doctor's appt #21...

I had another doctor's appt at Wilmington Maternal yesterday for an ultrasound to check the fluid around the baby.  Everything was fine there -- as a matter of fact, the levels are on the higher end of average and normal so it appears that the kidneys -- something they're keeping an eye on, remember -- are still working just fine.

They also did another biophysical "test" on the baby and he scored another perfect score: 8 out of 8.  George was our ultrasound tech and he remarked, just as everyone else has, that he is breathing really, really well.  Perfect.

My blood pressure was 138/90 -- elevated higher than they prefer, but not any higher than it has been, and, with my history of hypertension, not at an alarming level.  Just something for them to mention to me in the consult room afterward, as they always do.  :)

The only downside, really, to this appt was the fact that the kid is still breech.  Yes, he is.  Grrr.  However, George, gave us hope -- he said he's seen babies turn even later than this.  Yay.  Our doula, Kelley, told us about a few positions, some exercises, that I can do to, um, encourage him to turn.  So we will set about doing those.  For sure.

So due to the blood pressure issue, they wanted to take some more blood and test for anything that looks preeclamptic.  Well, sure, it's been what, a week since they did that?  Go right ahead.  Let's see what the labs say.

Everything came back normal -- platelet counts were fine, urine creatinine was normal (also no protein in my urine which is always a warning sign), liver function is fine.  Just a caution from Cindy to keep watching my blood pressure and report any serious spikes, and to keep an eye on how I'm feeling.  Roger that.  That good lab report bought us 4 more days to wait it out.  

That's what we want.  My concern at this point is that my care providers are going to start pushing me to start making decisions about "this or that" before I'm ready.  As long as I'm fine and everything is healthy with the baby, then we're fine to wait.  Not so much on the medical front -- it's just more convenient to go ahead and schedule induction or a c-section so that my docs don't have to worry about my blood pressure or risk of preeclampsia or the baby turning on his own anymore.  I see their side -- I really do -- but I also have my preferences and those take precedence for me, as long as nothing turns into a dangerous situation for me or the baby.

All my docs are now hinting around about bed rest but also suggesting that it's maybe something I can avoid them ordering if I take my own precautions like, for example, limiting my hours at work, etc.  It's not as if my job is real strenuous or anything, but I think the thing that works against me is that in those last few hours of the day before bed, after working 8 hours, I'm trying to cram a lot of things in and not really taking time to put my feet up.  Maybe if I can figure out a way to limit my workday hours, I can spread those "after work things" out a little bit and find chunks of time to put my feet up and rest more.  You think?

It's worth a try to avoid the doc's official order of bed rest.  So we're gonna try it.

My next OB appt is Monday for an NST and they will probably want to discuss the whole "your-baby-is-breech-and-your-blood-pressures-have-been-elevated-and-we-just-think-we-need-to-get-this-baby-out-of-you" thing.  So we'll be going in with guns to stick to.  Just sayin'.  :)

doctor's appt #19...

I had an appt with Wilmington Maternal yesterday afternoon for an ultrasound to check growth and fluid levels.  Jeff ended up going with me which was a sweet surprise.  I don't ever assume that he'll be able to get away from work to come with me to an appt so when he called me yesterday and said, "I'm on my way so don't leave without me!", I was very pleasantly surprised.  :)

Everything went relatively well at the appt.  Deacon got lots of "points" for all the movements he was making as they did their thing -- both ultrasound techs that came in said he was "breathing like a champ".  I mean, they must've made that comment or one similar at least 3 or 4 times.  Yay.  :)  So glad he's not having any trouble with that task.

According to the measurements they took, he weighs 6 lbs 3 oz now.  His kidneys are still a bit enlarged but still nothing to worry about, only to monitor in the future.  Dr. Wright said she'd mention it to our pediatrician so they can scan the kidneys soon after birth and keep an eye on them.

So everything is great with the baby (other than he is still breech -- hmmm...).

My health, on the other hand, is not something that's going as great.  First, let me say that aside from the normal pregnancy issues at almost 37 weeks pregnant (like swelling, fatigue, ligament pain, having a hard time putting any shoes other than flip flops on :), I feel perfectly fine.  I do not have any dangerous symptoms (headaches, blurred vision, etc.) or anything that I can feel going on.

The biggest issue is that my blood pressure has been slightly elevated consistently for about the last week and all of a sudden, everyone is on alert for symptoms of preeclampsia.  I know that preeclampsia:

1) is nothing to mess around with

2) that it can come on very quickly with relatively no signs or symptoms, again, that I can feel, and

3) that it can make a pregnant woman and her baby very sick

And the doctors don't mess around with it, either -- this is why I had to go to the hospital last Friday for extended monitoring and blood work.

