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]]>Endometriosis:
I’ll Discuss Endometriosis With My Daughter – Tia Mowry, By Shenna Foster (Endometriosis Foundation of America).
Former Sister, Sister star Tia Mowry is due any minute now, and she can hardly wait to meet her “miracle” daughter.
“I was literally just saying, I had a contraction,” Mowry, 39, exclusively tells The Blossom. “I was like, ‘Oh my god.'”
The Braxton Hicks are bittersweet.
For years, Mowry, struggled with endometriosis and heartbreaking infertility while desperately trying to conceive.
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“I never felt like giving up,” says the actress, who is already mom to 6-year-old son, Cree. “But, that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t overwhelmed with negative thoughts. My anxiety level just went through the roof. I was just feeling inadequate. I even went through a little bit of depression. There were times when I would be taking a pregnancy test, and I wouldn’t be pregnant, and I would just cry. I’m talking about those cries where you slide down the wall, and you’re sitting Indian-style—next to the toilet.”
As painful as those moments are to relive, one day, Mowry says she’s going to fill her daughter in on endometriosis, which affects an estimated 200 million women worldwide, and, scientists suspect, can have a genetic link.
“I will be the mom who’s not afraid to discuss all things. I want us to be able to be open and honest with each other. Even if that entails me opening up about my struggles with endo. I want to be open with her about everything. Everything. And that’s my goal.”
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She’ll have lots of harrowing tales to tell. Mowry recalls moments where the pain would wash over her while driving with her twin sister and The Real co-host Tamera Mowry, who would have to take the wheel while Tia slunk into the backseat. Another time, as the twins sat in a meeting for a proposed series, Mowry remembers almost blacking out. She was finally diagnosed with endometriosis in 2006 at age 30, via laparoscopy, after a decade of suffering. Her delay in diagnosis is shared by millions of women with endometriosis as the wait continues for a definitive non-invasive diagnostic test.
RELATED: ENDOMETRIOSIS AND PREGNANCY
During that surgery, she says endometriosis lesions were removed from her uterus. Her symptoms were relieved temporarily, but she needed a second laparoscopic surgery about a year later to re-treat the disease.
Hopefully, the worst is over for Mowry. Soon after the back-to-back procedures, she wed actor Cory Hardrict in 2008, and the two welcomed Cree three years later.
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“Cree, I consider a miracle, and my baby girl, I consider a miracle. So for me, every day has been a celebration, even through the nausea, even through the edema, the swelling. I’m just celebrating all of the milestones throughout this pregnancy, and I’m taking every day with gratitude, really.”
But the blissful pregnancy has been a bit, well, bumpy.
“With my baby girl, the first and the second trimester was heaven. I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is amazing.’ I was like, ‘Yes, let’s do this again, Cory. Right after this baby, we’re going to go ahead and try for a third one. But the third trimester has been kicking my behind.”
Now that the Whole New You cookbook author and Quick Fix YouTube series creator has put the finishing touches on her nursery—a patina of calming earth tones—all Mowry can do is eagerly await her daughter’s arrival.
“This is an incredible blessing for me and my husband,” she adds. “I am so incredibly excited to meet my baby girl.” (Article was first published here)
About EndoFound: The Endometriosis Foundation of America strives to increase disease recognition, provide advocacy, facilitate expert surgical training, and fund landmark endometriosis research. Engaged in a robust campaign to inform both the medical community and the public, the Endofound places particular emphasis on the critical importance of early diagnosis and effective intervention while simultaneously providing education to the next generation of medical professionals and their patients.
Join us over at the PB Moms Exclusive Circle, where we invite healthcare experts to prepare us for life after childbirth and motherhood. Go to: pregnancybeyond.com/exclusive-circle.
Follow PregnancyBeyond on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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]]>TWINS:
Former Arizona State University basketball star, Jill Noe carrying twins, is giving her fraternal twin sister the gift of motherhood.
Jill Noe, 34, became a surrogate for her sister, Whitney Bliesner. Who learned she would not be able to have children. When she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder as a child. She has neurofibromatosis type 2. Characterized by the growth of noncancerous tumors in the nervous system.
“We found out that I had acoustic neuromas, which are brain tumors,” Whitney told Inside Edition.
Whitney and her husband looked into adoption and surrogacy. But those paths to parenthood were too expensive for the couple. And that’s when Whitney’s best friend and twin sister – Jill, stepped in.
ALSO SEE: Woman with Cerebral Palsy Welcomes Baby
Jill Noe, Whitney’s fraternal twin, volunteered to be her sister’s surrogate.
