One in four women experience miscarriage. Hope often helps women cope with the loss of miscarriage. Though that hope may ebb and flow on any given day, it’s always there below the surface waiting to rise again. That’s what happened with one of our patients at Cherokee Women’s Health.
Jamie Shares Her Miscarriage Story
Jamie and her husband had been trying to have a baby for nine years. During that time, she had three miscarriages, two of which were tubular pregnancies. She had also been experiencing a significant amount of pain. Jamie had been to four or five different OB/GYNs, and all of them told her there was nothing wrong. One doctor even suggested that the pain was probably bowel-related and that she just needed more fiber in her diet.
Jamie was feeling sadness, guilt, doubt — and yes — loss of hope, not unlike many women who have experienced similar situations. She and her husband started discussing adoption as an option. She thought that may be the path she would take to motherhood, because Jamie knew in her heart that her purpose on earth was to be a mother, one way or another. She relied on her strong faith during the dark times and that’s how her hope resurfaced again.
“Even when things seem hopeless, don’t give up hope. Hold on to your faith.”
It was in August of 2017 that she decided to try yet another OB/GYN. That’s when she found Dr. James Haley at Cherokee Women’s Health. From her very first appointment, she knew he was the right doctor for her. He listened to her and most importantly, believed her when she told him about her constant pain and how she thought something was wrong. Dr. Haley recommended a laparoscopic procedure to explore what could be the issue. During the procedure, he discovered that one of her fallopian tubes was all “chewed up”, as she put it. Dr. Haley said it was due to the tubular pregnancies. Within four weeks, he performed the procedure to remove that tube, during which time, he also discovered that she had endometriosis, which was the cause of her pain. He removed that as well.
Daring to Hope
Though no promises were made, Jamie felt hope once again. And then, three months later, she found out she was pregnant! Jamie shared, “I love Dr. Haley. He is my hero! He believed me and did all he could to help me.”
Like many moms who have been through a miscarriage, or multiple ones, Jamie was apprehensive. It wasn’t until about 20 weeks into the pregnancy that she finally thought, “This may actually happen!”
Her pregnancy did have a few complications. She had high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, but on August 19, 2018 — 11 months after her procedure and after 36 hours of labor — Dr. Haley performed a C-section and Jamie’s precious, healthy rainbow baby, Bella Klaire, was born.
When asked to share any advice she has for other women traveling this difficult road, Jamie says, “Even when things seem hopeless, don’t give up hope. Hold on to your faith.”
Miscarriage Resources
Following are resources you may find helpful in your recovery process:
H.E.A.R.T. Strings Support Group – Hope, Empathy, Alliance, Resources and Teamwork
Perinatal Bereavement of Palliative Care. Email them at northsidepnl@gmail.com or call them at 770.224.1817.
