HGTV

My husband likes me. A lot. But he’s pretty vocal about the one thing that he doesn’t like about me: My T.V. addiction. Since being on ‘modified bed rest’ for about three months now (is that ALL?) I have logged a lot of television hours.  I’m pretty bad when I’m not on bed rest. After working all day I’ll often walk through the door, put down my purse, and turn on the television. It’s not like I want to watch anything in particular, I just like having the background noise. I was a latchkey kid growing up so the TV was like a babysitter. It still is. Now that I’m on bed rest I spend roughly ½ my day watching cheesy TV – mostly HGTV design and real estate shows. You think that I’d get bored of hearing people say “I hate the paint colour” when looking at new houses (then re-paint, you ridiculous people!!) or “well, the master bedroom is kind of small” (when it’s at least twice as big as my own) but I don’t. I like seeing people make big decisions and be happy with their choices. My favourites are Sarah Richardson, Property Virgins, House Hunters and For Rent.  Thanks HGTV!!

Dr. Google

I have a love/hate relationship with the internet. As previously mentioned, I am so thankful for the internet because it allows me to read about other women's experiences. I thought I was the only 20 something year old with a uterine prolapse until I discovered websites like http://prolapse.hyperboards.com/index.php
It's an amazing feeling to know that you're not alone.
So, why the hate? I research everything. I mean EVERYTHING. Did I just feel a pain on my left side? Better 'google it' to see what's wrong. Low amniotic fluid levels? Better research what that means...
Researching is a way for me to feel like I have some modicum of control; however, it can also drive me crazy. I KNOW that most people only share their stories on the internet when something goes wrong and rarely when something goes right. But I want to feel like I know what's going on in my body. I don't think it's smart to blindly assume that what the doctors are saying is right. Doctors aren't always right. But it's also important to know when to avoid the internet.
Any ideas on how to do this? I'm hoping that starting this blog will help me to vent my fears and frustrations without relying upon doctor Google.
People always talk about trusting your 'gut'. I feel like my years of over-researching have prevented me from developing this gut feeling. It's something to work on.

My Story

Here goes…

I was born with a retroverted and prolapsed uterus. Retroverted, or ‘tilted’ uteruses are pretty common but prolapses are pretty rare in women who haven’t delivered a baby or two. I was born with a prolapse. It wasn’t too much of a big deal but it made wearing tampons impossible and I would get frequent urinary tract infections. In my early 20s I had a uterus suspension that lifted my uterus off my bladder. RELIEF!!! The surgery was fantastic and everything was great… until I got pregnant last year.

I have always wanted children and was thrilled to find out that I was pregnant; however, I knew that something was wrong from the start. I had really bad cramping and my ultrasound dates didn’t match the conception dates. The doctors kept telling me that I must be wrong about when my husband and I conceived but I definitely wasn’t. I KNEW. Unfortunately we lost the baby at 12 weeks. It was awful and I don’t like thinking about it; however, I’m mentioning the loss because my uterus, which WAS suspended nicely, came back down.  Helllloooooo urinary tract infections, painful sex, low back pain - goodbye comfort.

My husband and I knew that we wanted to try to have another baby as soon as it was safe to do so. After getting the ‘okay’ from a fertility specialist we started trying. Three months later we were pregnant!! Turns out that having a prolapse or retroverted uterus doesn’t really affect fertility. So there’s SOME good news J

This pregnancy felt different from the beginning. Our dates matched up and the baby was developing normally.

Then, about 16 weeks in, the contractions began. I know that it’s ‘normal’ for women to experience Braxton Hicks contractions throughout pregnancy but I was getting about 3 an hour and they were (are – I still get them) painful. I had to eventually take leave from work and I’ve been on modified bed rest since.

I’m now 26 weeks pregnant (Hallelujah!) and have been told I have an irritable uterus.  That means that I have frequent contractions but they don’t change my cervix. I’ve had many ultrasounds to measure my cervix length and everything looks good on that front.

What doesn’t look good? My amniotic fluid levels. My last ultrasound at 25 weeks revealed that the cervix was good and closed (3.5, woo hoo!) but my fluid levels were low. When my midwife told me this I assumed that it was no big deal but then I researched what it means and started to PANIC. Will my baby be born without functioning kidneys and lungs? Do I have a slow leak? I have so many questions that will hopefully be answered NEXT Thursday (6 days!!) after my ultrasound.

So there, you’re all caught up! Please feel free to contact me with questions about any of these issues. I’m in no way a doctor but I’ve been through a lot and would love to share my experiences with you.

I guess it's my turn!

I have spent the past 6 months on the computer. At least it feels that way. A good chunk of that time has been spent reading blogs and posts about high risk pregnancy. It’s incredibly comforting and reassuring to read other women’s stories – so I’ve decided that it’s my turn to start a blog. I’ve had a lot of weird issues with my ‘lady parts’ and I think that it would helpful for me to share my story.

So if you have questions about: 

1.       Prolapsed uterus

2.       Retroverted uterus

3.       Urinary tract infections

4.       Miscarriage

5.       Irritable uterus

6.       Low amniotic fluid

……………………………………………….. then you’ve come to the right place!!