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***High Risk Mamas Support Thread***

post #1 of 849
6/13/08 at 8:43am
Thread Starter 
Hello everyone! I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread for those of us who have high-risk pregnancies. Here we can share our stories and offer support and encouragement.

I'll start.... I am 11w,5d and am currently on bedrest for have what doctors think is a subchorionic hematoma (causes massive bleeding episodes). Unfortunately, I am also at risk for preterm labor (which occurred at 33 weeks with DD).

If anyone feels that this thread belongs in another location, please let me know. I wasn't quite sure where to put it!

May we all have strong, healthy pregnancies!
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post #2 of 849
6/14/08 at 2:08pm
Not *high risk* per-say, I did have very low amniotic fluid last time and was on bed rest for 3 mo!! I am hoping to aviod that this time by drinking tons of water!! GL to those highrisk we need tons of support! esp. the bed rest ones!
post #3 of 849
6/14/08 at 2:53pm
I'm on modified bedrest for the duration, and stricter bedrest this next few days because I just had a cerclage. I guess that makes me high risk.
post #4 of 849
6/14/08 at 4:47pm
yay for this thread! i always feel like high riskers get buried in ddcs (so to the mods: please don't move this thread!).

i am high risk from having a babe (now almost 2 and totally healthy) with IUGR and having a placental abruption at her birth. i'll try to dig up my birth story somewhere, so as not to go through it all here.

anyway, having had one abruption, they are paranoid of another. and it greatly increases my risk for placental acretia. i have previa again this time so i am in "take it easy mode" til we see if it moves up at all. fingers crossed! at this point, i am perfectly ok with a planned c-section (i'd like to be AWAKE this time!) but would love to avoid bedrest, any more bleeding or anything worse.
post #5 of 849
6/15/08 at 3:44am
I get severe PSD, so severe that the OB's are concerned that my bones will never heal. Its extremely, excrutiatingly painful and bedrest occurs at around 16 - 20 weeks. Atavan and T3's are the prescriptions, along with being encouraged to have a few drinks and smoke some pot to try to avoid depression. Depression sets in pretty fast when you're in constant pain, pregnant, unable to move and can't get more than a few mins of sleep at a time.

I had a pulmonary embolism at 31 weeks with my last one (for those of you who don't know, thats a blood clot in the lungs).

I'm keeping my hopes up against the odds.
post #6 of 849
6/15/08 at 9:20am
Thread Starter 
Thank you all for posting! While it would be nice if none of us were high-risk, it is good to know that we are not alone. Let's hold each other up and cheer one another along!

naturalmamaof1: Sending you productive amniotic fluid vibes! LOL

avivaelona: How are you feeling today? I'm sure that cerclage will do its job beautifully.

blairinargentina: My DD (now almost 6) was IUGR too. While she has always been a little one, she sure has made up for it in personality and gumption!

Sage_SS: I am hoping that you will be able to go even longer this time before bedrest. Does acupuncture help with the pain at all?

So, here's a question for all of you: How often do you see your OB/peri and what do they do to keep an eye on things? I will be meeting with a peri on Wednesday and we'll see where to go from there. I am worried about placental abruption and preterm labor due to my condition.
post #7 of 849
6/15/08 at 9:33am
Honestly I'm still feeling kind of crappy, last time around this was easier...this time I feel like I was beaten with baseball bats.

My parents are here helping watch my ACTIVE DS and I'm trying to rest but I'm already tired of lying down. I'm just kind of whiny.

Honestly I could probably use some of Sage's MJ. Though this poor babe has already been so drugged.

I will be seeing a CNM for monitoring. US once a month to check cervical length, and on the alternating two weeks a manual exam, so I will be seen every two weeks til the cervical stitch comes out at about 37 weeks. Then after that I get to be a normal pregnant woman (well as normal as you can be when you are over 40 and diabetic)
post #8 of 849
6/15/08 at 10:06am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by avivaelona View Post
Honestly I'm still feeling kind of crappy, last time around this was easier...this time I feel like I was beaten with baseball bats.

My parents are here helping watch my ACTIVE DS and I'm trying to rest but I'm already tired of lying down. I'm just kind of whiny.

Honestly I could probably use some of Sage's MJ. Though this poor babe has already been so drugged.

I will be seeing a CNM for monitoring. US once a month to check cervical length, and on the alternating two weeks a manual exam, so I will be seen every two weeks til the cervical stitch comes out at about 37 weeks. Then after that I get to be a normal pregnant woman (well as normal as you can be when you are over 40 and diabetic)
I'm sorry to hear that you are having so much pain this time around! It sounds like it may take some time for things to calm down and heal. This may sound a little crazy, but have you tried putting an ice pack between your legs? After I had my daughter that brought me much relief, and I have done that a few times with this pregnancy when feeling swollen and bruised from the bleeding.

