I had another non-stress test today and appointment with my OB that went much better than two weeks ago.
* No signs of pre-term labor. Baby is doing great on the monitor and I'm not showing any signs of contractions.
* I had a steroid shot today for the baby's lungs and get a second round tomorrow. This is precautionary in case she takes the baby earlier than 39 weeks. It has made me incredibly crampy, but they said that is a normal side effect.
* Dr. Owen is still unsure of the date she wants to take the baby and is going to reassess at my week 34 sonogram. Depending on the findings, she is either going to schedule me early or leave me at May 24th.
* Depending on what she sees at 34 weeks, she can do an MRI to determine the "level" of accreta (there are three types) and will want to do an amnio test to make sure the baby is ready because she will take her early because of my health risk. Hopefully, like she said, this is just a "weird" thing my body is doing and there is no accreta. That is specifically what I am praying for.
* She did not put me on bed rest (thank you, Lord!) but more of a "half rest" meaning she knows my work schedule is half days and when I'm not at work for those 5 hours a day she wants me off my feet. Because I am not showing any signs of previa or pre-term labor she said she doesn't think I need to be on it. If the accreta is present (which we are praying it's not) there is nothing we can do to prevent it or remedy it until the actual surgery.
* I am feeling pretty good, just realizing that my limit of what makes my cramping start and what makes me feel bad is much lower than I had with Grace. I hate feeling like a wimp, but I am realizing this pregnancy is just tougher for me than I had with Grace. I have also had the realization in the last two weeks that my body is telling me to slow down and when I do, I feel so much better. Only 7 more weeks from today if we go until the 24th of May. We can do this.
* So all in all, great news! I wish I did not have to wait until 34 weeks to find out but I am happy to hear less urgency in my Dr.'s voice and at least have a plan. I left feeling like she is concerned and wants to be prepared, but is not expecting the worst. That is a sigh of relief. I have had a few moments of anxiety, but mostly I have a lot of peace. I know that whatever the outcome is, God is walking with us and this baby is His, just as Grace is his, and our little angel baby is His. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. Hopefully, each week will bring a little more good news and this was just a scare.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
I had a sonogram and doctors appointment about a week and a half ago that did not turn out as planned. I am still processing everything they told me and seem to be worried about, so I hope this makes sense. I am going to use bullet points because that seems to help me keep the info straight in my head. (Oh, and if you don't want to read words like uterus, cervix, and placenta, now is the time to stop reading).
To keep things short and sweet, this pregnancy has been a bit rougher than I had with Grace, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Cramping, spotting, and low fluid levels have been an issue as of late but we have been chalking it up to stress, being on my feet more than I should be, and dehydration (although less than 100 ounces of water a day is a bad day for me. This baby just needs A LOT of fluid!)
I had a great sonogram on the 21st. She is growing beautifully, already estimated at 3.7 pounds, heart, brain, everything looks great. The only issue has been this "cluster" of blood vessels around my uterus (such an awkward word) that they have been checking every sonogram. Luckily Dan mentioned at the end of the sonogram that they needed to check the "cluster" and when they did it appears to have grown. A lot. And not just grown but moved to a place near the lining of my uterus, which is also getting a bit too thin for the Dr.'s comfort. So here is a quick breakdown of what ensued over the next hour:
* Dr. Atkinson let Dr. Owen (my OB) know about the blood situation and told me best case scenario that I would need extra blood during my scheduled c-section. He left out worst case scenario.
* He seemed more concerned about the cramping and spotting than Dr. Owen has been. He did a swab test and an internal sonogram to rule out pre-term labor symptoms and make sure it's not a bacterial infection causing the cramping and spotting. All test have come back negative.
* I walked into Dr. Owen's office right after the sonogram and she was clearly flustered and upset about the blood situation. She then proceeded to tell me that they are concerned about placenta accreta, which is when the placenta grows up into the uterus and attaches itself. The only way to get rid of the placenta is to cut it away from the uterus, leaving the uterus wall too weak to carry another baby, so they will more than likely perform a hysterectomy. Deep breaths.
* She then told me that she wanted to do non-stress tests every week and that she was giving me a steroid shot at week 32. And that I wasn't on bed rest yet, but I better take it extremely easy and stay off my feet as much as possible or it was a certainty (she knows I am deathly afraid of bed rest so I know if she puts me on it, it's serious). Oh, and I also got put on pelvic rest (sorry, I'm not going to explain it on the blog). Fun times.
* She also told me that she was nearly certain I was not going to make it until May 24th, the scheduled c-section date, and that her dad was most definitely going to assist in case there are any problems (he's an OBGYN in case you were wondering if she was just very family oriented). More fun times.