So yesterday, when they took my blood pressure and it was 140/90, they sent me down to a lab to have blood work done.  Even though I had just had blood work done a week ago at the hospital.  I guess that's how quickly things can change regarding preeclamptic symptoms.

So that's what we did after my appt.  We went down and I had blood drawn to be sure that, even though I wasn't feeling any symptoms, I didn't have preeclampsia.

And I don't. 

Dr. Wright called back last night with the results from the labs and said that everything is stable for now. She didn't officially order bed rest, but she did say that she thought it would be beneficial to slow down (ha!) and take it a little more easy than I have been.  And she did suggest that I start having twice weekly NSTs in my OB's office.  *siiiigh*  I guess when I head in Monday for my next NST, I'll mention that to them.  This is the part that really aggravates me -- missing work for more appts.  Not that I'm worried about work, but that I'm using more and more of the sick time I'm trying to SAVE for maternity leave.  At this rate, there will be nothing left; as a matter of fact I'll be in the red, probably.

Isn't it silly that THAT is what concerns me?  I'm in no way concerned about my health or that of the baby because I know that God is going to take care of us.  And whatever that means, I'll do, to be sure.  Please don't take my griping and complaining about the doctors' caution to mean that I don't think they know what they're doing.  I trust their judgment and I'll do what they say, no matter how much work I have to miss.

It's just an annoyance to me to be sent here and there to check this and that.  But it is what it is and we're coming down the homestretch now so I'm trying (without much success at this point) to just "roll with the punches".  Thank goodness for my wonderful, rock-steady husband who knows just what to say and do, when to be quiet and when to give me a pep-talk.  He has been absolutely fantastic for me.

But I'm starting to think that maybe he's bad luck and I shouldn't bring him to any more of my appts.

Just kiddin', babe!  You know it's MUCH better for me if you're there than if you're not.  I don't even want to THINK about what kind of state I would've been in at last Friday's appt (and the hospital) and this one yesterday if you hadn't been with me...I love you to pieces.  Truly. 

a day of firsts (i.e., doctor's appt #17 +)...

I had a routine OB appt yesterday morning with an NST to monitor Deacon's heartrate, etc.  What started out to be a routine checkup turned into a trip to the hospital for more extensive, prolonged monitoring just to be sure everything was okay.

And it was.  Let me just make that clear right here -- everything is fine with me and the baby.

At my appt yesterday morning, my bp was a little high -- 143/97.  And then during the NST, Deacon's heartrate dropped from his norm, in the 140s, down into the 120s twice, without provocation (no contraction or anything), over the course of about 40 min.

[this is what the printout of the NST looks like]

Dr. Woodfill didn't think there was anything really to be worried about; it just warranted an extra look and some prolonged monitoring.  I'm grateful for the extra caution, really, but how annoying to have to go down to the hospital.  *sigh*

Before I left my OB office, they did the Group B Strep test and checked to see if he had turned at all (at my last u/s he was breech).  Dr. Woodfill said that it didn't seem as though he'd turned much yet; that his head appeared to still be up and not down.  He's still got a month to turn so I'm not too stressed about that yet.  Not sure when we'll get the results of the Group B Strep.  If I have it (a bacteria found on the skin that isn't harmful to adults but can be deadly to infants), they'll give me an injection for it once we're admitted.

So off we went to the hospital.  Once there, we filled out the paperwork and signed off on all the forms (that's one good thing about this first trip to the hospital -- we're in the system now so we won't have to worry with the paperwork on the "big day").  They put me in a small room and had me change into one of their gowns and put on a belly band (that's what they used to hold the external fetal monitors in place).  That was my first time trying to get into one of their robes.  RIDICULOUS.  I opened it out and all it was was a ginormous piece of fabric with snaps and ties.  Um, excuse me?  Where are the sleeves?  Where's the neck hole?  I had to have Jeff come in and help me into the thing and together we figured out how to snap things together to make sleeves and a neck hole.  Talk about feeling dumb.

So I get into the bed and they place the monitors where they need to be on my belly (which I'm used to because it's just a longer NST than what I've been having), place a blood pressure cuff on my arm and stick a thermometer in my mouth.  All while I'm trying to finish signing off on all the paperwork.  GEEZ, PEOPLE.

So the monitors begin recording what they're supposed to record and the bp cuff takes my bp about every 30 min or so and records that.  A little later my nurse, Ann, takes some blood (out of my hand) to send off for labs to be sure that I don't have preeclampsia (which I don't, but that's the signs that were showing with my elevated bp and the drop in heartrate at my OB's office, I guess).

