Up Close and Personal – Miscarriage

Repost from CBS Sacramento, Credit: Audrey Asistio

Credit: Audrey Asistio

“About a quarter of pregnant women will miscarry,” my doctor said to me, back in May 2013. I just learned my pregnancy was “abnormal” and my baby wasn’t going to make it. I was two months along. As you could imagine, I was devastated.

Let me take you back. Several years ago, my husband Mark and I tried to get pregnant for more than a year but didn’t have any luck. It was a difficult time for me.August 2012, I decided to take a break from “trying” just to get my emotions back in order. It was convenient timing because I was also getting ready to make another career move. Mark respected my decision. I got back on birth control, landed my dream job at KOVR January 2013 and stopped thinking about getting pregnant for a while.

One early morning in May 2013, I started feeling sharp abdominal pain while anchoring the CBS13 This Morning show. I left during the middle of the newscast and rushed to an urgent care center. Several tests were conducted. About 20 minutes later, the doctor came back into the room. The words that came out of his mouth shocked me, “You’re pregnant.”

What? That’s impossible! Mark and I were already told by another doctor we were likely going to need “extra help” when we begin trying again. Then, fear quickly took over. The doctor told me to go to the emergency room immediately. Several more tests were conducted including an ultrasound. The nurse couldn’t find a heartbeat. I went to my OB/GYN for more tests. The next day, my doctor confirmed I had a miscarriage.

The pregnancy was unexpected, but I was miserable. So many questions were running through my mind. Was there something I could have done differently to save my unborn baby? What’s wrong with me? Is my body not capable of carrying a pregnancy? I cried myself to sleep for weeks.

My doctor told me it was going to take my body 3 months to heal and get back to normal. August 2013, my doctor gave Mark and me the okay to start trying again, if we’d like. One month later, I found out I was pregnant and now, I’m 6 months along! I couldn’t be happier.

If you’re trying to get pregnant but aren’t having any luck, please don’t be discouraged. Two of my good friends tried for 8 years before conceiving. Their baby boy is due in just weeks!

For information on abnormal pregnancies and miscarriage www.webmd.com and www.babycenter.com are just a couple of many good websites to visit. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

Xoxo, Audrey