Tag: motherhood

Hope in the Valley of the Sun

Published on by onesource4wellness14 Comments

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This past Monday afternoon, Frank and I had our first 2nd trimester cervical screen where they measure the length of your cervix. I approached the appointment with minimal apprehension, assuming all would be well.

Our ultrasound technician surprised us with another peek at our little ones, and all was well. Everyone continues to have strong heart beats and are growing appropriately. They also have nestled into their locations, which makes identifying babies much easier for the trained eye. To me, it just looks like a big slumber party.

After we got to check-in on our little miracles they performed a trans-vaginal ultrasound to examine my cervix. The tech’s tone at this point completely changed. She measured it at least ten times and would not relay any information. Frank and I had no idea what was ahead, but we got a sense when we were walked down the hall to what was clearly a “bad news room” that that is what awaited us.

We just looked at each other as we waited for the doctor to come and see us, trying to figure out what was so wrong. When the doctor arrived he relayed that my cervix was 1.2 to 1.6cm in length, where ideally it would be greater than 3cm at 19 weeks into pregnancy, or at least 2.5cm. He then informed us that pre-term labor was inevitable within the next 3-4 weeks and there was nothing we could do about it.  I inquired about bed rest, medications, inversion and cerclage (the stitching of the cervix); he said there was nothing we could do to help, nothing. Then, the tears started to flow, and flow, and flow for the next 2 days… Until!

Until, I was praying on Wednesday morning asking for clarity and that my mind would quiet so, I could hear His still small voice granting me direction. The thought of simply being a ticking time bomb awaiting an ugly delivery was angering and fearful. Then, I remembered that His perfect love casts out all fear and that I needed to rely on His love which has been with us since day one of this journey. I calmed down and realized that we were not helpless, we definitely still had several choices.

I then hopped on Facebook and extended a question to my other momma’s of multiples and the answer was clear: We needed to switch doctors, get a cerclage and consider moving to Arizona. As scary as all of that may sound to someone who does not enjoy being away from her husband and family, traveling, or being awake during surgical procedures (aka me), I was at complete peace. I picked up the phone and called the best high order perinatalogist in the country.

He continued to build upon this renewed optimism, but also made it clear that time was our enemy and if we were going to save our pregnancy it needed to happen by Friday, or in 2 days. So, one door opened after another and I am now writing this post from a hospital bed in Mesa, Arizona awaiting my cerclage in 3 hours.

My devotional this morning read:

“8 By faith Abrahsunriseam, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country…11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[a] considered him faithful who had made the promise.” (Hebrews 11:8-9, 11)

I am certainly in a place that recognize as an inheritance from God. It is a promised land filled with proactive, compassionate physicians and kind, optimistic nurses. Though I am of childbearing age, I was enabled to bear children only by his grace. This assurance of faith and God’s love has certainly restored our hope here in the Valley of the Sun.

Woes and Wishes of the First Trimester

Published on by onesource4wellness8 Comments

The first trimester poses something new with each week. The two-week wait presents great anticipation of finding out whether you have been part of the miracle of conception, as well as, the opportunity to strengthen your patience. In week three and four you begin to realize that your body is certainly not your own. As your blood volume begins to increase your heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate all tend to also increase, which left me exhausted and out of breath. It is amazing how nature has a way of slowing down even the busiest of all the bees. Then, come the GI (gastrointestinal or belly) woes. Bloating, indigestion and the beloved “morning” sickness all of which can be attributed to the hormones that are bouncing around like Flubber. My biggest woe has certainly been “morning” sickness, which for me has been 24/7 nausea.  I am very grateful that everything has stayed down, because we know every nutrient counts. I’d love to take a moment to share my tried and true tips for nausea.

The Do’s and Do Not’s of Morning Sickness

  • Do take 60-100mg of extra vitamin B6 everyday.
  • Do get your hands on ginger chews and ginger tea.
  • Do have your own stash of seltzer water and salty snacks on your person at all times…in your purse, car, desk, bag and table next to your bed.
  • Do get fresh air. For me, there was nothing like taking a walk around the block.
  • Do try a cold cloth on your forehead and back of neck.
  • Do stay hydrated with ice cold water.
  • Do purchase Seabands…they rock.
  • Don’t eat really fatty or smelly foods. The high fat foods take a long time to digest which delay transit time. Smelly foods (spicy foods, fish, etc) can trigger the nausea center in your brain, which usually doesn’t end well.
  • Don’t become constipated. If you can help to keep that train running you will prevent the intestinal traffic jam that can cause a nasty back-up. Focus on whole grains and fruits and vegetables that you can tolerate.
  • Don’t eat foods that don’t sound good. Food aversions are odd to me. Foods you love can quickly become foods that you cannot even think twice about. Don’t force it, save them for later because this too shall pass.
  • Don’t wait until you are hungry to eat. Establish a meal pattern, such as every 2-3 hours. An empty stomach is not your friend.

Alright, thank you for entertaining my list. Hopefully, some of you find it helpful. Onto a few more woes and wishes. During week 8, my nausea began to subside, which was scary for me because up until that point that’s how I knew I was not alone. My greatest fear at this point remains miscarriage. So, I am highly cognoscente of my signs and symptoms. This fear only escalated during week 9, this is a warning that if you’re grossed out by lady talk skip on to the next paragraph.  During week 9, I started spotting. It is really frightening to bleed during pregnancy, because I immediately think Aunt Flow has come for a visit and she doesn’t visit pregnant folks. I called my docs and they assured me that as long as it is not accompanied by cramping or back pain and does not increase in flow that everything is alright. I’ve heard a variety of reasons for bleeding during pregnancy, including:

  • Implantation
  • Placenta Formation and Attachment
  • Blood clots created during placenta formation
  • Bursting of blood vessels
  • Uterine growth and contractions

My plan is to keep a close eye on things and make a follow-up to ensure that everything is alright, so please be praying for this.

My greatest wish at this point is to make it to 32-34 weeks miscarriage free because I know at that point my babies have the best chance of a handicap free life.  I also hope and pray that I can create the ideal environment in my belly for their growth and development.

All of these woes and wishes, hit me pretty hard on the way to work yesterday. Then, I was blessed by a song on the radio; “I need you now, how many times” by Plumb. Amazing song and exactly what I needed to hear.  I hope it inspires you, too!

Written by: Cassie Vanderwall

The Announcement…explained.

Published on by onesource4wellnessLeave a comment

Sharing the news that you are going to have a baby is an exciting opportunity; sharing the news that you are going to have five babies is seriously five times as exciting! We decided to share this news with our family and very close friends the day of our first ultrasound. We sat in the car after that quintessential moment and contemplated how we would share with each individual. Everyone was as lost for words as we were, and their support was also breath-taking. Since that day, the thoughts, kind words, prayers and support and have not ceased to bless us. My dad even lit individual candles for our five miracles, and my mom texts 7 hugs to us every night!

Five heartfelt prayers for five little miracles
Five heartfelt prayers for five little miracles

We welcome the opportunity to share this news with the world yesterday. It was a difficult decision to share this so early in the pregnancy (8 weeks). But, with risks being so high we know we are going to need all the prayers we can get!

More to come on our first visit with the perinatalologists…