Here's What High Risk Looks Like.

With Claire, I was dilated almost half way around 24 weeks. (For the non-pregnancy gurus, Pregnancy is usually 40 weeks.) I was put on magnesium (which is AWFULLLLL) and Claire was born at 38 weeks. Maybe it was just a fluke thing.

Then Aoife came. I dilated super early again, only that time my water broke at 32 weeks. No longer a fluke thing. Turns out I'm that weird 2% that will always have preterm labor for whatever reason. No issues getting pregnant, just once it happens my body is all "GET IT OUT!!" With all the crazy that pregnancy does, I can't really blame it. I'm a terrible pregnant person.

I used a midwife with Claire and Aoife and loved it. They were so personal, and fantastic. The gal that delivered Claire wasn't even the midwife on call, she just really wanted to do it. With Aoife, we did have the midwife on call, but she was gunning hard to be able to deliver and the other midwife in the practice stopped by a few times anyway just to say hi and see how we were doing. They even popped into the NICU a few times during the following weeks to visit my nugget which really warms a NICU mom's heart.

Then we moved to Wisconsin. Our insurance during the Tiegan era didn't cover midwives. I may or may not have cried when I found out I wouldn't be seeing a midwife. The doctor they put me with didn't take my preterm history very seriously and after a few weeks when my body started doing what it does and dilating, my case was too much for that doctor and I got sent to Maternal Fetal Medicine at the hospital. They take on the super high risk cases. I had to go in every week for shots and cervical length ultrasounds and was monitored super closely.  They were aggressive with the steroids. I was on a modified bed rest until 34 weeks, when the doctor decided walking was probably okay. The goal was to get me to 32 weeks again, and Miss T arrived at 35 weeks. (VICTORY!)

We've since changed insurances (MFM is in the same group as our new insurance, yahoo!). The first appointment was great. The doctor I saw has four kids so she didn't look at me like I was insane when when I rolled into the appointment with the whole entourage. After going over my history, she set up the injections again starting at 16 weeks, and at 20 weeks Maternal Fetal Medicine will be taking on part of my case as well. I'll go there for cervical length checks again and check in there frequently.

The doctor I saw is out of town, so I had the office put me with whoever for my appointment today. I went in and turns out the practice has a MIDWIFE. One midwife. And I got to see her today. And I loved her. She said unfortunately my case is too high risk, I *could* see her for my appointments, but the doctor I've been seeing would be overseeing my case and I'll still be going to MFM at the hospital.

As much as I loved her and love midwives, I decided to stick with the doctor I've been seeing. I'm already split two ways, I really don't want to add in a third. In a week and a half, I'll start my weekly shots, and a few weeks after that I'll have shots at the clinic and then cervical checks at the hospital. Every week. Add in the regular visits and that's a lot of appointments and people involved. While this practice doesn't use bed rest as a treatment, I'll still be on a modified version basically "Be as lazy and still as humanly possible while still being a mom and working".

Things are about to get crazy and busy at the Loveland house. Good thing it's winter and perfectly acceptable to hibernate? *If only Chipotle delivered...  Can we suggest that and make that happen? Little burrito cars? Bring on the Netflix and burritos.