A Visit to the Special Pregnancy Clinic

Because I'm Advanced Maternal Age mama and we've had a 1 in 5 success rate with our previous pregnancies, this pregnancy has been classified as "High Risk". I have to admit, that's a little scary. A label like that is good fuel for nightmares. (I had one last night, actually, in it but I also gave birth to a baby octopus so I don't put much weight on pregnancy dreams.)  The upside about the label is that it means the medical pros are paying extra attention to us, and that's very reassuring.

Today I'm off to the Special Pregnancy Program at Mount Sinai Hospital in downtown Toronto. (Steven can't come with me because of a work commitment that couldn't be changed because this appointment came up suddenly. We both wish he could be there but this isn't an emergency situation so cooler heads prevail.) The Special Pregnancy Program (SPP) is dedicated to the investigation and management of the full range of maternal, fetal and placental difficulties that may occur during pregnancy. We went there for a bunch of testing after Owen was born, and then again after we lost our last baby. Today we're going for a follow-up to all of that testing and a more informed opinion about this pregnancy.

Click here for more info if you're interested in the Mount Sinai Special Pregnancy Program: http://www.mountsinai.on.ca/care/special-pregnancy-program/spp

I'm not sure what to expect from this appointment, other than a very long adventure in the waiting room. We're not going to turn back on this pregnancy unless there's a high risk to me. (So far it looks like that's not an issue. Knock on wood!) It'll be well worth the trip if they can offer some advice to make this pregnancy more successful. Not to mention that they are going to do an ultrasound that we wouldn't otherwise have and we might be able to help other couples who face the same high-risk status as we do.

Wish us luck!
Cheers!