Clara's pregnancy and birth were pretty well documented but for the sake of having a condensed story, I'll sum it up here.
After I miscarried end of August, Dr. Nett sent me to the hematologist. Most doctors will make you wait for three miscarriages but she feels like two is good enough. The OB office took a lot of blood samples before sending me to the hematologist and they came back with a genetic mutation, MTHFR which controversially is linked to miscarriage because it affects blood clotting. My hematologist was annoyed that my OB had tested for MTHFR and bothered to send me to him. He personally felt like there was no link whatsoever to miscarriage. I had read so much about it on the internet and in different research papers that I wasn't sure I agreed. Anyways, he was getting paid to meet with me so he followed procedure and asked me plenty of personal questions. I have a history of bad circulation and period issues and after our discussion the hematologist was sure I would test positive for Von Willebrand disease. He ordered another 20 vials of blood so we could be sure it wasn't something else. To his and our surprise, the results came back fine. He told me to exercise for circulation and that I should stop worrying. He saw plenty of people who had 6+ miscarriages and they would eventually have success. He did a great job of making me feel like I was a complete waste of his time and that I should just suck it up and keep losing babies until I had success. I strongly dislike that doctor.
If an OB believes MTHFR is linked to miscarriage, they'll prescribe progesterone, or even progesterone shots through the first trimester of pregnancy. Dr. Nett told me it couldn't hurt to start taking a baby aspirin every day and prescribed me progesterone so that the next time I got pregnant, I could take them immediately. I was on board with the idea and grateful to have something to contribute to the next pregnancy.
We found out we were pregnant again on Christmas Day 2010. I woke up feeling off that morning and couldn't stomach the thought of eating the candy in our stockings- very abnormal for me. I took a test but it was so faint, I couldn't tell if it was positive. A couple hours later I was still feeling that distinct morning sickness so I took another test (I buy the cheap ones in bulk on Amazon). This time, there was a definite line. Because I was tracking everything, I knew I was 4 weeks. I was a jumble of emotions but the one that trumped them all was hope. Keith and I tiptoed around it and didn't really talk about it until my first appointment. I took the progesterone diligently and my hormone levels were tracked weekly. Everything looked promising and I was over the moon to see a healthy baby on that first ultrasound. I was sick from the day I found out until 15ish weeks. I wasn't quite as tired and nauseous as I was with Mackenzie and we announced the pregnancy after my ultrasound. It was nice to be monitored closely, I had extra ultrasounds and testing which gave me peace of mind.
Things that stand out from this pregnancy: sciatic nerve pain, cravings for healthier foods, very little weight gain in the beginning and constant weight gain in the second half, I carried her more in my back, the constant contractions!, less swelling, she was transverse until 38 weeks when she turned on her own. I knew the day she turned because it was so painful but I was glad to avoid the external cephalic version I had planned in the instance she didn't turn on her own.
I didn't know if I was going to shoot for a natural birth this time around. There was a part of me that really wanted to experience it, but I also wanted to enjoy the birth. We decided to induce a couple of days early due to our own personal feelings and inspiration. I'm so glad we did because the birth was perfect. I had been contracting like crazy all week and felt my body was ready. I progressed perfectly and opted for the epidural which is a decision I don't regret at all. When it came time to push, the room was charged with excitement. It took just a few minutes and she was in my arms. This time, I was so happy to have her on me so I could get a proper look at her. Moments before her birth, I told the nurse we were debating between the names Lydia and Clara. When I saw her, I knew she was a Clara. She was such a bright spot in our lives already and I wanted her name to reflect that. That birth was filled with joy and peace and the spirit was so strong in our room. I remember the nurse telling me I tore and I didn't even care. I was happily numb and the only bothering me was hunger. I am so hungry after delivering, it's one of the only things I can focus on:)
They wheeled me up to recovery about an hour after she was born and they were still monitoring me closely. I was bleeding too much but was a little oblivious to it. They upped my pitocin and continued to monitor me closely through the night. I remember being so irritated with all of the nurses for constantly waking me and not allowing me to fall asleep with Clara in my arms (hospital policy). Clara was really fussy and threw up everything she ate for the first day because she had fluid in her lungs she needed to work out. I was nervous and tired but I'm glad I could be monitored in case I started hemorrhaging. It was wonderful to leave the hospital and enjoy our sweet baby in the comfort of our home.
