Righty

In addition to being right-handed and a typically right-brained thinker, I'm also the owner of a solely right-sided uterus.  (I know, too much information, right?)  I am one of the lucky one in four thousand women who can boast such a condition.  (Along with my older sister, who also is a right-y.)

Many women go onto have healthy pregnancies that have what I have...some never even knowing that they have the condition.  But miscarriage and pre-term labor are extremely common.  One in three babies is miscarried, pre-term labor is common in 20% of pregnancies, still births occur in 10% of pregnancies, and like Molly, 45% of babies make it to full-term. (For those of you left-brainers, that's more than 100%...statistics don't make any sense to me either!)  Most risks have to do with where the baby implants itself.

Along with the scary-scariness of statistics, there's the uncomfortablitly factor in having a belly that is both bulging and lop-sided.

I can't sit straight up anymore.  Since she's on the right side, when I sit,  I always have to lean a little to the left because she's resting on my spine and her legs are tucked under my right rib.  I must look awesome when I drive.   And...my belly button is about an inch off-center because of it.

Sleeping is nearly impossible.  I'm technically supposed to sleep on my left side, but baby girl HATES that.  She kicks my ribs until I give in and roll over.  I can't sleep on my right, because, well...I squish her.  So that leaves me to sleep on my back, which is a big pregnancy no-no.  No matter how much I try sleeping on my side, I always wake up on my back.  I've had a few small panic attacks thinking, "oh no...if I'm on my back, I'm cutting off her blood supply!"  After talking to some pregnant friends, I'm ready to give in and just sleep however my body is comfortable and trust my body wouldn't intentionally hurt my baby.

Since she's resting on my back, she's also on my sciatic nerve, which shoots these painful shards up my back and down my right leg.  Let me tell you, that's just awesome when I'm trying to teach a class of ninth graders how to draw the correct proportions of a face.  Handouts. Handouts have been my best friend this marking period.

And then there's spider veins.  Which, of course, I only have on my right leg.  It's interesting trying to explain what they are to all the high schoolers who ask about them when they see these dark purple spots on my legs.  I'm often confronted with, "Will they go away?"  and "Does everyone get those when they're pregnant?"  and "I hope I don't get those...I never want to get pregnant!"  I figure, if my gross legs can act as birth-control to 16 year old girls, I'm all in favor of flaunting them proudly.

I don't share this as a means to make you feel sorry for me...I feel so blessed to be able to conceive, and carry, and bring life into the world.  I'm writing this so when I get the thought of "Hey...wouldn't a third baby be so great?!!?" I can look back and count the cost that pregnancy puts on my body, and the risk that I take for bringing a premie into the world.          

Baby girl is now thirty two weeks and still growing. (Praise God for a huge answer to prayer!)  32 weeks is a big milestone to get to, with over 90% of babies born at this stage surviving.  However, I'm faced with the reality that pre-term labor is a real possibility for me.  My sister was on strict bed rest with since week 27 of her pregnancy,  and a constant pump of medication going into her until baby Micah was born.  My doctor told me to have my bags packed since week 28, and my midwife told me that she's be happy if I made it another month.  (My midwife also told me that she was so nervous delivering Molly because a few months prior, a woman with my condition went into labor, her uterus ruptured, the baby died, and the woman can't have any more children.  Great.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss, midwife-lady.  Don't tell me stories like that.)

The bad news is that my husband is leaving to go down to Liberty University to finish up his master's degree during weeks 35 and 36.  Wonderful timing, right?  I'm happy that my friend Jen is coming down to keep my sane for one of those weeks!  

The harrowing reality became apparent when I started having contractions today.  Probably a result of a combination dehydration, heat, trying to do too much, and only eating 2 bowls of cereal and a banana all day.  4 glasses of water and having my feet up for 5 hours has stopped them.  I'm just praying that the rest of this pregnancy isn't scary like today was.

I'm praying for her to stay put for at least 6 more weeks....  I'm hoping I'll be right-y!  *sorry*  ;o)