I've finally gotten some of the photos uploaded!
I've created a collection in Shutterfly and plan to just link the collections here as I upload more photos.
Click on this link and it will take you to photos of our Hospital Stay at CDH, Christmas 2007, Rylee and Madden, family photos, and pictures from Maddyn's first week home!
Also- here is the link to the hospital Web Nursery. They took 4 photos of Maddyn. The password is our last name!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Maddyn Vera Is Here!!!
After a long labor, Maddyn Vera arrived at 6:46pm on Tuesday, December 18th! She was 20.5 inches and 8lb 13 oz.
(ETA: Photos added 12/25!)
The details:
Dave and I went in at noon on Monday and the doctor told us they were inducing. All of the different factors were just not worth the risk anymore, and they felt that they could manage my platelets now if c-section was needed. So they started with Cervidil (which softens the cervix). It didn't dilate me any more, but did soften the cervix. After that was in 12 hours, they moved me to a high dose of Pitocin to bring on stronger contractions. Ouch! I went from a fingertip dilated to 2-3cm pretty quickly. I also effaced up to 75% quickly. My contractions were hard at 2-3 minutes each for about 2.5 hours. By 3 hours, I had to ask for the Epidural- it was just too much. Once the epidural was administered we hoped that the relaxation would cause me to further dilate. The biggest problem they were seeing at first was that my station was only -3--this means the baby wasn't dropping. My pelvis was appearing to be too small. The range is -3 to +3 (at +3 the baby is out).
So after the epidural was in a few hours, and further checks occurred, at 6:00pm Tues the doctor came in and said that the baby was not progressing as well as they had hoped. They baby looked great but my own blood levels weren't so good and they wanted to get me in for a c-section immediately.
So within minutes, we were in the operating room. I was very terrified. When Maddyn's water was broken they found meconium so the NICU doctors had to be there for the delivery (this is standard procedure any time this occurs). Then b/c of my blood levels they had to have the high risk doctors in there, along with my own doctors and specialist for a transfusion for me if I didn't clot. It was a zoo, which pretty much made my anxiety sky-high. I remember a blood pressure reading during the operation of 168/134. Dave was allowed to sit by my head the whole time and try to keep me calm. But it was pretty scary hearing all of the doctors talking about the issues the whole time.
The best feeling in the world was finally hearing Maddyn cry. I remember looking at Dave, and he and I just held a look with each other filled with love for that little cry. It makes me smile just thinking about it. We didn't get to see her right away b/c the NICU docs had to take her. But since they had to do extra work on me, we got to see her while the surgery was still going on.
At the end of the surgery, Dave and a nurse left with Maddyn while I was being closed up.
Dave helped the nurse measure Maddyn and said that when he did, he "eyeballed" it and gave her the 20.5" reading. That he just used his fingers to figure it out, lol. Well, when the pediatrician saw her the next day- he told us that she's such a long baby. When he saw the 20.5" by her info, he said there is no way that's right- lol. Dave told him his story and he told us to get her remeasured at her first pediatrician appt next week and to tell the pedi... otherwise, she might grow 3 inches in one week- lol!!!
So- after the delivery we went up to the mother baby unit. I have only fantastic things to say about all of the CDH (Central DuPage Hospital) nurses. They were fantastic. It sounds cliche- but for as much times as I spent in L&D before the baby came, and during and in Mother/Baby after- they became like family. So supportive, informative and friendly.
The first week was a tough one. My body wasn't dealing with the surgery well, and it was a tough recovery. I was failing the blood/bp/breathing tests needed to get out of the hospital, so they put me on meds that made me very ill. They wiped me out and made everything so much tougher. We also ended up having breast feeding problems, b/c my milk was not coming in right away- and Maddyn was suffering b/c of it. And with all of the above, it was so stressful it meant absolutely no sleep.
