1/3 done!!!

Our little Suga is one third done! Happy 12 weeks (yesterday) little guy or gal!






Awkward pics post hard nap - but 12 week pics nonetheless. Hopefully, I'll get about 26 more weekly tries to get the perfect pregnancy photo.

We met with a perinatologist today...I'll try to hold back my excitement. Let's just say we weren't all BFF during the triplet pregnancy and the idea of seeing them again just about did me in in terms of stress. After today? Guess who else is not nor will it ever be my BFF? The speculum. Yeah. That thing is just wrong in all sorts of ways. Seriously. I'd rather have a urinary catheter placed again than have a cervical exam like that. Ok - I'm bordering on too much info...man my sarcasm could flow for days over this one...ok, I'll spare you.

So, a speculum assisted, and digital exam, with the added exciting bonus of getting all friendly with my newest mechanical family member: the vaginal ultrasound wand thing (doesn't that make you feel all sparkly?), and a very long conversation later, Brent and I left a little more confused than relaxed after hearing the peri's opinion.

The basics:
1. I have a "tilted" uterus which effects the position of my cervix.
2. My cervix is on the long end of average - not short at all.
3. Though things look a little weird on physical exam, this is NOT a reason to place a cerclage.
Bottom line: considering my pregnancy history and current physical state, there is no medical reason to place a cerclage.

I am to follow up with them in 3 weeks for a recheck to ensure that things are still stable.

I spoke with my regular OB this evening. His new treatment plan (after reading perinatology's report) is to have me come into his office weekly from now until at least 20 weeks for cervical ultrasounds. If there is any indication of shortening or funneling of my membranes, I am to immediately have a cerclage placed. I am currently at 4cm (40mm). So, that is where I need to stay to keep the red flags from flying. In addition, at 15 weeks gestation, I will start weekly P17 injections to reduce the risk of preterm labor.

So, here's how I feel (other than tired - emotionally, physically, mentally - I just don't want to be messed with anymore and honestly, it's taking everything I have for me not to attempt to crawl under a rock and hide for the next 6 months): nervous. I am trying to remember why I had such an issue with the cerclage in the first place. I've gone through the babies' delivery and events leading to it in my head so many times...I smelled the soap at the peri's office today - the same as the soap in the hospital...I thought I would literally drop to my knees for a minute...

So here it is:
I had more cervical ultrasounds than I could count during the triplet pregnancy. Never once was there a concern. The evening of the day we found out we were loosing Kuylen, I began bleeding (not spotting- this was profuse)- I later found I was in the beginning of labor- and having contractions. My kidneys were failing, my liver enzymes were critical, I was severely anemic. I measured the week before with a fundus of over 50 cm (as in over 50 weeks of pregnancy). Kuylen was in total distress and David was in the beginning of serious trouble. They were both dropping. With medication, the labor would not stop, and the babies were doing very poorly. I was delivered - for countless reasons. I was also in labor...for countless reasons - any one of the critical circumstances could have initiated it. With no other signal or sign ever of an incompetent or weakening cervix and without the classic "painless, asymptomatic dilation", there really isn't a medical reason to have a cerclage.

This is what I thought when the possibility was first mentioned. This is what the perinatologist said. After reading today's report, my regular doctor is respectfully nervous (as am I) but also quite wary of doing an unnecessary procedure. Close monitoring is what we are doing for now.

Happy happy 12 weeks little one. Hang in there!

xo,
Heather