Fight on, Rocky.

This week I was planning a big Pregnancy Post! A post about how the first 14 weeks went! Adventures in progesterone! Morning sickness day to night! Ups and downs and highs and lows OH MY!

But then yesterday happened. And now I don't really know where to start. So I guess I'll just begin with yesterday and catch up on the rest when I can (be warned, TMI follows. Not for the squeamish. Skip to the end for the good part. And just so you know, this all turned out ok).

Long story short, we had a scare yesterday morning. When I woke up and went to the bathroom I passed a clementine-sized blood clot. When you're pregnant, seeing any type of blood is frightening, and seeing a clot that large immediately sounded the alarm. I called my doctor, I called John (in hysterics), I called a friend and I called my mom-in-law. My doctor wanted to see me as soon as I could get there, John rushed home from a breakfast meeting, our friend came over to watch Syd until Grandma could get there.

Soon after we arrived at Dr. G's office, he did an ultrasound and it gave us great comfort to see that the baby, who we have nicknamed "Rocky" because of what a fighter he's been, was alive and kicking. My amniotic fluid and uterus still looked good. My cervix, however, was slightly open and was the source of the bleeding. Dr. G wanted to know more about why I was bleeding, so we were went sent next door to the hospital to our perinatologist, Dr. T. Before he left he mentioned that there was the possibility of bed rest or surgery. I started to cry at some point during the visit and Dr. G reached out and gave me a hug. He is a wonderful doctor ... we are so thankful for the medical care that I have received during this pregnancy!

We went next door to see Dr. T, who is apparently one of the top perinatologists in the country (big city perk! He is the same doctor who did our ultrasound just last Friday. He has a high definition ultrasound machine that is SO COOL). That visit revealed that everything still looked ok, but I do have a low-lying placenta, which was the cause of the bleeding. The hope is that it will resolve itself by migrating upward soon, and my strict orders are to rest (I am NOT on bed rest, just restricted from doing anything strenuous). As of today I'm 14 weeks, 3 days pregnant.

***

At the end of our visit with Dr. T, he asked us if we had a boy or girl at home. We told him we had a girl. And then he asked if we knew the gender of this baby. To which we replied "no," because the baby was jumping around too much last week to tell. We asked if he could tell the gender. He said yes! (he does after all have that fancy hi-def machine!) And then there was a long pause.

So I said: "Dr. T! You're keeping us in suspense! Is it a boy or girl?"

"I don't know yet! I need to look." And with that he busted the belly ultrasound wand back out. And moved it around.

Then he put it away, and started cleaning the gel off my stomach. He told me that he wanted to see me in four weeks, that I should be on pelvic rest until then, that I needed to take it easy for at least a week, etc.

"Uhm, Dr. T? Is it a boy or a girl?"

Another long pause.

"Well, maybe ... probably it's a boy." My husband and I looked at each other, puzzled.

"Oh, did you not get a good look? What exactly does that mean? How sure are you?"

"Well ... I'm about 98 percent sure. Here's an ultrasound photo with the penis circled."

*We both erupt in joyous laughter* I high five my husband and proclaim "I WAS RIGHT!" (I have wondered this entire pregnancy if it's a boy. It feels so different to be pregnant this time around!)

We left the office on a cloud. We went straight to a doughnut shop and called our families to tell them to expect a nephew/grandson. It was so much fun!! And a very high note to end on after a crazy morning.

***

Ups and down have been status quo for this pregnancy. It's not the first time I've had bleeding. From the beginning my progesterone levels tested low and I had to be on progesterone suppositories for two months ... the side effects of those were that I felt like a hung-over zombie for two months straight. I've had to be on best rest once already. We are so thankful for the medical intervention and the superior care we have received to keep this pregnancy going. Still, from week to week we have worried that we would lose this baby, and with every check up our "Rocky" keeps fighting back and refuses to give up. And so we are taking our cues from him, from our son. We won't quit fighting for him either.

 

Please pray with us for our Rocky, that he would be born healthy in his due time. We already love him so much and can't wait to meet him!

(and no, we are not really going to name him Rocky. We just like to nickname our babies before they were born. Remember Little Buddy?)

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Comments

[Ashley]

Yay for little boys! I will pray that he continues to fight and the rest of your pregnancy goes smoothly. After all, Little Buddy is going to need someone to pass all her awesome T-shirts down to!

[Rachel]

Boys are great!

i'm sorry you are having trouble again, hang in there. I'll be praying for Rocky!

[Sara]

Go Rocky go! So glad things worked out like they did. My thoughts are with you.

[Elsha]

Glad things are okay. You guys will be in my prayers.

Also, yay for boys! I am loving the big sister/little brother combination.

[Caroline]

Manda- I have been praying for you since yesterday,specifically that your cervix would stay shut. And hold that babe of yours tightly, I will . My sis had some bleeding in her pregnancy as well.

[Creepy Mommy]

*LOVE*

So happy things turned out okay! Sending all my good ju-ju your way! Let's go ROCKY!

[larmar]

You and your hubs are powerful witnesses of Christ, Manda. I admire your strength!

Prayers are being said for a healthy bouncy (and yes, literally bouncy... he'll need to be with a big sis ready to welcome him to the world!) baby boy!!

[anne nahm]

What a wonderful post! I am so happy for you all. Yay, Rocky!

[Courtney]

Lots of love and prayers being sent your way...a girl at my school named her son Rocky...and cue the theme music!

[Dana]

I had the same problems... Low progesterone, low lying placenta... It scared me to death every time I had bleeding... After two weeks of "reduced activity" it migrated to where it was supposed to be... Still I remember what a basket case I was! You all are in my prayers!