This Mama's Heart & the Baby's.

 

For those of you that have been following along for a while, know about my heart surgery so many years ago, for those of you that are new you can read more here - Part 1, Part 2.

The moment we found out we were pregnant - after for jumping for joy and feeling like something happened that we thought never would - I had two appointments to make: One, find an OB. Second, Schedule a heart Dr. Appointment. In fact, I wrote about this appointment briefly here. When I wrote that post we hadn't announced our big news yet - but the main reason is we need to make sure that my heart would be just fine for the pregnancy.  Since as you read here there could be some concerns - and on top of concerns for myself, I needed to know what we were looking at for the baby.

I talked to my Dr and he said that ultimately this pregnancy would be normal, unless I started having any changes with my heart that raised flags to me and then come in. As for the baby, the odds of what happened to me happening to the baby were unbelievably slim since it's so rare, but I could be the start of a genetic issue - however, we wouldn't know until after the baby is here.

After reporting all of this to my OB, she still insisted we got to a specialist to find out the sex of the baby and get her checked out via sonogram.  So we did.  We went to a specialist found out that we were having a bouncing baby girl and that things looked good but that I should go to a Pediatric Cardiologist.

Now remember - my doctor - a cardiologist that knows my case told me that we had nothing to worry about, my OB really doesn't know much from this whole heart issue thing, and this "specialist" just told me everything looks and sounds great.  So, why am I going to another doctor?  After Ryan and I talked about it, and prayed about it - there was still a calmness in my heart and in his - there is nothing wrong with our baby, and if there is we will hear the irregularity and we will know, OR we will find out after the fact when they can actually deal with it.

After receiving a ridiculously high bill for this "specialist" that really only told us the sex of our baby, that insurance only covered part of - we retracted from others and their opinions and looked into ourselves, and let this mama's intuition take over.

Finally I told Ryan - 

"I don't feel like there is anything wrong. I would have a feeling in my gut, I know what to listen for in the heart monitor. I don't feel like going to one more doctor will do anything. I think it's best we don't go to another doctor."

He told me that he totally agreed, and that's how he felt the entire time but since I am the mama and she is indeed in my womb, he didn't feel like he couldn't be so forward about it, especially since the heart problem scene is a new (within the past 6.5 years) thing for him.

We agreed. It was decided.

I spoke to my OB about the situation, laid it all out to her and told her that I don't think there is anything wrong, I feel like she is normal and that with my own cardiologist saying that we have nothing to worry about right now and most likely never will - I was confident in our decision but that if something sounded off - we would then go to a specialist.

She to my surprise (since she was doing a lot of the pushing for us to go), said that she full supported my decision as I am a patient that is very aware about my condition and well educated on it - that she respected my decision.

Finally.

As for Sweet baby A's heart - still no red flags.

Every appointment we listen to her heart on the Doppler/Monitor and is sounds strong and healthy, so right now we just thank God every. single. day. that she has a healthy normal, growing heart.

And that is a blessing.