As I mentioned above Maddyn lost too much birth weight in the first 2 days b/c my milk didn't come in yet, so they forced us to supplement with formula (though I continued to breastfeed to get the milk to come quicker) to bring up her birth weight and blood sugar. My milk finally came in on Day 4, and I immediately engorged. This brought us to the other extreme b/c Maddyn couldn't feed then either. Luckily the lactation staff at CDH rocks, and they worked with me (medicated and all) to get things headed in the right direction. However, it's been 4 days and I'm still 100% engorged. They thought this engorgement was pretty severe and would last about a week- OUCH! So currently we are now in a "every single 2 hour" feeding schedule, in order to help the engorgement and keep Maddyn's weight/blood sugar on target.
Today we had our first pediatrician appt, and her birth weight is doing 100% better and things are looking so much more positive. It was a great visit! Oh, and she was remeasured. Turns out Dave did a good job. She was only 20.75" today! LOL. It's just funny since all along they told us we'd have a tall baby from the u/s measurements. I was 21.5" and Dave was 22" when we were born- so 20.5" didn't seem too long. But, she does have very long legs- so I can see where that would have screwed up the measurements!
I have to go back to CDH on Wed for a lactation consultation - where we hope we can get rid of the 2-hour-must-feed schedule and allow it to be more flexible (2-4 hours). Wish us luck- b/c I think once we get the engorgement taken care of and a good schedule in place (with a little more sleep) we'll be on the right track!
So late Saturday night we finally got to come home. It feels great to be home. Though, with everything going on- and feeding every single 2 hours, both Dave and I are on about a total of 15 hours of sleep for this whole last week. So we are trying to catch up here, and plan to get in touch with everyone very soon!!!!
Many of you have asked about her name. Well, for those that know Dave and I at all, they know we are the biggest football freaks ever ;) And we wanted a fun name that is very "us". Maddyn seemed to fit the bill since it relates so well to football. We chose to "girl" it up with a "y" instead of an "e". And this way we can nickname her Maddy too :) Vera as many of you know was my Grandmother's name and means "truth/virtue". My Grandma Vera was one of the greatest ladies ever- strong willed, passionate, and just an amazing woman. We felt this was a perfect fit for our little snowflake.
Maddyn and Rylee are doing great together. Maddy is having a blast just taking in her new surroundings. We have taken some fun photos- that if I don't get to upload now, I will by this weekend. I'm so impressed with how well Ry is doing!!! We were concerned it would not go this well.
I'll post a few photos now, but have SO many to upload and sort through. I promise I'll get more up here soon. Hopefully after the chaos of Christmas passes, we'll have a little more time on our hands and I can get them up by this weekend!
Thank you again for all of the messages, flowers, gifts, phone calls, cards, etc. It's been so wonderful and I hope to personally talk to you all soon.... Hopefully in about a week we'll be more caught up on sleep and have time to catch up!!
Merry Christmas!!
Love, Heather, Dave and Maddyn!
(ETA: Photos added 12/25!)
The details:
Dave and I went in at noon on Monday and the doctor told us they were inducing. All of the different factors were just not worth the risk anymore, and they felt that they could manage my platelets now if c-section was needed. So they started with Cervidil (which softens the cervix). It didn't dilate me any more, but did soften the cervix. After that was in 12 hours, they moved me to a high dose of Pitocin to bring on stronger contractions. Ouch! I went from a fingertip dilated to 2-3cm pretty quickly. I also effaced up to 75% quickly. My contractions were hard at 2-3 minutes each for about 2.5 hours. By 3 hours, I had to ask for the Epidural- it was just too much. Once the epidural was administered we hoped that the relaxation would cause me to further dilate. The biggest problem they were seeing at first was that my station was only -3--this means the baby wasn't dropping. My pelvis was appearing to be too small. The range is -3 to +3 (at +3 the baby is out).
So after the epidural was in a few hours, and further checks occurred, at 6:00pm Tues the doctor came in and said that the baby was not progressing as well as they had hoped. They baby looked great but my own blood levels weren't so good and they wanted to get me in for a c-section immediately.
