Trying to stay positive during latest pregnancy
Crystal Ortiz is getting in shape to walk in a 5K event.
“MEND has this thing in October, which is Infant Awareness Loss Month, where they have a balloon release in memory of those who passed away. My fiancé actually proposed to me there. He wanted to incorporate my daughter into the engagement, so it was perfect.
“Right after that, we became pregnant again. When I found out, I cried for a week. It’s like you’re excited, and then you feel guilty for being excited because you already lost a child.
“This time, they took a lot of blood and ran a lot of tests. I found out that I have a genetic mutation called Factor V Leiden that causes blood clots. In pregnancy, it causes blood clots in the placenta and the umbilical cord.
“After learning that, I felt very guilty. I called him crying, saying it’s my fault that my daughter is not here. If I had known about this earlier, she would be here. But he was amazing through the whole thing. He held me and told me it would all be OK.
“So now I’m injecting my stomach with blood thinners daily to help prevent it from happening again. Because they believe my genetic mutation probably had something to do with my other pregnancy. The shots are a little painful, but it’s definitely worth it.”
When are you due?
“I’m due July 20, which is one day before my daughter was delivered. When the doctor told me I thought, no way. But this time we’re going to induce two weeks before for safety precautions. We’re trying to stay as positive as possible that everything will turn out fine.”
— Crystal Ortiz
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