‘I was like, yeah! Let’s just do it!’ Jill told CNN, recalling the moment she agreed to help make her sister a mother.
‘Let’s see where this goes and let’s see if I can get my body where it needs to be to have your kids.’
“It’s really hard as a twin knowing that you have a best friend who’s sick and there’s nothing you can do about it but sit back and watch. To finally have this opportunity to give her something that was gonna be taken away from her, has been a true blessing for me,” Jill said.
Twins Bond:
The twins from Portland, Oregon have always shared a special bond since they were born. They said that bond has grown even stronger since Jill agreed to become Whitney’s surrogate.
‘She’s always wanted to be a mom and her disease has already taken so much from her. I wasn’t going to allow (NF2) to take this opportunity from her, too. She’s my best friend and I know she would have done the same for me. I really didn’t put much thought into becoming a surrogate at all. It just felt like the right thing to do. Our family is so strong and so supportive of one another, especially since Whit’s diagnosis in 8th grade,’ Jill said.
Whitney faced several health issues, including loss of hearing in her right ear that can be passed on genetically, as well as a partial hysterectomy because of fibroid tumors.
‘We couldn’t use my eggs because there’s a 50/50 chance I could pass it on. I just don’t think I would be able to live with myself if I knew I passed this condition to my kid,’ said Whitney.
After one failed attempt at in vitro fertilization, the soon-to-be mother said she was not completely surprised to discover that her sister was pregnant with twins. They had transferred two embryos.
Jill said the twins, a boy, and a girl, are healthy and due to be born on June 6.
Whitney and her husband, Pete, have already picked out names for them: Rhenley for the girl and Rhett for the boy.
Update:
https://www.instagram.com/p/By5FQwcFrTO/?igshid=h6h03p1retb9
READ:
• Heartwarming Father-Son Story “Never In a Fight Alone”
• “We Beat Infertility”: Woman Recounts Her Near-Death Experience
Photos: Courtesy Whitney Bliesner
We invite you to join us over at the PB Moms Exclusive Circle. Where we invite healthcare experts. Who prepares us for life after childbirth and motherhood. Go to: pregnancybeyond.com/exclusive-circle.
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]]>Get a Gift, Give a Gift – Why I Became A Gestational Surrogate?
Gestational Surrogate By Lyneda Lincoln
Faces of the parents have been obscured to protect privacy
I can’t believe I can finally start a blog post like this. But years ago, I was sitting in health class. We were discussing reproduction and the complications thereof. I was bored and hardly paying attention. Until my teacher turned on a documentary clip about a surrogate giving birth for an infertile couple. I sat up in my chair and watched, intrigued that someone would do something so selfless for someone else!
The whole thing was miraculous. I mean, did people really do this?? We went on to watch a few other clips and with each, my intrigue grew.
I went home and googled ‘surrogacy’ and found all these articles discussing the difference between traditional surrogacy. The requirements of becoming a surrogate, the pros, and cons of surrogacy, etc. But one thing became clear very quickly. There were no women who looked like me doing it.
Lyneda Lincoln 2009
Particularly, I was used to being the odd man out. I went to private school my entire life, from preschool all the way up through undergrad. I found myself being the only black girl amongst the crowd on many occasions.
Although I was fortunate enough not to experience any direct situations. Where I was singled out or discriminated against due to my ethnicity. I did experience this crushing realization somewhere along the way that there were things, opportunities. That would not be as easily available to me as my Caucasian counterparts because of my ‘blackness’.
When looking through google images. I didn’t see any African American women or even women of color doing this. Which immediately told me that I might as well forget about it ever being an option for me.
Additionally, I couldn’t do it even if I wanted to. Because you had to have given birth to and be parenting at least one child. I was light-years away from getting married or having children of my own. However, from then on, the thought always lingered in the back of my mind… what if?
THIS MOM IS 36 WEEKS PREGNANT AND HAS 2-MONTH-OLD TWINS
At the end of my senior year of high school, I started dating my best friend. Four years later and three months after I graduated from college, we got married. The long and short of it is that once we were ready to have children. We quickly (or not so quickly) found out that something was wrong. After trying for a few years, we were finally evaluated. It was determined that we had severe Male Factor Infertility (MFI). We were told we had only a 1% chance of ever conceiving naturally on our own. We were crushed, but willing to do whatever it took to have the family we know God promised us.
