This Is a Miscarriage - Follow-Up 1

Well, I lied.  There will be more posts with this title.  :)

First of all, I want to say again a huge THANK YOU(!!) to all of you who have sent/paid for meals for us, sent sweet cards in the mail, and sent sweet messages/comments/emails via internet.  Even though I didn't reply to most individually, I just wanted to make sure you knew here that you will never know how encouraging and sweet each and every little thoughtful action was for me.  So, please...accept here my sincere and heartfelt thanks!!  We so appreciate you all.

It was 2 weeks yesterday that we found out about our last little baby no longer having a heartbeat.  You can read all of those posts starting here on Day 1.  Yesterday it was a week and 2 days since the official birth of the remains of that pregnancy (I wrote about it here).  Some other remains exited my body over the course of the few days after that.  But, that ended by last weekend.  So, yesterday I went ahead and went back to my midwife to see where we were in the whole process (I probably would've waited another week or two, by the way...but we have a few things coming up that necessitated this visit in making our plans). 

I had the ultrasound first.  Everything looks pretty good.  Doesn't seem to be any more placenta parts in there or anything.  My endometrium is still thick though.  My midwife said she had looked at all of my posts/pictures/videos.  And she was pretty positive, given my posts/pictures/videos and the ultrasound, that everything is out (as far as baby, sac, placenta).  But even though our baby died at technically 8 1/2 weeks, we didn't find that out until I was at the 'almost 2nd trimester' point.  And there were a few things that happened in there biologically because of that.  And because of that, for all intents and purposes, I would be considered 'almost 2nd trimester' and the process that occurs in order for the remains of the pregnancy in my uterus to be flushed out at 'almost 2nd trimester' sometimes just takes longer.  At this point, though, the only thing which remains is just that my endometrial lining needs to be flushed out, causing the thickness to return to normal.  I'm thankful for that.

She said that it's really unpredictable...as so much in miscarriage, or healthy pregnancy for that matter, is.  I had two options...to use a 'cervical ripening agent' (used to induce labor) or to just let nature take its course, however unpredictable and lingering it may be. 

I chose nature.  She said there's really no predicting what might happen.  I might have more heavy bleeding and cramping.  I might not have any of that, go back in a few weeks and do an ultrasound, and find that my body has just 'reabsorbed' all of the lingering signs of pregnancy I still have as of today.  I might experience something somewhere in the middle of those two possibilities.

So, we shall see.  I am no longer actively bleeding.  For some of you men, this might be a bit TMI.  But...when I go to the bathroom, there is always blood there when I clean myself.  But, none of it travels out.  For instance, I am no longer even wearing a pad or anything, as of this past weekend.  I add this type of information for those of you finding this blog and wanting details about what a miscarriage might be like. 

We did some bloodwork yesterday too...just making sure to see where my HCG, H&H, etc. levels are.  I'll go back to see the midwife in 6 weeks.  All should be back to normal then...we will confirm that with that visit (another ultrasound).  I will also have a regular yearly exam at that point...including more bloodwork, etc. 

So, there you have it.  Just wanted to update you all.  I do pray that the remainder of what needs to be done is done in a timely fashion...specifically within the next week - 10 days is my hope.  Please pray for that with me.  Thank you!!