About the time she gets done with that, Jeff decides to go get us some lunch from one of the cafes in the hospital.   This was our first time eating at the hospital and we're big fans!  Jeff had a grilled chicken panini sandwich and he got me a grilled chicken & pesto wrap.  Oh, yum!  He also got some spicy beans & rice, some mixed fruit and then a couple of other snacks.  Everything we ate was really good.  We were really impressed.

So I ended up staying on the monitors for about an hour and 45 min *sigh* and that report, combined with my blood labs showed no signs of preeclamsia.  As a matter of fact, they kept saying that everything was "perfect" with me and the baby.  My bp was actually really low at the hospital which was the exact opposite of what I expected given the situation.  So that was very encouraging for me.

Dr. Cunill came in and did an ultrasound with a little portable machine just for extra confirmation that everything was fine with the baby (which it was) and was able to tell us that he is transverse in there now, not breech, but not head down either.  He's basically laying crossways in my belly, with his head on my right side and the rest of him on the left.  So he's making progress.  That's good.  :)

Once the ultrasound was complete, I was free to get changed back into my clothes, we signed off on one more thing and then we were released.  At that point, it was so late I ended up not going into work at all.  Thankfully, Fridays are kinda slow at the office so I wasn't stressed about that.  It was a pretty eventful day, though, so I did feel a little drained.

I would like to say how thankful I am that Jeff was with me for this appt.  He hasn't gone to every appt with me (and I'm fine with that) but I wanted him to hear at least one of the NSTs so he could listen to Deacon's heartbeat and hear him moving around.  So he decided to go with me to this one and I'm so very glad.  Just having him with me kept me from freaking out about being sent to the hospital, and then having him with me at the hospital was a God-send, too.  He is just such a calming force for me.  He always seems to know what to do, what questions to ask.  And he knows just what to say to make me smile or keep me calm.  He is a wonderful husband, the best ever, and he's going to be a wonderful father.  :)

doula meeting #1...

We met with our doula, Kelley, last night, for the first official meeting.  And had a lot of fun.  It helps when your doula is also a good friend of yours.  :)

She basically went over some of the stuff that we'd learned in our childbirth class, expounding on certain things and revising others based on her experience.  I felt more comfortable revisiting things I had a question about with her, rather than in a class setting.  She talked about the stages of labor  generally, but also as it pertains to her and what she's here to do for/with us.

She told me to be sure that both Jeff and I were wearing comfy clothes that we "could move in"...yes, we did some laboring techniques last night so that Jeff could see the role that she would assume for me, as well as the role that she expected him to play during labor and delivery.  It was GREAT for me!  :)  Kelley told Jeff that the main thing was to keep me just as relaxed as I could possibly be in that situation (that is, the situation of giving birth to our first child).

She went through some exercises on the ball and with a scarf type thing that serves to relieve pressure if used in the right way.  It was pretty interesting some of things she showed us and though I'm not having a lot of trouble with back pain, etc. at this point, I can see how a lot of these things she showed us will really help if/when I do have trouble with that.

We laughed a lot and learned a lot so it was a great experience for all of us, I think.  We have some paperwork to fill out and some exercises, etc. to practice for the next month and then we'll have another meeting at the end of the month to review.  We may possibly have one more meeting, if we just feel like we need one more before the little one decides to make his entrance.

childbirth education class #4...

We had our fourth and final Prepared Childbirth class last night.  We talked more about labor and delivery, specifically what happens if a c-section is needed.  Though I'm not a fan of needing a c-section -- I don't know who is really (unless they had serious complications in previous births or something like that) -- but I know that if one is needed, it will only be because it will be in my best interest & that of my child.

With that being said, having a c-section seems like a cake walk compared to a vaginal birth!  Now, I know there are more issues with recovery in the case of a c-section, a longer stay in the hospital, etc.  But the work is done mostly by the hospital staff with a c-section, according to what we learned.  Surgery is surgery, however, and the emotional issues that go along with a c-section HAVE to factor in, I'm sure.

Once we wrapped up the eduction portion, we got to take a tour of the hospital, those areas that we would be utilizing in the labor & delivery of our child.  It was pretty interesting seeing all the different places, and I got lost pretty fast but there are plenty of folks around to direct you where you need to go.  :)  What I liked about the hospital is that it doesn't feel so much like a hospital.  They've done a good job of making the rooms feel more like bedrooms, despite the little bit of medical equipment, etc. that's necessary.

