only affects having children.  I also have a few blood clotting disorders, Hashimoto's Disease (it's not affecting me, thankfully yet, but I know I have it), and my body doesn't properly absorb folic acid.  This doesn't mean I can't have healthy babies, I had my son with no problems, but I am more likely to have miscarriages than the average person.  

 

I changed doctors and really love my new doctor.  She has actually had a patient who had a balance translocation.  She said this patient had around 7 or 8 miscarriages but did have 4 healthy babies.  She's the only doctor I know who has had a patient with a balanced translocation in my area.

 

I'm giving myself lovenox injections everyday.  The shots burn and feel like I'm putting fire into my stomach but at some point you'll do anything.  This is to help prevent blood clotting and was recommended by my OBYGN and hemotologist.

 

I'm also taking progesterone.  Even though, my progesterone was and has been good this pregnancy.  I didn't want to chance it dropping.  At 4 weeks, 1 day, my progesterone was 38!  The last two pregnancies in the States it was 7 and 8.  Doctors like to see it over 10.  In Germany I have no idea what my levels ever were.

 

I take a prenatal and folgard.  Since I have the MTHFR gene mutation I need the additional folic acid.  I alternate between prenatal and folgard or folate and a newer prenatal vitamin that is made specifically for women who have the MTHFR gene mutation.  My new doctor gave me lots of samples and said I might enjoy just taking one supplement.

 

I have had two sonograms.  The first I was 7.5 weeks, measuring 7.1 weeks, healthy heartbeat.  The second I was 8.5 weeks and measured 8.5 weeks, healthy heartbeat.  My blood work has been good.  I go back to the doctor in two weeks, when I'm 12.5 weeks.  They told me my chances of miscarriage have dropped significantly after my last appointment.  I'm now 10.5 weeks.

I have felt very tired, nauseous, and thrown up a few times.  But in all of it I feel blessed!  Each day I'm closer to meeting this precious child.

 

Caden has told people that he has an older brother and a younger brother and a younger sister.  When people ask how or where, he says they are all in his mommy's tummy. =)

Overall I've been very calm during this pregnancy, I'm trying not to stress about things but leave everything in God's hands.  I fully believe it's God who gives babies, not doctors.  Doctors and medical staff can help the process but ultimately children are a gift from Him.  The perinatologist told me over a year ago after I had my 3rd miscarriage, that with my balanced translocation I could go on and have 7 more children or have 7 more miscarriages.  There's really no way to predict unless I did IVF which is out of the question. 

 

I also want to thank all my friends and family who have encouraged me.  I especially want to thank a close friend of mine who has encouraged me not to give up.  Her mom had 7 miscarriages and 3 live children.  She was the last to be born.  She said if her mom had stopped trying, she would not be here.  She is very dear to me and I am so thankful to God for her.  I've also been blessed with sweet encouragement from friends and family.  I am sometime scared to announce my news because of people's rude comments in the past.  Which I've been thinking about that and in the future plan on writing something regarding women and pregnancy that's been on my heart.  Until then, here are a few pictures of my sweet, precious child. 

 

8.5 weeks

 

7.5 weeks