Complicated Pregnancy

Stacy - posted on 03/13/2009

Thanks

Sara - posted on 03/12/2009

Stacy, I have not heard of this condition, but let me tell you that I had a complicated pregnancy as well and everything turned out fine for me and my baby. I think the doctor's give you worst case scenario situations to cover themselves, but I also think that they can make it sound so much worse than it may turn out to be. Obviously, you do need to follow their advice. But I found that my doctor's freaked me out during my entire pregnancy only to have things turn out ok in the end. Hang in there, take care of yourself and your baby and try to stay positive that you and your little baby will make it though this. Good luck to you!

Stacy - posted on 03/12/2009

I am 12 weeks right now and they can not give me a time frame yet as to when I will deliver. They say it will all depend on the baby. Obviously they want me to go as long as I can but if there gets to be too much stress i would imagine that they would take it then.

Carrie - posted on 03/12/2009

How many weeks are you at this point? And when are they expecting to deliver you?

Stacy - posted on 03/12/2009

I don't really know much more than what you may have read. From what the Dr. explained, I was pregnant with twins but due to the way the umbilical cords developed both babies were being supplied off of the same one. With that happening the first baby was supplied with oxygenated blood and the second wa supplied with deoxygenated blood. Because of this the first baby developed as it should but the second did not. Everything I have read indicates that the second baby develops pretty much from the waist down. There is no head, no heart, etc.... So really it is not a baby, but a mass of tissue. The main concern that I am getting from the Dr. is that the tissue from the second baby will continue to grow as it is still being supplied with blood. Because of this it will put extra strain on the baby very possibly causing it to go into heart failure. He did mention that there is an expeerimental procedure that can be done in some cases to try to cut off the blood supply to the tissue that would stop its growth. But it is not done where I live and more than likely my insurance would not cover it. They have also told me that I will not carry to term and so they are going to show me around the NICU and introduce me to all of the staff. What I read indicated that there is a possibility that I could miscarry and the Dr. told me that since I have in the past I am of course at greater risk for it happening again. There is a good chance of mental and physical disabilities. I am told that very close monitoring will be done to try to ensure that no undue stress is put on the baby or me and that they can try to catch any early sings of problems. Other than that....I guess that is all I know. I am seeing a perionatologist at one of our bigger hospitals. He specializes in high-risk pregnancies, and according to him and his staff, in 30+ years I am only the 3rd or 4th case they have seen. So at least I am not the first but they still haven't seen it enough to be really informed on what is going on either.

Heather - posted on 03/11/2009

I just looked up the condition...it sounds pretty scary.  What have you learned about it and has your doctor recommended options for you?  I had never heard of it before I read your post so I really can't give you any info on it.  However, I'm here if you need a listening ear.