Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Admitted to Labor and Delivery

Yesterday I woke up feeling Braxtons Hicks and what I thought was intestinal pains.  These continued sporadically throughout the day, but by evening it was so painful that I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep at all and I needed some kind of assistance regardless of what was causing the pain.

We checked into OB triage around 11pm and got all hooked up to the monitors again.  Within minutes, it registered a contraction of 11 on a scale of 1 to 12.  Not what we wanted to see, but I have to admit feeling a tiny bit of vindication that the pain wasn't all in my head.   We were seen by the same doctor who diagnosed our SCH.  This time we got a different type of shocking news as he kept his usual poker face on during my internal....I was dilated 3-4cm and he could feel the baby's head.  R and I looked at each other with an "oh shit" expression.

They admitted us to L&D and though they weren't getting any closer together, I was exhausted and opted for an epidural at 3am.  The back labor was probably one of the worst parts...the contractions still felt like really bad intestinal pain.   The epi wasn't really painful at all, but the numbing meds did sting a little.  Then it was just an odd pressure on my back until the meds kicked.  I was able to move my legs and was really only numb around the hip area.

They checked me again around 7am this morning and I was 4cm and 100% effaced and baby was in -2 position.   It is a little after 1pm now, and the contractions have stayed spaced out and irregular, so they turned off my epidural about 45 minutes ago to see what happens. If they stay infrequent and manageable for me, they'll move me upstairs to a pre-natal floor and monitor me there. Ideally we are hoping contractions stop altogether and they can send me home at 35 weeks on Thursday....I assume on strict bedrest. This close to 35 weeks they don't do anything to stop labor, but they also don't do anything to assist progression. 3 days ago I would have received steroid shots, but there is not enough medical data out there yet for them to give it to me now. We did opt to be included in a medical study on steroid use for late pre-term babies, but we don't know if we were assigned the placebo or the actual drug.


We are doing okay for now...feeling a little like a deer in headlights because we've barely started organizing anything. We do have plenty of friends and family locally though, so I know we can get it sorted out.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Little trip to L&D

Yesterday R and I were running some errands and I noticed that my hands were suddenly a lot more puffy than I've ever noticed before. I'd been dealing with ankle/leg swelling for a while, but this concerned me enough that we stopped by a Rite Aid and took the free BP test there. First time was 144/88. Not good. We sat down and waited a few minutes (and DH checked his to make sure it was a machine problem) and did it again...154/84. So we called the on call doctor and as I expected, we were sent in for monitoring.

At 34 weeks, I didn't think I'd be seeing those rooms before the big day.  Even though we are in a much better spot pregnancy wise than we were 24 weeks ago, physically been in the same place again carried some pretty strong memories.  Though the first nurse called me back pretty quickly, my pulse was up to 121 when she did the initial evaluation.   She asked if I was nervous and I just gave her a look and said a trip to L&D isn't exactly a calming experience.   I don't remember my exact starting BP numbers in triage, but oddly enough...there was a huge variation between my right and left arms...which the nurse said was normal. My OB always used my right arm, which was 125/60something, while my left was still at 144ish/80something.


After 3 hours everything was back to normal ranges, but my bloodwork showed something with my liver was borderline, so I need repeat BW on Wed, and though the quick urine test (I'm guessing a dip test?) came back clear...the more detailed test showed a little protein, so I get to do a 24 hour urine catch this week. Thankfully they told me I was fine to wait until Tuesday to do it, so I don't have to confine myself to the house for memorial day. I have my monthly MFM u/s Tuesday morning, so we'll get a new estimate on LO's size and Friday I have my OB appointment to discuss delivery options and I should have all these test results by then.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Baby shower!

My shower was on Sunday.  I knew the date and location, but the details were mostly a surprise.  Everything turned out great and I think everyone had fun.   It was almost a bust though.  Ok, not really...but remember those super cute shoes I fell in love with back in Feb?  Yeah, well....I made the mistake of not trying them on again until Saturday.  My poor feet were so puffy I almost couldn't get them on.  I am a shoe person.  Though I've refrained from any other shoe purchases while pregnant, I couldn't resist those and my whole outfit was planned around them, because sometimes, it is all about the shoes.   All was good though, I kept my feet up as much as I could Saturday and slept with 3 pillows under them.  Totally worth it and I got several compliments on them.

We got a lot of great stuff, which I'm now facing the overwhelming task of finding a place for.  R cleaned out half a kitchen cabinet to make room for bottles and such.  Nursery furniture still isn't in, so right now things are just shoved in baskets in the closet.   I am proud to say I've already knocked out a bunch of thank you notes.  Unlike a bridal shower, it is a bit easier to write them when you can actually open and put away/organize what you got, rather than following proper etiquette and waiting until the wedding is over.  I did figure out quite quickly that I needed the gifts in front of me to write out the notes, because even with a gift list written as I opened things....it was so confusing remembering who gave what.  Because it isn't just Aunt A gave us sheets...it is noting whether it was crib sheets, bassinet sheets, pack n play sheets....how I'll keep them all straight I don't know.  And trying to cross check with the registry is always fun.  Babies R Us didn't update half of the stuff that was bought of it (I have gift receipts with my registry #, so I know it wasn't user error) and then there are the mystery gifts.  I had a few of these from my wedding as well.  Gifts that were bought off the registry and never given.  How long do you wait until just buying another yourself?  We could be needing that diaper genie in as little as 5 weeks.   R and I plan on waiting until mid June to allow time for work showers before tackling the clothing inventory and shopping to fill the gaps.

