Spotting scare, and OB vent

[kimisaur]

I woke up this morning spotting. It was brownish, but there was quite a bit. At first I figured that since they really can't do anything, I'd just wait and see. But, I did a bit of reading, and everything pointed at going in and getting checked out. I have to admit, not worrying all weekend had appeal, so I figured I'd at least call.

So, I called, and they told me to come in. Good news, got to see a nice heartbeat, and baby is right on size for dates. Big relief there! Bad news....the nurse practioner tells me that some spotting is normal in the first trimester, but that I should "wean that baby". WTH? She goes on to tell me that breastfeeding while pregnant can cause miscarriage, and it's risky because it lowers the hormones and causes contractions. Seeing as how I'm throwing up, exhuasted, sore boobs, etc, and this is my first issue with spotting and I'm on baby #4, AND I BF before while pregnant, I don't think low hormones are an issue for me. Sigh. Not to mention that although my baby is almost a year, he's really not even quite 9 months old for his adjusted age, and he really needs to continue to nurse.

I go home, do some research, and of course almost all experts say BFing while pregnant is just fine, and there is no link to miscarriage.

Now I'm irritated, because I am pretty much stuck with the high-risk people, and thus also twitchy, overly conservative nurses like this, because of my risk factors for getting pre-e again. Lord give me strength. :

-Kimberly

[ladyelmo1]

Kimberly, so sorry you have to deal with people like that. Sounds to me like you are making the best choices for you and your son, and she doesn't have the right to question you.

-Melissa

[Finnsma]

Oh how frustrating! That's exactly why I don't volunteer my nursing status to my various docs. I know my body, I've nursed through a pg before with NO problems, they can just keep their close-minded know-it-all thoughts to themselves! I'm also 'high-risk', aren't all the appointments so much FUN! Aw well, it'll be so worth it come March!

[kimisaur]

Originally Posted by Finnsma

I'm also 'high-risk', aren't all the appointments so much FUN! Aw well, it'll be so worth it come March!

Do we have company here????

I'm high risk becaue of two previous episodes of pre-eclampsia, including my last pg, delivered at 28 weeks, and my factor V blood status (need heparin daily). Plus I'm rh-, have a mitral valve prolapse and have a fairly high transverse c-section scar. I love, love my midwife that followed me before things went downhill last time, but she officially transfered me this week. Sob. I actually like the peri, but sheesh, the close watching is pretty extreme. I definitely now feel like I have a "medical condition", NOT a blessed event I'm waiting for. Sigh again. I love hearing about all the homebirth plans, it just won't be for me. Sob.

-Kimberly

[Finnsma]

I wrote a nice loooong post to you this am but my pc wigged out and I lost the entire thing! :cry I of course then started crying as I do over everything these days (another reason I'm convinced it's a girl! I raged with ds and cried with dd lol) and took a break to walmart with the kids. Next thing I know it's 9pm.

Anyhoo, I also have a history of pih turned pre-e, was on bedrest for 5 months with dd because of it. I was diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome during Koen's pg and was on aspirin through out. This time around, after now 4 m/cs, I was put on heparin and aspirin but was recently told to stop the heparin. I'll continue the aspirin as it was so successful with ds. DD also had bilateral shoulder dystocia which the docs are really freaked about and keep pushing a c-section. I'm not opting for one at this point and won't unless baby measures well over 10 lbs at any of the u/s they'll be doing toward the end. I was able to 'easily' push out ds without a single tear even though he was only 5 ounces smaller, 9lb 5oz. I realize it's a risk that this baby could still get stuck but that's not a decision to be making in the first trimester!

It makes me so sad too that pg for me is such a 'medical condition'. I would love to be able to just let nature take it's course, not have u/s, occationally see a midwife, and give birth at home. But if I did that, I probably wouldn't still be pg. So I figure if I have to go see the doc every dang week, stab myself however many times, have however many u/s, pokes and prods, if that's what it takes to get to have a baby, then bring it on! After losing 4 babies I'll do everything I possibly can and have to to keep from losing another. The 2 kids I have are such amazing blessings! They're worth every single moment of worry, pain, whatever!

Oooh, that got emotional. LOL Big surprise eh with all the hormone racing through here!

