Good day everyone! I have so many things that I want to share to you but my time does not permit, been busy with much work lately that when I arrive home I feel so tired and wasted. Anyways, these feelings are a reminder that I am alive and well and kicking. You have to do what you need to do while here on this life time. Right?!

A week ago today was my son's birthday. He turned 19, man oh man! I can't believe it however did you grow so fast? You were in diapers and now you will be in College! that's what I told him midnight, the first stroke of August 20th. While hugging my son and greeting him on his special day.

Memoirs of my Pregnancy

My very first article here was titled, The Power of Fervent Prayer: Asking for a miracle to conceive. This tells about the account of my journey, my experience, my testimony about the power of God on how he answers our prayers in his perfect time. I prayed so hard to be able to fulfill my essence as a woman and that is to become a mother. Indeed he did, 19 years ago. I became pregnant with my one and only son. We have been praying for this miracle to happen for seven long years and when it happened I was really very very happy. Carrying this bundle of joy was not easy. Three months on my pregnancy I've experienced some spotting already that I have to be hospitalized just so they can stop the bleeding and the contraction of my cervix or else I would loose my baby. Every month this happened up until I was in my thirty five weeks. I had to stay in the hospital for two weeks then they can open me up, do a C-section because they can't stop the bleeding anymore. They have to wait for me to be on my 37th week so it will be safe for the baby. It was hard because I had to be sedated, both me and my baby so he will not move inside my tummy, he too will also just sleep. I have placenta previa so every time he moves that's when I will bleed profusely.

Placenta Previa Complications Can Lead to Birth Injury

The placenta is an organ that supplies the growing baby with nutrients and oxygen and removes waste from the baby during pregnancy. Normally, it is implanted near the top or on the side of the uterus and makes its way through the birth canal after the infant has been delivered as part of the “afterbirth.”

Placenta previa is a condition in which the placenta lies unusually low in the uterus, where it partially or completely covers the mother’s cervix and may block the baby’s passage out of the womb (1). When diagnosed early in pregnancy, placenta previa is usually not a serious problem: as the baby grows, the placenta expands and lifts up and away from the cervix on its own. This is known as “placental migration.” Because of this, most cases of placenta previa resolve before the third trimester (2).

However, in the third trimester, placenta previa can lead to life-threatening hemorrhagic bleeding in the mother and birth injuries such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in the baby (2). In many cases, placenta previa does not resolve and necessitates delivery by C-section. Placenta previa is estimated to occur in approximately one in every 200 pregnancies in the third trimester of pregnancy (1

Complications of placenta previa

During labor, the baby moves through the cervix into the birth canal. If the mother has placenta previa, the placenta is more likely to face tearing as a result of contractions and this movement through the cervix (3). Therefore, placenta previa can lead to several complications that threaten the health of the mother and baby:

• Preterm birth: Severe bleeding may prompt an emergency C-section before the baby reaches  full-term. Roughly 15% of women with placenta previa deliver before 34 weeks gestation (4). This puts the baby at risk for complications related to premature birth, including breathing problems, low birth weight, and birth injuries such as cerebral palsy and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) (2).

• Maternal and fetal bleeding/hemorrhage: Severe, life-threatening vaginal bleeding can occur during labor, delivery, or after delivery in cases of placenta previa (2). In studies of women with placenta previa, 52% of them experienced antepartum bleeding, and 22% had postpartum hemorrhage (4).

• Placenta accreta: In cases of placenta previa, placenta accreta is more likely (4). Placenta accreta is when the placenta is attached to the uterine wall and has trouble detaching during the afterbirth. Removing the placenta can cause hemorrhage. To control this bleeding, the patient may need multiple transfusions and a hysterectomy (full removal of the uterus). Placenta accreta can also lead to fetal hypoxia (birth asphyxia) with resultant hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).

