(actually posted on 7/4/10 but I wanted to keep it in context timing wise!)
How far along? 36 Weeks
How big is baby? Still guessing, maybe around 6.5 or 7 lbs...
Total weight gain/loss: Up to as much as 7lbs gained- all baby and water retention though... this heat is killing me!
Maternity clothes? every day
Sleep: sleeping hard and long with only a couple of interruptions each night. My hip is better so it isn't waking me anymore thank goodness!
Best moment this week: I suppose it was fun when we were at Labor and Delivery and Nick could see the baby's hiccups completely shaking my belly. They were pretty violent hiccups!
Movement: Strong, regular and getting bigger every day!
Food cravings: none
Food Aversions: funny one this week- I've noticed that I don't like anything on my sandwiches right now (as in no lettuce or tomato)... Sort of odd!
Gender: All girl!
Labor Signs: Random contractions here and there but nothing significant.
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Bending over!
What I am looking forward to: Functioning semi-normally again (physically speaking anyhow).
Weekly Wisdom: Just do the best you can.
Milestones: My first trip to labor and delivery!
Bump Picture: not this week...
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Following up
As expected, all of the tests etc that I had to do due to my little adventure to labor and delivery came back negative for any issues. I still have to check my blood pressure two times a day (which unfortunately isn't looking as good as I'd like due to the heat, but still, acceptable) and my urine for protein once a day. It isn't so bad other than that I also have to call the numbers in every day. I had my first of two NSTs today, which went swimmingly. The baby's heart rate looks good and it only took a little ice water to get her moving (these morning appointments are during her nap time!). I am still showing some "uterine irritability" but since we start my internal exams this week anyhow (this is to check dilation and effacement and baby's "station") I'm not worried. I figure I'm in the home stretch and my uterus should be getting irritable in preparation for delivery.
So I guess the real news is that there is no news. Nothing in truth has changed from last week. I just get to do more self monitoring.
There was one interesting point from this morning's NST. I had the same nurse that I had last week (this is the alternate nurse, not my normal nurse) and she took my NST results to the doctor. It seems like each nurse has a doctor that they sort of report to because the person she went to was the same doctor that she went to last week when my blood pressure was high. This is not a doctor I've had any relationship with other than these two days though. Well this gentleman came in and said "well everything looks great but since your pregnancy has gotten more complicated with the blood pressure monitoring, I think you should be seeing an MD instead of a nurse practitioner. Caren" (my normal OB) "is great, but doctors are trained differently..."
I sort of checked out at this point. Yes, it is true that there are cases where an MD should be consulted. Whenever something has come up, my nurse practitioner consults with an MD. She also knows me and my history since she was my practitioner before becoming pregnant, and has seen me throughout this pregnancy. She knows I am prone to anxiety and that it drastically affects my blood pressure (among other health related things). She also knows that I am not a patient who ignores symptoms or is afraid to call if I have a question or am unsure about something.
I was admittedly a little annoyed by this doctor coming in and saying I needed to start seeing someone new at this late stage in the game. I said I would keep my appointment on Friday with my practitioner and we would talk about "who I should see"... I mean really, we're talking about 3 more appointments here. So we'll see what happens. In the meantime I'm hoping to keep my blood pressure steady this week so that come Friday, we can over-ride the daily phone call aspect of my current plan. I don't mind checking my blood pressure (though would love to drop it to once a day), but would be much happier reporting the numbers once a week along with my blood sugar, unless of course I get a high reading. I have to call any how if it goes over a certain reading. So we shall see.
I'm certainly not wishing for Miss Isabella to make her appearance into the world early, but I tell you, I am definitely done with this whole being pregnant business. Maybe if I could just be, and not worry about what I'm eating and when and what numbers it gets me, and if my blood pressure is too high or if I'm spilling protein, it probably wouldn't be so bad. Yes it is uncomfortable (did I mention my hip is KILLING me???) but I can manage. It really is the medical "business" that is getting me down.
So three more days at work (modified) and then I can just focus on me. I hope to control my appointments a little better so that I can enjoy some lunches with friends, and maybe even a movie matinee or two. I am determined to enjoy some time off so that I am fully ready for this baby to join my world.
So I guess the real news is that there is no news. Nothing in truth has changed from last week. I just get to do more self monitoring.
