that things have changed. That Christopher really didn't die.
I know it will never happen. But Oh, How I Wish It Would.
I found out some information a few weeks ago that helped explain why he probably died. It has helped a little to have a reason.
The blood work that I had done at 12 weeks showed that there was a 1 in 10 chance that Christopher had Trisomy 18. One of the things that the blood work shows is the PAPP-A level, which stands for Pregnancy Associated Plasma Protein A, which is produced by placental trophoblasts. A low level, like I had, can indicate Trisomy 13 or 18, but women with a low PAPP-A are also significantly more likely to experience fetal loss at less than or equal to 24 weeks, low birth weight, preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, preterm birth, stillbirth, preterm premature rupture of membranes, and placental abruption.
The amnio that I had at 16 weeks determined that he did not have Trisomy 18, but sadly, he was stillborn at almost 18 weeks, most likely due to the low PAPP-A level. During his pregnancy, I also had gestational hypertension, and placental previa, which was also likely caused by the low PAPP-A level.
I had placental issues with every pregnancy that went past 5 weeks after K's pregnancy. So I had 4 pregnancies with placental issues. With all of them, I had a subchorionic hemorrhage, but with Christopher, I also had a low PAPP-A level and placenta previa.
Subchorionic Hemorrhage or SCH is a gathering of blood between the membranes of the placenta and the uterus. There is no formal treatment for this blood clot but each doctor is different. Some suggest that you can continue with your everyday activities while others may suggest taking it easy. Some physicians even suggest bed rest. Surgery is not an option. Some doctors prefer a ‘wait and see’ approach while others choose to use medications. Blood thinners such as: aspirin, Lovenox (inj), Coumadin and Heparin (inj) are used in attempts to ‘bleed’ the clot out. Estrogen and Progesterone therapy is also sometimes used to aid in the development of the pregnancy. The current statistics for pregnancy loss with a SCH is 1-3%. This low percentage is related to large clots. Most pregnancies progress with no further complications. Most clots resolve on their own by 20 weeks of pregnancy. The clot either bleeds itself out or the body absorbs it. T
The SCH resolved itself with E and S's pregnancies. It is possible that my loss in 2006 was caused by the SCH. With Christopher, the SCH probably didn't cause the loss, but with all the other issues from the low PAPP-A level, it didn't help.
But I still wish I could go back. I wish I could be pregnant again and give birth to a healthy, live baby. I don't think I'll ever stop wishing that things had turned out differently.
