Post-mortem results

I know, it sounds a bit bizar, 'post-mortem results', like we've attended a crime scene or something like that. Anyway, we went to the hospital today and talked to one of the obstetricians there, this time the one who has done my amniocentesis.

What they have found was the following:
- the baby was perfectly healthy and normal. There were some 'abnormalities', but these were all related to severe growth restriction, where the baby saves energy in building up certain organs to spare his brain, for example.

- I was extremely healthy too - always good to hear such things :-)

- The placenta was the culprit. They were able to find out what happened with the placenta: it never managed to attach itself properly to the uterus. My blood vessels and that of the placenta were almost unable to interact with each other, which caused the poor blood flow to the baby and his severe growth restriction. Because of this large bleedings under the placenta did occur, eventually resulting in baby's death.
They haven't found any anti-bodies against the placenta, so my body wasn't rejecting the placenta, which would have been a troublesome outcome for the management of any future pregnancies. All in all it was a chance event, a case of bad luck, and there is no reason why a next pregnancy wouldn't be successful.
We were quite elated with these results, as through all this stuff it's easy to forget that the baby and I were actually healthy!

Should I become pregnant again then they want to see me at 7 weeks for a first scan, at 11-13 weeks for a nuchal translucency scan, combined with the first trimester serum screening, and at 20 weeks for the anatomy scan. The 7 week scan is an extra, as well as being under the care of an obstetrician and a midwife from the start.

And that makes this the last post of this series for now :-)

Appointment cancelled

Grrrrrr that's what gets us really angry: a phone call 20 minutes before our appointment at the hospital that the results of the post-mortem are not in yet - they will be later in the week, so our appointment of today has been cancelled and moved to early January.

Grrrrr.

Recovering well

I am recovering well, my throat is back to normal as is my voice! That was the most annoying feeling ever, together with those sore muscles in my neck. I still look a bit like a cocaine addict with my bruised elbows from the attempts to put a drain in my arm. I haven't had any significant bleeding and it looks like my breasts are taking the hormone bait and won't start lactating. A pity that I still have to lose those 5 to 6 kilo's, that was definitely not baby weight!

I found it remarkable that on Monday the midwife wasn't able to feel my womb, which means that it has already shrunk behind the pubic bone - I mean, it takes over 14 weeks to grow over the pubic bone, but within 2 days the whole thing is almost back to its original size. Looks like the doc has cleaned it out very well during my operation.

I have been fairly light-headed in the mornings the last couple of days, but I can feel that that is getting better too. Yesterday I did my first 'walk' to the letterbox around the corner, chaperoned by DH's mum, to post a letter and that went okay. Tonight DH and I will be going for a short stroll around the block. Can't wait to be on the golf course again to be honest

So what's left of this pregnancy? Not much, a tiny bit of ashes for us to receive, registration of the baby, and the results of the post-mortem on the baby and the placenta. In about 4-6 weeks time we'll be back at the hospital for a discussion of the outcomes, if any. In the meantime we have to be careful (if that's what we want...) as I can become pregnant again straight away!

Sore muscles

Every muscle in my body is protesting, like I've been rowing a regatta totally untrained. My whole back, front, neck and even jaw are stiff as hell!

And my throat is still very much irritated by that tube they put in at the operation, can hardly talk without coughing. Sound like an 80 year old heavy smoker.

And back home

We came home again this morning after a reasonable night sleep, where I again swam in my own sweat due to the hormones given to me the previous day.

In the middle of the night the midwife on call did some checks on me - blood pressure, temperature and blood loss - and after that we slept till 8 am. I have had no pain at all since the baby popped out, only a slightly bruised feeling in my tummy for which I'm taking some paracetamol.

At 9 our own midwife came by to check up on me once again. I also chose to take some hormone pills to prevent my breasts from lactating, as normally after delivering a baby within 3 days the milk will come in! Something else to think about.

The baby and placenta will be sent off to wton on Sunday, where the pathologist will perform research on it on monday. Transport of the baby will be done by a funeral company, all arranged for us by our midwife. After we've seen the baby we decided to let the cremation take place in wton, it was clear to us that this baby never could have survived, no need for us to hold a special service or whatever.

