Trying to decide if I need to worry or not...

[PrettyHippie]

So I have a swollen gland in my neck. I discovered it last night while I was sitting in bed. It's really not too big at all, just tender and only slightly swollen. Now, normally I wouldn't even bat an eye at it unless I was feeling sick or run down. I feel totally fine!! All I've got is some minor gum inflammation from a flossing mishap the other night. DD is fighting a small cold too. Now here is my worry. I lost a baby at Christmas at 20 weeks when she just stopped moving one day...around Thanksgiving I had a painful swollen gland in my neck and one in my armpit. They were gone a couple weeks later. Now the doctor at the hospital put me through so many blood tests to see if I had contracted something that may have lead to her death (toxo., parvo, cytomeg., etc.) and it all came back negative across the board. We believe she had some random chromosomal issue due to some physical characteristics. We decided against the autopsy on her poor little body. I guess I'm just seeing the replay through my mind again. Even though I have no reason to think the two occasions were related at all of course I'm freaked a little bit now that I have a small one in my neck again. I'm at 25 weeks pregnant with this new little one and so far everything looks real good. The anatomy scan at 20 weeks looked great too. So, SHOULD I be worried since I'm feeling fine? I may just be totally blowing this out of the water. Thanks for reading. Like I said, I think I'm just replaying the last time through my mind...

[MaerynPearl]

Although it can be totally normal (even if you are feeling fine) to have a swollen gland during pregnancy... I think it would, in your case, be best for you to get checked out.

Not because I personally think there is a connection... but because that thought crossing your mind at all will NOT stop until you know what is going on.

That stress is worse for baby than what I figure is going on (allergies starting to flare up though you have not noticed them yet, for example) and it is almost always better to be safe than sorry!

Hope whatever it is is totally harmless and this is an unfounded (but understandable) worry!

[gradstudentmommy]

I'm sorry you're worried. It sounds like your current swollen gland is triggering your past traumatic experience, which is totally understandable. I had a miscarriage at 9 weeks and started bleeding during this pregnancy at the EXACT same time and I was totally engulfed in fear. I was POSITIVE I was miscarrying again. But now I'm 38 weeks and everything is fine. Our minds are very powerful things.

It's very reassuring that your 20 week scan looked good. And I wouldn't be surprised if you're fighting your son's cold.

I get swollen glands all the time, often when I don't feel sick.

[PrettyHippie]

Thanks guys. So, since I posted this earlier today I'm now starting to think this is related to what DD has. I've had a touch of a sore throat. Hubby isn't feeling 100% either so I think we've just got something going through the family. I think I may still give my midwife a call just to let her know. I see her this coming Tuesday too. Thanks again!