The Henshall Family

Believe it or not (I know that I certainly can’t), Clara will be 15 months old this Friday. My god, where has the time gone? More importantly, why haven’t I been able to keep up with my blogging? Ah, yes, it’s because I have a very active almost-15-month-old on my hands. Clara has just amazed us with how quickly she’s growing up. She can say about 20 words, but can understand a lot more than those 20, and is quickly becoming a little lady. I have to admit that I miss my little baby, but am really enjoying getting eight hours of sleep on a consistent basis and the fun that accompanies parenting a curious, lovable and energetic toddler.

So, yes, now that it’s been almost 15 months since my last pregnancy, the thoughts regarding my next pregnancy (pregnancy #4) have been swirling. One would think that the thought of another pregnancy would rouse feelings of excitement, but I feel a lot of uncertainty — sprinkled in with a touch of excitement. We would love nothing more than to give Clara a living brother or sister, but getting to that point is going to be even more painful (both physically and mentally) than my pregnancy with Clara and filled with even more worry and stress.

Long story short: For those of you who don’t know the skinny, our next baby has a 100% chance of developing the same condition – NAIT -  that Clara had at birth. NAIT is a very dangerous disease in which my body develops antibodies against the baby’s platelets, which cross through the placenta and cause thrombocytopenia (a dangerously low platelet count). This thrombocytopenia can occur in utero (we found out about Clara’s after she was born) and can cause hemorrhages in the brain, liver, etc. A normal platelet count is between 150,000 and 400,000. At its lowest point, Clara’s platelet count was 4,000. Thankfully, Clara has suffered no complications due to the condition (we got lucky) and is mentally and physically developing as she should.

A few days before Christmas, Taylor, Clara and I went to New York City to visit Dr. James Bussel, one of the county’s (perhaps the world’s) leading NAIT physicians. In order to make the trip as memorable and fun as possible, we visited FAO Schwartz, took Clara to sit on Santa’s lap at Macy’s, and brought our little Christmas tree enthusiast to Rockefeller Center to see the big tree. In addition to all of the fun we had, we met with Dr. Bussel and his team to discuss NAIT treatment options and how to prepare for our next pregnancy.

There are two treatment options available and I’m currently leaning toward, what I feel, will be the best for me (given we actually are able to conceive another child — which, hopefully, won’t be a problem). One of the treatments for those in the “standard risk” category (i.e. us) consists of twice-a-week transfusions of immunoglobulin. These treatments will take place in our home and require me to actually sit down for anywhere from 6-8 hours (or more) at a time while immunoglobulin is transfused into my body. Between 32 and 34 weeks, we have the option of undergoing a procedure that will sample the baby’s cord blood to determine the platelet count. This is a voluntary procedure, but, again, one I’m leaning toward. If the platelet count is high enough, the pregnancy can continue, as is. If the platelet count is critically low (under 30,000), the baby is transfused with immunoglobulin on the spot. We would also have the option of delivering the baby at that time if we felt it was necessary. So, that, in a nutshell, is what we are up against.

Thankfully, I’ve joined an online support group composed of other NAIT moms. I’m learning a lot from those moms who have undergone treated pregnancies. These women are so informative, strong and brave. I know that they will be very instrumental in many of the decisions we make regarding moving forward with another pregnancy. We’ve been assured by Dr. Bussel and his team that 90% of treated pregnancies are successful. So, at least that’s promising. I’m just a worried mother of one angel baby who doesn’t know if she’s strong enough to endure whatever lies ahead. 

Since learning about this genetic incompatibility between Taylor and I and the condition that results, I have questioned whether or not we should consider having another child. Are we being selfish in thinking that we’ll be lucky enough to have another healthy baby? I love my daughter so much and feel blessed that I have such a healthy, beautiful child to love and care for. However, I would really like her to be able to experience all the fun that having a sibling can bring. So, as I told her the other night while we were laughing and playing before her bedtime, my only reason for going ahead with another pregnancy is so that she can have a brother or sister to share her life with. I am only doing this for her — as she is the reason I’ve spent the last 15 months smiling, laughing and enjoying my life.

For those of you who read this blog, I thank you and hope that as we begin this next phase of our lives, we are able to share the ups and downs that we  know it will bring. Meeting Dr. Bussel and his team and educating ourselves on NAIT have been the first steps that we’ve taken toward adding to our family. The next steps are going to be much harder, but as we’ve learned over the last few years, we are strong enough to endure just about anything that life throws at us. We are ready to face this new challenge knowing that the outcome far outweighs any of the obstacles that we will face along the way. All we have to do is look at Clara, our little fighter, who almost 15 months ago, showed us that a little strength can go an awful long way.

 

 

Stay tuned…

Filed under: Clearly Clara, Henshall Happenings, NAIT