When we came home some truly beautiful flowers were waiting for us from my mum and DH's and my colleagues! Also DH's parents gave us a lovely piece of art; this piece attracted us when we first saw it one or two years ago and is a bit of a free interpretation of Noah's Ark. Very cute.

And last but not least: I am eligible for 14 weeks paid maternity leave, so won't be back at work till the end of February. Pure bliss! Time to get my head around things, to take it easy and to make plans for the future!

At the hospital

This post will be updated during the day, if I feel up to it :-)

8am: arrived at hospital and settled in to our room. Midwife is here too and together we go through the events of the day.

9am: midwife inserts 4 tablets vaginally, which should soften the cervix and dissolve a tube (?) in the cervix so that an opening will be established. Lying on the bed, not allowed to move around till tablets have had time to dissolve.

9.30am: midwife takes temperature and blood pressure. Temp is good, blood pressure is somewhat elevated. Light cramping really low, almost behind pubic hair has started.

9.45am: cramping continues, intensity has grown. Pills are definitely working and quite early according to midwife. DH is off to the hospital cafe for his first coffee of the day. He has installed himself with laptop in the granny chair.

10.30am: cramping continues, intensity is constant now and okay. Midwife is off to an appointment the next 45 mins and the first oral pill is scheduled for 12pm.

11.55am: cramping intensified and started to get very annoying, sharper and nauseating. Took two oral pills, which will kick in fairly quickly and make matters much worse. Also took two paracetamol to start with to take the edge off the contractions. A sick bag is close by.
Just ate a sandwich and half a banana. DH feels somewhat helpless, although he's a nice distraction.
Got a bedpan to use on the toilet to prevent baby and placenta from flushing through, as the need to poo can also be mixed up with the baby coming out. All very glamourous, not. Grrrrtttrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

15.45pm: baby delivered!!! Woohooo!! Now waiting for the placenta to arrive. Pain has subsided for now. A while ago I got a shot in the bum with anti-nausea and a pain killer, as the cramps were awful and I started vomiting. At 3pm I got another set of pills plus another pain killer and just when I started to wonder when the heck this would end I felt something coming through.
The cramps will be back soon for the placenta, but enjoying being pain free for now.

16.45pm: preparations are being made to help the placenta coming out. I've just got another 4 tablets inserted vaginally, which might start contractions again and force the placenta out. But in the meantime I'll also get a drip and am not allowed to eat or drink anything for the next 6 hours in case I need to be brought to theatre for a manual removal under general anaestatics.

17.20pm I'm being prepared for a little surgery to get the placenta out. The obstitrician had two attempts at putting a drip in my arm, but kept hitting a valve. The anasthesist was then called who succesfully put one in ny hand. I look like a casualty from war with all my bandages...!


9pm: we both have been dozing on the bed for the last couple of hours and are now listening to x-factor on the tv (no great reception so only sound on this channel).
The doc came by to obtain consent for my operation at 10pm. This can take up anything from 20 mins to whatever, depending on how firmly the placenta is still attached to the uterus. We'll be staying at the hospital overnight.

21.45pm They've taken me to theater where first the general anaestetic will be administered. The surgery should be done within 20 minutes, but afterwards they'll keep me another half an hour or so for observation. Afterwards they'll return me to our room where DH and I will spend the night.


11.15pm: i'm back!! Woke up crying from anaestatic, got a deja-vu from when I was little and had to get operations in my ears. Operation went really well, no complications, placenta came out easier than thought. Just a very itchy throat from a tube that went in there. But hurray for hospital staff, everyone is really very caring and approachable, this hasn't been a traumatic experience. Worst part were the contractions, but quite surprisingly easily forgotten as soon as pain is over - just like flying to Europe and touching down after 24 hrs in a plane. As soon as you've arrived you forgot about the ordeal. And hugs and love for DH of course, we were in this together and he was lovely :-)

Update after first pill

Had period-like cramps tonight, which stopped after a couple of hours. Other than that and a feisty headache the night went well.

DH is thinking of writing everyone who sent us their love and best of luck a personal message back, he's even getting a bit stressed about it, and I wish him all the best as that will be a day task up till x- mas. So I thought I better interfere here and save him.
Please do know that we love your support, but we can't possibly start a writing career just now. Keep those messages coming, or feed us some juicy stories or awful gossip for tomorrow, so that we have something to read during our mini-labour and delivery day.