Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Where you stand

Every so often (luckily not very often), someone does or says something that lets you know just where you stand in their life.  With these types of people, you should know to expect it, but I guess you still hold onto that hope that maybe they'll be different with this situation or that.  It's always just a bit disappointing.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Update time

I realized that a lot has happened since I last updated!  You would think I'd be blogging nonstop with nothing else to do on bedrest, but it's really uncomfortable to sit at the computer.  My belly is too big to reach the keyboard!

A week after the last appointment we blogged about I went in for another doctor's appointment and my bi-weekly NST.  JM had to work that morning so Mom took me...although the doctor has never actually said it, I don't technically think I'm supposed to do any driving.  The doctor's appointment went alright, Ali sounded great but my blood pressure was still climbing.  Afterwards we headed over to the NST and during that, my blood pressure increased a little more.  The nurse called my doctor who wanted to keep me at the hospital overnight to monitor the blood pressure as it was getting dangerously (as in, let's get the baby out) high.  JM got there after work and we spent the afternoon with dimmed lights and low sounds, trying to get my blood pressure to drop.  Somehow, it ended up increasing even more.  At one point in the afternoon it was 191/99.  Yea, not good.  I did get the opportunity to do another urine test (which we all know I love) but at least this time someone else had to keep it on ice and it wasn't in my fridge or in a cooler in my bathroom. 

Around 6 pm or so my blood pressure started to even out and they ok'd JM going out to get us food and turning my lights up.  During this whole time I had no symptoms of preeclampsia (I actually haven't had ANY symptoms the whole time other than swelling) so they're trying to be cautious with me, but it's hard when I feel fine!  JM came back with dinner and I started having contractions.  They started just as one every 45 minutes or so, but they were much more severe than any others I had felt.  Ali was only on the monitor every 4 hours so I was the only one noticing these for the time being.  JM was writing the contractions down for me and all of the sudden they were lasting 45 seconds to a minute and happening every minute or two.  I scarfed down my food before we called the nurse (I knew if I was in labor I wouldn't be able to eat and I needed something in me!  I do have priorities!!!).  Luckily, I had the absolute sweetest nurse that night who hooked me up to the monitors and I was indeed in labor.  I was only dilated to 1 but I was 75% effaced and the contractions were increasing in strength and length. 

My doctor's partner was on call and she made the decision to try stopping the contractions.  We were not thrilled.  I was a couple of days from being considered term, Ali was a healthy size and I was expected to have her premature anyways because of the preeclampsia.  First the nurse gave me Nubain, which was a lot of fun at first.  It has the same effect as being drunk and I don't think it even took a minute to hit.  I suddenly found the overhead lights HILARIOUS and was laughing so hard I was crying.  But once the 'fun' part wore off I vomited...not fun.  Even with the meds, my contractions kept increasing.  JM and I were cheering Ali on, telling her to fight the meds :-)  The nurse had told us that if I was in true labor and my body was ready, no meds would stop her. 

Next up was Terbutaline.  It made my heartrate increase and I had the shakes...on top of being nauseous and having contractions.  Ali was a little fighter and I kept increasing in strength of contractions.  I thought at that point they'd let me deliver, but I guess my doctor's partner was determined to NOT let that happen.  After that didn't work they were going to start giving combinations of meds.  Nubain and phenergan were next and within minutes I passed out.  This was probably close to 11pm.  I was in and out of consciousness for the next few hours and was still having strong contractions, but by 2 am they had dropped to 4 an hour and the nurse unhooked me from monitors and I was officially done laboring. 

It took until about mid-morning the next day to get to the point that I could keep my eyes open to have a conversation, and by then I was having small contractions a couple of times an hour, which happens daily for me.  JM and I were really disappointed.  We had gotten so excited when the meds weren't working and we thought we were having her.  But I guess either her or my body wasn't totally ready so they both get some more time to prepare.

My urine test while we were in the hospital showed that the protein was less than the preeclampsia level.  It also turns out my doctor's partner didn't know I was preeclamptic to begin with.  I have to wonder if she would've let me deliver had she known that...but oh well.  When I discussed the low protein count with my doctor yesterday she said that I am still preeclamptic (you aren't suddenly NOT preeclamptic) but it's being controlled with bedrest.  She also has absolutely no desire to get Ali out any earlier so it's up to Ali to make an earlier appearance.

Side note, not sure if I've mentioned this but we have been scheduled for induction.  We will be admitted to the hospital Saturday, Sept. 11th at 7 pm.  At that time they'll put the tablet cream on my cervix to thin and dilate it, then they'll start the pitocin on Sunday morning with expected delivery that day, the 12th. 

