Loren suffers miscarriage

God gives and God takes away.

With these words, Sen. Loren Legarda confirmed to The STAR yesterday that she lost her baby in a miscarriage, less than two months into her pregnancy which she learned from her doctor last Feb. 7, 10 days after she turned 42 on Jan. 28.

The baby would have been Loren and husband Tony Leviste’s third child, coming after Lanz, 11, and Lean, 9.

"Although the baby’s gender couldn’t be determined yet," said Loren during a phone interview, "Tony and I felt that it was a girl. We thought of naming her Theresa because she would have been born on Oct. 1, Feast Day of St. Therese (The Little Flower of Jesus)."

Upon the advice of her doctor, Loren took it easy and was in fact bed-ridden for a few weeks. She started having spotting which later worsened into bleeding. On Tuesday (Feb. 26) last week, she was told by her doctor that the baby’s heartbeat was getting weaker and weaker. The next day, Feb. 27, violating her doctor’s order, Loren got out of bed and reported for work at the Senate for the confirmation hearing of Finance Secretary Isidro Camacho and for the voting on the Dangerous Drugs Act.

Yesterday morning, Loren was informed by her doctor that the baby’s heart stopped beating and that the "yolk sac" actually disappeared. The bleeding continued, until Loren finally lost the baby, which would have been the first to be delivered by an incumbent senator.

"Just the same," said Loren, "Tony and I are thankful for the few weeks of bliss God allowed us with Theresa. At least now, we are sure that there’s an angel up there watching over us."