Ashermans Smashermans

When we decided to start a family, I was 39 and had no real concept of how much fertility declines by that age. I was having regular periods, so naturally assumed that pregnancy would not be an issue. And it wasn't. I got pregnant five months after we started trying, which I now know was highly unusual for somebody my age.

Sadly, we found out around 10 weeks that the baby was not doing well; I had had some slight spotting, and an ultrasound showed that the heart rate was slower than it should be. It was so hard to believe that there was anything wrong. I had lots of morning sickness, I was gaining weight, all the signs of a healthy pregnancy. But two weeks later the cramping started, which became so severe that I went to the hospital for help. Another ultrasound showed that the baby had died, and I was sent home with pain medication to wait for the inevitable.

It was horrible. I lived in fear of the bathroom, terrified of the baby coming out. I had no idea what to expect, what it would look and feel like, and how I would cope. However, nothing happened, and my doctor scheduled me for a D&C. The surgery went very well physically...emotionally I was a wreck... and I healed very well. It took a few months to realize that there was something wrong. I didn't get a period during that time, and it turned out that I had some scarring in the uterus and cervix, most likely from the D&C. I was diagnosed with Asherman's Syndrome, and the infertility roller coaster began.