Then we decided to begin hormonal treatment under the care of a urologist. Also, if that didn’t work, to begin the process of attempting Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI). Under a Reproductive Endocrinologist at a Fertility Center here in California. However, before my husband could begin treatment, we found out we were pregnant. My OBGYN couldn’t believe it, and yet. Almost three years later, we have the most beautiful little wildflower you ever did see. She was the blessing that we’d hoped and prayed for, cried and longed for.
After having a perfect pregnancy and beautiful home water birth, the yearning to give that to another mother. That might have felt the same agony I did during our battle with infertility became undeniable.
I mean, what if I stopped putting myself in a box? What if I stopped perpetuating the lie that I was less than because of some invisible barrier I believed existed? And what if there was a mother out there, just hoping and praying for a woman like me who might not ignore her calling and who could give her the child she couldn’t carry herself? What if that child could only ever feel its mother’s arms… because of me?
August 16, 2018. In Labor with the twins headed to the hospital
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http://https://www.instagram.com/p/BvZkUKKFSY7/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1i2b7lpvwff0d
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As someone who is very spiritual, I felt that becoming a surrogate was a calling on my life. My dad used to tell me when I was younger, “Sometimes the way you choose to live your life is the only sermon someone will ever see or hear”.
Faces of the parents have been obscured to protect privacy
I decided to let my light shine. By giving someone else a gift that was miraculously given to me. It didn’t happen in the exact same way, but it happened in an equally beautiful way.
I gave birth to my surrogate twins on August 16, 2018 – they are healthy and happy, and their parents finally feel that their family is complete. The amount of joy that brings me is indescribable. My pregnancy carrying twins was difficult in many ways, but the beauty of being apart of a miracle far outweighs those hardships.
Becoming a surrogate didn’t just allow me to fulfill my calling; it helped me bring peace to a mother and a father who might have otherwise spent more of their lives wandering in despair. Becoming a surrogate is one of the best things I have ever done.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BvZkUKKFSY7/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1i2b7lpvwff0d
About the Author:
Lyneda is a 29-year-old aspiring entrepreneur and mama of one. Several years ago, in the midst of her pain, she took to Instagram as a way to express her frustrations of eagerly awaiting a child and to find other women who might be experiencing the same. Since then, she has continued the unfiltered documentation of her life on her.
Instagram profile @NeddiezWhirled in the hope to spread awareness about infertility, motherhood, and surrogacy. In between Instagram blog posts, Lyneda enjoys reading, working her new endeavor as a home-based travel agent, and spending time with her family.
Join us over at the PB Moms Exclusive Circle, where we invite healthcare experts to prepare us for life after childbirth and motherhood. Go to: pregnancybeyond.com/exclusive-circle.
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]]>Birth Control After Baby:
Birth Control After Baby: Popular Methods And Options By Dr. Christine Sterling M. D.
Birth Control After Baby: After having a baby, it is best to wait at least 6 weeks before resuming intercourse. Once you become sexually active again, pregnancy becomes possible. To minimize pregnancy risks, the World Health Organization recommends delaying pregnancy for at least 18 months after giving birth.
Lactation
Many women believe that breastfeeding prevents pregnancy, and it does sometimes. However, relying on lactation to prevent pregnancy is tricky. To be an effective form of contraception, all of the following conditions must be met:
- Less than 6 months postpartum
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Breastfeeding exclusively with no more than 4 hours in between feedings (no supplementation of any kind, including food)
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Not having a period. It is important to note that you can ovulate and get pregnant before your first period after birth.
BREASTFEEDING YOUR NEWBORN: WHAT TO EXPECT
Combined-hormonal contraception- the pill, ring, and patch
These forms of contraception contain both estrogen and progesterone. They are not generally recommended for women who are breastfeeding as the estrogen can decrease milk supply. For those who are not breastfeeding, these forms of contraception can be initiated after 6 weeks.
Estrogen-containing birth control increases the risk of blood clots. Women who are less than 6 weeks postpartum should not use this form of birth control. These forms of contraception are about 91% effective at preventing pregnancy.
Copper intrauterine device
This highly effective form of contraception has no hormones and is placed inside your uterus by your doctor. The chance of getting pregnant while using the copper IUD, known as ParaGuard in the US, is less than 1%. Your doctor can insert it in the office and it is effective immediately.
The Paraguard IUD is best for women with light to moderate periods. As it can increase the amount of bleeding during your time of menstruation. Some women also report increased cramping with their periods, though this typically gets better within 6 months of placement. The copper IUD is FDA approved for 10 years of contraception, but research supports effectiveness for up to 12 years.
Progesterone-containing intrauterine device
There are 4 different progesterone containing IUDs on the market in the US. They are all small T-shaped devices that are placed in your uterus by a doctor in a simple office procedure. Placement typically takes under a minute. The IUDs differ in size and progesterone dose. The Skyla and the Kyleena are the smallest in size.