The labor & delivery rooms (vs. the recovery/postpartum rooms) were kind of scary, though.  Only because Jackie flipped on the "delivery lights" (2 huge spotlights!),  took apart the bed and brought out the stirrups and such and I think it just kind of hit me right.then. that I would be going through "all this" in 2 months time.  It, um...well, it kind of...it was a healthy dose of reality.  We'll just say that.

The recovery/postpartum rooms on the mother & baby floor I've seen before after visiting some friends in the hospital after giving birth.  They're pretty nice.  Once we get to that point, it will be better.  I think.  :)

Jeff and I are really glad that we signed up for this class.  Jackie was an excellent teacher and I think we learned some really valuable things through this class.  We have 2 more classes to attend this month, one on breastfeeding and one on baby care.  After those, we'll be pros, right??

childbirth education class #2...

We went to our 2nd childbirth education class last night.  Everyone that was there last week came back so that was good.  We only scared off the sister-in-law that I mentioned in this post.  :)

Again, there was a lot of information covered in this class.  We talked about things to pack for our stay in the hospital, both for before & during delivery, as well as after delivery.  There were lists in the books that we got last week, but Jackie sited specific things that she thought were really helpful.  I made a special note of those.  Especially the one about the "hair tie for long hair".  :)

We also talked about different tools that we may or may not see during the process.  AND it was show-and-tell.  Yes, Jackie brought out things like an IV tube/syringe, an IUPC (internal uterine pressure catheter), a vacuum, a fetal scalp electrode...

It was not a real upbeat time in the class.  And then we went through some of the reasons for induction.

Kind of a downer -- even Jackie said that -- but still, it's a part of being informed and prepared and I'm glad to have the knowledge we learned last night.  Even if it's not all *rainbows & butterflies*.

Jackie did cover pediatricians in the area, too, and had nothing but good, positive things to say about each of them.  I think we've decided on our pediatrician -- one in the Hampstead area so it will be relatively close for us.  That, and we know other kids (and their parents) who are patients there.

doctor's appt #10...

I had another doctor's appt today -- I'm now going to my OB every 2 weeks (instead of 4) -- crazy!

Today's appt went well.  My blood pressure was relatively normal and according to their scale, I hadn't gained any weight in the last 2 weeks so that's great!  I feel like I have been gaining weight like crazy so that part of the appt always worries me.  I'm always afraid someone is going to mention it and tell me I've got to slow down.  So far no one has said a thing about my weight, God bless'em.  :)

I saw Dr. Vogel -- and a PA student -- today.  I think I may be getting close to meeting all the doctors now.  There may be 1 or 2 I haven't met yet.  And it always seems like there's a student following the doctor I'm going to see.  :)  I don't mind that, though.  Seriously, I think I've met 3 young girls in PA school.

Ashley (the student) checked my fundal height -- I'm measuring right on, she said -- and listened to the baby's heartbeat with the doppler.  She actually pointed out the heartbeat and the sound the umbilical cord makes -- never had anyone point out the subtle difference before, so that was kinda neat.  Both sounded very healthy.

Dr. Vogel mentioned that at this point in the pregnancy I need to be taking count of the fetal movement at some point each day.  Nothing official but just to count at least 5-6 movements within an hour's time at some point during the day when I know he's awake and will be active.  No problem there -- when this kid is awake, it's at least 5-6 movements, if not way more than that.  Even so, Dr. Vogel said that if at any time I can't count at least that many in an hour's time, I should give them a call.  After that, he looked over my chart and said everything is looking great -- "don't change a thing!".

Roger that.  :)  

reflections from a soon-to-be mommy's heart...

Some of my girlfriends and I are doing a bible study right now called Make Over: Revitalizing the Many Roles You Fill.  It's a 6-week study but since we meet just once a month, it turns into a 6-month study for us.

We met last Sunday evening and we were studying Week Four: Mom.  How fitting.  Of course, I'm not a mom yet but I went through this week's lesson thinking in the future and though there were some things I couldn't really answer right now, there were other things I could address from a future standpoint -- things I desire to do or be for my kids, things I desire for my kids to do or be.

It was really quite thought-provoking and reflective for me.

I know most of my posts on this blog thus far have been more factual in nature -- what's going on with the baby and his development, what's happening at my doctor's appts, what we're doing to prepare for the baby's arrival.  But today I wanted to post some things from my heart...