Being on bedrest is so emotionally trying. My first few weeks, I was sad and angry. I've kind of gotten used to it for now. We are a very active, outdoorsy family and I do miss enjoying my favorite season - but then I remember that this is temporary and there is always next summer.... and hopefully I can share it with a new babe.

One of the things I have found that helps me take my mind off of things (aside from reading) are podcasts. There are some great meditation ones you can download for free from the iTunes store. A good friend just gave me everything I need to make jewelry - something I never thought of! Now I just need to find a good, inexpensive online source for beads. I was learning how to knit before all this happened, and I am thinking about picking that back up again. And there is always my dissertation to work on.

Anytime you need to vent, cry, whine - this is the place! You have every right to be frustrated. It is nice to have a safe environment where people understand. Hang in there!
post #9 of 849
6/15/08 at 1:03pm
ok, i feel ike a dummy... sage, what does PSD stand for? it sounds horrid mama, i am really sorry.

boo that any of us are high risk but thank you for starting this thread!!!!

as for care providers and what not, i can stay with a CNM until 20 weeks, as long as i don't have any more bleeding (which i haven't since being on pelvic rest). at 20 wks they'll do an ultrasound to check the location of the placenta and i'll be transfered to OB care. i have to have a c-section anyway, but i LOVE my CNM (she literally saved our lives last time) so hope to stay with her as long as possible. the u/s will determine what's next. assuming there is no acretia (dear god, no acretia!) i can stay here and hopefully won't have to transfer to a peri (4-6hrs away in denver or salt lake). if it's just previa then i will be on modified bed rest for the last trimester and have a scheduled c-section here in town.

best case scenario would be no previa at all, but it's unlikely given my history and the scarring from the abruption.
post #10 of 849
6/15/08 at 8:56pm
PSD- Pubic Symphysis Disfunction. My body releases the hormone relaxin way too early. Relaxin's job is to soften the pubic bones so that the baby can move down, so its usually released around 8 months. My body releases it at 20 weeks the first time, and 16 weeks the second time. Since there's no baby to hold the bones apart they just sag into each other. Any time my hips move at all, they grind against each other, then pop free. The grinding and popping is all fully audible for anyone to hear and I can't explain the pain.

When laying down to sleep, if I lay in one position for more than a few mins, my bones start to sag and it becomes achy and painful, but when I have to move (which I have to every few mins to keep the ache from turning into exreme pain) I have move my hips, which is unbearable pain. So sleep is never achieved with any kind of rest. When I become desperate, which is usually marked by depression and the inability to stop crying, I'll take a T3 and an Atavan, then the drug induced sleep occurs. When I wake up tho, my bones hurt so bad.

The whole situation sucks. But at the end of it, I get a baby!!!
post #11 of 849
6/15/08 at 9:31pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sage_SS View Post
PSD- Pubic Symphysis Disfunction. My body releases the hormone relaxin way too early. Relaxin's job is to soften the pubic bones so that the baby can move down, so its usually released around 8 months. My body releases it at 20 weeks the first time, and 16 weeks the second time. Since there's no baby to hold the bones apart they just sag into each other. Any time my hips move at all, they grind against each other, then pop free. The grinding and popping is all fully audible for anyone to hear and I can't explain the pain.

When laying down to sleep, if I lay in one position for more than a few mins, my bones start to sag and it becomes achy and painful, but when I have to move (which I have to every few mins to keep the ache from turning into exreme pain) I have move my hips, which is unbearable pain. So sleep is never achieved with any kind of rest. When I become desperate, which is usually marked by depression and the inability to stop crying, I'll take a T3 and an Atavan, then the drug induced sleep occurs. When I wake up tho, my bones hurt so bad.

The whole situation sucks. But at the end of it, I get a baby!!!
Oh, Sage I sure hope there is a scientist out there researching this! You would think they would have come up with a medication that could bind to the relaxin or even turn off that part of your endocrine system until 8 months. I wonder if acupuncture could help regulate the relaxin production. Have you seen if there are any clinical trials anywhere? You are an inspiring, strong woman mama to deal with all this pain!
post #12 of 849
6/15/08 at 11:16pm
oh my god. that sounds absolutely horrible. i have heard of it before, but had no idea the extent to which it could get. hang in there mama, we're here if you need us.
post #13 of 849
6/15/08 at 11:33pm
I've heard of people who had it before but never that early. mama. And of course with no sleep you get depressed. Is there no way for them to insert some kind of cushion to hold the bones apart? (I guess that would involve surgery though)

Does being in water help? I seriously wonder if you could just rig up some way to safely sleep in the water if it does. Ok probably crazy solutions, but ouch I feel for you.
post #14 of 849
6/16/08 at 1:24pm
I don't know how I've missed this thread, but I belong here. I am considered high risk because I had pre-eclampsia and IUGR with Lilly. At my first appointment we also discovered that sometime in the last year I have developed chronic high blood pressure. That was a total shock since I eat healthy and exercise and I thought that would prevent it. I've been on blood pressure medication that works if I can keep it down. The horrible morning sickness is starting to let up so I'm able to take the medication most days. I have been going either every week or every other week for the whole pregnancy just to keep track of my blood pressure and make sure I don't get dehydrated. I go in for my second ultrasound July 8 and I'll be having a couple of more after that just to make sure the baby doesn't stop growing. I'll also probably keep going to see the dr every two to three weeks just to keep an eye out for signs of pre-eclampsia.
post #15 of 849
6/17/08 at 12:42am
Aw, you guys are really sweet!