* The non-stress test looked fine on Monday. Baby girl was kicking like you would not believe and the nurse explained some things to me that helped a lot. I asked her why the non-stress test if I was clearly not having any contractions and my cervix is "a great length," according to the Dr. It seemed a bit dramatic to me. She explained that they have to make sure I don't have any kind of contractions or labor because of my thin uterine wall. That made sense to me.
So here we are today. I feel okay, just more like I'm 38 weeks pregnant instead of 31. I'm not terribly stressed or worried (worst case scenarios are just that, and until Dr. Owen tells me that I for sure have an accreta I am not going to get worked up about it). I have another appointment on Tuesday with Dr. Owen and another non-stress test, so hopefully we will have more answers and can get some kind of a plan going. I am trying very hard to stay off my feet and keep the stress level down so I don't have to go on bed rest.
And on to a lighter note, I have a precious pumpkin that keeps me laughing every day. This week she is very into wearing her tutu. Here she is watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in her favorite chair and "skirt." Her allergies have been terrible so her poor eyes were barely open.
To keep things short and sweet, this pregnancy has been a bit rougher than I had with Grace, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Cramping, spotting, and low fluid levels have been an issue as of late but we have been chalking it up to stress, being on my feet more than I should be, and dehydration (although less than 100 ounces of water a day is a bad day for me. This baby just needs A LOT of fluid!)
I had a great sonogram on the 21st. She is growing beautifully, already estimated at 3.7 pounds, heart, brain, everything looks great. The only issue has been this "cluster" of blood vessels around my uterus (such an awkward word) that they have been checking every sonogram. Luckily Dan mentioned at the end of the sonogram that they needed to check the "cluster" and when they did it appears to have grown. A lot. And not just grown but moved to a place near the lining of my uterus, which is also getting a bit too thin for the Dr.'s comfort. So here is a quick breakdown of what ensued over the next hour:
* Dr. Atkinson let Dr. Owen (my OB) know about the blood situation and told me best case scenario that I would need extra blood during my scheduled c-section. He left out worst case scenario.
* He seemed more concerned about the cramping and spotting than Dr. Owen has been. He did a swab test and an internal sonogram to rule out pre-term labor symptoms and make sure it's not a bacterial infection causing the cramping and spotting. All test have come back negative.
* I walked into Dr. Owen's office right after the sonogram and she was clearly flustered and upset about the blood situation. She then proceeded to tell me that they are concerned about placenta accreta, which is when the placenta grows up into the uterus and attaches itself. The only way to get rid of the placenta is to cut it away from the uterus, leaving the uterus wall too weak to carry another baby, so they will more than likely perform a hysterectomy. Deep breaths.
* She then told me that she wanted to do non-stress tests every week and that she was giving me a steroid shot at week 32. And that I wasn't on bed rest yet, but I better take it extremely easy and stay off my feet as much as possible or it was a certainty (she knows I am deathly afraid of bed rest so I know if she puts me on it, it's serious). Oh, and I also got put on pelvic rest (sorry, I'm not going to explain it on the blog). Fun times.
* She also told me that she was nearly certain I was not going to make it until May 24th, the scheduled c-section date, and that her dad was most definitely going to assist in case there are any problems (he's an OBGYN in case you were wondering if she was just very family oriented). More fun times.
* The non-stress test looked fine on Monday. Baby girl was kicking like you would not believe and the nurse explained some things to me that helped a lot. I asked her why the non-stress test if I was clearly not having any contractions and my cervix is "a great length," according to the Dr. It seemed a bit dramatic to me. She explained that they have to make sure I don't have any kind of contractions or labor because of my thin uterine wall. That made sense to me.
So here we are today. I feel okay, just more like I'm 38 weeks pregnant instead of 31. I'm not terribly stressed or worried (worst case scenarios are just that, and until Dr. Owen tells me that I for sure have an accreta I am not going to get worked up about it). I have another appointment on Tuesday with Dr. Owen and another non-stress test, so hopefully we will have more answers and can get some kind of a plan going. I am trying very hard to stay off my feet and keep the stress level down so I don't have to go on bed rest.
And on to a lighter note, I have a precious pumpkin that keeps me laughing every day. This week she is very into wearing her tutu. Here she is watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in her favorite chair and "skirt." Her allergies have been terrible so her poor eyes were barely open.
Monday, January 31, 2011
I know this is old news, but I realized I never made an official post about the fact that we are expecting a second baby girl at the end of May. So here is your quick catch up on what's been going on:
On Friday, September 17th I was standing in front of the refrigerator and felt an incredibly intense wave of nausea. I thought I was coming down with a stomach bug and wouldn't let myself believe that we could possibly be expecting. The next morning I took a test and saw two definite pink lines. My knees hit the floor and I alternated between crying and thanking the Lord, trying not to wake up Dan. I was so overwhelmed with gratefulness, fear, excitement, and worry. We became pregnant only 3 months after the D&C and as happy as I was, I was also consumed by fear and doubt that this pregnancy would sustain.
