Hi Maggie,
Have you talked to your OB about consulting a specialist for a high-risk pregnancy? I'm asking b/c I got pregnant while on pain meds for RSD, and I was told that to stop taking them might cause a miscarriage. I didn't think I'd ever be able to have a baby so I listened to everything the docs said. I continued taking the pain meds, and now I know that I should've seen a specialist.

My son, Jacob, was born at about 30 weeks gestation. Babies way smaller than him have survived. But he was stillborn, all b/c I didn't get the proper care. I was starting my 7th month and had several symptoms of early labor. I was rushed to the labor-delivery, only to be told by the on-call nurse that I was an overreacting 1st time mother who only had a UTI and that the fluid I'd been leaking for days was not amniotic fluid (they didn't test it, even though the test strip was available and cost less than a dollar) and she said the bleeding was NOT early labor, nor were the pains I was having. Basically, I KNEW I was in labor but this nurse sent me home after not doing an ultrasound, not contacting my OB (there were standing orders to contact her if I ever came in) and refused to allow me to see a doctor. She explained away the contractions as an irritated bladder, and the blood as an irritated uterus.

We went home and I continued having the pains but I believed the nurse- after all, I thought, why would she lie? Well, she did. About 24 hours after she roughly examined me and declared me "fine" the cord prolapsed and my baby boy died in utero. Rushed back to Labor/Delivery, my OB showed up and told me the heartbeat was gone. She said I had to give birth, even though I'd been scheduled for a C-section originally. It took Pitocin and another 20 hours but I gave birth to Jacob, a perfect little blonde boy. He looked just like he was sleeping, all pink and beautiful. An autopsy showed he was a healthy fetus, and there was nothing medically wrong with him. Had the NURSE taken us seriously, he'd be 7 years old today.

I'm not trying to scare you, in fact I'm just now getting to my point. I lost my son b/c of a stupid woman who did all the wrong things. That nurse is the one person I can't forgive. But I had a part in it, too. While taking the pain meds, it's POSSIBLE that the contractions I was having weren't noticed soon enough b/c the pain meds could've masked them. Also, I should have been referred to a perinatologist when I began my pregnancy. That is my biggest regret, with the exception of not getting a 2nd opinion and calling my OB the 1st night.

Your baby will be fine, but remember that RSD is nothing to fool around about. If you want a healthy baby, I would request a perinatologist. They deal with high-risk pregnancies. That's nothing to be ashamed of- you didn't give yourself RSD, so don't ever blame yourself. I just think back to that time and wish I'd done everything differently. The pregnancy itself affected my system and I went into early menopause after 2 years of in-vitro cycles. I did get pregnant from one cycle (twins) but one baby was in the fallopian tube and AGAIN, I didn't listen to my instincts. I felt that pain and I asked about it but I was told it was just an ovarian cyst. I should've known better. The fallopian tube baby grew bigger and they said the weight of him/her caused the healthy baby in the uterus to tear off the uterus. So I lost them both.

After the 1st loss, after giving birth to Jacob, so many people asked me why I wasn't referred to a specialist. I had RSD which made me high-risk. I don't know the meds you're on or your exact situation, but from one mother to another, seek all the information you can get.

I finally became a mom again last year after waiting years to adopt. My son Jaden is perfect and he was meant for us. I love him more than I ever thought possible. Yet I still remember Jacob and his lovely curly hair and perfect face. If I had seen the perinatologist, there's a good chance he'd be here today.

So I don't tell you this to scare you, not at all! I just pray that you find the right doctors. We have enough to deal with as RSD patients, we don't need more to worry about! So talk to your OB AND your RSD doc. Ask them if you need a specialist. My bet is that if they're good, they will be all for it. It never hurts to have a 2nd person there who knows what to expect. In my case, I would've been educated about premature birth and how the meds I was on could cause it. Just do your homework- and don't worry, the doctors will get it right as long as you find the right doctors.

God Bless- I pray that you have a healthy pregnancy and a perfect baby!