36 Week OB Appointment

Here are what my blood pressure readings have been lately


30 Weeks: 134/87
32 Weeks: 122/91
33 Weeks: 117/71
34 Weeks: 117/74
35 Weeks: 117/68- appt 1
107/71- appt 2
36 Weeks: 143/97- appt 1, reading 1
124/74- appt 1, reading 2
136/82- appt 2 (TODAY)

I once again passed my pre-eclampsia panel. My baseline numebrs look "amazing" according to my Dr. But to be on the cautious side she ordered a 24 hour urine test. I turn that in Friday.

Everything looked good today. Had my GBS test and she checked me again. Still between 2 and 3 cms, no contractions, 60%-65% effaced.

I see another Dr on Monday for a NST and 37 week OB appointment. I should also get my GBS results back then. I was GBS+ with Hailey so I'm not expecting anything different this time.

I talked to Dr Hill about all my concerns and she listened. At least now she knows how I feel about everything. She didn't say much.

On the way home I started thinking about all the bullets we have dodged this pregnancy and I began to see that God must have His hand on us. I'm content with keeping this baby in as long as I need to, but I am praying that I go into labor on my own and do NOT need to be induced again. I'm going to do some research to find out what I can do to help myself go into labor that won't violate my bedrest. The more I look at my pregnancies, the more I realize how much interference there has been, and while some of it is neccessary, not all of it is.

I want more than anything to have a normal un-induced labor. I don't want pitocin. I don't want an epidural. And I definitely don't want a c-section. So I will take all the "baby get ready to meet the world vibes" you all can send my way between now and 38 1/2 weeks. I don't want to even get close to that 39 week eviction date they have set for this baby.

So, I'm feeling better about things and I'm going to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy as much as possible and pray really hard that this baby will roll over so she isn't sunny side up. And pray even harder that she will make her grand entrance before my 39 week deadline. For all who join with me, I thank you! And for all of you girls I wouldn't have made it this far and still be sane if it weren't for your support, encouragement, friendship, and advice. You are truly one awesome extended family.

Sorry this was so long, I just needed to get this all out while it's on my mind.

Precautionary Dr Visit 10/30/07

I ended up going to the Dr yesterday because of swelling my hands and ankles, a nasty headache that just wouldn't go away and pressure behind my eyes. When I got there my blood pressure was 143/97 when I went in. They did a weight check.. was up 2 lbs from last week.. and did a urine culture. Trace protein, no change from last week.

Well then they decided to send me for an ultrasound. Clara is head down, but she's sunny side up just like Hailey so I'm looking at back labor unless she turns. The amniotic fluid was 8 ML (they like to see it at 10 ML but 8 isn't *bad).. they didn't take her measurements because I was a "fit in."

Then I got plugged up to the NST. She was all over the place and looked very healthy. Yay. They redid my blood pressure after 2 hours of being there and it was 124/74.. they were happy enough with that to send me home with a prescription for my headache and the same admonitions as before (as if they are going to miraculously change things)

Oh yah, they did another pre-eclampsia blood draw. I don't know what they expect to find....

Well, I'm back to total bedrest and pushing liquids. I go back tomorrow at 10:20 am for my OB appointment and to check my blood pressure again.

I just want to cry. I'm really ready for this all to be over, no matter how selfish it sounds. I'm not looking forward to all the swelling and pain I dealt with last night .. but the Dr said to expect it.

Hailey Playing Dress Up!

God Blesses

I just have to make a post about God's blessing and provision in our lives these past few weeks. The Lord knew what we needed for this baby and He has provided in abundance. I have packages coming soon and will have everything I need for our newest arrival!! I am just so amazed at God's working on poeple's hearts and how generous He gives through the hands of others. So to all of you who have been a blessing through passing along things you aren't needing, through support, through providing resources for things, and through friendship-- I send a great big THANK YOU. And a prayer that what you have done will bless you ten-fold just as you have blessed me!

Love,
Sarah

35 Week Ob Appointment

Everything looked good. I still have protein in my urine. It was a +1
last week and this week was only "trace" but my blood pressure still
looks great (108/71 today). I've had a dull headache for 4 days now
with nothing relieving it so they went ahead and did another pre-
eclampsia panel just to be sure nothing is going on there.

