Groundhog Day

     Today felt like Groundhog Day to me.  Earlier this afternoon, I had my ultrasound and there were contingencies attached to the results.  If the placenta migrated away from my cervix, I could carry on with a normal pregnancy as if nothing was ever wrong.  I’d be able to deliver my baby naturally at full-term, or whenever Baby decided he was ready.  If the placenta started to move, but hadn’t quite cleared the cervix yet, I’d have another scan in a few weeks to check the progress.  If the placenta didn’t move at all, a C-section would be imminent, most likely at 37 weeks if the condition would allow the pregnancy to go on that long. 

     I expected the second option, where I would have to wait and see.  Wait and see has been the medical theme of my pregnancy so far.  Surprisingly, though, the real scenario was option 3.  Rose, the radiologist, pointed out the placenta up in black and white on the screen.  She then interpreted how my cervix was completely blocked.  The placenta couldn’t possibly be any more in the way.  It hadn’t moved at all since my original ultrasound nine weeks ago.  

     So what does this mean?  Well, I’m still waiting for a call from the clinic for the official medical prognosis.  But what I already know is the following:

• The previa will not resolve. Baby will have no way out other than through my abdomen.   
•  I will no longer be seeing the midwives.  Since I am now high-risk, I will be seeing the Big-Guns, aka the OB/GYN surgeons, exclusively.
• We will be scheduling the birth-surgery, most likely in early August if Baby stays put that long.  This leaves 8 more weeks of pregnancy for me.
• Previa can get ugly in the third trimester.    
•  Baby Boy will probably be premature.  

Daughter & me earlier today leaving our last day of ECFE Terrific Twos

    

     I’m still taking it all in.  I expect the next few days and weeks will be filled with equal parts of joy, excitement, and concern.  Baby looked great on the screen today.  He’s really cute.  Rose gave me a beautiful picture of him.  He’s become a lot more human-looking in the last nine weeks, with chubby cheeks even!  I think he’s going to pull through this just fine.  As I type, I’m feeling more concern for Daughter.  How will she react to Mom being laid up in the hospital?  I’m trying to decide how to prepare her for what’s going to happen without freaking her out too much.  How do I explain it to her without her then placing blame on her brother?  This will be the first of the delicate negotiations that come with having multiple offspring.