News from my doctor

As I wrote last week I had emailed my doctor to ask questions about the placenta being so close to the cervix.

I asked her about the risk of the placenta coming out first. She said that since it is not over the cervix that it would come out first. This eased my mind a little about Asher's chances of being born alive. If it doesn't come out first then he should be just fine.

Then I asked about the possibility of it tearing and bleeding and that causing harm to Asher. Many of the things I had read about the low lying placenta was that if you bend wrong or pick something heavy up you could tear. With the earlier bleeding in my pregnancy and the bed rest time because of the SCH I was very concerned that more bleeding could happen. I don't want anything to happen to Asher especially if I can prevent it. She promised me that my low lying placenta would not cause harm to Asher. She didn't tell me not to do anything but I know she knows I have been very careful since the SCH.

I also asked about the placenta's movement. I asked if it would move in the right direction since it seems to have moved in the wrong direction. She said that as the uterus gets bigger with the baby that the placenta should move up with it. I really hope so. My body doesn't seem to be cooperating correctly though. I have heard so many stories of it actually going down more rather then up. I am still not sure what to think about that.

So for now I am just going to try to limit lifting more and try not to stress too much. If I feel off I will go back to couch time and will try to rest. I know that is what is best for Asher. I wish I was able to run and dance and go out more with Asher the way I was able to with Nels. Nels got to do so many things inside me. I pray that Asher will be able to do some of those things outside of me. I want him to have a good life surrounded by love and filled with God's blessings.

Dear Lord, I once again give Asher and this situation over to you. I know that no matter which direction the placenta goes that Asher is in your hands and protected by your love. I pray that you will lead and guide me and help me to do what is best for Asher in this time. You have given me such a blessing to be able to carry another precious little one on the inside. I pray that Asher will get to spend lots of time with us on the outside and that he will grow up to be a man after your heart. In Jesus name, amen!

What else?

Today during our 24 week ultrasound we got some more news that threw us off. Asher still has the EIF on his heart. It is very visible on the ultrasound pictures. I had them take a picture of it for Chris so that he would be able to see what I was talking about.

The ultrasound tech told us that most of the time, even if there was something bad going on, that the EIF will disappear before birth and that it does not effect the function of the heart. My doctor reassured me that it wasn't a problem and that Asher was doing really well.

He is now measuring right on schedule again. Everything measuring right for his age. That is good as well! What is concerning now is that the placenta is only 1 centimeter from my cervical Os... the whole where the baby will come out.

I would have asked my doctor more about it had she not been on call today. She got paged for an emergency right at the beginning of the appointment so not many questions were asked today. She did tell me though that baby Asher was at the viable stage now. What that means is if for some reason he had to be born right away he has a very good likelihood of survival now.

We did get some better profile pictures this time and Asher is now head down which is good too. He followed his mommies directions and turned over. Good job Asher! You are a smart little one! :)

So tonight I emailed some questions to my doctor. I had done some reading about the placenta being close to the cervix and it can cause some pretty major complications. Bleeding and survival issues for the baby as well as the mom. I hope that she will have time to answer my questions some time before my next appointment which isn't until the end of September.

One thing that it said on the internet was that if the placenta is too close and comes out before the baby then the baby will not make it. I hate thinking about that. I don't want to loss another little boy. I don't think I could handle that. I know God is ultimately in control but I keep getting more and more news that is scary.

Please God help my placenta move up quickly so that Asher won't be in danger! Fill me with your peace that passes understanding and help me to focus on what you want me to be doing right now in your service. In Jesus name Amen!

Two weeks since the last blog sorry!

Wow... times flies when you are moving!  For the last two weeks we have been busy getting ready to move... signing papers... fixing last minute things... then moving and unpacking.  I had been so stressed about all the closing stuff and all the moving stuff that I didn't have time to go to the library and write in the blog.  I feel bad about that.

So much has been going on!  We moved our things into our house last weekend.  Since then I have been unpacking and organizing.  Then our house finally closed and we got our keys yesterday.  Also we got our internet service yesterday!  Praise God!   Now we will be able to get some more work done online!  That is so good!

A month with no regular internet was starting to drive me nuts.  Now I can take some time and get all caught up!  Next up... 23 week update on Asher!  

Asher at 21 weeks news of an EIF

On Tuesday we had the 21 week ultrasound for Asher.  The first thing they took pictures of was  his heart... then his head... then back to his heart.  They told me that his heart rate was 154.   Next they looked at his kidneys and bladder and said that they looked healthy.  They then showed me his boy parts once again to prove to me he was who we named him.  I didn’t really see the parts in the last ultrasound.  I was too upset to look.

After that they went back to his heart.  I figured they were just looking at different parts of the heart at first... but with more and more pictures taken of the heart I began to be concerned.  My mom asked if the heart looked ok.  The ultrasound tech said yes it looks fine and then went on to measure his legs and his belly. 

Then as always the ultrasound tech went out to talk to the radiologist about the pictures to make sure they are all what they needed and that the pictures are good.  Well, when she came back in she said she needed more pictures.  I asked her also to take some pictures for Chris because she hadn’t given me any or taken any cute pictures of Asher.