• Placental abruption: This means that the placental lining has separated from the uterus before the baby is born. Because of the potential for tearing in placenta previa, placental abruption is more likely (3). Placental abruption  can deprive the baby of oxygen and critical nutrients (possibly leading to HIE and other injuries), as well as cause heavy bleeding in the mother.

Treatment for placenta previa

The goal of treating placenta previa is to get the mother as close to the due date as possible and monitor her bleeding during that time (2). The following are possible treatment options for placenta previa (1):

• More frequent monitoring

• Frequent hospital visits

• Bed rest

• Steroid shots to help mature the baby’s lungs

• C-section (emergency C-section delivery if the mother’s bleeding cannot be controlled, or a scheduled C-section delivery)*

*Roughly 75% of women with placenta previa in their third trimester have planned C-section deliveries. Women with marginal placenta previa can deliver vaginally with close monitoring, but almost all women with complete placenta previas require a cesarean delivery (5).

Your physician may recommend you avoid the following things that could cause contractions or increase bleeding if you have placenta previa (1,2):

• Sexual intercourse

• Using tampons

• Douching

• Running

• Jumping

• Squatting

• Pelvic Exams

• Travel

Source: goggle/https://www.abclawcenters.com › prenatal-birth-injuries

So, basically you cannot do anything. I was just bed ridden the whole time. During the course of my pregnancy. Specially when every month I had to be hospitalized. It was really hard. There were nights that I just cry and cry unto the Lord because I had fears of the unknown. Every bleeding and hospital confinement was painful and fearful. It is physically and mentally draining plus financially as well. I was glad that I have SSS and Phil health Insurance coverage because I had work. Also hubby was always there. I pity him because he had to work then after work he would go right away to the hospital. He had to ask the nurses to watch over me because during those times it was just the two of us. No one was there to help us. My mother-in-law was in the States back then. My mom had to make a living for my siblings who were still young at that time. So, nobody assisted us except ourselves. Hubby really lost a lot of weight because he cannot sleep, worried about our situation. God was my constant companion during those arduous times. I kept praying that I will have a safe dellivery.

Our precious Baby Boy

My son is really very precious to us. That's why when he was born our world revolved and evolved around him. The effects on him was he came out yellow. He had jaundice. We had to put light bulbs on his crib just so he will not be yellow. If the sun permits we always have sunshine baths every morning but when he was born it was the monsoon months so we rarely see the sun. That's why we put lights around him. He was like a chick in an incubation. He also became lactose intolerant. So his formula was pricey. So, you see we had to undergo so much pain and hardship just to make our Angelo grow up to be a young handsome man as he is now. He will always be our baby.

Milestones

Through out his elementary and High school up to Senior High School he has scholarship so we never paid any tuitions fees just for the books and his daily allowances. He went to the SPED-G school (Special Education for the Gifted) during his elementary years. He studied in Regional Science High School during his Grade 7 to grade 10 then moved to a private school in his Senior High which I never paid any tuition as well because of our government's program giving allotted check vouchers for students who studied in government schools and will transfer to private schools. I just paid for his uniform and other school miscellaneous fees.

He has accomplished a lot in his young age. He has a lot of skills specially when it comes to computers. He has entrepreneurial skills as well. He opened up his shop in Lazada and Shopee when he was still 16 years old. He designs his own Komi shorts and sells them online. He repairs laptops and computers for his teachers and classmates and friends all for free...... haha. A generous giver and loves giving service to others.

I can say that we raised him well, have taught him well about life. His Papa and I are working hard so we can provide for his needs and preparing for his College.

I must say after all the thunderstorms we had gone through. We are ever so grateful to the Lord for giving us the strength, the courage, the guidance, the love to have endured everything. We know our work is not yet done. We have yet to face another chapter of my son's life but I know he will be successful because we will always be right by his side together with our loving Heavenly Father.

I hope you liked reading my post and hope you learned something out of it as well.

Love you all and see you on my next post.

As always,

@lovejoie