Day 1 of  this week's study got me thinking about something along the lines of the expectations of motherhood.  Though I didn't answer the question exactly, it did get me to thinking about me personally as a mom, and how I want my kids to see me:

I just want to be a mom my kids can look up to and admire, a good example for them.  I want them to understand that I'm not perfect but that I try to do my best in this thing called life.  I want them to observe the good, right things that I do and take hold of those, while understanding that the not-so-good things that I do are due to my imperfection and forgot about those.  :)  I want them to always feel loved by me and to feel like they can come to me for anything at all.  I want them to know Christ, to love Him and to live their lives for Him.  And I want them to want that by observing the way I live mine.

Each day of the week's lesson, we end with prayer regarding the things we've learned through that day's lesson.  This is my prayer for day 1:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for providing us with this house we're living in, in a safe community, in a great nation where, right now, we can raise our kids in your ways, to know and love you.  I pray that you would give us wisdom and the knowledge we need to take this parenting thing one day at a time.  I pray for a desire to teach our kids all about you and not to miss any opportunity to show them how you love them.  Lord, I ask that you would give us both a desperate desire to be in continual prayer for our kids no matter what stage of life they're in.

In Day 2, a question about our long-term goals for our kids came up...

...for them to know Christ, to find someone to spend their rest of their lives with in marriage, to be role models/examples for others to look to, to live a blessed life..

My prayer on Day 2:

Heavenly Father, though we don't have any kids to raise yet I'm thankful to have you to lean on as we look to the future -- as little as 3 months from now!  :)  I pray (again) for your wisdom and knowledge to consume us both as parents as we strive to raise this child (and others) in your ways, in your truth.  I pray for stength and discernment to know when to tell our kids no and when it's okay to say yes.  I pray that you would help us not to raise our kids with little responsibility but to teach them what that means, that those lessons would carry them into healthy adulthood.

On Day 3, we talked about concerns for our kids growing up and making their own decisions -- whether good or bad...

...when it's hard to let them go and make their own decisions/mistakes, we can trust that God will watch over them and protect them much more than we can...

My prayer on Day 3:

Lord Jesus, I pray again for your wisdom as we prepare to bring a precious baby boy into this world.  I pray that the faith I have grown up with, that I have grown in all these years, will be evident in every aspect of my parenting.  I pray, God, that our kids would be able to see you in me but that that would not be enough.  Lord, help me to be diligent in pointing our kids to their Redeemer -- help me to talk about you, to ask them questions, to pray with them.  Help me to know the importance, to understand just how priceless it is to lead them to you; that that is THE most important thing I could ever do for my kids.

On Day 4, we talked about our relationships (or goals for relationships) with our kids...

I want my kids to feel comfortable enough to come to us about anything, no matter how silly, embarassing, small or large it seems to them (or us); I want the wisdom to treat each case with as much seriousness as it warrants based on how my kids view it.

And this statement that the author made really stuck with me:

How we talk to our kids when they're sixteen hinges on how we've talked to them all along.

Think about it.  I did.  For a long while.  And that shaped my prayer for Day 4:

Lord Jesus, I'm so thankful that you blessed me with parents who encouraged communication and who were always there for us growing up.  I always felt like I could talk to them about anything -- we had a great relationship.  I want that same thing with my kids.  I pray, Lord, that you would help us to cultivate that same atmosphere in our home.  I pray that we would treat our kids in such a way that they would feel comfortable coming to us about whatever, that we would listen with our whole hearts and really hear what they're saying (or not saying), and then offer them your wisdom -- the things we've learned from our relationship, our communication, with our Heavenly Father.

I know this got kind of long, but I just felt like I wanted to share some of the things on my heart concerning the impending arrival of our little one.

26 weeks today...

I'm 26 weeks today.  These weeks are really flying!

To keep with tradition, here's what babycenter.com has to say about our little one's development this week:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

*blushing* Ahem, interesting.

For whatever reason, whattoexpect.com had A LOT more to say about this week than usual so I wanted to share their information, too:

What's up with your baby? He now weighs a full two pounds and measures nine-plus inches. And this week, his eyes, which until now were developing under fused eyelids, start to open. Of course, there's not much to see in there, but if your baby spots a bright light (or hears a loud noise) near your belly, you may notice an increase in fetal activity. (“Hey, I'm in here, Mommy! Where’s the party!”) What accounts for that response? His brain is more developed and sophisticated.

Feel like you're carrying the Karate Kid with all the kicking going on? Your baby is actually practicing all kinds of movements that will eventually be used in life on the outside — including pedaling against your belly, a sort of prewalking skill. As your baby's nervous system becomes more developed, the movements will become much more coordinated. And as the baby gets bigger and stronger, the movements will become much more powerful…and occasionally, even painful to you. If your baby lands a good one, that tiny left hook might hurt — a lot. Another trick he may try — stretching that leg out so far that the foot becomes lodged between your ribs (ouch). Next time you come under attack, try changing positions or doing some stretches of your own. You can also gently push your baby back with your hand when your knee-jerker jerks a little too hard. You just might be able to send your slugger back into the corner of the ring!

