1 week post surgery (Transabdominal Cerclage)

In addition to a lot of well wishes (thank you), I've had a lot of questions about the TAC surgery.  I'm realizing that there just isn't a lot of general information out there about the TAC even within the preemie community and even within the community of people that have delivered between 19-26 weeks due to an incompetent cervix or preterm labor.   I'll be sure to dedicate a few posts in the future to different topics related to IC and the TAC.

I am a week post op right now and feel far better than I could have ever imagined.  I was told to expect a similar recovery to a c-section, but a bit easier because was not going to also be recovering from pregnancy too.  My c-section recovery with Virginia was bad.  I'm now realizing just how bad it was.  I had a post-partum hematoma that got so large it caused my incision to reopen.  This landed me back in the hospital a week after delivery for an additional 5 days for suspected sepsis.  This recovery has been a breeze in comparison.  

I've had my Mom here all week helping me and my inlaws are here this weekend, but Monday Ill return to work and should be pretty much back to normal.  I'll wait a few more weeks to start exercising, but thats pure laziness more than anything else ;). 

At my post op appointment with my OB I realized that the I hadn't thought about much past having the TAC surgery.  We discussed a tentative "plan" for the next pregnancy (again ... this is a ways off) and it all was pretty overwhelming.  There will be many more appointments than a "typical" pregnancy and I will be watched closely for pre term contractions, but that is not what is overwhelming.  What is overwhelming is that I know too much now.    I know too many things can go wrong.  I know that despite taking many precautions related to my history  that there are no guarantees that something else could go wrong.  The NICU was full of babies with heart defects, babies with chromosomal abnormalities, babies born early due to placental abruptions, babies with neural tube defects, babies born early due to infection, and so on.   These fears can be paralyzing but I know we simply have to follow our hearts, trust in our plan, have faith, and believe that we are making the best decision for our family.  I'm not there yet, but I'll get there.