It's ALIVE!

I'm very happy to tell you all that todays ultrasound went well. Not only was there a heartbeat (cue my exhaling for the first time in weeks), but Baby Cactus Bud was wiggling all around too. It doesn't show in the picture very well, but at different points during the scan I could see all four limbs, the spine, even a hand that seemed to be going to the face. It was really surreal to see the image on the screen. I seriously could've watched it all day.

This is the third different doctor I've been to for this pregnancy, not counting the ER trip. Thankfully from now on (hopefully) I'll be going to the same building with the same 'team'. I'd like to try and get the same doctor if I can as I liked her, but I'd like to meet them all since I don't know who'll be delivering when the time comes. With the change in doctor came a change in my due date. Again. I'm now back to October 15th, the date that comes up if you go by my last menstrual period. October 15th is also exactly what the baby was measuring, 11w5d.

The bulk of the appointment was going over my history. I'm happy to say that not only did the doctor have a clue about my history, but the nurse that weighed me in did too. I was totally expecting to have to tell them about the miscarriage, it was nice to only have to add on how far along I was at the time.

After the history was done, they tried to do an annual exam. I had one at my civilian doctors in January...but they don't have access to the records. Whatever. The ultrasound was going to be vaginal anyways, so I knew I was already going to spot. If you *need* to do a pap, knock yourself out. I warned them that I think I have a sensitive cervix and that I was pretty sure it would bleed with that...but they wanted to try. Lets just say that the doctors reaction to how sensitive my cervix is involved the word "Wow". She ended up throwing in the towel on the pap smear (so much blood it would come back inconclusive from the lab) and gave me paperwork for my medical records to be sent to them. Ha! Told ya! I've now been officially diagnosed as having a 'very sensitive cervix'. As much as it sucks to know I'll be spotting pretty bad in the next day or so, I'm pretty happy that they came to the same conclusion I did about the spotting and that its nothing that will threaten the pregnancy. Unfortunately, she says I'm stuck with it for the duration of the pregnancy. Kind of a bummer, but I'll take it in a heartbeat if it means a baby in the end.

I asked the doctor how my heart-shaped uterus will play into things moving forward. She said that with anatomy like mine, the trick is usually getting pregnant. This surprised me as I seem to get pregnant pretty easily (50% of the months we tried), its staying pregnant that is more challenging for me. From what she said it didn't sound like she anticipates my having higher chances for early delivery or a c-section. Very good news.

She said all my bloodwork came back normal (at the first appointment they took A LOT of blood and a urine sample). I was sent for another blood draw today, this one to go with the NT scan which is next week.

I ended up having a job interview this afternoon, so my shopping spree for clothes that actually fit had to be put off till tomorrow. Looking forward to it more than I thought I would. I'll also likely be pulling the trigger on a home doppler soon too. I figure it will ease my worries in the month between doctor visits and will come in handy at the end of the pregnancy when the kid can't move much.

My next appointment is April 7th for the NT scan. The next regular appointment I have is May 9th. That will just be a doppler check and Q&A time.

Heart Shaped Box

Before I go any further, PLEASE tell me someone gets the song reference in the title of the post. I'll feel really old if nobody does.

I had my first appointment with my new provider this morning. All-in-all it was as expected. We went over history. She estimated my due date. Based on the u/s that I had in the ER a few weeks back apparently we're looking at October 17th rather than the 15th. A couple of days later than LMP is expected due to my late ovulation (see chart), so whatever. They scheduled me for my first shot at hearing the heartbeat (FINALLY!), and then sent me to the vampires in the lab for blood draws and peeing in a cup.


As of right now, my first chance at seeing a heartbeat won't be until March 31st. I'll be about 11.5 weeks. Ironically, I'll be getting a NT Scan at a different hospital (the u/s tech that does them at the military hospital is deployed) at roughly the same time (11-13 weeks). I'll be waiting what feels like an eternity for an u/s, and then getting two in two weeks time. Figures.



******

Now for the big news of the day. Apparently I have what they are deeming a Bicornate Uterus. I knew at my ER visit at 6 weeks that they were looking at the possibility, but I had no idea it was official. I'm honestly kind of suspecting its the fibroid I've been told is there growing and distorting things, but they are right to be conservative.


For those that don't know, a bicornate uterus is basically one with a partial division down the center. There are two common shapes to a bicornate uterus. Heart-shaped and two horned. I'm the heart-shaped variety. I don't have an image of my own yet, so here is the closest I could find on the internet to what I saw during my u/s.

A three-dimensional image that demonstrates a heart-shaped bicornuate uterus. Fundal indentation is well seen (arrow), as well as the widely divergent horns (asterisks) with a single cervix (arrowhead). (Image and explanation courtesy of: http://tinyurl.com/4gnr7zd)

From what I've been able to find online, the biggest risks are:
*Miscarriage if implantation happens in a region of the uterus where growth would be too restricted.

*Early delivery due to space restrictions.

*Cesarean section due to breech/transverse presentation. Basically the shape of the the uterus can restrict the baby being able to flip into a head-down position for delivery.

I've also found examples on the internet of women going full term and doing natural deliveries, so I'm just taking it as something they'll be watching closely. We'll deal with potential complications as we go. I've already got a list going for questions to ask the doctor. Right now I'm just trying to remind myself that this is the same pregnancy as it was yesterday, I'll just be watched more closely now. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was concerned though. Its scary being told your pregnancy is now deemed risky enough that they are sending you to the Big Dogs to be watched more closely. The same place that you were told just weeks ago was for "high risk" only. *Gulp*