Your baby's eyes — which have been closed for the past few months (so that the retina, the part of the eye that allows images to come into focus, could develop) — are beginning to open at 26 weeks pregnant. What this means is that your baby is able to see what's going on now (unfortunately the view in your uterus isn't all that exciting). But do try this at home for kicks (baby's that is): Shine a flashlight at your stomach. Your baby might kick in response (as in: "Get that light out of my eyes!").




The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have much pigmentation (that'll fill in over the next month or two), so it's too early to start guessing your baby's eye color. Even the color your baby will be born with might not be the permanent shade; so you may be kept guessing until your baby is close to six months old.

Look what else is going on this week: Your baby's brain-wave activity is kicking in at this stage in fetal development, which means your little one can not only hear noises but can now also respond to them. Not in so many words, of course, but with an increase in pulse rate or activity.

And talking about activity, at your baby's current height and weight and at the rate he is growing, your baby will soon be feeling a little cramped in your uterus. Not to worry, there's still plenty of room for your baby to grow. It just means your gymnast will have less room for those somersaults, cartwheels, and other Olympic feats.

Wow, that's a lot of progress!  Things seem to be moving right along for him, just like they are for me.

I'm starting to very mildly stress about all that still needs to be done in the next 3 months to get ready for this kid.  We have almost the whole nursery to put together still, we have childbirth education classes to go to, still more doc appts to attend.  And that doesn't even cover all the normal everyday things we're involved with that make it difficult to find time to get all of it done.  And rest, too.  Gotta have some rest in there.  Whew.

So here's how long he is, according to babycenter.com:

And here's how big I am, according to my Nikon D3000:

doctor's appts #8 & #9...

I had 2 more doc appts today -- one at my OB and one at Wilmington Maternal.

The one at my OB was for a checkup plus the glucose screening.  I have been worried about this all week, ya'll.  I started Monday, drinking lots of water in preparation for the blood draw that goes with this test and also watching how much sugar I was eating (no ice cream this week -- horrors!).  I've read information on this test and they all made it sound terrible -- drinking huge amounts of this really sugary, nasty tasting stuff in like 5 min (read: chugging), having them draw blood.  And THEN if you don't fall within the normal range, you have to go back to do even more of that in a 3-hour glucose test!

I wanted to avoid that at all costs.

As I began to ask my girlfriends for prayer about it, they soon put me at ease somewhat, saying it wasn't as bad as all that.  So I started not to worry so much about the stuff to drink and the blood draw as just passing the test so I didn't have to take the 3-hour deal.

Well, my girlfriends were right.  I had probably a 6-8 oz serving of stuff that tasted like really sweet orange Krush or Sunkist and it was stored in the fridge beforehand so I didn't even have to drink it warm.  8 oz?  Well, shoot.  That only took me about 30 secs to drink.  And it didn't taste all that bad either.

Then (an hour later) they did a finger prick for the blood draw and I always do better with those than with the veins in my arms/hands, etc.  She told me that my sugar level was 111 and it needed to be 135 or lower.

Woo-hoo!  I passed!

I did have to have blood drawn the "normal" way today -- just for some other tests they wanted it for.  My nurse did good with that for the most part.  She did stick me 3 times, though.  She got one vial of blood from my right arm but then the blood flow stopped.  *sigh*  She tried the other arm to no avail.  She actually ended up getting the other vial she needed from my left hand.

She told me my iron was really good, and she gave me one other number, 36, and said that was really good.  I wish I could remember what that was for.  She said that most pregnant ladies are on the lower end of the scale (of whatever it was) but that I was right where I should be.  :D

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My other appt was at Wilmington Maternal with another ultrasound.  More pics of our boy.  :)  Jeff went with me to both of my appts today so he got to see Deacon for himself again.  We got another sweet profile shot and a couple of his legs -- he already looks like he's got some muscles!  :)

They PA we met with, Cindy, said everything looked great.  He weighs almost 2 pounds now and is growing & developing just as he should be.  She also said that he has really healthy "juicy" kidneys.

Say what now??

Yeah, she said they were measuring the kidneys because they don't normally see kidneys "this big" at this stage but that that didn't mean anything bad.  That it was a good thing.  Well...great!  I guess.  :)

I go back in TWO weeks for my next OB appt -- holy cow, we're down to appts every 2 weeks now, instead of 4??  How did we get there already??  Time is really flying fast...