I have seen all kinds of treatments for it, but not for cases as severe as mine. I have people scream at me to go to the chiropractor, but those people don't understand how painful it is to first move (to get to one) then second to have anyone put any pressure anywhere on my legs, back or abdomen. I am grateful for their thought tho.
I've seen more high risk OB's than I can count from all over Canada and the US (there's a 1 in 300,000 chance to have PSD but the chances of getting it so severe are much, much smaller) and I've been told over and over again that there's nothing that will stop my body from releasing relaxin so early. I have talked with naturopaths, homeopaths and many non-western medicinal practioners, but again, no one has any idea how to stop it from happening.

I'm keeping my hopes up that it won't happen this time, but last time I saw my OB he pushed on my pubic bone and it hurt like hell, which is a bad sign. I'll have to wait and see.

I'm thankful that its just PSD really. It hurts like nothing else I've ever experienced, but its just hurt, the pain will go away later and even tho it hurts so bad, its not threatening my life or the baby's. I'll take this over anything any one of you have. I'm so sorry that there's even reason for a thread like this to be needed, but since there is and here we are, I'm here for every one of you as well.
post #16 of 849
6/17/08 at 1:03am
Well I'll crossing my legs for you that it at least holds off til a little later this time Sage. (plus trying to invent some way you can sleep safely floating in water...though it may involve building a swimming pool in your bedroom).

Chesapeake Born, will you be on bedrest for the whole pregnancy? And is it strict bedrest or modified?

I was on bedrest for my last child from 9 weeks to 36 weeks (with more freedom from 32-36 weeks) It wasn't easy but it was doable except for wanting to just kill people that said "oh I wish I could just lie around for a while" Um yeah, no you don't.

I'm feeling better today. Less pain makes me more cheerful Plus I can finally pee more normally again.

One thing that's good is that we've done all this before, it seems less daunting, because we know we made it through. Of course that doesn't guarantee that it will be the same this time, but at least there is a precedent. I'm definitely less jumpy than I was with my son, and more willing to ask for help.
post #17 of 849
6/17/08 at 8:04am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by avivaelona View Post
Well I'll crossing my legs for you that it at least holds off til a little later this time Sage. (plus trying to invent some way you can sleep safely floating in water...though it may involve building a swimming pool in your bedroom).

Chesapeake Born, will you be on bedrest for the whole pregnancy? And is it strict bedrest or modified?

I was on bedrest for my last child from 9 weeks to 36 weeks (with more freedom from 32-36 weeks) It wasn't easy but it was doable except for wanting to just kill people that said "oh I wish I could just lie around for a while" Um yeah, no you don't.

I'm feeling better today. Less pain makes me more cheerful Plus I can finally pee more normally again.

One thing that's good is that we've done all this before, it seems less daunting, because we know we made it through. Of course that doesn't guarantee that it will be the same this time, but at least there is a precedent. I'm definitely less jumpy than I was with my son, and more willing to ask for help.
I'm on fairly strict bedrest. I can get up to shower every other day, use the bathroom, grab a bite to eat, then I go lie back down. I won't sit up because 2 of my bleeds happened when sitting so I am too scared. Unfortunately, they cannot predict if or when it could happen again, so there is no way of telling how long I'll be on bedrest. That's okay - if it helps I'll do it!!

With DD, I was only on bedrest from 33-37 weeks and I wasn't very scared. I guess at that point I knew she had a good chance of making it. This time is much scarier for me and I get nervous over every new sensation. But there is nothing I can do, other than rest and pray, so I just have to have faith!
post #18 of 849
6/18/08 at 4:30pm
Thread Starter 

The latest...

Just an update...

I was actually in having my first consult with a perinatologist today when I started gushing blood again. So she swooped me in for an u/s done by my regular (and somewhat clueless OB who relayed the info to the peri). Baby was the most active that my doctor has ever seen at this stage! But the hematoma is next to and originating from the placenta so that makes me nervous. I don't want my placenta to be bleeding! We will do another u/s next week to check the placental attachment and my cervix, then a level II at 18 weeks. I will also start progesterone shots at 18 weeks to ward off preterm labor. Still hoping for the best!
post #19 of 849
6/18/08 at 7:56pm
Pulling for you and that little active babe hon.
post #20 of 849
6/19/08 at 6:01pm
Cheasapeake Born, you out there? Thinking of you today.

How is everyone else doing?
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