The Skyla has the lowest dose of progesterone hormone and lasts for only 3 years. Higher doses of progesterone mean the IUD works for longer. Also, better able to decrease the amount of menstrual bleeding. The Kyleena is small, like the Skyla, but has a higher dose of progesterone. That is why it works for 5 years and is more likely to decrease or stop your periods.
The Mirena and the Liletta have the highest dose of progesterone. The Mirena lasts for 6 years. Furthermore, 1 in 5 Mirena users no longer have a period after 1 year of use. The progesterone IUDs are over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. Also, can be used to treat heavy periods and pelvic pain. They are effective within one week of placement. Also, can be removed before their expiration date should you decide to pursue pregnancy or change your mind. Removal is usually a quick and painless process.
HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR PELVIC FLOOR AFTER BIRTH
Birth control implant
In the US, Nexplanon is the only available birth control implant. Nexplanon contains progesterone hormone and is the most effective form of contraception available. It is even more effective than getting your tubes tied, though it is not permanent.
The Nexplanon is a small device about the size of a matchstick. That is inserted in the upper arm by a doctor under local anesthesia. Insertion takes only a few minutes, and it prevents pregnancy for 4 years. Most women experience a decrease in their monthly menstrual flow. However, some women have irregular bleeding for the first 6 months or so.
Nexplanon can be removed at any time. Removal, like placement, is typically a simple procedure done in the office with minimal downtime.
Progesterone-only pill
This oral contraceptive, called the “mini-pill” by some. This is a pill that must be taken at the same time every day in order to be effective. Ovulation and pregnancy can occur if you miss a dose by more than 3 hours. For many remembering to take a pill every day at the exact same time is challenging.
This may help explain why it is only 91% effective at preventing pregnancy. On the upside, it does not require a separate office visit for insertion. Like the long-acting reversible contraceptive devices (IUDs and Nexplanon).
Progesterone injection
In the US, Depo-Provera is available as an injection you get every 3 months. This injection of progesterone is 94% effective at preventing pregnancy. It can cause weight gain and cannot be removed once the injection is given.
About the Author:
Join us over at the PB Moms Exclusive Circle. Where we invite healthcare experts to prepare us for life after childbirth and motherhood. Go to: pregnancybeyond.com/exclusive-circle.
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]]>IVF Process Can Differ for Women With Endometriosis:
How the IVF Process Can Differ for Women With Endometriosis, by Joanie Cox-Henry (Endometriosis Foundation of America).
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. PregnancyBeyond has teamed up with EndoFound to raise awareness of this disorder. Also, fertility health issue that affects millions of women worldwide.
This article discusses the impact of endometriosis on IVF outcomes.
As The Blossom recently reported, having endometriosis and conceiving the old-fashioned way, can have its difficulties, but with a little help from in vitro fertilization, experts say endo women can have a higher success rate with conception.
However, the IVF process can differ from endometriosis present. Because doctors interviewed by The Blossom say they take care to not worsen the condition. With the introduction of additional hormones in the body.
Dr. Mark Surrey, co-founder and medical director of the Southern California Reproductive Center. Who specializes in fertility and reproductive medicine. Says that prior to beginning ovarian stimulation, which is necessary for egg retrieval. He advises women with endometriosis to undergo laparoscopic excision surgery to excise endometriomas. Or endometriosis-filled cysts, “three to four centimeters or larger.”
To start the IVF process in a woman without endo, Surrey says he typically gives Lupron and progesterone-based oral contraceptives to begin the follicle stimulation process. But for women with endometriosis, he instead administers Ganirelix or Cetrotide, which prevents premature ovulation ahead of egg retrieval, because, he says, it doesn’t have a “flare phase,” or cause an endo flair-up, and promotes adequate follicular development.
Dr. Jessica Chan, a fertility specialist in Obstetrics at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, says she, too, recommends a conservative laparoscopic excision surgery to remove endometriomas before beginning a cycle of IVF. If the cysts are under four centimeters, she says she typically leaves those alone and simply monitors them. “Egg quality and quantity decline with age,” Chan tells The Blossom. “Endometriomas can take over the architecture of the ovary. The sooner women can seek help, the better.” That’s not all Chan is mindful of. Once the IVF process begins, “it can increase levels of estrogen, which can cause endometriosis to flare,” Chan said. “However, it’s a short time that patients have to be on those protocols. I’m very careful about monitoring pain symptoms in patients with endometriosis during ovarian stimulation.”