We also had an ultrasound yesterday.  Again, we got a little excited because the tech couldn't find much amniotic fluid.  While this isn't a good thing, it means they'll induce you right away.  Of course, she finally found a big pocket under my left ribcage.  This now explains why her movement has been giving me so much pain...there's very very little amniotic fluid anywhere else so everytime she moves there's no buffer between her and I.  She has what she needs in that pocket, but I don't!  She's in position and all of that, but that's never been a problem.  She is, however, kind of out of room!  Her head is so far into my pelvis that on the ultrasound we were only able to see her lips and bit of her nose.  Her butt is just under my right ribcage and her little feet are in my left ribs.  They think she's weighing about 7 pounds 7 ounces, which is an appropriate gain from our last ultrasound.  Her bladder is incredibly full, too, which was hilarious.  Poor little thing is going to come out with her legs crossed if she keeps trying to hold it in! 

After we had the ultrasound we met with the doctor for our weekly appointment.  Not a whole lot to note there except my blood pressure was 154/108.  You can tell she's getting frustrated (as are we) because if I was having ANY symptoms, they could induce me.  But I'm not having anything...at all.  She said yesterday she thinks that the high blood pressure isn't being caused by preeclampsia so she went ahead and started me on blood pressure medicine for the rest of the pregnancy.  And before everyone starts telling me to relax and all of that...this high blood pressure isn't being caused continuously by anything I'm doing or feeling.  This is just my body's reaction to the baby.  Bedrest is meant to help take the pressure off my vena cava and increase blood flow, therefore decreasing blood pressure, but the bedrest is obviously not helping with my blood pressure, just the preeclampsia. 

With the high blood pressure, I had to do another 24 hour urine.  There's really nothing new to find on it, it's more routine now than anything just to make sure bedrest is still keeping the preeclampsia under control.

Today I had another NST which took FOREVER.  I am incredibly tired and I think Ali is, too.  Her heartrate was steady and she was moving, but they want to see increases and decreases in her heartrate and she was not cooperating.  After an hour (yes, an hour), the triage nurse gave me some apple juice to try to get Ali to react more.  Another 20 minutes later, no change (since I don't drink juice with the gestational diabetes, it usually makes her jump up and run around in there).  They decided to do a biophysical profile and put all the orders in.  About 10 minutes later I hear the the high risk delivery team get to the triage desk and suddenly Ali is partying hard.  I heard Dr. Dungy ask the nurse if it's bed 2 that they're there for, then they all laughed at seeing her monitor and they cancelled the test.  Silly little Ali.  At least she acted up before they got in the room and I was charged! 

So now we're back to waiting.  JM and I did go out for lunch yesterday at Tijuana Flats (yum!!!) and both tried some of their 'death notice' hot sauce.  No contractions, but some very sick bellies.  Another side note, if you live in Indy, check out Sullivan Hardware's mums.  They're only 6.99 for an 8 inch pot but they are HUGE and beautiful.  We went there after the doctor's visit to get a bush to plant in our back bed...it was the anniversary of the miscarriage and we wanted to do something for it.  The mums were an exciting surprise. 

We have another NST Saturday morning, doctor's appointment Tuesday, NST Wednesday, then induction on Saturday!  Yay!!!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Let the bedrest begin

We had a busy day at the doctor's office and hospital today.  Wednesday and Saturday are the days I have my NST's done.  So far they've been pretty uneventful, which is good.  I show a lot of contractions but no more than 6 an hour which is when you need to do something about them.  This past Saturday I had an increased amount and it was a doctor that's not mine on call and she had the nurse check to see if I was dilated.  I wasn't, but the cervix was thinned.  After talking to my doctor today she said that's a good thing and should be happening at this point in the pregnancy.  My blood pressure was high at the beginning of this NST so the nurse cycled it a few times during the appointment and it normalized.  But since it was a doctor who wasn't familiar with me on call, she ordered ANOTHER 24 hour urine test for preeclampsia.  Because, really, who DOESN'T enjoy those?

Unfortunately, Monday evening I got a call after hours from my doctor's office (which is never good) in which they said I was heading towards preeclampsia and needed to go on bedrest immediately.  Of course I didn't get to talk to them and both the doctor and the nurse were going to be out on Tuesday.  So I called into work for Tuesday and took it easy with the idea we'd get clarification on everything at today's appointment.

JM and I thought today's NST might get a little interesting today because Ali did some major readjusting and I had a couple of harsh contractions with it, but turns out it was fine. I think she just knew she was being recorded and wanted us to notice her.

