Sunday morning during sacrament meeting, I started having painful contractions. I thought I was in labor, and I was scared. At first I thought it was my bowels, but it wasn't. I called my doctor and he told me to go straight to Franklin Square. We headed that way right after church and everything checked out fine. The baby's heart beat was good and I had not dialated at all. So I went home and was told to return if it got worse or if I started bleeding.
Literally as soon as we got home, I started bleeding. When I went into the bathroom and sat down, and something literally fell out. I was scared. I thought it was the baby. Ronald called 911 and the paramedics came. They took me to Upper Chesapeake, which I was NOT happy about, along with the thing that dropped out. My home teacher came and with Ronald's help gave me a wonderful blessing. His family kept the kids until we picked them up when I was discharged. By the end of the night, we were told that it is very possible that I could miscarry any day, but they just don't know. They baby's heart was still good. They found a "bleed" in my uterus, and also found a growth on the baby's spine. My heart sunk. None of that sounded good at all. I cried a lot.
The next morning (Monday), the doctor and I talked and he said that he wanted me to see a perinatologist (I don't think I spelled that right), so they could do a more thorough sonogram with better equipment. I called them and they said for me to come down immediately. Tanner (my brother) watched the kids for a little bit until my visiting teacher arrived to help. Then Grace got from school and continued to help so my visiting teacher could go home. Mom and I went down to Franklin Square (Ronald had finals yesterday), and I had my sonogram done. They were wonderful. The baby is still fine, and is measuring to date. (18 weeks as of yesterday) The baby's brain looked good and the baby was moving it's legs, which was also good. There is a growth on the spine, near it's little butt. It's small and the spine is not in the growth, so that is also good. The doctor said that the best place for this to happen is on the lowest part of the spine, so that made me feel a little better. After the sonogram I had an amneosentis done, which hurt and was scary, too. That will help them determine what chromosome abnormalities there will be. Then we met with a genetic counselor. She will be calling us with the results. In 3-4 weeks the baby will have an MRI done, and some time in the near future will also have an echo done to check it's heart. The baby will have spina bifida, but we don't know what kind yet. I will have to deliver at John Hopkins because the baby will need surgery a few days after birth, and then it will be in the NICU for a few weeks. I will also have to constantly be monitored and have ultrasounds every month to see how the baby is doing. And this is all if the pregnancy continues.
My friends, I am very scared and very sad. Sometimes I'm alright, but I've been having my really rough moments, too. My life isn't going to be the same. BUT, I KNOW that Heavenly Father will help me and guide me. He's already comforted me so much. I trust in his plan for me and my family. I know he loves me. I know he loves this baby. He is a just and a good God. Please, pray for us.