SEE ALSO: ENDOMETRIOSIS AND CONCEPTION
Director of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Lenox Hill Hospital, Dr. Tomer Singer, has found that patients with endometriosis typically need double the number of cycles to achieve viable pregnancy through IVF. This is often due, he says, to diminished egg quality.
“We tend to monitor patients with endometriosis more frequently,” Singer said. “During ovarian stimulation in endometriosis patients, I typically use Letrozole, which reduces estrogen levels. I also use Lupron, which helps pelvic pain. Lupron is typically used 35 hours before egg retrieval.”
Singer recommends women check out Sartcorsonline.com/Predictor/Patient and enter some information to predict success rates with assisted reproductive technology. For women with endometriosis, the calculator also provides a specific box to check off. Despite the wonders of assisted reproductive technology, Singer admits that there’s no better savior in the face of endometriosis and fertility than time itself. “If you have endometriosis, we encourage freezing eggs at a younger age,” Singer adds. “If a patient freezes eggs at age 30,” he says, “they have a 50 percent IVF success rate.” (Article was first published here)
About EndoFound: The Endometriosis Foundation of America strives to increase disease recognition, provide advocacy, facilitate expert surgical training, and fund landmark endometriosis research. Engaged in a robust campaign to inform both the medical community and the public, the Endofound places particular emphasis on the critical importance of early diagnosis and effective intervention while simultaneously providing education to the next generation of medical professionals and their patients.
Join us over at the PB Moms Exclusive Circle, where we invite healthcare experts to prepare us for life after childbirth and motherhood. Go to: pregnancybeyond.com/exclusive-circle.
Follow PregnancyBeyond on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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]]>Getting Pregnant With Endometriosis:
Getting Pregnant With Endometriosis: What You Need to Know, by Joanie Cox-Henry (Endometriosis Foundation of America),
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. PregnancyBeyond have teamed up with EndoFound to raise awareness of this disorder. Also, fertility health issue that affects millions of women worldwide.
This article discusses what you should know about getting pregnant when you have endometriosis.
Getting pregnant and delivering a healthy, bouncing baby is something that, sadly, many women with endometriosis may never experience. The statistics can be even more sobering, with one study claiming that women with mild cases of the disease have only a 2 to 4 percent chance of getting pregnant each month compared to the 15 to 20 percent chance women without the disease have.
But for those who can conceive, what can be the happiest time of their lives can quickly turn into the scariest.
“Women with endometriosis are at risk for preterm labor, hypertension, and pre-eclampsia,” Dr. Jessica Chan, a fertility specialist in the Department of Obstetrics at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, tells The Blossom. “Bleeding during the pregnancy can also be scary, and there is a higher risk for c-section in the end.”
Time is also unkinder to the endo woman hoping to become a mom.
“Between the ages of 32 and 37, women can have as much as a 50 percent decline in fertility,” says Dr. Mark Surrey, co-founder and Medical Director of the Southern California Reproductive Center. “For women with endometriosis, egg quality and quantity can especially be affected.”
ALSO SEE: “WE BEAT INFERTILITY “
Dr. Tomer Singer, Director of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC, has also seen women with endometriosis experience a slightly increased risk for miscarriage. “With endometriosis, a dilated fallopian tube can flush an embryo out. Endometriosis often goes hand-in-hand with adenomyosis, a condition in which endometrial tissue, which normally lines the uterus, exists within and grows into the muscular wall of the uterus.”
Singer said this could give the uterus a Swiss cheese-like appearance with a lot of black holes in the glands and muscles. “It increases the risk of failed implantation and early miscarriage in the first eight weeks of pregnancy.”
Many patients experience increased pelvic pain as their pregnancy closes in on the 40-week mark. “Ovaries can be enlarged because of endometriomas and adenomyosis can cause the uterus to be physically larger,” adds Singer, which can cause additional pain.
Still, all is not lost for endo women hoping to conceive, as many continue to defy the odds and welcome motherhood. “Some patients have Stage III or IV Endometriosis in their bladder or uterus and end up needing surgery before they can safely conceive. In some more severe cases, a patient can better benefit from a gestational carrier.” (Article was first published here)
About EndoFound: The Endometriosis Foundation of America strives to increase disease recognition. Provide advocacy, facilitate expert surgical training, and fund landmark endometriosis research. Engaged in a robust campaign to inform both the medical community and the public. The Endofound places particular emphasis on the critical importance of early diagnosis and effective intervention. While simultaneously providing education to the next generation of medical professionals and their patients.