So within minutes, we were in the operating room. I was very terrified. When Maddyn's water was broken they found meconium so the NICU doctors had to be there for the delivery (this is standard procedure any time this occurs). Then b/c of my blood levels they had to have the high risk doctors in there, along with my own doctors and specialist for a transfusion for me if I didn't clot. It was a zoo, which pretty much made my anxiety sky-high. I remember a blood pressure reading during the operation of 168/134. Dave was allowed to sit by my head the whole time and try to keep me calm. But it was pretty scary hearing all of the doctors talking about the issues the whole time.
The best feeling in the world was finally hearing Maddyn cry. I remember looking at Dave, and he and I just held a look with each other filled with love for that little cry. It makes me smile just thinking about it. We didn't get to see her right away b/c the NICU docs had to take her. But since they had to do extra work on me, we got to see her while the surgery was still going on.
At the end of the surgery, Dave and a nurse left with Maddyn while I was being closed up.
Dave helped the nurse measure Maddyn and said that when he did, he "eyeballed" it and gave her the 20.5" reading. That he just used his fingers to figure it out, lol. Well, when the pediatrician saw her the next day- he told us that she's such a long baby. When he saw the 20.5" by her info, he said there is no way that's right- lol. Dave told him his story and he told us to get her remeasured at her first pediatrician appt next week and to tell the pedi... otherwise, she might grow 3 inches in one week- lol!!!
So- after the delivery we went up to the mother baby unit. I have only fantastic things to say about all of the CDH (Central DuPage Hospital) nurses. They were fantastic. It sounds cliche- but for as much times as I spent in L&D before the baby came, and during and in Mother/Baby after- they became like family. So supportive, informative and friendly.
The first week was a tough one. My body wasn't dealing with the surgery well, and it was a tough recovery. I was failing the blood/bp/breathing tests needed to get out of the hospital, so they put me on meds that made me very ill. They wiped me out and made everything so much tougher. We also ended up having breast feeding problems, b/c my milk was not coming in right away- and Maddyn was suffering b/c of it. And with all of the above, it was so stressful it meant absolutely no sleep.
As I mentioned above Maddyn lost too much birth weight in the first 2 days b/c my milk didn't come in yet, so they forced us to supplement with formula (though I continued to breastfeed to get the milk to come quicker) to bring up her birth weight and blood sugar. My milk finally came in on Day 4, and I immediately engorged. This brought us to the other extreme b/c Maddyn couldn't feed then either. Luckily the lactation staff at CDH rocks, and they worked with me (medicated and all) to get things headed in the right direction. However, it's been 4 days and I'm still 100% engorged. They thought this engorgement was pretty severe and would last about a week- OUCH! So currently we are now in a "every single 2 hour" feeding schedule, in order to help the engorgement and keep Maddyn's weight/blood sugar on target.
Today we had our first pediatrician appt, and her birth weight is doing 100% better and things are looking so much more positive. It was a great visit! Oh, and she was remeasured. Turns out Dave did a good job. She was only 20.75" today! LOL. It's just funny since all along they told us we'd have a tall baby from the u/s measurements. I was 21.5" and Dave was 22" when we were born- so 20.5" didn't seem too long. But, she does have very long legs- so I can see where that would have screwed up the measurements!
I have to go back to CDH on Wed for a lactation consultation - where we hope we can get rid of the 2-hour-must-feed schedule and allow it to be more flexible (2-4 hours). Wish us luck- b/c I think once we get the engorgement taken care of and a good schedule in place (with a little more sleep) we'll be on the right track!
So late Saturday night we finally got to come home. It feels great to be home. Though, with everything going on- and feeding every single 2 hours, both Dave and I are on about a total of 15 hours of sleep for this whole last week. So we are trying to catch up here, and plan to get in touch with everyone very soon!!!!
Many of you have asked about her name. Well, for those that know Dave and I at all, they know we are the biggest football freaks ever ;) And we wanted a fun name that is very "us". Maddyn seemed to fit the bill since it relates so well to football. We chose to "girl" it up with a "y" instead of an "e". And this way we can nickname her Maddy too :) Vera as many of you know was my Grandmother's name and means "truth/virtue". My Grandma Vera was one of the greatest ladies ever- strong willed, passionate, and just an amazing woman. We felt this was a perfect fit for our little snowflake.