I go back 10/31/07 (next Wednesday) for another growth scan and fluid
check. If all goes well, this will likely be my last scan. They will do
another NST that day too. As well as my group b strep test. And I might
even be fully off bedrest after that (will be 36 weeks 1 day at my
appointment) :-D

I can see the end in sight and it looks beautiful!! Hard to believe my little girl could arrive any day .. and yet so exciting :) I just hope she can give me enough time to finish up my house. I have 2 rooms and about 20 loads of laundry left.

Another Appointment Update

TWO STEPS FORWARD... 1 STEP BACK!

Blood pressure: 117/68 (yay for another good reading)
Weight: 185 and holding
NST: reactive, healthy baby avg 143, accelerated 170s
EFW: 4 LBS 12 OZ, 14th%

URINE: PROTEIN!!!!!! OH NO! I never had this with Hailey!
Watching for changes in sight, balance, headaches. Didn't I JUST get tested for pre-eclampsia?! UGH!

Bedrest: Continued but allowed up for 2 hours twice a day. NO LIFTING/NO BENDING.

Presenting part: HEAD!! YAY! Hopefully she stays this way. 2 cms, 75% effaced, unchanged since last check.

Updated plan: Make it to 36 weeks without any more protein, then lift bedrest.... induction at 39 weeks if all goes well (or if I dont go into labor before then) Continue weekly NSTs and biweekly ultrasounds at OB office.

34 Week Perinatologist Appointment Update

So, I'm finally back. Hailey spent the afternoon with my friend and her children and so I was over there chatting with Angie (my friend) while her newborn (10 days old) slept peacefully next to me in the bassinet. Awww!!

I have great news... Clara had an estimated fetal weight of 4 lbs 12 oz!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wooooooooooo!!!!!

Placenta looks GREAT!!!!

Amniotic fluid is PERFECT!!!

Heart, lungs, kidneys, brian RIGHT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE!!!

Oh yah, and I have been released from Dr Wrights office for now. I may have to be referred again if things go drastically down hill but as of RIGHT NOW Clara looks AWESOME. They even decided I don't need to have that amnio done! Yayyy!

So, I'm still classified "high risk" but I am now just under "supervision." Dr Wright is going to recommend to Dr Hill the following:

1) Fluid checks & NSTS each week at my office (My NSTS are already at my office, but having the fluid checks there will mean I only have ONE appointment a week instead of two!!)
2) Minimal-Modified bedrest (meaning I can live life but not be lifting things!)

Dr Wright also said that likely all these things I went through with Hailey could have been prevented with bedrest if they had caught it earlier too. Do you know how good that makes me feel???!!!!!

GREAT APPOINTMENT... thanks for all those growth vibes!

Hailey August 2007

Another GOOD Appointment

The office was CRAZY BUSY and understaffed today. But even with all that, my NST went GREAT! Everything about her heartrate looks very healthy!! She was not overactive today but was right on target for where she should be. Her resting rate was in the 130s and her accelerations were from 150-170.

My blood pressure was 117/74 YAYYYYY!! Another GREAT blood pressure reading for me!! SO MUCH BETTER than the 140s/85s I was getting!! I do have some MILD swelling but it's likely due to bedrest. Dr said drink lots of water.

I think this baby is growing. I measured at 28 weeks fundal height. I'm 33 weeks pregnant but my fundal height does lapse some because of the IUGR... that being said, it has caught up by 1 weeks from where it was measuring 6 weeks behind. So that makes me happy and could be a sign Clara has grown some more.

I go back next Friday at 1pm for another NST and will have GBS test then (was GBS + with Hailey.) And, I will be delivered by MY office, not Dr Wright, though she will most likely be there for the birth just in case!! This is a good thing because if Dr Wright were to deliver me, I would be looking at a much more costly hospital bill!

33 Week Ob Appointment & NST Update

Saw Dr McKain today as Dr Hill was out of the office, sick. Dr McKain was Hailey's delivering Dr and I saw her often when I was in the hospital with Hailey as well. She really is straight-forward and blunt.

I'm at 2 cms, 75% effaced. I was this way for weeks with Hailey. The did another dip strip to make sure I'm not leaking fluid (we're pretty sure I did with Hailey) and it came back good. Blood pressure was down today 117/71, nice numbers! Weight was virtually unchanged (1 lb less than last week but that could be water weight.)

