Re: Pregnant and Scared!!! To Liz -long!

[Guest guest]

Hi Liz--

Hooray for you and your little creation!! Best advice I can give

you --- follow the advice of Cheryl and Aztek --- Don't panic and

Enjoy your pregnancy! Keep your focus on your growing BABY not those

growing fibroids --- like I told another " baby bloomer " -- you've

got til menopause to worry about the 'invaders', but only 9 short

months to make a bambino! There are SOOOO many pregnancy success

stories on this list alone . . . keep a positive frame of mind. The

fact that your OB is taking a casual stance on the situation, while

a less than consoling bed-side manner, should be comforting to you

that He/She is not concerned about the fibroids impacting your

baby's growth and development. That's Great!!

Girlfriend!---- Do I know about a rapidly growing uterus --- I was

in maternity clothes by ten weeks and I could feel my 'roid at eight

weeks. Not only did my 5x6cm intramural grow to over 14cm during my

pregnancy, but I was carrying twins, to boot, so I got huge and

hard, and uncomfortable and completely freaked out , all in a big

hurry.

Chances are (if you are only carrying one baby --- be sure they

check!!! you never know! ), due to the fibroids size, you will

probably experience a pregnancy much like someone carrying

multiples. You may have more back pain, or rib spreading, heartburn

and possible spotting or bleeding. Many of us have been there, and

despite our war stories, we all survived!

With the pedunculated fibroid, you may experience some twisting of

the stalk or some degeneration (when the fibroid outgrows its blood

supply and begins to die) - which can be painful, and at its worst

can require hospitalization for medication. This only typically

lasts a few days, and often occurs around 20 weeks or so. Some OB's

will entertain removing a fibroid during pg if it is outside the

uterus.

Most fibroids stop growing around 26 weeks, and only those

compromising the cervix are any concern as far as the birth plan is

concerned. Even huge fibroids tend to move out of the way for a

vaginal birth.

Pre-term labor may be a concern if your uterus grows to full term

(or more, like mine) a bit early. Ask your OB what their pre-term

labor plan is and I am sure you will get oodles of info about what

to watch for and how each symptom is addressed.

Two things to always keep in the front of your thoughts . . . 1)

With the exception of pre-term labor, there is VERY little that you

will experience as far as pregnancy pains go, that your baby will be

effected by --- including painful degeneration of a nasty fibroid.

2) Including pre-term labor, a good OB has seen every concern you

have in previous patients and will be confident in their ability to

manage your symptoms. In other words . . . You're Normal!

If three weeks is too long to wait, don't do what I did and spend

hours on the internet and watching every pregnancy show on the

Discovery channel trying to diagnose your own situation. Instead,

maybe you could see one of your doctor's nurses in the interim to

get some of your questions answered and your concerns laid to rest.

If that's not a possibility, then do yourself a HUGE favor and for

the next three weeks keep yourself busy focusing on other Baby

issues; like taking your prenatal vitamins, drinking all your water,

eating all your fruits and veggies, going for walks when you're not

putting your feet up and start cooking some things you can freeze to

reheat down the road when you're not up for dealing with dinner.

Happy babies are grown by happy mommies, so do whatever it takes to

keep your self as low-stress as possible (real easy to do when you

have pregnancy hormones rageing -- I know!). Look at it this way ---

if you are in fact eight weeks pregnant -- you've only got 7 months

to go and your chances of miscarriage decrease dramatically after 12

weeks --- so you're over 2/3's of the way there!!!!

Congratulations to you! I am thinking sticky baby thoughts for you

and can't wait to hear your updates from your OB! Keep us posted on

that baby's development and keep the questions coming as they arise.

All my best,