An Unexpected Turn

Here we are, at yet another branch in our journey. We found out that we are expecting yet again!! My tentative due date is August 16th. I came into this pregnancy not really very excited about it. I don't know if it's my age, the really strong first trimester ailments or what, but knowing there would be 9 months of not feeling like myself on top of more weight gain to lose, I was dreading it. The first trimester was very rough-and it lasted almost the first half of the pregnancy. I was very nauseous as well as extremely tired which made me very moody!!  Everyone just chalked it up to having three boys to "chase around", but I really don't see much of a difference between two and three-especially when your #2 is Titus!!

We found out early with Solomon that he was a boy and decided to go back to Miracle in Progress to find out this time as well. What a surprise we got when those words came up on the screen IT'S A GIRL!! We were overjoyed and overwhelmed at the same time. Matthew didn't think it was possible!!   We already selected a name, but didn't plan on sharing until she was born. 

We excitedly awaited each midwife appointment and wondered how close she would come to her due date. Her brothers were pretty spot on so we guessed she would be too. We were planning this time around getting the full ultrasound mainly because I will be 39 when she's born. We planned on going in on the same day as my appointment with our midwife at 17 weeks. The tech was all business but did confirm our knowing she's a girl. She measured small-11 days, and he couldn't see what he needed to so he advised us coming back in 5 weeks. He did say what he could see looked good. We were originally not going to do the repeat ultrasound, but something told me to. I just thought it would be a nice excuse to see our girl again. So, at 22 weeks, we went back. Matthew stayed with the little kids(I was babysitting) and I brought the older two to see their sister. She seemed to take an extremely long time, but I figured she was giving us a nice look at baby.  

When we got to our midwifes house, she sat us down right away and told us the scary news about our little girl. They found several things on the ultrasound that made her very sick. She found several of her abdominal organs up in her chest cavity, her heart pushed to the opposite side it should, and her lungs potentially squished as they grow. That told the ultrasound tech that she has a hole in her diaphragm. It's called a congenital diaphoretic hernia(CDH). Thankfully, as serious as it is, there is surgery she can have at birth to repair the hole. She also found something unusual in her brain, but couldn't pinpoint what. So, because of these abnormalities, it isn't safe to have her be born at home as she needs to be on a ventilator right away to help her breathe.  So with sad hearts we left our midwifes house for the last time. 

The next day, I called a good friend from the Phoenix area, whose husband was my doctor years ago and asked her if she or her husband knew of a high risk OB in the area. I explained the situation, she asked her husband, and recommended Phoenix Perineal Associates. I called and they didn't take my current insurance. Thankfully, as my birthday was coming up, I could switch to the one they took. So I then had to call and switch my insurance, but in the meantime I needed to be seen. One of the fabulous ladies from PPA recommended the Women's Institute at the university hospital as their doctors are there once a week to see patients. Unfortunately because it's also high risk, I needed a referral. So I called my midwife and asked her to fax them over with my prenatal records. What a crazy day that was! I heard nothing and called to check several times.  One of the ladies at PPA told me the university hospital also has an OB Triage, which is like an ER just for pregnant moms. She suggested I go there as a way in if I was having a hard time making an appointment. So that's what we did. 

We went in to the OB Triage and when I talked with the woman in admitting and told her my situation in trying to get an appointment, I showed her a copy of the ultrasound report my midwife gave me and a nurse told me that they wouldn't let me leave without being helped. I felt such relief!! I got an appointment for the following week on the day a PPA doctor would be in seeing patients as well as an ultrasound and we headed home. 

We both questioned and prayed about why this could happen to our family?  Well, this side of heaven we won't know the why's, but if God is using this time in our lives to bring us closer to Him and to teach us to trust Him, I definitely want to trust!! 

The ultrasound at the women's Institute showed what we already knew with her CDH, but the radiologist saw something a bit different on her brain. Something wasn't right. After the ultrasound, we spoke with the doctor for quite a while. He said they could do the surgery to repair her CDH, but the surgeon wouldn't do it until she had her chromosomes tested to see if what was abnormal about her brain was chromosomal or not. I could do an amniocentesis or wait until she's born and they could do bloodwork. We opted for the amniocentesis, but to wait until I am further along as the doctor mentioned a risk of my water breaking.  I made a follow up ultrasound to check her growth for a month later. 