NST was OVER-reactive. Anyone know what this means? I know that NON-reactive means that the baby didn't get 10 accelerations in an hour and had little movement. And reactive means that the baby had a normal amount of movements (at least 10) and 10 accelerations in heartrate. But is over-reactive bad too? They want me back on Friday. Ugh! So I have a Dr appointment this Friday (nst) and an appointment next Wednesday with Dr Wright over at Maternal Fetal Medicine (growth scan, afi, bpp, doppler)

I was supposed to just go in next Monday but they didnt have a delivering Dr in office then so Dr McKain doesnt want me to wait until Tuesday.. not sure how one day makes much difference. So instead I have to come in a day early.. which means Friday. Blah!

She asked how I was feeling emotionally and I was very honest with her about it. Mostly she just listened and told me it would all be over soon enough and to just try and stay sane. ;)

Anyway, overall a good appointment.

Pre-Eclampsia Panel Results

My pre-e panel came back NORMAL! Thank God! That is one thing I just didn't want on my list of issues. :)

32 Week OB Appointment

I had another appointment today. First of all, a little pregnancy brain hit me this morning. I showed up for my appointment at 11am but my appointment was actually supposed to be at 10 am. OOPS! At least my Doctor was nice about it.

So, I sit down and they take my blood pressure. Egads! I was telling the nurse how I was home on bedrest and she said "Well I hope you aren't hoping to get off bedrest because your blood pressure is high." It was 122/91. Next it's on to the weigh-in. We all know this is our favorite part-- NOTTTTT! No weight change for me. Woo! So I leave my little cup in the bathroom and sit in the waiting room.

After about 10 minutes the nurse comes in and takes me into the NST room. We manage to find the heartbeat and I get all situated in the over stuffed recliner. The baby starts moving a little bit. But after 15 minutes they think she might be sleeping. Well, they leave and come back another 30 minutes later with my Doctor right behind them. She sits and watches the NST machine. We finally get out 10 heart accelerations and pass the test. Yay!

So, the Dr notices the high blood pressure reading and she decides she wants it redone before she sends me home. We're talking about bedrest and I tell her I've been having some headaches and a little dizziness. The manual cuff says that my blood presure is now 135/87. Not really much change considering I've been laying down for an hour at this point. Dr. Hill sends me to the lab and they draw some blood. After that I get to go check out and go home.

So, I go back in a week for another NST and I am just supposed to wait for word about the pre-eclampsia panel. Just one more thing I may have to add to my already long list of potential complications. LOL! You just gotta love these high-risk pregnancies. They keep you on your toes, that's for sure!

Hailey's First Two Years

Hailey was born at 37 weeks 3 days. She weighed 4 lbs 4 oz and was 17 inches long. This was consistent with the iugr diagnosis we were given during pregnancy. Following her birth she spent some time in the NICU to get her blood sugar, body temperature and blood pressure regulated.

The Dr said the good news was that Hailey had brain-sparing IUGR. So even though she looked like a 34 week baby with a 30 week body (her head was bigger than her body was), she acted like a 37 week infant. This was a great thing in our eyes :) Our little girl did remarkably well and she was home in 5 days.

They monitored Hailey's grown very closely those first few months to make sure she was gaining weight properly. She remained at her 3rd% curve and all the Drs were happy with that. We were always hearing about how tiny our little girl was, but she was otherwise healthy so that is all that mattered to us :)

At her 1 year checkup Hailey was 15 lbs 15 oz. We were so excited. Our pediatrician gave us a prescription for pediasure for Hailey to help her catch up, and she has been on it since then. Hailey met all her milestones on time or early. She was rolling over at 4 months, crawling at 7 months, and walking just 2 weeks after her first birthday.

She continues to grow well developmentally and follow her 3% growth curve. At 28 months she is very much the talker and explorer. We never have a dull day around here. She makes you laugh so much your eyes water and makes your hair stand on ends with all her "bouncing around." Hailey now weighs 20 lbs and has been there for about 4 months. She is about 30 inches tall at our best measurements. The Doctors seem happy enough with her progress for now. They do suggest some testing after her 3rd birthday though :)

Hailey is looking forward to being a big sister. We all know she will do great. I write so much about my daughter that is coming that I really wanted to share some of Hailey's story with everyone. She deserves a big applause for all the joy, love, and life she has brought to us.. not to mention for being such an awesome 2 year old who started out as such a tiny little bug! Going to try and post some pictures of her soon!