Scared...

When I set out to write this blog I wanted it to be a true representation of the experiences that E and I were going through during the pregnancy. I have to admit that the last few days have been very trying for both E and I. However, I feel that I would be doing a disservice to everyone if I did anything less than report the truth and the feelings that we're currently having. My hope is that people can learn from our experience and that it can help them through a potentially rough period.

This past Wednesday we received quite the scare. While E was at work talking to her boss she felt the warm feeling of blood. Upon further inspection she found that she had bled out a significant amount. Panicked, she called me and we called our Doctor. Our initial fear was that she had just miscarried our baby. I cannot tell you how terrible a feeling this is. The most distressing thing is the not knowing what is happening inside your wife. Make no mistake, bleeding during the 1st trimester of a pregnancy is never a good sign, however everything that we've read indicates that it's not an automatic miscarriage signal either. There are a myriad of reasons as to why a woman may bleed. The important thing to know is that you must contact your care provider as soon as any bleeding starts. For Elizabeth, her bleeding was moderate, but it wasn't accompanied by any pain or cramping which is sometimes a sign of miscarriage.

After talking with our doctor, she recommended that we come in first thing on Thursday morning so that some blood work and tests could be conducted. She mainly wanted to get a baseline of E's HCG production. Apparently the HCG hormone levels double almost daily during the course of the pregnancy. We go in on Monday to take another reading. In a nutshell if the HCG reading doubles by Monday then the baby is fine. If production is low, a miscarriage is a real threat or has already occurred.

We heard from our doctor this afternoon and Thursday's initial reading was very positive. HCG levels were right in line with a woman who's anywhere between 9-13 weeks pregnant. Monday is a big day for us, but we're both feeling much better headed into the weekend. E is continuing to spot a little, but it is very minimal.

The one thing that I've learned at this early stage of our pregnancy is that this little event could be the precursor for the rest of lives with children. I have a feeling that this is just the beginning. I also think about how much I worried my own mother with my antics. Believe me on this one...I've got new found respect for her. I love you Mom and I'm sorry for all the crazy stuff I put your through.