Maddyn and Rylee are doing great together. Maddy is having a blast just taking in her new surroundings. We have taken some fun photos- that if I don't get to upload now, I will by this weekend. I'm so impressed with how well Ry is doing!!! We were concerned it would not go this well.
I'll post a few photos now, but have SO many to upload and sort through. I promise I'll get more up here soon. Hopefully after the chaos of Christmas passes, we'll have a little more time on our hands and I can get them up by this weekend!
Thank you again for all of the messages, flowers, gifts, phone calls, cards, etc. It's been so wonderful and I hope to personally talk to you all soon.... Hopefully in about a week we'll be more caught up on sleep and have time to catch up!!
Merry Christmas!!
Love, Heather, Dave and Maddyn!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
40 week update
Had our appointment on Saturday and passed all my tests again. The baby looks great too! We had another great discussion with a different doc- it's amazing how different they all are.
He said he was 50/50 on induction. He said he'd be fine inducing and not inducing. While I was there, I was contracting about every 9-11 minutes and they were registering about 45 seconds on the monitors (I was only feeling about 15 seconds of it though. He said that and the fact that they are irregular means it's not true labor yet). He said he could induce and speed it up- or we can labor it out on our own. Yes, it would be riskier to induce still b/c of my cervix, but I am in a better spot now than I was on Tuesday.
After a few hours of monitoring, he felt strongly that this was early labor for me, b/c my contractions were intensifying while I was there. But they remained irregular and no plug or water breaking yet. I still haven't dropped. My cervix still isn't 'favorable' and he said that contracting on my own will push dilation. That would reduce my risk when we do induce.
So we chose to go home. I'm walking to bring on contractions and he is giving us till Monday. He doesn't want me going any later than that and felt 2 days was enough time to try to labor it out. If we don't labor on our own b/t now and Monday, they will likely start induction on Monday.
So fingers crossed these contractions get longer, stronger and closer. It's already Sunday and unfortunately I'm not feeling anything-except lots of pain everywhere else! So hopefully something will happen before tomorrow!
We'll keep you all posted!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Still Pregnant!
Sorry it has taken me so long to update here.
We went in on Tuesday for our appointment, and for the first time in 4 weeks I passed all my blood tests and u/s tests. That was such a relief! My BPs are still on the higher end- but they really think it's anxiety since I'm passing the other tests. But of course, they still continue to monitor. As we have heard before- the baby looks perfect--its just me again they are concerned about!
So we met with the high risk OB and the OB on call from my group again. After all the test results were in, we told them we wanted to be induced- as Dr H had mentioned. They did a cervix check and said I'm just not favorable. I'm still too thick and high and haven't dilated. They could apply cervidil, but it would be increasing my risk of Emergency C-section, because of my platelets, etc. and could cause complications for future children if we wanted. The doc really took the time to explain to us the risks in detail, and we knew those were not chances we were willing to take.
Turns out that the platelet problem I have is actually a 'condition' called Thrombocytopenia (There is a specific type, but Dave and I couldn't figure out its name- it sounded like another language). This condition puts me at risk with surgery. Which looking back on past surgeries makes a bunch of sense. But that's another story.
The summary was that both docs felt it better to let me try to labor on my own, and TRY to dilate more or get my cervix better prepared on my own before going to induction. So right now, we wait.
Since I passed my blood tests so well Tuesday, they let me cancel my Thurs b/w and u/s test and we just come in Saturday now. So nothing more until Saturday it looks like at this point. I'm going to pray the baby does something on her own. They told us to pack a bag for Saturday again. If my cervix is more favorable then, they can try to induce. If not, we'll discuss next steps then.
I think the baby just wants to stick around till Christmas :) LOL
Some of you have asked how we are letting people know when she's here. I know mom and Dave are planning on calling/texting family & friends right away. So we'll do our best to get the word out quickly! We'll also try to put a quick update here too- with her name and stats!!
And as promised, here are some belly photos at 39 weeks I took last weekend. And just for fun, I did a comparison of the 39 week belly shots to the 5 weeks ones- WOW!