My next appt at Wilmington Maternal will be in 4 weeks, as usual, and hopefully, I'll be able to combine the 2 appts again like I did today.  It's just easier to be out of the office all at once instead of multiple days during the week.

doctor's appt #6...

I had a routine check up today with my OB.  Everything went well.  I got to hear the heartbeat and meet Dr. Voegel.  He's really nice which is what I'd already heard about him.  He had a PA student following him today (her name was Lindsey!) and she was nice, too. 

She did all the preliminary questioning -- "how are you feeling?", "have any swelling?", "are you eating well?", "do you have any concerns?"  Then Dr. Voegel came in and pretty much asked me the same things.  He had Lindsey listen for the heartbeat and also measure me, while laying down.  That's the first time they've measured me.  They didn't share the number or what it meant and I didn't ask.

I think I've mentioned that my blood pressure has been a little elevated at each doc appt and at my last one, they asked me to keep a log of BP readings *sigh*, taking one each day, at different times of the day.  Each one that I took, even at home, seemed higher than it should be (in the 130s over 70-80) so I was worried that they would give me grief over it.  But Dr. Voegel actually explained to me that the numbers I was getting were pretty normal for someone who is pregnant.  He said that for a person who wasn't pregnant, they wouldn't be ideal numbers but that pregnancy increases BP a little just due to the placenta creating extra vascular pressure (or some medical-sounding thing like that).  That made me feel A LOT better about things.

My next appt with them is in a month and I have "the dreaded" glucose test then.  :]  Dr. Voegel said not to fast but not to eat anything real sugary before the test.  10-4.

I have my 2nd appt with Wilmington Maternal Fetal Medicine Thursday where I think they will do another ultrasound to check everything out from a visual perspective.  We'll see.  Maybe I'll have an updated photo to post!

...out of a turnip...

My bloodwork appt at the doctor's office yesterday was a success!  In this post, I shared that they were not able to get any blood from me because my veins kept moving around, etc.  So I had to go back yesterday.  The nurse, April, strongly advised me to be sure to drink lots of water the night before and morning of, and to have a big breakfast the morning of.

Duly noted.

I started Monday drinking my water and averaged at least 128 oz a day -- even more Wednesday.  Yesterday morning, I drank 4 16 oz bottles before I even GOT to the doctor's office.  I was not planning to have another episode like I did last week!

And it was worth all the trips to the bathroom.  :)

It took her a minute to get the vein in my right elbow, and I started to despair, but she finally got in.  Well, then my blood was just trickling out -- just drip...drip...drip.  It took awhile for her to fill the first 2 vials up even halfway.  I was doing okay, though.  No dizziness or anything.  She had me start pulsing my hand with the stress ball in it and that seemed to speed the bloodflow a little bit.

I guess my blood just had to get warmed up.

After that, the blood flow was normal and she was able to fill up the other 2 vials and even go back to the first two to get a little more.  Because I was still just fine sitting there (usually, when it takes awhile, as it ALWAYS does, that's when I start to get a little light-headed with all the squeezing and, well...just what's going on over there in my arm).

Hooray!  So glad to have that behind me.  I actually don't know my blood type (isn't that terrible??) so I'm planning to find that out and of course, they're testing for the Rh factor in my blood, something the baby could have adverse affects from during delivery, if it's passed from me to the baby.

So we wait.  But at least the blood is in the vials now and not still in my body.  :)

doctor's appt #2...

I had my 2nd doctor's appt yesterday.  This was my family history "interview" with the triage nurse, Shirley, who was really nice.  She asked all she needed to ask but also offered lots of extra information that I'd need to store away for future use.  In fact, she gave me a tote bag (ya'll know how I LOVE bags!) full of all kinds of information, books, magazines, free formula offers, etc.  Special thanks to both my moms (mine and Jeff's) for sending me all kinds of family history before my appt yesterday -- all of it was very helpful!

After the history interview, I met with my doctor, Dr. Hill, just to talk a little bit about how things were going, to cover any questions I had and to hear the heartbeat!  Oh, how I wish Jeff had been with me (he didn't come because the nurse said he'd probably be pretty bored with all the history stuff) -- I didn't know I was going to get to hear the heartbeat or I would've made sure he came with me.  Dr. Hill assured me that we'd get to hear at another appt so that's good.  It took her a while to find the heartbeat but when it started, it was so cool!  Definitely speedy and healthy.  :)

The last part of my appt was for bloodwork.  Unfortunately, I hadn't eaten anything yet (the appt took A LOT longer than I anticipated) so April, the lab tech (who was also really nice), suggested I go eat some lunch and then come back in an hour to get my blood drawn.  She also said to down the water because that pumps up your veins.  Well, I need all the help I can get because it is NOT easy to get blood out of me.  My veins are very hard to find and by the time the blood starts flowing (always with the butterfly thingy), I sometimes start to feel a little light-headed/dizzy.  It's not usually a fun experience for me to give blood.  But it's a necessary evil so I was just trying to be as cooperative as I could.