Join us over at the PB Moms Exclusive Circle. Where we invite healthcare experts to prepare us for life after childbirth and motherhood. Go to: pregnancybeyond.com/exclusive-circle.
Follow PregnancyBeyond on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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]]>Pregnant With Endometriosis:
Pregnant With Endometriosis – My Super Scary Pregnancy, by Joanie Cox-Henry (Endometrorises Foundation of America)
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month, and we at PregnancyBeyond have teamed up with EndoFound to raise awareness of this disorder and fertility health issue that affects millions of women worldwide.
In today’s post, one mom shares her story of living as pregnant With Endometriosis.
Being pregnant at 37 comes with its own bag of stress factors, including being labeled a “geriatric mother” à la Bridget Jones. But being pregnant at 37 with endometriosis takes the worry factor to skyscraper heights. I should be worrying about what theme I want to make my baby’s nursery or which baby shampoo is safest to use, but instead, I’m on a merry-go-ground of doctor’s appointments and fear that has left me Googling until the wee hours of the morning.
Before I could even consider trying to safely conceive, I had to endure countless painful tests and multiple surgeries to remove a uterine fibroid the size of a six-month-old fetus and a chocolate cyst that choked out my left ovary, which my doctor removed. I miraculously gave birth to my first son in 2014 at the age of 34. I was given a less than 13 percent chance of ever conceiving and IVF was never an option for me because the drugs I would’ve had to take were going to make my endometriosis spread like wildfire.
But after a lot of specialized care and prayer, I beat the odds and delivered a healthy 8-pound, 9-ounce bundle of joy.
Three years later, I was overjoyed to become pregnant again. But with much more concern this time about complications due to my age and a more advanced case of endometriosis. Every time I peed, I was terrified I was going to see blood. On Dec. 15, my worst nightmare came true. I got my son dressed to take photos with Santa at our local mall. I decided to hit the bathroom one more time before heading out.
When I reached down to wipe myself, a meteor shower of bright red blood and large clots washed over my hand. I immediately burst into tears and felt completely paralyzed. I was eight weeks pregnant at the time and still very much in the danger zone for miscarriage. Also, I had recently remembered reading an article. Which said women with endometriosis are 76 percent more likely to have a miscarriage than women without the condition. Knowing the facts, I felt like hope was literally going down the toilet.
I gently placed the largest clot, which was about the size of a 5-ounce steak, on a tissue near my sink, and wondered: “Is this, my baby?” It was the worst feeling I had ever felt. I was helpless—frozen on my toilet convinced my miracle had just disappeared. My fingers cramped up as I attempted to dial my husband, who was still at work, and my aunt Maryann, who I was planning to pick up on my way to the mall. I could hardly speak. “I think I’m having a miscarriage,” I wailed into the phone.
My aunt told me not to move and that she was on her way. My granny came to watch my 3-year-old son as Maryann picked me up and drove me to the ER. As I walked in, with blood pouring down between my legs, I tried with every cell in my body not to let any more of that blood spill out. A nurse immediately got me a wheelchair once he realized the condition I was in.
I was quickly taken to a bed, administered an IV, and assured a doctor was coming to check on me. As I lay there, I sobbed thinking of all the maternity clothes I had just ordered from Old Navy and how I didn’t want to even open the packages if I was, in fact, having a miscarriage. My heart remained optimistic while my mind took me to a dark place where I was contemplating if I should start planning my baby’s funeral. I didn’t even know if it was a girl or boy yet, but this child already had my heart. If need be, in that instant, I would’ve traded my life. I cried, I cursed, and I prayed silently in my head as I waited for answers.
After about 40 minutes, which seemed like an eternity. I was rolled into a sonogram room. Where the sonogram tech was stoic and harder to read than a Calculus book. “What’s happening?” I pleaded.
“Is my baby still alive? Can you see my baby?”
She urged me to calm down and told me she wasn’t allowed to tell me anything until the doctor came in. “Please, I am begging you to tell me something. I feel broken. Is my baby alive?”
And then, she showed me his beautiful little body with his arms and legs perched in battle mode. The child seriously appeared to be posed in the stance of the Fighting Irish leprechaun from Notre Dame. An ocean of relief washed over me. I was too thankful to speak. I just let out a big cry of gratitude.
When the ER doctor met with me and examined me, he determined it was likely a hematoma. His prognosis was very matter-of-fact. “It’s either going to be ok, or it’s not,” he said. “Let’s stay positive and hope for the best.”
