FVL Pregnancy Blog

I have been doing a lot of research on the condition they diagnosed me with, Factor V Leiden. It's an inherited thrombophilia (propensity to form blood clots). We are fairly certain that's what has caused my losses. I think a lot about what I could have done differently with Hope. I wish I'd had testing done after we lost James last year. I wonder if the 15 lbs I've put on in the last few years incresed clot formation or perhaps it was made worse by the less-than-ideal diet I had while pregnant and selling our house/ helping hubby prep for the Feb. bar/ moving in March. (Life has been STRESSFUL!)

But, I can't change anything in the past. I have to remind myself that hindsight is 20/20. We did our best with the limited information we had at the time. I'm starting a blog about FVL in order to focus my efforts on searching out more information on the condition & making better decisions based on that.

We'd really like to have another baby. The Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist thinks that with daily injections of blood thinner, our chances are good of carrying to term. I've read that the medicine really stings & my stomach will be covered with bruises, so I'm not looking forward to that. But of course I'll take temporary physical pain over the lingering emotional heartache of losing a baby. YOU BET!

But, I'm afraid the joy of pregnancy might be gone for me. Last time, I was worried, but I REALLY felt like things were going to work out & I still enjoyed the pregnancy. Now I'm considered high risk & even if I make it to term with the baby, the delivery is more risky for me, and I could develop a life-threatening clot post-partum (that's actually the most dangerous time for the mother). I think when we get pregnant next it will be for the last time & I worry I won't even be able to savor it. How do you recapture the belief that "being pregnant" is the same as "EXPECTING a baby"?

Lazy days?

We are enjoying our summer, but I think it's only "lazy" for the kids who don't have homework. For the parents who have to come up with more activities, some semblence of learning so their brains don't turn to mush & who push double strollers up steep hills on a regular basis to go to the park, it's anything but lazy!
Here's some of our adventures:
Going to the playground is fun for kids & getting there is good exercise for mommy!


D just turned 8 and will be baptized soon. (For more information about our views on baptism, click here)

Miss H will sing at the baptism. She's so pretty in her dress.
We went downtown for a PBS kids event. (You can see I cut my hair to get it off my neck.)


I made a teepee for the kids to play in until we get a playhouse built. Miss H is sitting in it in her pjs... Lazy days of summer!