Small Victories

by Dogcaller@aol.com

1 July 1998

I found out I was pregnant on January 27th. I was two weeks pregnant and had no idea what was in store for me. I was very excited, as was my husband, to be having our first child. Sixteen days ago my placenta separated from my uterus. I was twenty four weeks and four days along. The doctors told me I was having a girl and a c-section all in the same breath. Julie was born...her lungs not even developed yet. I held her when she passed away. Julie lived for ten 1/2 hours. Now I am home from the hospital. Life goes on for everyone but me. Fortunately I have a very supportive husband...but his life seem to go on with work and school. I am a teacher with the summer off. I had originally planned to be spending this time decorating a baby's room.

If anyone out there has experienced or even heard of a placental separation...please let me know. Sometimes it seems that I am the only one out there to experience this "natural accident" (as the doctors call it). Fortunately I am not prone to this happening and my uterus was not damaged in any way. I have to wait three menstrual cycles to try again. But I am so afraid.