Then we went to our doctor's appointment.  Side note, our doctor will be in town for the birth, so we're thrilled.  She clarified that the bedrest is strict bedrest.  I don't have to lay down, but I shouldn't be up for much more time than to potty, shower or make myself a quick snack.  The way the message was left, I thought I was just 'threatening' preeclampsia, but the level of protein needs to be over 300 to be preeclamptic and I was in the 400's.  She said it's mild, severe cases are over 5000.  She was still planning on inducing us at 39 weeks, but we basically started begging.  I obviously don't want to have her before she's ready, but any time I'm on bedrest takes away from the time I get with her after she's born.  Plus, when I'm not at work, I don't get paid.  To have me laying/sitting on the couch for the next 4.5 weeks, not bringing in any money, and not taking care of a baby will really hurt us.  The doctor said she would look at the ultrasound we were having later and evaluate a few things and then let us know when she can induce.  I'm assuming she'll let us know at our appointment next week. 

After that we had our ultrasound.  The new nurse had me empty my bladder during the doctor's appointment so we couldn't get a good look at Ali's face.  She is head down but the ultrasound tech said we're not far enough along to guarantee she'll stay like that.  Every time the tech would get a glimpse of her face she'd turn and hide it in my pelvis.  The tech said she'll be a baby that likes to cuddle and sleep with something against her :-).  Her spine, abdomen, head and femur are all measuring about a week and a half ahead of time, which isn't all that big.  But, her weight should've been around 5.5 pounds at this point and it was 6.6.  The tech even said that means she's chubby.  Just what every parent wants to hear about their daughter.  Ali did have these little chubby chipmunk cheeks though, a lot like JM's. 

So now we wait.  My hope is that (as long as Ali's ok with it), they'll induce me when I'm technically full-term, which will be in 2.5 weeks.  It'll be a long 2.5 weeks, but better than the 4.5 we're currently looking at.  If you're in the area please feel free to stop by!  It's one of my first days and I'm already going crazy.  JM works most every evening so I'm especially bored then!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Bunnies bunnies bunnies

Actually, there are 4 babies that were born in our yard at some point yesterday. Most of you know that there is a neighborhood bunny that seems to have a pact with Kodi. Kodi chases it a little, then lays down and watches it eat in our yard. Obviously, she found this to be an invitation to come have her bunnies in our yard.

Last night, Kodi was laying outside for a very long time just enjoying his yard.  Then around 9:30 he starts barking and barking and barking.  I yell at him, he stops, then starts up again.  I go outside and can tell he's scared of something in the yard (his eyesight isn't great at night and anything he sees scares him) because he keeps leaning towards it, barking, then jumping back.  I saw brown/gray-ness and assumed one of our doves was injured in the yard so I grab Kodi and drag him inside.  All the while I'm freaking out...because that's what I do with injured animals.  Luckily JM came home shortly after and I made him go check it out (poor guy had been working outside for about 9 hours and came home to a possible dead animal in the yard that he had to take care of RIGHT NOW).  He comes back in laughing saying, "well, it's not dead..."

Yep, 4 baby bunnies in a nest.  I have a feeling Kodi didn't even notice them till Momma came for the nightly feeding.  Or, she came to deliver them and it was her he was barking at.  Either way, when I got out there this morning I couldn't find any trace of them, just some dead grass.  So I stupidly let Kodi out and he sticks his big nose right into the dead grass which turned out to be a pretty decent hole...with bunnies in it.  I had to drag him back inside (keep in mind, while I do all this, I'm waddling) and then make JM go back out and fix the nest covering that Kodi messed up.  He checked and all 4 bunnies were alive and accounted for, but still new enough they don't have their eyes open.

Kodi has never been a dog to jump over or into anything.  When he was a puppy he used to get out of his gated area in my apartment by climbing the baby gate.  JM couldn't find any garden fencing last night when I sent him out at 11 pm (what a guy), but when I went to Menards today I lucked out that they had (albeit very tacky) garden fencing on clearance for $2.  I bought 2 rolls of it and this is what I "built". 

It's hard to see, but I have it open to our fence because I know Momma can get in and out through there (and the neighbor doesn't have a dog).  I also left it open to the tree because that's the tree Momma likes to hide in.  I took Kodi out and the fence is high enough to make it more of a hassle for him than he chooses to make, but it's wide enough that Momma can get between it or at least over it.  I know the babies are little enough to get out.  That big brown spot in the bottom left of the picture is the nest.

After setting up 40 feet of this fencing, I was soaked.  The heat index is currently 102 degrees and the sun is boiling. There was a little opening in the dead grass above the nest and I could see the babies squirming. So I put our lightweight tarp over it with the front and back open so that the breeze would still get through but block the sun. I'll take it down when the temperature goes down and before Momma comes back for feeding time. Let's hope it works!



Monday, August 2, 2010

Ali's 7/21/10 Ultrasound

Here's some pictures from our little baby's 31 week ultrasound.

This is her face, she's laying on her left side looking at the camera.


The squiggly lines show all her hair...which the US tech said she has quite a bit of (yay)!!!


The bottom of her her foot.


And here's her fist. She already knows how to make a correct fist, that's her thumb sticking up in the air.