Wednesday, June 09, 2004

I tell you I don't really feel that different. My breasts are a touch fuller and less sore than normal, I'm late, I had a touch more of acne on my chin (but I get a little of that during PMS usually), slight crampy feelings and feeling full like just before my period. I kept asking my partner "what if we are?" and he would say "do you think you are" and I would say "I don't feel like it but I've never been before".

The expected due date falls right around my sister's birthday in February and she's in training to become a doula. When I told her she said that she'd have to come back from France (she's going to be teaching there next year) to help attend the birth.

Things that may have helped (other than luck, God and timing):

Iron supplements
Acupuncture
Happier about work, more fulfilled
Meditation
Giving up hope
Chiropractic adjustments (to help heal my back from falling down the stairs 2 months ago and also problems from a car accident 4 years ago)
Lots of prayers from family, and friends

With my fibroid my uterus was already estimated to be comparable to a 4 month pregnancy (crazy I know) but I'm thin and it is amazing how much extra stuff you can fit in the abdomen without it showing. If this holds then I imagine I'll start showing sooner rather than later. Risks with the fibroid are:

Blood supply to the embryo/fetus/placenta can be compromised since fibroids are so demanding. This can happen even if the placenta isn't placed over the fibroid and can result in miscarriage.

The fibroid can go through rapid growth because of the pregnancy hormones. This can cause the fibroid to outgrow its blood supply and some of the fibroid tissue starts to die and this is supposed to be quite painful. I've heard of women having to be on bed rest and narcotics for 1-3 weeks because of this. Still, some fibroids don't grow during pregnancy, and some even shrink.

The fibroid can cause premature labor which can result in a preemie or in a pregnancy loss. There are no guarantees.

I'm feeling lucky though somehow. Let's just keep praying that it’s all good.

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