Poor girl.  I gave her an extreme challenge yesterday and made her earn that paycheck!  But it's a good thing she wasn't getting paid just on my blood because she couldn't get any from me.  She stuck me twice, once in my left elbow and once in the back of my left hand but each time she got the needle in, my veins moved around/disappeared and she couldn't ever get in.  She was really apologetic and kept asking me if I was okay during the whole thing.  I was fine throughout and I kept apologizing, too.

So.  I have to go back next week to try again.  SIIIIIGH.  I hope this isn't a premonition of things to come.  Because I have a feeling a girl gets "stuck" a lot during her pregnancy...

My next appt will be May 20 with Wilmington Maternal Fetal Medicine -- I've been referred there for an ultrasound because 1) I have a history of blood pressure issues and my bp has been elevated the last 2 times they've taken it (at my first 2 OB visits) and 2) their ultrasound technology is a step up from Carolina OB/Gyn's and they can get a better look at the baby to be sure everything is a-ok.

I was a little concerned about this before I talked to Karen (a nurse at Carolina) who explained all of that (above) to me.  She said the docs/nurses always err on the side of caution -- which I'm totally on board with and very appreciative of -- and that they "do this all the time" (meaning referring folks to WMFM or another office/practice).  That is what calmed me, that they do this all the time.

The good thing is by that point, I will be 16.5 weeks along and hopefully, if our little one is cooperating, we'll be able to find out if he or she is a he or she!  I think we'll have an even better chance because it's a better machine.  Yay!

epidural...

I think I mentioned in one of my posts that once we got our official due date, I'd signed up to get emails from babycenter.com and whattoexpect.com.  And I've been getting them.  Lots of them!  But then again, there's lots of information to learn before our little one gets here, huh?

So I got one yesterday from babycenter.com and in the subject line it said, "Should you get an epidural?"  Some of my girlfriends may have heard me express my feelings on this subject.  For those reading here, I will reiterate.  I feel like I HAVE A VERY LOW TOLERANCE FOR PAIN.  Therefore, I am under no illusions that I will be "trying to do this naturally".  No.  Not this girl.  I'm thinking they can just go ahead and hook me up to the pain meds as soon as I come in the door, right?

Of course, I know that's not how it works, but you get the urgency of my feelings on this subject.  So when I got this email yesterday, I was a little hesitant to read it.  I know that "knowledge is power" but in certain cases, knowledge is scary.  But, my curiosity won out -- it probably is wise to be knowledgeable on this particular subject, yes?

So I read through it.

It gave information on how an epidural works, what the advantages and disadvantages were (note to self: list of disadvantages was a lot longer than list of advantages...) and then it gave information on those who wouldn't have the option of an epidural (those with blood disorders, etc.) -- thankfully, I don't fall into any of those categories.  Epidural is a go.  If I can keep my nerve up.  :)

After the article, there was a link that said, "Watch an epidural needle being inserted".  Seriously?

I sat there for a few minutes really considering whether or not I should watch that video.  Some of my friends have heard me express my feelings on THIS subject, too.  For you guys, I will reiterate.  I.HATE.NEEDLES.  SERIOUSLY.HATE.THEM.  And I don't EVER do them voluntarily.

I really thought I didn't need to watch the video because when I get mine (yes, when, not if), it's not as if I'm going to see any of that happening back there.  However, my curiosity won out again and, against my better judgment, I watched it.

And almost passed out.

I'm not sure if it was the iodine to sterilize that they swabbed all over the girl's back (thought it was blood at first, I promise you) or the GI.GANTIC needle they put in her back to insert the catheter, but whatever it was, I didn't do so well with all of that.  I had already heard stories about how big this needle was and surprisingly, this video showed it being a little smaller than I thought it would be but STILL.  It was a HUGE needle.  And what did I say about needles before?

Anyways, I was fine, almost to the end of the video -- the thing was in and everything -- and then all of a sudden my stomach did a type of flip-flop and I started to get real hot and then to see spots/stars.  Yeah.  Had to put my head between my knees and the whole thing.  Kind of embarrassing but it is what it is.

Despite that, I'm glad I watched it.  It cleared up some questions I had.

And I think I'm still gettin' one.