The picture you see above is me with my second pregnancy. My first pregnancy ended at nearly 2 months with a miscarriage. It began with bleeding on a Friday that increased as the day went on. My husband rushed me to the hospital where the doctor was able to see the sac and that I was pregnant, but was unable to determine if I was losing the baby.
The ER doctor recommended that I see an OB/Gyn to determine what was going on with my pregnancy. The ER was able to schedule us an emergency appointment however the soonest availability was Monday afternoon. We arrived at our doctor’s appointment where they did a vaginal ultrasound and determined my uterus was full of fibroids. They also did a blood draw over the course of two days to determine whether or not I was suffering a miscarriage.
On the evening of the second blood draw, my husband and I received the devastating call that we were suffering a miscarriage due to the fibroids and the baby’s inability to attach itself to my uterine wall. We were then referred to a reproductive specialist for the removal of the fibroids due to the size and location.
Upon seeing the specialist, he informed us that I had numerous fibroids in my uterus with 2 the size of grapefruits and the remaining going down in size from there. He also informed us that there were about 9 that had completely taken over my uterus and gave us the option to take out the largest ones or all of them. I asked which would allow me to carry children in the future and he informed me that taking all of them out would give me the greatest success but that it would require him to reconstruct my entire uterus.
I agreed to have all of them taken out in a procedure called a myomectomy. The surgery required me to wait 6 months before attempting to get pregnant again but it also wouldn’t take place for another 3 months. During those 3 months, I bled non-stop. Not only was this a reminder that we had lost our baby, it also presented a harsh notion that I may not be able to get pregnant again
What are fibroids and who do they affect?
According to the Mayo Clinic, fibroids can also be referred to as leiomyomas or myomas and are growths of the uterus that appear during child bearing years. They are not cancerous but include symptoms such as heavy, longer, painful periods, growing stomach area, trouble relieving the bladder, and extensive exhaustion https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/uterine-fibroids/symptoms-causes/syc-20354288.
Though there are several hypotheses that have been presented as to why fibroids are caused, there is no medical evidence for a solid conclusion. Fibroids affects 26 million women in the US between the ages of 15-50 https://swhr.org/health_focus_area/uterine-fibroids/.
36% of Black women, 21% of Asian-Chinese women, 13% of Hispanic women and 11%% of White women have fibroids https://www.contemporaryobgyn.net/view/uterine-fibroid-burden-based-on-race-and-ethnicity and fibroids can also cause a woman to have a miscarriage.
Fibroids and miscarriages
Women with fibroids are reported to have a 2-fold escalation in miscarriages compared to women without fibroids. In addition, women with multiple fibroids increase their chances of miscarrying than those with a single fibroid and those without any https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10628498/.
As I stated before, I had several fibroids within my uterus with 2 the size of grapefruits. The doctors confirmed that the amount, size and location of my fibroids caused my pregnancy to end at 7 weeks. I knew I was having a miscarriage before the doctors told me.
I started bleeding shortly after discovering I was pregnant. The bleeding didn’t stop and was eventually coupled with the most intense cramping I had ever experienced along with the expulsion of a tissue mass. These are also symptoms of a miscarriage along with pain in the pelvic area, lower back, fluid discharge, and an accelerated heart rate https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pregnancy-loss-miscarriage/symptoms-causes/syc-20354298.
Myomectomy and Hope after loss
After 3 months of deep grief and continuous bleeding, my surgery day had finally arrived. In the prep room, they gave my husband and I instructions on what to expect during and after surgery. As they escorted me to the operating room, my husband went to the waiting room where he would be for the next 6 hours.
Recovery was a bit difficult the first couple of weeks but after that, I started doing very minimal stretches and soft movements to get my body going again. I was eventually cleared to begin working again after about 6 weeks. I was still a little tender, but at the time, I was a teacher at a trade school and could sit down when things got too aggressive.
In addition to being able to work slowly, my husband and I scheduled the surgery with timing that coincided with Thanksgiving break. By February of the next year, I was pregnant!
Pregnancy after a myomectomy
Myomectomies have led to a pregnancy rate of 76% according to Reproductive Biomedicine Online. Because of the extensive surgery I received, all pregnancies for me would be considered high risk. The risk came from the possibility that if I carried to full term, my uterus could rupture during childbirth. It was advised by my care team to deliver between 37-38 weeks via C-Section.
During my pregnancies, I prayed to God that my children would be born with no physical, mental, or spiritual disabilities. I also prayed that God give me peace during my pregnancies as I was a bit anxious about losing them.
At 36 weeks, my water broke and my first live birth was a success! He was born healthy with no physical, mental, or spiritual ailments. My second live birth was also successful with the birth of my daughter. She was also a scheduled C-Section but she decided not to come out until the doctors made her!
The C-section with my daughter required 2 surgeons to get her out due to the amount of scar tissue. After birthing her, I was informed that another pregnancy would put both me and the baby at risk. I was at peace about this because God granted me the ability to live birth 2 children and carry 3.
I like to consider myself as a mother of 3 with 1 in Heaven as I felt a connection with the daughter I lost. I knew she was a girl and we had given her the name “Joy”. I had written her a letter of how excited I was to meet her and one day, I will.
Psalms 113:9
He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the Lord!
With Love,
Mother Ocia
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