I was then handed a bunch of papers with the terminology “Threatened Abortion” on them. My pregnancy was now like a dangling treasure almost out of reach and balancing off a cliff. It was hard to stay calm and take it easy, but in the following weeks, I had no choice but to do just that. I was placed on pelvic rest and had to refrain from exercise, sex, and other activities I normally did.
I am now five months pregnant with my little boy who I have lovingly nicknamed “The Fighting Irish”. Because he is a fighter just like I am. I am still high risk and routinely visit a perinatologist now in addition to constant visits to my OB-GYN. Endometriosis has caused my pregnancy to be a rollercoaster ride, including causing false positives on tests and causing me more pain than if I didn’t have the disease. I’ve also been warned: antepartum bleeding tends to be more common among women with endometriosis. But my baby and I are survivors, and while I’m not out of the woods just yet, I’m not out of hope and strength, either.
We’re in this together. ( Article was first published here)
ALSO SEE: TIPS FOR DEALING WITH MORNING SICKNESS
About EndoFound: The Endometriosis Foundation of America strives to increase disease recognition, provide advocacy, facilitate expert surgical training, and fund landmark endometriosis research. Engaged in a robust campaign to inform both the medical community and the public. The Endofound places particular emphasis on the critical importance of early diagnosis and effective intervention. While simultaneously providing education to the next generation of medical professionals and their patients.
Join us over at the PB Moms Exclusive Circle. Where we invite healthcare experts to prepare us for life after childbirth and motherhood. Go to: pregnancybeyond.com/exclusive-circle.
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Endometrioses Success Story: “Every Night I Prayed For My Baby”, By Shenna Foster (Endometriosis Foundation of America).
March is Endometriosis Awareness Month. PregnancyBeyond has teamed up with EndoFound to raise awareness of this disorder. Also, fertility health issue that affects millions of women worldwide.
Today’s post is an endo success story; Reporter Diana Falzone is pregnant with a boy!
Reporter Diana Falzone has a bun in the oven!
Falzone, 35, reveals that she is four months pregnant with a boy.
“Every night I prayed for this child and to now see him on sonograms is a miracle”. Falzone tells The Blossom exclusively.
It’s a joyous surprise for the reporter who has been outspoken with her endometriosis struggle. “I’m still kind of shocked, honestly,” she says. “I have a bump, and I’ll brush my hand and be in disbelief that it’s there. I’m acutely aware of how many women struggle to conceive and don’t have that opportunity. I’ve been blessed. Every single week that goes by I’m closer to meeting my baby boy, and I’m so excited.”
The road to motherhood has been a bumpy one for the TV personality.
Back in February 2016, she had her first endometriosis-related excision surgery after months of dead-end doctor visits.
Then, in June 2017, Falzone was rushed into yet another excision surgery, where doctors discovered her uterus was fused to her abdomen.
Despite those setbacks, Falzone tells The Blossom she remained determined to one day become a mother, no matter what.
“When I was told I was infertile, I was, of course, heartbroken, but after the initial shock, I was determined to become a mother whether it meant biologically or through adoption. I was going to exhaust my options until I didn’t have any.”
After starting hormone therapy in September and embryo transfer in November, Falzone was forced to wait. “You have to tell yourself that whatever happens, you’ll be okay with it. Whatever is meant to be is meant to be. And there’s a high failure rate. It’s an incredibly stressful time, it’s very emotional, and it’s very scary.”
Falzone says it isn’t lost on her how lucky she is to conceive despite having endometriosis. “I have heard from women. Who had to have hysterectomies due to endo and lost their dream of having a child. They are on my mind always. I hope the more the endo community continues to speak up, we will make a tremendous change, and a cure will happen in our lifetime.” ( Article was first published here)
ALSO SEE: MOM OF TRIPLETS PENS EMOTIONAL LETTER TO INFERTILITY
About EndoFound: The Endometriosis Foundation of America strives to increase disease recognition. Provide advocacy, facilitate expert surgical training, and fund landmark endometriosis research. Engaged in a robust campaign to inform both the medical community and the public. The Endofound places particular emphasis on the critical importance of early diagnosis and effective intervention. While simultaneously providing education to the next generation of medical professionals and their patients.
Join us over at the PB Moms Exclusive Circle. Where we invite healthcare experts to prepare us for life after childbirth and motherhood. Go to: pregnancybeyond.com/exclusive-circle.
Follow PregnancyBeyond on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
The post Endometrioses Success Story: Every Night I Prayed For My Baby appeared first on PregnancyBeyond.
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Emotional Letter – Mom of Triplets Pens To Infertility.
Dear Infertility,
I hated you.