Relaxing before gifts (please note the shoes!)

Fabulously delicious cake.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Is it working yet? (32 weeks)

This time I can blame the delayed post on blogger, which I discovered was crapped out right after uploading my pictures to my work computer on Friday.   I suppose it is a good thing, because the weekend gave me some time to be relax and get back to being much more upbeat than I was feeling Friday.  Last week was rough.  Not compared to my SCH issues, but definitely worse than anything since that resolved.

Mother's Day weekend was pretty good.  I made it to a neighbor's Kentucky Derby party and lasted, mostly on my feet, until about 9:30.  Then on Sunday we went to annual steeplechase and tailgate event that we've gone to every year (R proposed there in 2006) and had fantastic weather.  I rocked the pink dress in the picture below and even had strangers complimenting me for being out there while pregnant.  



I took Monday as a sick day just to get some stuff done, and after that my week tanked.   Tuesday and Wednesday I had Braxton's Hicks that were so painful I finally called the doctor, who said that was pretty normal and as long as they went away when I changed position not worry.  So, good that it was normal...not much help because they were the worst while stuck in rush hour traffic.  The other big problem I'm having is swelling.  Being stuck at a desk all day makes my ankles blow up, and it only gets worse as the week goes on.  I was wearing Adidas flipflops by Thursday because nothing else fit.   Thankfully, they are much better on the weekends, so I'm still getting a break.  My OB has yet to see them at their worst though, so we'll see what she says on Friday.

I started painting the name letters, and I must say, they look pretty damn awesome.  When they are done I'll devote a post to what I did, because I have had a few minor glitches.  So far I've tackled the two letters that get stripes, and R painted the 2 that are solid colors.  Next up....polka dots.  

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Aw...hiccups!!

Yesterday he had his first round of hiccups! (or at least the first that I've felt).  As I was driving home I felt these odd little kicks in the exact same spot, coupled with what felt like small cervix punches.  I figured out that he was hiccuping, kicking my ribs and sending his head into my cervix....he only had 6 or 7 but it was so cute.   He got them again while we were watching TV and I could just barely see them from the outside.  Then I started feeling bad for him because he woke up and didn't seem very happy with his current condition.  Poor guy...at least they only lasted 5 minutes or so.

Yesterday our wooden name letters came.   I was going back and forth whether I was ready to commit to one name before he was born, but I decided to go ahead and take the risk.   Still undecided as to whether I will share it here yet.  I know at least 2 people I know IRL read, or at least have found, this blog and we aren't making name announcements to everyone until after he is born.  Hell, my co-workers and some friends don't even know we are having a boy.   Anyway....the letters are here so I plan to start painting them in the next week or so.   My other project is painting 3 small pictures to match this lamp R had as a child (have I said that already?...I can't remember).  I'll post pictures of the lamp and the paintings when I'm done and I know I still need to post nursery pictures.  Hopefully the furniture will arrive soon...I think the timeframe was mid-May to mid-June.

I don't have my 31 week bump pic yet...we have a Derby party on Saturday so I figured I'd just get one then.  Here are the last 3 weeks though.



Tuesday, May 3, 2011

may need to consider a scheduled c-section

I had my monthly u/s with the MFM doc. today.   Everything looked good, but the tech kept going back and measuring the belly.  Finally she asked if I'd passed my GD test, because his abdomen was measuring ahead by quite a bit.  I said I had, and that they told me if they didn't call it meant I'd passed.  I asked if everything else was measuring ahead too, since he'd been about 2 weeks ahead since 20 weeks.  He was still 2 weeks ahead in general, but his abdomen was in the 93rd percentile, whereas everything else was above the 50th percentile.   So naturally I start wondering if my GD results were somehow lost, but I had my OB appointment a few hours later and was told I passed with flying colors.

The mid-wife did express some concern when I mentioned the u/s measurements...and that baby has an estimated weight of 4.9lbs!!   She said that shoulder size usually correlates with abdominal size, and the doctor would discuss the possibility of scheduling a c-section at my 34 or 36 week appointment.

My "birth plan" has always been whatever is best for me and the baby, whether that be natural, medicated or c-section, but at this point in my pregnancy, I didn't think I'd need to be choosing one over the other before I was actually in labor.   I really have mixed emotions about choosing a c-section.  I know I don't want a 22hr labor and then an emergency c/s, but I'd like the chance to do it without major surgery.   I admit most of my immediate reasons for not wanting a c/s are vain and selfish....mainly extended recovery time, not being able to resume normal activity right away and start working off the baby weight (yes, I realize that last part is highly delusional).  On the other hand, just the word episiotomy scares me.   So I guess I'll do some research and see what the next few weeks bring.  I think it is safe to say I'm tossing out any thoughts of natural birth!

We did get to see his face today...and we got a smile!  He was practicing smiling and frowning.   I think he may have my mouth.