High Risk

(This post is in no way hinting that I'm pregnant.  I'm not.  I'm just trying to find the best doctors and facilities before I get pregnant.)

This has been a LONG weekend, but as promised, here is an update from my new doctor!

The facility is amazing!  Everything is brand new and part of the building is actually still being finished.  They have free valet parking and security guards on site to help in any way needed.  They even directed me to where the office I needed to get to was.

As I entered the office, I felt peaceful.  It was really beautiful and there were at least four preggo women sitting in the waiting area.  That was actually reassuring.  I listened as the nurses would call back mother after mother and greet them by name at the door.  Ask them how they were, compliment their maternity clothing, ask about their other kids or husband.  It was nice.  But as they exchanged pleasantries, I wondered what their stories were.  I mean, there was a reason that each and every one of us were in that room together.  In the waiting room of a High Risk OB.

I noticed that after about seven women got called back that we hadn't noticed any of them coming out and I began to think that we were going to be there a while.  Just then, the door came open and they called me by name.  My greeting was different.  I was the only on there obviously NOT pregnant and new to the facility, so they kind of tiptoed around the pleasantries until we were in a semi-private location to take my weight and blood pressure (both were fine).

The nurse asked me a few basic questions about both of my pregnancies and asked about and birth defects in my family.  Her eyes got big when I boasted about my 8 lb 14 1/2 oz son who was born healthy at 39 weeks and she lost eye contact when I mentioned how different it was to hold my 28 week, 1 lb 11 oz daughter.  Then, she walked us to the consultation room where I saw that amazing photo and things got more personal.  She asked lots of questions, but had obviously read through the forms I filled out before my arrival.  She talked about my extreme swelling and weight gain and any other odd symptoms I had.  Then she said the doctor would be right in.
Immediately when he came in the room I knew Dr. BC would be the "one".  He greeted us while a smile and a handshake and got right to business.  I had two pages of questions to ask him, but decided a lot of the Lovenox questions could wait until I actually was ready to use the blood thinner.  So here, to the best of my ability, is a brief summary of what we decided.

*More than likely, I also suffered from pre-eclampsia that sat in between my 24 and 28 week Dr. visit (that is why it went un-noticed).

*I will take aspirin until around 18 weeks of all subsequent pregnancies and at that time add Lovenox blood thinners to the Rx.

*I will also need 1mg folate in addition to regular prenatal vitamins to counter the MTHFR.  Since I am heterozygous for the C677T variation, he did not think I am in need of extra B-6 or B-12.

*Dr C (who is my regular OB and only about 45 minutes from home) will see me every 2 weeks from the very begininng of subsequent pregnancies and at around 22 weeks I will see Dr C. one week and Dr BC (High Risk OB 2 hours away) the next week.  So I will see some one every week.  At around 30 weeks, I will see Dr C once a week and Dr BC once a week (for example: Dr C at 30 weeks and Dr BC at 30 1/2 weeks, then back to Dr C at 31 weeks and Dr BC at 31 1/2 weeks).  At this time, I will probably start having non-stress test and fetal monitoring at every visit. 

*Dr BC will do ultrasounds to monitor blood flow and if at anytime past 24 weeks he detects a clot, we will be monitored and delivered soon there after.

*If I reach 37 weeks with no signs of labor, clotting, and/or fetal distress, I will stop the blood thinners, an amnio will be done (to check fetal lung development) and if the baby's lungs look ready, I will deliver then.

*He said I could call anytime with questions and I feel very sure he is very proactive and hands-on.

So, over all, great news.  I know that there will be lots of driving near the end of future pregnancies, but it will all be worth it and I will have the peace of mind of being monitored very closely.

I just realized that while I am gushing over this new doc, I don't think I have ever blogged about my other experience with a perinatal specialist...

Ugh.  To summarize...back in October, just 7 weeks after my daughter was stillborn, Dr. O told me I would never know what happened to her because I chose not to have an autopsy.  He told me that, "If what I was telling him is true..." my son should be dead and I will probably experience this again.  He treated me like I was lying and told me that he would only see me 3 times in future pregnancies and never before 12 weeks because he didn't consider anything before 12 weeks a loss and basically didn't want to waste his time.

So after having something to compare the new Doc to, you can see why I'm so excited to be listened to and treated so compassionately! 

Now I know that when the time is right and God does bless us with another baby, I will have access to the best care available and two great Christian doctors.  I am so thankful to find both Dr C and Dr BC.