We went in on Tuesday for our appointment, and for the first time in 4 weeks I passed all my blood tests and u/s tests. That was such a relief! My BPs are still on the higher end- but they really think it's anxiety since I'm passing the other tests. But of course, they still continue to monitor. As we have heard before- the baby looks perfect--its just me again they are concerned about!
So we met with the high risk OB and the OB on call from my group again. After all the test results were in, we told them we wanted to be induced- as Dr H had mentioned. They did a cervix check and said I'm just not favorable. I'm still too thick and high and haven't dilated. They could apply cervidil, but it would be increasing my risk of Emergency C-section, because of my platelets, etc. and could cause complications for future children if we wanted. The doc really took the time to explain to us the risks in detail, and we knew those were not chances we were willing to take.
Turns out that the platelet problem I have is actually a 'condition' called Thrombocytopenia (There is a specific type, but Dave and I couldn't figure out its name- it sounded like another language). This condition puts me at risk with surgery. Which looking back on past surgeries makes a bunch of sense. But that's another story.
The summary was that both docs felt it better to let me try to labor on my own, and TRY to dilate more or get my cervix better prepared on my own before going to induction. So right now, we wait.
Since I passed my blood tests so well Tuesday, they let me cancel my Thurs b/w and u/s test and we just come in Saturday now. So nothing more until Saturday it looks like at this point. I'm going to pray the baby does something on her own. They told us to pack a bag for Saturday again. If my cervix is more favorable then, they can try to induce. If not, we'll discuss next steps then.
I think the baby just wants to stick around till Christmas :) LOL
Some of you have asked how we are letting people know when she's here. I know mom and Dave are planning on calling/texting family & friends right away. So we'll do our best to get the word out quickly! We'll also try to put a quick update here too- with her name and stats!!
And as promised, here are some belly photos at 39 weeks I took last weekend. And just for fun, I did a comparison of the 39 week belly shots to the 5 weeks ones- WOW!
Saturday, December 8, 2007
One Day at a Time!
First off- Still Pregnant! After everything we've been through- who would have thought we could make it to 39 weeks! YAY! After today's appointment, it looks like Tues will be the day they start inducing- which would mean Wed (12/12) or Thurs (12/13) we'd meet baby Wags! But then again- who knows!! We'll keep everyone posted!
I've sent some of you updates, so to keep this in summary form, I'm just copying from those updates and putting down below! I apologize if this is a repeat for some.
Thursday's appt: (12/6)
It was a busy day in L&D and things went rather slow. Dave and I had come to the decision to induce if we were asked. We decided it was best for the baby and for me.
There are many different docs in the group and when you go to L&D for the appointments, you never know who you'll get. I started with the high risk doc and then went back to L&D. The doc I had Thursday, happened to be one of the 2 in the group who are not big on inductions. Go figure!
So there are the same variables that keep coming up on my tests:
1. BP - too high 2. Uric Acid -too high 3. AF -too low 4. Platelets -too low 5. Low fetal movement. On Tues the prob was my platelets and my BP. The platelets went up Thursday (that's good) and my BP was pretty good. Yet, the problem was now my uric acid (too high) and my AF (Went down again). I'm still in the "borderline" zone- meaning no forced induction.
According to the nurse, if I had most of the other docs, they'd have induced based upon those results being so borderline. However, this doc really wants me to hit 39 weeks (actually most of the docs really try to hit 39 weeks if they can). And since I didn't "fail" any of the tests, he felt it was 100% safe to wait till Saturday.
We even asked him if we should induce. He told us that based upon all of the tests he did not feel we should. So we go back Sat am for our next set of tests. He leaves, the nurse comes in. She was very helpful. I think I know most of the nurses in L&D there now- Heck, I've been there about 20+ times in the past few months- and they are all so wonderful. She said if it had been some of the other docs, they probably would have induced based on the test results I had today. It seems very subjective when you are borderline though. Versus if I had failed it would have been a done deal.
