The First Miscarriage

Our story began to take a sad turn in the third month of JK's first pregnancy.  A routine ultrasound appointment.  Image up on the screen.  No growth.  No heartbeat.  And then, the tactless ultrasound technician saying, "This is not a good pregnancy."

Message received.

Dr. B comes in and confirms a miscarriage.  So begins our rocky journey.  Because the miscarriage has not been expelled, JK is immediately scheduled for a D&C (long name: Dilation and Curettage) to get the non-viable fetus out.

And now, a message to all of the Wannabe Dads:

The rocky road to fertility inevitably includes surgery.  Oh yes, there's certainly things that challenge a man's dignity - supplying a sperm sample not least - but you will find that pales in comparison to the dread you feel when your wife goes under the knife.  My wife experienced a number of procedures these past 2.5 years, and I never felt that dread subside.  I love my wife.  No surgery is guaranteed safe.

The D&C went without incident and I took JK home to care for her while she recovered (a couple of days).  Dr. B saw us soon after and encouraged us to try again after three periods.  After all, miscarriages are common in women over 35, and not usually an indicator of infertility.  So try we did, and true to form became pregnant on the second try.

Next time: The Second Miscarriage