I had a birthday party to go to that morning and did not say a word to anyone until I told Dan later that day. (Actually, Kristen was the first one to find out. I called her that morning freaking out that the test might be wrong). We told Tom and Beth when they came over later that week for his birthday and my mom when she came to visit that weekend.
It's incredible how different my emotions have been with this pregnancy. I have spent more than half of it cautiously optimistic but never fully letting the sheer joy of becoming a mom for the second time really hit me. I know it is a simple defense mechanism, but all the secrecy and waiting to talk about it, worry and fear have put a damper on what should be an amazing time. I have had to make a conscious decision to let my defenses down and get excited about this new baby on more than one occasion. I suppose the simplest way to say it is I will believe that all is okay when I hold her in my arms and see her for the first time.
Physically, this pregnancy has been different from Grace's. I think the main reason is that I was able to take it easy with Grace and other than a lot of cramping during the first 12 weeks, I didn't experience any trouble. This baby has come along during the 3 most stressful months of my life and rest and relaxation wasn't exactly something I could partake in like I was able to with Grace. I have had quite a bit of cramping, the intense tired spells (I know I had these with Grace, but I was able to actually take a nap!), serious nausea, and even some spotting. Now that I am not on my feet so much, working less hours, and not under so much stress I feel a TON better and am enjoying the "magical second trimester."
So I am 22 1/2 weeks and growing great. The baby weighed one pound at our last appointment and all looks wonderful. She is growing right on track and I am feeling perfect. She is quite the mover (maybe I've just forgotten, but I truly don't think Grace moved with such force and ferocity as this child. It's almost as though she feels the need to remind me every hour, "I'm HERE! Don't forget about me!") We are still working on names, even though we have one that is a front runner, and in the next few weeks are going to transition Grace into a new room and toddler bed. Sigh. Here are my obligatory baby bump pictures and latest sonogram pictures:
On Friday, September 17th I was standing in front of the refrigerator and felt an incredibly intense wave of nausea. I thought I was coming down with a stomach bug and wouldn't let myself believe that we could possibly be expecting. The next morning I took a test and saw two definite pink lines. My knees hit the floor and I alternated between crying and thanking the Lord, trying not to wake up Dan. I was so overwhelmed with gratefulness, fear, excitement, and worry. We became pregnant only 3 months after the D&C and as happy as I was, I was also consumed by fear and doubt that this pregnancy would sustain.
I had a birthday party to go to that morning and did not say a word to anyone until I told Dan later that day. (Actually, Kristen was the first one to find out. I called her that morning freaking out that the test might be wrong). We told Tom and Beth when they came over later that week for his birthday and my mom when she came to visit that weekend.
It's incredible how different my emotions have been with this pregnancy. I have spent more than half of it cautiously optimistic but never fully letting the sheer joy of becoming a mom for the second time really hit me. I know it is a simple defense mechanism, but all the secrecy and waiting to talk about it, worry and fear have put a damper on what should be an amazing time. I have had to make a conscious decision to let my defenses down and get excited about this new baby on more than one occasion. I suppose the simplest way to say it is I will believe that all is okay when I hold her in my arms and see her for the first time.
Physically, this pregnancy has been different from Grace's. I think the main reason is that I was able to take it easy with Grace and other than a lot of cramping during the first 12 weeks, I didn't experience any trouble. This baby has come along during the 3 most stressful months of my life and rest and relaxation wasn't exactly something I could partake in like I was able to with Grace. I have had quite a bit of cramping, the intense tired spells (I know I had these with Grace, but I was able to actually take a nap!), serious nausea, and even some spotting. Now that I am not on my feet so much, working less hours, and not under so much stress I feel a TON better and am enjoying the "magical second trimester."
So I am 22 1/2 weeks and growing great. The baby weighed one pound at our last appointment and all looks wonderful. She is growing right on track and I am feeling perfect. She is quite the mover (maybe I've just forgotten, but I truly don't think Grace moved with such force and ferocity as this child. It's almost as though she feels the need to remind me every hour, "I'm HERE! Don't forget about me!") We are still working on names, even though we have one that is a front runner, and in the next few weeks are going to transition Grace into a new room and toddler bed. Sigh. Here are my obligatory baby bump pictures and latest sonogram pictures:
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| Baby Girl at 21 weeks |
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| Baby bump at almost 10 weeks. You can see why it was difficult to keep things a secret! My babies just like to make themselves known very early! |
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| Baby bump at 15 weeks. A week before we found out that we were having another girl. |
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| Here's my bump with Grace at 16 weeks. Not too different! |
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| 22 weeks. I hope I'm about to level off because continuing to grow at this rate is a bit worrisome! My belly is measuring two weeks ahead of schedule. I always measured ahead with Grace, though, and toward the end of my pregnancy with her I looked like a normal 36 week pregnant woman! |
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