So next up: Sat morning bright and early! The nurse told me that I'll be 39 weeks, and I'll have Dr H- who is one of the docs who has mentioned induction on 2 prior visits where I've had her. The nurse said she's very to induce in a case like this. So she told us that unless I pass all my tests with 100% flying colors, plan/prepare for being admitted & induced.
Today/Saturday's appt: (12/8)
My levels are good today. And I'll even admit I'm a little bummed b/c I really this doc - and would have loved to have her deliver me. But looks like Tuesday is the day! Here's the scoop:
Levels came back the same as Thursday. They ran me by the High Risk OB again as well. The High Risk OB said he'd rather not risk it and chance an induction raising my levels- one in particular. Without getting into the gritty personal details, what he said made sense. So he said to wait another day or two for the level to go down more. Dr H (doc I love) said ok. Dave & I think she was also a little disappointed.
I know everyone says "You're past 36 weeks, you're full term, why don't they induce"- and this doc has been encouraging induction in the past. So I asked her for details. She said that in some cases with as many variables as mine- induction can make things worse/trigger things- leading ultimately to the emergency c-section. As of now, the baby is looking Perfect- and that's good. It's more "me" and my levels they have to watch and today I'm feeling great. If that changes of course, I go in and they induce.
She noted that I dropped- good sign! I'm no longer closed, but a little dilated. She said that's better than closed and we're getting somewhere!!
So--She talked to us a ton and told us she wouldn't induce today, but told us to bring our bag Tuesday. She was going to talk to Dr L (the doc on call Tues) and her recommendation is that we induce after our appt Tues. If they need to use the Cervidil, it'd be a long road...meaning baby wouldn't get here till Wed or even Thurs.
My anxiety has really lessened (well, until Monday night I'm sure) but looks like Baby Wags will be here in just a few more days! The best part is that when she left, she told us that she'd love to see the baby make an appearance on her own b/t now and Monday am (She's on call all weekend) so she could deliver us! So I told Dave that I want him to take me for Mexican food tonight to see if Spicy might help things along :) We'll keep everyone posted! Thanks again for all of the messages, emails, voicemails, texts, you name it! We appreciate it!
I got my new professional camera, so will be sure to take one last set of belly shots this week before Tuesday's appt too! I'll try to post tomorrow or Monday.
I've sent some of you updates, so to keep this in summary form, I'm just copying from those updates and putting down below! I apologize if this is a repeat for some.
Thursday's appt: (12/6)
It was a busy day in L&D and things went rather slow. Dave and I had come to the decision to induce if we were asked. We decided it was best for the baby and for me.
There are many different docs in the group and when you go to L&D for the appointments, you never know who you'll get. I started with the high risk doc and then went back to L&D. The doc I had Thursday, happened to be one of the 2 in the group who are not big on inductions. Go figure!
So there are the same variables that keep coming up on my tests:
1. BP - too high 2. Uric Acid -too high 3. AF -too low 4. Platelets -too low 5. Low fetal movement. On Tues the prob was my platelets and my BP. The platelets went up Thursday (that's good) and my BP was pretty good. Yet, the problem was now my uric acid (too high) and my AF (Went down again). I'm still in the "borderline" zone- meaning no forced induction.
According to the nurse, if I had most of the other docs, they'd have induced based upon those results being so borderline. However, this doc really wants me to hit 39 weeks (actually most of the docs really try to hit 39 weeks if they can). And since I didn't "fail" any of the tests, he felt it was 100% safe to wait till Saturday.
We even asked him if we should induce. He told us that based upon all of the tests he did not feel we should. So we go back Sat am for our next set of tests. He leaves, the nurse comes in. She was very helpful. I think I know most of the nurses in L&D there now- Heck, I've been there about 20+ times in the past few months- and they are all so wonderful. She said if it had been some of the other docs, they probably would have induced based on the test results I had today. It seems very subjective when you are borderline though. Versus if I had failed it would have been a done deal.
So next up: Sat morning bright and early! The nurse told me that I'll be 39 weeks, and I'll have Dr H- who is one of the docs who has mentioned induction on 2 prior visits where I've had her. The nurse said she's very to induce in a case like this. So she told us that unless I pass all my tests with 100% flying colors, plan/prepare for being admitted & induced.