You steal dreams. You break hearts. You bring grief. You consume lives. You are the reason I couldn’t get pregnant on my own. You drowned my heart in deep misery from the inability to become a Mother how most women do. You told me that my body wasn’t good enough. You may have been a huge part of my story, but you never defined me. And on this day, two years ago, I kicked your ass. I defeated you. I showed you that there is a victory in infertility and God finally planted life in my womb.
Infertility, there are so many things you brought with you when you entered my life. It wasn’t just that I couldn’t get pregnant. You brought me more tears than I ever thought I could shed. Because of you, I laid on my bathroom floor in complete emptiness after countless negative pregnancy tests time and time again. I had to endure shots, bruises, and all kinds of meds because when you are infertile and you seek fertility treatment for help, that is what you are in for. You are expensive and exhausting physically, emotionally, and mentally. Infertility, you drowned my heart in disappointment and agony. And truthfully, it was pretty painful every time I heard the words “I’m pregnant” from someone other than myself. And yet, in the midst of all of that-you brought me hope.
As much as I hated you, Infertility, I am also so thankful that you were my story. You made me strong. Even before I got pregnant, my strength was rising. Not only did I feel like Superwoman after all of those injections, meds, blood draws, doctor visits, etc. but I found strength emotionally, as well. I learned how to be brave and walk our story with faith trusting that God knew every single detail better than I did. I learned how to be courageous as my husband gave me a progesterone shot that hurt like you wouldn’t believe every single night for 2 months so I could get and stay pregnant. Infertility, you taught me that I am never alone in my darkest days.
Never did I imagine I would be labeled as infertile. Nor did I imagine that we would seek fertility treatment. However, infertility, it is because of you that I get to be a Mom to my Hope Triplets. This love that I get to experience with them is absolutely undeniable. It is the greatest feeling in the world and if you weren’t apart of my story, I would be missing out on a truly honorable role as their Mommy. It is because of you that two years ago I found myself lying on a doctor bed waiting for two precious and perfectly made embryos to be transferred to my womb.
Infertility, God used you in my life to make a platform for my story and reach the hearts of people walking the same pain I was in. And it is because of you that I have a greater understanding of what hope really is.
Infertility, I don’t hate you, not anymore. God makes beauty out of ashes. You were my ashes, but God made you beautiful. If it wasn’t for you-for the extreme heartache you caused me, the lies you told me, the grief you brought my heart over and over again- not only would I not be a Mom to my darling hope triplets, but I can now truly grasp on to how powerful and remarkable it means to have hope in Jesus Christ.
Hope anchors the soul. Hope does not disappoint. Hope is having faith for what seems impossible. It is trusting God when it feels hopeless. My journey to parenthood was nothing short of hope. God had every single detail orchestrated from the second He planted the seed of Motherhood in my heart. Infertility, today, when I really reflect on those years when you were apart of my life, I can only say, Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mama of Hope
Desiree and her husband have now been blessed with a set of triplets -two boys and one girl- Charlize, Sawyer, and Jax.
Speaking to PregnancyBeyond.com, the triplet mom said “I think this letter really captures the heartache of infertility-and the beauty of it, as well”
Thank you for sharing for sharing this raw open letter. Find more of Desiree and her family on Instagram
RELATED: I AM 36 WEEKS PREGNANT AND I HAVE TWO-MONTH-OLD TWINS
Join us over at the PB Moms Exclusive Circle, where we invite healthcare experts to prepare us for life after childbirth and motherhood. Go to: pregnancybeyond.com/exclusive-circle.
Follow PregnancyBeyond on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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This Mom is 36 Weeks Pregnant And Has 2-Month-Old Twins.
New York Fashion Designer, Althea Harper, and her husband wanted to add to their family.
They both already have a daughter together and decided to start trying for another baby, however, they had no success with conceiving. Battling with infertility, Althea and her husband made the decision to use a surrogate to carry their biological child.
Shortly after the surrogate became pregnant with their twins, then more good news – Althea discovered she was also pregnant!
She is 36 weeks pregnant in this image with her two-month-old twins and older child.
What an amazing story. Congratulations Althea on your beautiful growing family, a true story of modern motherhood.
Thank you for sharing this photo and amazing story with us @glow_portraits
SEE ALSO: PHOTOS FROM THE ‘GRADUATION CEREMONY’ OF PREEMIES LEAVING THE NICU
Join us over at the PB Moms Exclusive Circle, where we invite healthcare experts to prepare us for life after childbirth and motherhood. Go to: pregnancybeyond.com/exclusive-circle.
Follow PregnancyBeyond on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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