Synopsis:

Today, thirty percent of all pregnancies are designated high-risk, unlike years ago when this book was first released. This core of this book was originally released in 1987 under the title, "Getting Pregnant and Staying Pregnant: A Guide to High-Risk Pregnancies," which was  a pioneer of its time. Now, more than twenty years later, the book has been vastly updated. Raab, now a full-time writer and nurse, has joined forces with world-renowned Dr. Errol Norwitz, from Yale School of Medicine to provide a staightforward and compassionate guide to managing difficult pregnancies. Raab is a journaling advocate, so the book is interspersed with journaling prompts so women can write about their own experience. The book also includes appendices with helpful resources and contacts. Raab shares her own story in the book's Introduction. Raab was on bedrest with all three of her children who are now in their twenties. The authors instill confidence and maximize good-decision making. “High-risk is not synonymous with bad outcome….But a high-risk designation does mean that you need to be more vigilant….Knowledge is power,” says Dr. Errol Norwitz, in the book's foreword.

 

Book Excerpt:

My Story

This book was born on a typewriter perched on a table built by my husband.

That table was suspended above my expanding belly during my

fi rst pregnancy in 1983. It began as a written journey of my bed-rest experience.

Over the course of a few years, my notes evolved to include information

and anecdotes from other women also experiencing diffi cult

pregnancies. Now, twenty-fi ve years later, the book is an updated guide

for women and their partners to help them navigate through their own

high-risk pregnancy.

Even though I was a practicing nurse when I wrote the fi rst edition, I

was hungry for additional information. Friends and colleagues brought

me books focusing on “normal” pregnancies, and I felt as if I did not

fi t into any of the categories described. I was not having a normal preg-

nancy. That was my impetus to write this book. My hope is that if women

understand what is happening inside of them they will gain confi dence

in themselves, what they are going through, and the decisions they make.

Many of the women interviewed for the anecdotes told me that my book

had taken the mystery out of their problems. Oft en, our imagination is

much worse than reality.

High-risk pregnancies are not fun. They seem to drag on forever. By

sharing my story with you, I hope to help you see the light at the end of

your tunnel. Today, my husband and I have three healthy children, two

daughters and a son—the happy ending to our story. But reaching this

point was far from easy.

My husband and I are both career professionals and worked for fi ve

years aft er we got married before deciding to start a family. Pregnancy

was not an easy task for us. It took me over a year to become pregnant.

When I found out I was pregnant I was ecstatic, and just like many inexperienced

mothers-to-be, I saw no harm in spreading the good news.

Within the fi rst two months I was dressing in maternity clothes. Unfortunately,

my enthusiasm was shattered by a miscarriage at only twelve

weeks.

My obstetrician was away the weekend I miscarried and was very

surprised the following Monday morning when I told him the news. It

was all the more shocking for us because on the previous Friday, we had

heard the baby’s heartbeat during my routine prenatal visit and everything

seemed perfect.

It took me a very long time to accept our loss, and I found it particularly

diffi cult when I saw other women with their children. It seemed

like a constant reminder of my failure. Over the next few months, the

cause of my miscarriage was investigated. My fi rst test, a hysterosalpingogram,

showed I had a congenital uterine abnormality and a cervical condition,

which meant that without proper intervention, I would be unable

to carry a baby to term.

I learned that because of these congenital problems, the only way I

would be able to carry a baby to term was to have major surgery. Perhaps

because I was a nurse, I was afraid to have the surgery. I was aware of all

the things that could possibly go wrong. I urged my obstetrician to take

the most conservative approach. He told me that surgery was the only

solution, and that if I were his wife, he would make the same recommendation.

We sought a second opinion from an obstetrician specializing in this

type of surgery. He also recommended surgery. I was still uncomfortable

with the idea, and so we sought yet another opinion. The third obstetrician

had a diff erent philosophy, one closer to mine. He claimed that with

each pregnancy my double uterus would become stretched and I would

be able to carry a fetus longer each time until I eventually carried to term.

I already knew that I would have to have a cervical suture early in my

pregnancy to solve the problem of my incompetent cervix (a.k.a incompetent

cervix, cervical insuffi ciency).

Nine months later I received a positive pregnancy test, but I had problems

right from the beginning. Around my sixth week I began spotting.

Because it was the weekend (somehow all my problems occurred on holidays

or weekends), we went to my hospital’s emergency room and were

told that there are two possible reasons for spotting early in pregnancy—

impending miscarriage or low progesterone levels.

Because of my history of hormonal imbalances, it was decided that I

needed two progesterone injections spaced two weeks apart. My obstetrician

said that if the spotting were indeed due to a defective egg, I would

abort during that two-week period. Luckily, that did not happen.

At twelve weeks, I was given a cervical suture to ensure that I would

be able to carry my baby. I remained in the hospital for three days and

was sent home on a medication intended to prevent premature contractions,

which could have put the suture under stress. I took these pills for

the remainder of my pregnancy.

Unfortunately, because the sutures were inserted aft er my cervix had

begun dilating, I had to stay in bed for fi ve months. I was tempted to

write to Sophia Loren, who underwent the same ordeal. Because I really

wanted that baby, I did everything my obstetrician recommended. I was

advised not to climb stairs, and as a result, I had to stay on the upper level

of our two-story home.

Each day was full of surprises. I had mild contractions a few times

each day and visited the emergency room, as it turned out, once a month

for the next fi ve months. I spotted throughout the pregnancy and was

told that my suture was being stressed and to take it easy. I never knew

how long I would carry my baby. In my husband’s words, “Every day was

another blessing.” It is impossible to describe the paradoxical passage of

time— those days in bed that passed so quickly, yet also seemed to drag on

for an eternity. I cannot begin to catalogue my emotions, which seemed

to ricochet off the bedroom walls for those fi ve long months.

Finally, at thirty-two weeks, approximately four weeks short of what

is known as the term of pregnancy, I gave birth by cesarean to a beautiful

41/2 - pound baby girl. Although she did not cry at birth and was completely

blue, it was the happiest moment of my life. Her fi rst few moments

of oxygen support were enough to give her the strength to carry

on a life of her own.

The next happiest day of my life was two years later to the day, when

I gave birth again, this time to a perfect 8-pound girl, Regine. She nursed

right away and unlike my fi rst, Rachel, who was a preemie, she did everything

the books said she would do. This second pregnancy was much

easier, partly because I knew what to expect. My husband and I breathed

a sigh of relief, knowing that this baby was not premature—she was born

both healthy and strong.

And at last, three years later, I gave birth to my son, Joshua. His was

an easier pregnancy. I was much more active and confi dent that all would

go well— and it did, as Joshua also did everything the books said he would

do. I was now a proud parent of three children under the age of six and I

vowed to look at the beauty and magic of bringing babies into the world

and watching them grow into fi ne individuals.

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Author Comment:

This book has been a labor of love.

Topics/Categories:

childbirth, journaling, Pregnancy

Genre:

Health

Type of Work:

Book

Awards:

(earlier edition won the Benjamin Franklin Book Award for Best Health and Wellness Book)

Purchase From:

Your HIgh Risk Pregnancy: A Practical and Supportive Guide

Original Publish Date:

October 31, 2009

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