Today/Saturday's appt: (12/8)
My levels are good today. And I'll even admit I'm a little bummed b/c I really this doc - and would have loved to have her deliver me. But looks like Tuesday is the day! Here's the scoop:
Levels came back the same as Thursday. They ran me by the High Risk OB again as well. The High Risk OB said he'd rather not risk it and chance an induction raising my levels- one in particular. Without getting into the gritty personal details, what he said made sense. So he said to wait another day or two for the level to go down more. Dr H (doc I love) said ok. Dave & I think she was also a little disappointed.
I know everyone says "You're past 36 weeks, you're full term, why don't they induce"- and this doc has been encouraging induction in the past. So I asked her for details. She said that in some cases with as many variables as mine- induction can make things worse/trigger things- leading ultimately to the emergency c-section. As of now, the baby is looking Perfect- and that's good. It's more "me" and my levels they have to watch and today I'm feeling great. If that changes of course, I go in and they induce.
She noted that I dropped- good sign! I'm no longer closed, but a little dilated. She said that's better than closed and we're getting somewhere!!
So--She talked to us a ton and told us she wouldn't induce today, but told us to bring our bag Tuesday. She was going to talk to Dr L (the doc on call Tues) and her recommendation is that we induce after our appt Tues. If they need to use the Cervidil, it'd be a long road...meaning baby wouldn't get here till Wed or even Thurs.
My anxiety has really lessened (well, until Monday night I'm sure) but looks like Baby Wags will be here in just a few more days! The best part is that when she left, she told us that she'd love to see the baby make an appearance on her own b/t now and Monday am (She's on call all weekend) so she could deliver us! So I told Dave that I want him to take me for Mexican food tonight to see if Spicy might help things along :) We'll keep everyone posted! Thanks again for all of the messages, emails, voicemails, texts, you name it! We appreciate it!
I got my new professional camera, so will be sure to take one last set of belly shots this week before Tuesday's appt too! I'll try to post tomorrow or Monday.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Looks like induction...
Looks like we'll be meeting our baby soon! Dave and I have some discussing to do tonight, but we are being faced with the decision to induce tomorrow/this weekend.
Tues we had our first of the every-other-day visits. Everything tested great!! I passed my NST, the AFI, the BioPhysical u/s. But then they did the blood draw. My platelets reduced- again. Plus, my BP started sky-high cuz I was so darn nervous. But it did eventually go down to normal once I relaxed.
Tues we had our first of the every-other-day visits. Everything tested great!! I passed my NST, the AFI, the BioPhysical u/s. But then they did the blood draw. My platelets reduced- again. Plus, my BP started sky-high cuz I was so darn nervous. But it did eventually go down to normal once I relaxed.
With the platelet thing, I guess it's pretty serious. It means no epidural if it drops below 100,000. It means emergency c-section if it gets even lower. It means my body could be caught not clotting blood properly which can cause internal bleeding, etc.
The doc shared that a normal person is around 180,000. I was at 130,000 when they made me stay the night last week. Low, but not "low enough to force an induction". It went up to 145,000 when I was there Sat/Sun. That was great. Yesterday I was down to 126,000. So- the doc came in and told me I'm back every other day still, until the baby comes. So Thurs, Sat, Tues, Thurs, and then Sat (my orig due date). Then he said it makes most sense to induce me. We discussed my fears- he was quite nice about it listening to me. He said they can keep waiting until I labor myself, or until I hit the "must induce" trigger on any of my tests, or I can chose to induce. I'm 0% dilated and 0% effaced. So as long as I continue to remain "closed" Cervidil would be needed to kick start the induction.
In essence, I'm delaying the inevitable by not going forth with the induction. And its stressing me out to all ends every single time we go in. So the nurse comes in and we talk. She said that I should really consider induction. That if we do- then to see how Thurs goes. If I don't pass my tests Thurs, they'll induce me anyways on Thurs evening. If I barely pass again- then I have a choice. If I chose to induce, most likely they will have me schedule to come in this weekend- since they are always slower on weekends. But it will really depend on what the doctor says tomorrow.
