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Overcoming Miscarriage or Pregnancy Loss in New Jersey

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By on Baby, Health, Healthy NJMOM
 
 
     

Life is precious at all stages from conception onward, and mourning a pregnancy loss or miscarriage is no less intense or even debilitating than mourning other losses in your life. I know this because I am part of the nearly 25% of women who have suffered a loss during pregnancy.  

My husband and I conceived our first child in April 2015. Sadly, that pregnancy ended at only 3-4 weeks gestation, so you can imagine our excitement when we found out the following month that we conceived again. We were nervous about the whole process since our first experience was so disappointing, but eventually we hit the 12-week mark and we were overjoyed to share the news with our friends and family. Everything seemed fine. I was sick, and everyone told me such symptoms were a nuisance, but normal. Every test we had done came back fine and we finally breathed a sigh of relief once we were well into the second trimester.

At week 16 I went in for my AFP blood work which tests for any open neural tube deficiencies such as Spina Bifida. I received a call from my doctor soon after the screening advising me to see a specialist; some results had come back abnormal. I wasn’t worried. I had heard these tests often presented false positive outcomes so I just made an appointment and went out with my routine.

The day of the appointment I felt strange; not nervous, but I think my intuition anticipated something I couldn’t quite understand. We met with the ultrasound tech who said she “saw some things” and when the doctor came in he confirmed what my gut had been nagging me about all along: The baby wasn’t viable.

“She has a condition called anencephaly,” he said gravely. “The prognosis for survival after birth is zero percent.”

I was shocked. I was ready to deal with a birth defect, or a functional issue, but this? The specialist gave us the number of the only doctor in our region who could perform such procedures as we were about to encounter and he sent us on our way with his condolences.  

The whirlwind of doctors appointments, conversations, tears, and paperwork revved fiercely for the next 3 days. That’s all it took to prep for and perform a D & E. Months of housing my daughter, and only 3 days for her eviction.

When everything was over I was left empty and confused, yet in fine physical condition. I didn’t know where to turn. I went on the internet and searched “anencephaly” and located some resources, but mostly it was just information about the defect, not ways to overcome my deep grief. I felt as though no one else had ever gone through something like this, but that was far from the truth.  

I know now that there are a lot of resources out there for mothers and families who suffer from pregnancy and infant loss. Some are a click away, and some a drive, but in the end you have to determine what works for you.

Ultimately, there is no one way to deal with your grief when it comes to losing your child–whether it be during pregnancy or after–but know that you are not alone and more so, know that every pregnancy–no matter its duration–comes to an end with the birth of an angel.

Here are some great miscarriage resources in New Jersey:


 
 
     

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