So when she began again she went straight to the heart again.  I knew in my spirit that something was wrong and that there was something in the heart that they were looking at even though they wouldn’t say anything about it.  My heart sank.  So my Asher’s kidneys and bladder looked good but something is wrong in his heart... why are my little boys under attack.  What is wrong this time?

When I got in my doctors office for the doctor’s visit after the ultrasound she said the baby looked good and that he was doing good.  I then asked about his heart.  My doctor  said she didn’t want to tell me about it and have me worry but since I asked she told me that Asher has an Echocentric Intracardiac Focus.

EIF is normally associated with an increased risk for Downs Syndrome and Trisomy 18.  It however can be associated with other genetic disorders as well.  

My Doctor told me that since I had the integrated screening earlier that tests for genetic disorders that this EIF is just like a genetic marker no different then having blue eyes.  I of course was not satisfied with this answer and wanted to research more... but with lack of internet I knew that it would take a while and I wouldn’t be able to do it until the next day.  So I went to the library Wednesday to look up EIF online.  

I wasn’t able to do in-depth research yet but from what I have found Downs Syndrome is not the only thing at EIF is a marker for but it is a major one for Downs.  But there needs to be more markers to make it a diagnosis.  

My doctor went over my integrated blood screen with me to show me that it wasn’t very likely that Asher would have Downs.  She told me at my age chances are 1 in 100 for Downs.  Then She told me that my blood tests gave me the results of 1 in 7000 but that the EIF made it down to a 1 in 6500 chance.

1 in 6500 doesn’t seem like a very big chance to most people I am sure... especially compared with my age risk factor which was 1 in 100.  To me though it is a very scary thought.  When we found out that baby Nels had PUV that was a 1 in 8000 chance.  1 in 8000 is bigger then 1 in 6500.  

Then my doctor told me that there needs to be other markers for it to mean anything.  She said my blood tests would have been different and that they would be looking for slow growth in the baby.  Short arms and legs.  This is one area that makes me feel a little better.  Asher’s leg measurements were almost 2 weeks ahead!  My doctor told me that he’s a tall boy.  Long legs!  Grow Asher Grow!  Although they will be keeping an eye on his measurements for me.  So now not only will they be doing close looks at the Kidneys and bladder to make sure he doesn’t get PUV but they will be also be looking at his heart to make sure nothing goes wrong there.

I know that we really need to trust in God on this and pray that Asher’s heart will heal and that the EIF will go away.  I did some reading that said that EIF’s could go away by the third trimester.  My next ultrasound isn’t for 4 weeks.  That is a long time for me to wait.  I know that I will be busy during those weeks getting our home ready for Asher so I think that will help... but I really wish there was something that can be done sooner.

They keep telling me that to really measure growth well you have to wait four weeks.  So this time 4 weeks is what we got.  My doctor said that if there was any problems that I could always come in before then.  I am praying for no problems.

Lord God, I come to you in the name of Yeshua, Jesus Christ your son and ask for you to do a mighty work in baby Asher’s life.  Lord I ask that you heal him and set him free from the EIF.  Lord Please make the calcium deposit disappear and make his heart strong and healthy.  Give him a healthy life filled with your grace, mercy and love Lord.  Help him to grow up to be a man who worships and praises you.  In Jesus name, Amen!

Lost without my internet!

I am missing out on sharing very much about Asher or helping others because I have only had internet every once and awhile during this whole moving process!  I am completely frustrated about that because I found out that someone joined our PUV group and it took me 2 weeks to get back to them.  I feel so bad about that!  It is just awful to me.  I like to be on top of things and it is my desire to help others who are experiencing PUV pregnancies... but without the internet it has made it very hard to support others from long distance.

I found out today that it is going to be a whole extra week until our house is done.  Uggghhhhh!  That is so frustrating.  That keeps me without internet for another 2 weeks except when I go to the Library or borrow my brothers.  Right now I am in the Library.  Although it is quite here it is hard to concentrate on my writing when people are walking around me.  I am praying that they just exaggerated and that the house may be done a bit sooner.  That would be wonderful!  I could really use a boost!

Asher is doing well as far as I know.  I haven't felt him much because of the placenta position but I do feel him at times when I least expect it.  I keep checking him with my doppler every couple days though to make sure his heart rate is going good and to make sure he is moving around.  Yesterday when I checked on him his heart rate was 152 and he had the hiccups.  Poor little guy... but it is  good that he had the hiccups because that shows he is using his lungs and building them up.  Although his big brother was the king of hiccups and his lungs did not get big enough.

Tomorrow is our next ultrasound.  It is a repeat anatomy ultrasound to check and make sure he doesn't have PUV like Nels did.  I am praying so hard that he will be born healthy.  It is hard though because I keep thinking about how healthy and how good they told me Nels was doing up until 28 weeks.  Wednesday will be 21 weeks for Asher.  I don't know how I am supposed to stop being concerned about the chances of PUV.  I know that my doctor doesn't want me to worry about it at this time but what happened last year was so hard on us that it has left us a bit weary.

Well I guess I should go now... as I am at the Library.  I will try to get back in later this week with new pictures of Asher.    

Lord God, please be with me tomorrow as I go to my appointment.  Lead and guide the doctor and the ultrasound technician.  Help them to see everything they should see and help the appointments go well.  Please make sure that baby Asher is well taken care of.  In Jesus name, Amen!