We got Nicolai's autopsy results back on Christmas Eve. What a way to add insult to injury, eh? As suspected, there was no clear cause of death. The genetic analysis could not be performed because they were unable to get the culture cells to grow from the tissue sample. I can't help thinking - what if it was something genetic? Just because he appeared healthy from the autopsy doesn't neccessarily rule out a genetic factor, does it?
So, I guess we will never know; and that is the scariest part. No doctors are able to tell us what kind of increased risk we would have of this happening in another pregnancy, just that it is somewhere between 2x and 10x the risk of the regular population (which is 1 in every 160 babies past 20 weeks gestation). I don't even know what I would change, except probably everything.
Showing posts with label test results. Show all posts
Showing posts with label test results. Show all posts
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Hurry up and Wait.
We just had our appointment at the high risk doctor / perinatologist and I can't stop crying.
My OB had given us the go ahead to start trying to conceive again in January, but the perinatologist told us we needed to wait 6 months - 1 year minimum to minimize our chances of another loss. I had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery and our son weighed 4lb. 14oz. The perinatologist also said that now since I have had one stillborn child, the chances of me having another are between 2x and 10x the normal population, even though there isn't a known reason for his death. She also said that even though I had such tight control over my diabetes, that just the fact that I am diabetic increases those odds and the odds for other problems (pre-eclampsia, pre-term labor, etc.).
The autopsy results still have not come back yet, but preliminary results are not showing that there was anything wrong with him or me, the placenta, or the cord. All my blood clotting results came back normal, and I did not have any exposure to CMV or parvovirus or other viruses that they tested for. I did have a slightly elevated ANA titer (1:320) and will be seeing a rheumatologist. I had the same elevated titer 2 years ago as well and saw a rheumatologist, but they didn't find any indication of autoimmune disease. I had pre-existing diabetes (insulin dependent), but my A1C was perfect throughout my pregnancy - between 4.9 and 5.4, and they do not think that had anything to do with our loss. She also talked about switching the Cymbalta that I have been taking for 6+ years (through both my daughter's pregancy 5 years ago and my angel's pregnancy) and switching me to something like Zoloft that has more research behind it - just to minimize the risks of complications by another percentage point or two.
I am just so sad, I had my heart set on us trying again in January and was thinking that since I took such excellent care of myself during pregnancy that my chances of having a recurrence were minimal. I was just hoping for better news. I feel so defeated.
My OB had given us the go ahead to start trying to conceive again in January, but the perinatologist told us we needed to wait 6 months - 1 year minimum to minimize our chances of another loss. I had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery and our son weighed 4lb. 14oz. The perinatologist also said that now since I have had one stillborn child, the chances of me having another are between 2x and 10x the normal population, even though there isn't a known reason for his death. She also said that even though I had such tight control over my diabetes, that just the fact that I am diabetic increases those odds and the odds for other problems (pre-eclampsia, pre-term labor, etc.).
The autopsy results still have not come back yet, but preliminary results are not showing that there was anything wrong with him or me, the placenta, or the cord. All my blood clotting results came back normal, and I did not have any exposure to CMV or parvovirus or other viruses that they tested for. I did have a slightly elevated ANA titer (1:320) and will be seeing a rheumatologist. I had the same elevated titer 2 years ago as well and saw a rheumatologist, but they didn't find any indication of autoimmune disease. I had pre-existing diabetes (insulin dependent), but my A1C was perfect throughout my pregnancy - between 4.9 and 5.4, and they do not think that had anything to do with our loss. She also talked about switching the Cymbalta that I have been taking for 6+ years (through both my daughter's pregancy 5 years ago and my angel's pregnancy) and switching me to something like Zoloft that has more research behind it - just to minimize the risks of complications by another percentage point or two.
I am just so sad, I had my heart set on us trying again in January and was thinking that since I took such excellent care of myself during pregnancy that my chances of having a recurrence were minimal. I was just hoping for better news. I feel so defeated.
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