Anyhoo- so its possible Thurs I'd be induced if I fail the tests. Or it sounds like if we chose to, it would be Saturday or Sunday. If not, she'll be here next week regardless! So Dave and I need to talk and figure it all out, but thought I'd just provide an update quick on here.
Thank you for the emails, calls and messages. Sorry I haven't gotten back to everyone- I'm so swamped at work, and with all of this my head is pretty busy. But I hope to catch up soon!
Monday, December 3, 2007
L&D has become my 2nd home
Since my last post so much has happened, that I"ll try my best to outline it and keep it straight. Another few visits to L&D.
I went for my AFI last Monday, and it went well. She didn't share the details with me but told me that my AF wasn't decreased- which is what we wanted to hear.
So I had my weekly appt on Wednesday. At the weekly appt, I failed the NST. That means that the baby's fetal movement was low. It's called a non-reactive NST. My BP was also slightly elevated, so they sent us to L&D after the appt.
At the hospital I got hooked up to monitors, then shipped off to Radiology where they did another u/s and the baby's heart-rate became more responsive. They did a 30 min breathing test on her- and she passed. So they let us go back to L&D to get more tests done. There they did blood draws. My blood tests failed. One of my acids ( I can't pronounce it, but started with an S or F I think) was too high, and then my platelet count is too low. They made me stay overnight.
On Thursday morning they did a redraw of the blood, and saw no change. My BP went back to normal during the night as well. They felt I was ok to go home. They suggested I take my BP 3 times a day - if it goes up, I'm to call in.
I felt better after that. I rested up and my BPs were normal at home. Then on Saturday night, we got KFC for dinner. It didn't sit well, and a few hours later I started to vomit violently. Dave called L&D b/c the vomiting was bringing on very strong contractions. They told us to come in immediately.
So we ended up spending yet another night in L&D. Their main concern was dehydration. I was put on IV all night and that seemed to help some. But I had to finish getting it all out of my system - it was a long night. My contractions spaced out- meaning it was not true labor. After a very long night they sent us home Sunday early afternoon.
Now- we learned quite a bit on Sunday when I was being discharged, and I'm still perplexed.
Turns out I'm NOT dilated - at all. At an appt a few weeks back I was measured and told I was 2cm. The doc checked us this time and told us I most definitely was "closed" and not dilated or effaced. So the measurement a few weeks back was wrong. Very odd.
That is why they kept mentioning Cervidil to me. If they have to induce labor and you are not dilated, they will need to use Cervidil to soften the cervix. I've heard horror stories about this- and so I am hoping that I will be dilated on my own enough that they will not have to use that.
When I was discharged on Sunday, the doc told me that she had reviewed my charts with the High Risk OB dept- and I've now been labeled as high-risk. This means I no longer get my weekly appts at the office, but have to go to L&D each week. So this Tues I start. I go for a NST, U/S (AFI and Biophysical), and BP monitoring. If all is ok, they let me go and I have to go back EVERY OTHER DAY until I deliver. So I'd go back Thurs, Sat, etc. If I don't pass all of the tests - they induce. My concern is that if I'm not dilated and they have to use Cervidil that leads to a greater chance of a c-section. So my fingers are crossed I can make it another week or so. Since I'm only 38 weeks now, there's a better chance that by next week I'll be dilated. Fingers crossed.
Unfortunately, my anxiety and fears have gotten the best of me. As much as I want to meet little baby wags- the thought of c-sections and induction pretty much scares the crap out of me right now. So I'm doing my best to stay calm and just go with the flow. Dave has been a godsend. If it wasn't for him and my mom taking time every.single.day to help me relax, I'd be even worse. They've both been doing such a great job and calming me down- even when I'm puking and in the middle of contractions.
I'll continue to update the blog- but it's safe to say that we'll know more Tues, then Thurs, then Sat, etc. In the meantime, I'm still hoping for one more week - or at least some dilation!
Here are my 38 week belly photos- she still hasn't dropped enough yet as you can see.
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