This ultrasound showed much of the same so it didn't take as long. After this my new insurance kicked in so I transferred over to PPA. I had another ultrasound as well as a "new patient " exam. 

Nothing new in the ultrasound front except for my amniotic fluid levels increased even more.  I mentioned to the dr that came in during my ultrasound that I wanted to set up a time for an amniocentesis and she said, okay, we can do that right now!! I was surprised but ready to know. When you love your child, you will do anything for them. This is one of those things. It was the most painful torturous experiences I have ever had. But I did it for my baby. Before she started we talked about removing excess fluid, but when the time came, I was in too much pain so she didn't. 

The results came in two days later as promised and her DNA showed an extra chromosome #18. It is called Edwards Syndrome or more commonly known as Trisomy 18. We were given no hope and no options other than if we want to hold her she would just pass away at birth struggling to breathe and suffering.  If we want to spend time with her they would intubate her, but the doctor said we wouldn't get to hold her.  I found a support group the next day and saw many children with T18 that were not only several months old, but several YEARS old!! I finally saw hope.  Unfortunately, the doctors don't have the same hope. Because of her T18, the doctors assume she will not live long after birth.  None mentioned any possibility of her survival. Our next obstacle is meeting with the neonatal team at the hospital I plan to deliver her in and letting them know we want to have the surgeon plan on operating on her CDH, and after we have an appointment with the doctor from PPA and we plan on telling her what we plan then.  We are praying that the doctor and neonatal team at the hospital will be supportive as well as a surgeon that will take us seriously or even better a believer that knows that life is not in his/her hands, but the Lord's. 

To be continued as the pregnancy progresses and we welcome Claudia Joy Hall to our family...

Thank you for your prayers and support!! Please click here if you are led to help financially. 

Birth Story-take 3! Solomon

What a wild ride this has been!!  This pregnancy has been the fastest so far! The entire time I have felt that I was not as far along as I really was.  We were trying to get pregnant for several months.  During that time I started having problems getting strep throat.  I had never had it before and out of nowhere got it every other month for six months in a row(3 cases)!  I talked to my ear, nose, and throat doctor and he said that my tonsils needed to come out if I had strep throat three times in less than a year.  So he scheduled me to have them taken out in September.  I was glad to finally get them out after so many new problems, but still wanted to be pregnant.  I knew if I was pregnant the surgery would have to wait not only until after the baby was born but also after baby was done nursing.  So part of me really wanted to not be pregnant so I wouldn't have to deal with possibly getting strep a lot for the next up to 2 years or more.  I just decided the best thing to do was to trust God's plan for our family.  I chart my cycles so I knew on the day of the surgery that I wasn't pregnant even though I had to take a test at the surgery center.  Well, let me just say that surgery was torture!!  But that's a different story!  My mom came to town to help take care of the boys during my surgery and recovery.  She was a huge help as Matthew could only take off the day of surgery.  I was still charting my cycles even through the surgery.  So, I knew exactly when it happened.  I was babysitting a friend's kids for a date night and couldn't wait until morning so I tested.  It was positive!!  My throat was still sore from surgery and hadn't even had my post surgery follow-up!! 

Needless to say I was so excited!  I couldn't wait to tell Matthew but I figured not a good time with extra company.  So when their parents came to pick them up I had a plan.  Since it was pizza/movie night I got the movie What to Expect When You're Expecting and put it in.  And as Matthew grows out a goatee when I'm not pregnant I had my oldest son bring him his razor to get to shave it.  Well, it took a bit for it to click.  He saw Josiah with the razor and got scared (who wouldn't be scared seeing a three year old with a sharp object), but when I played the movie and he saw the title, he knew. He was shocked but so excited!!   And since my mom was there we got to tell her in person!!  Josiah told her that mommy had a baby in her tummy.  She said the same thing she said for the other two pregnancies, "are you serious?" It was so much fun!