I'm glad you like your peri! I'm being transfered this week to a civi clinic in the city as there are no OBs here and the peri's are 2 hours away at the naval hospital. I'm really glad I only have to go back there 1 more time. I really don't like them, they've been rude, and quite terrorizing about wanting me to agree to a c-section NOW! : I'm excited about getting to see civi docs and delivering in a civi hospital. DD and DS were both born at naval hospitals in 2 different states. LOL I've heard fantastic things about the l&d ward at the civi hospital I'll be delivering at, they even have tubs to labor in! So I'm excited that I'll be able to get as close as I safely can to a natural birth.

How are you doing with the heparin? I had a ton of bruising and many of the injection sites would bleed for hours. But other then that I had no problems. Hang in there!

[kimisaur]

Originally Posted by Finnsma

It makes me so sad too that pg for me is such a 'medical condition'. I would love to be able to just let nature take it's course, not have u/s, occationally see a midwife, and give birth at home. But if I did that, I probably wouldn't still be pg. So I figure if I have to go see the doc every dang week, stab myself however many times, have however many u/s, pokes and prods, if that's what it takes to get to have a baby, then bring it on!

Back from vacation!

Thanks so much for these thoughts..... I am totally with you on hating the whole medical condition. No natural anything for me, sigh. But yes, without the paranoid medical establishment, I'd probably be dead, and my little preemie dude too, so I'm suffering it to avoid a repeat this time. Here's to nice long, full termers for both of us!

The heparin is going okay. It's beyond creepy to stab myself with something, but it's tolerable. I sure will be so, so happy to be done with it though!

-Kimberly

[RedWine]

breastfeeding causes uterine contractions

Hi --

I read the original post and I'd like to (kind of) speak up for the medical practioner who suggested weaning the baby.

Please don't flame me -- I am a very AP, pro-breastfeeding mama. And you're right -- there is no research out there that can tell us whether or not breastfeeding during a RISKY pregnancy is a bad idea. People simply haven't studied it.

And yes, pregnant women nurse all the time. Breastfeeding during a healthy pregnancy is a common practice, and there is probably no harm in it whatsoever.

That being said -- if you have a bleed within the uterus (subchorionic hematoma), it might be a good idea to refrain from any activity which causes the uterus to contract (contracting may cause more bleeding and make the situation worse).

Breastfeeding releases the hormone oxytocin within the nursing mama. One of the things oxytocin does is contract the uterus. This is why some women who are in their third trimester, who are at risk for premature labor are told to refrain from sex (oxytocin is also released during female orgasm, contracting the uterus).

I am not a medical doctor, I just know the above from my graduate studies (biological anthropology). I also have a hematoma (bleeding within the uterus) which is finally shrinking. At one point it was huge, so as a precaution I stopped nursing my toddler (she had practically self-weaned anyway, so this was not a big deal for either of us). The doctor did not suggest this -- I actually brought it up with my doctor, who is fresh out of residency and seemed to have not thought of it herself (she nursed her own daughter through the toddler years).

When you had your ultrasound, did they tell you if you had a hematoma? If you don't have one, or if you had one but it's small and shrinking, then I personally can't think of one good reason for you to wean. But if you do, and if the hematoma is large, then you might want to consider it. I understand this may not be a choice you really want to think about, because your baby is so young -- can't blame you for feeling that way. But the nurse wasn't totally full of crap (maybe partly, but not totally).

Though...if you did have a large hematoma, they probably would have suggested bedrest...I've been on bedrest for the past 5 weeks :

Hope you don't mind my two cents,
Trish

[RedWine]

lovely Lovenox...

Kimberly,

I also wanted to respond re: heparin injections. I'll be taking the Lovenox version as soon as this hematoma disappears (if I hadn't developed a hematoma, I'd be on Lovenox already). During my first pregnancy, I developed a huge blood clot during the third trimester and had to go live in the hospital for a while...turns out I am homozygous for the C667t mutation (which means I can't metabolize folate, B12 or B6 very well, which in turn means I'm at high risk for blood clots, cancer, and heart disease -- woo hoo!! )

So I hear ya -- I would LOVE a home birth, but for me it's out of the question. And I am not looking forward to injecting myself...my husband did it for me last time, but this time I really need to learn how to do it myself since he'll be on business trips often during the next few months. And I too am a bit sad that because of the hematoma and the blood thinners, the fetus and I are definitely at "high-risk" and must be closely monitored throughout.

Hugs to you, Kimberly -- you are not alone.



Trish