How I Got Here

***WARNING CERVIX TALK AHEAD. STOP NOW IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH OR CAN"T BEAR DISCUSSION OF LADY PARTS****

Until a few weeks ago, I was having what I thought was a normal pregnancy. My first trimester was marked by constant nausea, intense desires to eat nothing but certain fruits, and an equal mix of excitement, anxiety, and apprehension. Keeping my pregnancy secret was difficult, and I didn't do an exceptionally good job at it.

My second trimester started with a bang, or rather a quick hard fall on the stairs outside my office buildling. I had myself checked out, and while the baby looked fine and there was nothing immediate to be concerned about, I started having regular cramping that I was told were normal Braxton Hicks contractions.

At 17 weeks, a random series of events (I'll get into that more later) led to me being diagnosed with "Incompetent or Insufficient Cervix", which means that for some reason, my cervix is too short, and doesn't provide an adequate seal to hold the baby in. Here's how someone described it to me:

"OK, most pregnant women have a cervix like a tupperware container- with a tight seal. Yours is more like an off-brand sandwich baggie that hasn't been sealed all the way. As the baby gets bigger, your risk of pre-term labor gets greater and greater"

We count ourselves as extremely lucky. Most women with incompetent cervix are diagnosed not clinically like me, but after they suffer one or more late-term miscarriages, usually around 20 weeks. I believe we were probably headed in that direction, and am so thankful I was spared that agony. Our baby is extremely healthy, growing like crazy, and starting to kick and move in a feelable way. That's so reassuring.

I was also diagnosed with an "Irritable Uterus", which simply means I am prone to cramps, and later in the pregnancy, contractions.

So, here's what my awesome team of doctors is doing about it all:

***GRAPHIC CERVIX TALK AHEAD- TURN BACK NOW, SQUEAMISH FRIENDS***

Last week, I had a procedure called a cerclage. While under general anesthesia, my cervix was stitched closed to help prevent pre-term labor. Oh, I know. This sounds absolutely barbaric. It surprises me that in 2012, our solution is still so simple: "Can't keep the baby in? Sew her closed!" But they say it works, or at least helps, and frankly my alternative was strict bed rest FOR THE REST OF MY PREGNANCY (20 weeks) so that was a no-brainer.

I'm still looking at a substantial chunk of bed-rest anyway, hence this blog. I'm hoping it's around 5 weeks, with an increase of priveleges over the course of that time, leading up to a return to work.

I'll probably be on activity restriction my entire pregnancy. I had pictured being active- walking daily, going to spin class and pilates. I even bought maternity bike shorts, never envisioning an outcome like this. We'll see what happens later in the pregnancy, but for now, I'm benched. Sidelined. Bed rest for me means on my back or side, with as much pressure off my pelvis as possible. No sitting, no walking around. No cooking, no cleaning. It's hard to imagine. Today is day 11. It's a little like Groundhog Day.

Coming up! Discussion about my bed rest rules, my bed rest plans, my bed rest habits, and everything else.
Thanks for stopping by.