This pregnancy was so much different from the other two.  I had no initial early symptoms like I did with Josiah and Titus.  If I hadn't been charting I wouldn't have known right away.  I was so happy that I didn't have any of the fatigue and nausea that I had with my first two pregnancies.  Well, that was short lived.  I wasn't as tired as I was the first two times, but I was more than usual.  I wasn't nauseous, but for several weeks I threw up once every morning.  Mostly when brushing my teeth as my gag reflex is very sensitive anyway and especially when pregnant. 

I didn't exercise as much as I did during Titus' pregnancy, but after the first trimester exhaustion I did start back up. By the end of the pregnancy I was down to mostly walking.  I carried Solomon much more lower and out front than his older brothers so that made for adjustments in my workouts as well as from my chiropractor!! (haha) I had only a little heartburn even though he sported a nice head of light red hair.  I chalk it up to much better nutrition and being overall healthier this time around.

Now to the part you've all been waiting for, the labor and delivery details. I knew I would have Solomon pretty close to his due date as Josiah and Titus were born very close.  I was just hoping it wouldn't be very long after his due date.  On the day he was due, a Sunday, I was feeling so ready for him to come, but still pretty good, so I readied for church.  The day didn't feel any different.  I ate some sugar free chocolate in the afternoon between services.  sometimes it doesn't digest well so I was preparing for the consequences of my splurge.  Mostly I have a lot of gas(sorry, TMI).  My first contraction hit during evening service at church about 6:30.  I thought it was from gas as it hurts sometimes.  I knew I would feel better in the morning as I normally do.  After church we went right home since I was feeling so bad.  We made supper and I ate it just fine.  I had to stop for the contractions every so often, although nothing regular.  I still thought they were gas pains.  I think if I had skipped the chocolates I would have realized it was labor.  The pains were very different from the older boys.  Their labors were tightening all over my tummy easily timeable.  Solomon's was very sharp in my lower abdomen and back(back labor anyone?) and when I tried timing it to verify whether it was labor or not it was all over the map.  One would be seven minutes the next would be fifteen.  Not at all a regular pattern.  I texted my midwife just to ask about what I should do.  I thoroughly confused her.  She suggested I take a bath.  It did not work which added to my thinking it wasn't labor as the bath I took with Titus' labor helped immensely.  I got out of the tub and got my pjs on and tried to rest.  Close to ten o'clock I realized it was labor as I finally started noticing the pains getting stronger and more frequent.  That is when I asked the midwife to come.  Pretty soon I was in so much pain and I knew the midwife wasn't going to make it so I asked my mom to call my friend who is also my childbirth instructor as well as a doula and has used the same midwife for all four of her births.  She asked my mom if I was pushing and she said no.  She hung up with my friend when I had another contraction.  I was having to get on my hand and knees to get relief from the pain so I got on my hands and knees and cried as my mom was rubbing my back to help when felt my water break.  I asked my mom and hubby to help me pull my pjs and panties down and told them he coming now!! I pushed and out his head came.  Hubby cradled his head. I made sure to tell them not to pull on his head.  I felt another contraction come to push and out more came.  The last push and he was born!!  Still on my hands and knees I checked the time which was 10:39.  I still had the placenta inside and it was still attached to Solomon so I awkwardly turned around to sit on the space carpet so I could hold my baby.  He did cry so I knew he was alright and just held him in awe and shock of everything.  My friend came in a few minutes later shocked to see baby already here!!  She helped me as I delivered the placenta and started nursing baby.  She called the midwife who asked if I wanted her to come.  I did want her to come to check over baby and make sure I was okay.  I felt better having her come and check us over.  

Things are going great so far.  The first month was rough as he wouldn't sleep unless he was being held and upright.  I struggled with some depression and the shock of his quick and sudden birth took a few weeks to wear off.  Now he's a happy smiley twelve week old who sleeps much better and loves his brothers.  God has really blessed our family and I am excited to see what God has in store for each one of my boys.