My story - Baby Callum (Pregnancy Complications)

Member Name: Gemma87

Product:	Pregnancy Complications
Date:	18/02/09 (62 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: I dont think there can be from this

Disadvantages: My son was born sleeping

I hope I am posting this in the right place but I wanted to share my story.

I was only 18 when first finding out that I was pregnant and it wasn't planned. However after talking it through with my parents and boyfriend at the time I knew I wanted to go through with the pregnancy.

I went to the doctors and was given all of the information I needed and a date for my dating scan which was a few weeks away. Happily enough I went home and began telling everyone my news as I was so excited!

However even though I was happy that I was pregnant I kept feeling something was wrong. I cant say exactly what this was more that in the pitt of my stomach everything was going to go as I planned or hoped. And this was often a concern I would share with my mom and other women around me who had had babies but their response was always that you always worry when it's our first as you do not know what to expect and although this did not totally take away my fear I tried to believe it.

By the scan though my fears were proved right, The sonographer said nothing while scanning that would indicate something was wrong. Instead she joked with me I had drank way too much as my bladder was so full my baby could hardly move. But the picture was so clear she pointed out his head legs and feet and his tiny heartbeat. Suddenly it all seemed so real. But as she printed out the pictures she explained I would need to see the consultant as she was worried about the fluid at the back of my babies head. In that time my world began crumbling away as I began crying in the waiting room.

The consultant explained the fluid was likely to be a chromosome problem and she booked me in for an appointment the next day at a specialist hospital.

The next day I went for my next scan (this time i didnt drink so much before hand) and watched as my little baby looked as though he was doing cartwheels inside me. Once the consultant had finished he explained to me my mom and boyfriend that my baby had a cystic hygroma which was a collection of fluid around the head which usually gathered around the lymph glands. He also explained that my baby had water gathering in is lungs and around his heart which was making it difficult for his organs to grow, and finally that he thought it was likely my baby would have downs syndrome. Because of this he offered me a CVS which is when a needle is inserted into your stomach to collect some tissue from your womb to test the babies chromsomes for abnormalties it was also explained that there was a small chance of miscarriage. I decided to go ahead with this as whatever happened I needed to know everything to prepare myself.

The CVS took no more then 5 minutes I will admit it was painful but it was over quickly. However after it I had severe stomach cramps and couldnt stand up straight at this point I thought I would miscarry, however my baby by was strong and held on in there.

Once I was home that day I decided to myself whatever happened I was keeping my baby. I knew now already I would do anything I could to protect him. If any of you are going through this I would advise to not use the internet as often you will never find any useful information. My mom wanted to research cystic hygromas and it showed pictures of disfigured children many of which were suffering from much worse cases and although the inernet can behelpful i feel it can sometimes be just as much a curse.

I was told after a few weeks wait that my son did have downs syndrome. This though did not change anything until I was called into hospital again.

This time I was informed my baby had a 80% of dying before I made it to full term and even if he made it due to the water under his skin and around his organd which were stopping the organs growing he would have no quality of life as he would be in hopistal with machines pumping his heart and breathing for him.

Because of this I was induced into early labour at only 16 weeks. This was a horrible experience for me the pain I wanted over but I knew once it was my baby had died. I was in labour for over 16 hours and eventually at 2.30 in the morning My son Callum was born and died on the same day, and at that point was when I felt my world had crashed and burnt around me.

I have not write this to scare anyone and I hope you do not see it that way. I just wanted to put my experince out there. If you ever feel like something is wrong then please go to the doctors.

Its been three years since my son was born sleeping and not a moment passes where I dont think of him and wish he was here with me, but I know now how much of a stronger person this has made me.

Summary: I just wanted to sharemy story