There was one interesting point from this morning's NST. I had the same nurse that I had last week (this is the alternate nurse, not my normal nurse) and she took my NST results to the doctor. It seems like each nurse has a doctor that they sort of report to because the person she went to was the same doctor that she went to last week when my blood pressure was high. This is not a doctor I've had any relationship with other than these two days though. Well this gentleman came in and said "well everything looks great but since your pregnancy has gotten more complicated with the blood pressure monitoring, I think you should be seeing an MD instead of a nurse practitioner. Caren" (my normal OB) "is great, but doctors are trained differently..."
I sort of checked out at this point. Yes, it is true that there are cases where an MD should be consulted. Whenever something has come up, my nurse practitioner consults with an MD. She also knows me and my history since she was my practitioner before becoming pregnant, and has seen me throughout this pregnancy. She knows I am prone to anxiety and that it drastically affects my blood pressure (among other health related things). She also knows that I am not a patient who ignores symptoms or is afraid to call if I have a question or am unsure about something.
I was admittedly a little annoyed by this doctor coming in and saying I needed to start seeing someone new at this late stage in the game. I said I would keep my appointment on Friday with my practitioner and we would talk about "who I should see"... I mean really, we're talking about 3 more appointments here. So we'll see what happens. In the meantime I'm hoping to keep my blood pressure steady this week so that come Friday, we can over-ride the daily phone call aspect of my current plan. I don't mind checking my blood pressure (though would love to drop it to once a day), but would be much happier reporting the numbers once a week along with my blood sugar, unless of course I get a high reading. I have to call any how if it goes over a certain reading. So we shall see.
I'm certainly not wishing for Miss Isabella to make her appearance into the world early, but I tell you, I am definitely done with this whole being pregnant business. Maybe if I could just be, and not worry about what I'm eating and when and what numbers it gets me, and if my blood pressure is too high or if I'm spilling protein, it probably wouldn't be so bad. Yes it is uncomfortable (did I mention my hip is KILLING me???) but I can manage. It really is the medical "business" that is getting me down.
So three more days at work (modified) and then I can just focus on me. I hope to control my appointments a little better so that I can enjoy some lunches with friends, and maybe even a movie matinee or two. I am determined to enjoy some time off so that I am fully ready for this baby to join my world.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Why keep things boring?
Yesterday afternoon I spent the afternoon in Labor and Delivery.
I had my regularly scheduled non-stress test (NST) at 11:30 in my regular OB's office. As per usual, I drank a little caffeine to ensure that Miss Isabella was moving sufficiently for the test. They are looking at her heart rate over 20 minutes (or more) and want to see at least two significant accelerations and then back to baseline. They also monitor uterine activity to see if I'm having any contractions. It is hit or miss if she is active or napping during these tests, so that is why I've taken to drinking a little caffeine. Worst case we have trouble keeping her on the monitor because she moves and we have to "find" her heart rate again. It has worked fine until yesterday.
Yesterday the office was busy. I was taken into a different room than I'm used to (one that is usually used for "procedures" so very medical and sterile feeling as opposed to the soft lit office I usually am in), with a Nurse that I hadn't met before. Generally speaking a new nurse wouldn't make me anxious, but we started out with the ultrasound to check fluid levels and she was having trouble finding one of the pockets. She even brought my regular nurse in to help. Hard not to start to feel a little anxious, you know? Well once that was done we got me hooked up to the monitors and started the business of the NST.
Isabella was moving like a mad woman and her heart rate was quite a bit higher than I am used to seeing. Usually her "baseline" is between 120 and 140 with an acceleration getting up into the 150s maybe up to 170. Well yesterday she was hovering around 170 for quite a while, with the range between 150 and 180! On top of that, the numbers on my uterine monitor were also higher. I usually baseline in the 20's with a contraction taking me up to the 40's or so. On this monitor I was consistently up near 40, even hitting up to 60 a couple of times, but no real evidence of a contraction (it looks like a hill on the monitor).
So of course, being the crazy person I am I sat there trying to keep calm and think that perhaps the machine was just calibrated differently or something, but really, my anxiety was just building. Then they take my blood pressure.
Great. My number one cause of high blood pressure is stress/anxiety.
So of course, my blood pressure was a little high. Not scary high, just enough to be concerned. They took it again and it was still high. On top of all of this I had been feeling really bad the day before. My stomach was upset, and I had a migraine. I went home and slept and felt better for awhile, but it came back until I took a vicodan, which took care of it again. But I had the hangover headache yesterday morning, so I didn't know what to think. Stomach issues and headaches can all be signs of preeclampsia, which is what they were concerned about. They are also normal parts of the end of pregnancy! Go figure...
So anyhow, the nurse called the doctor in and they decided that I should go to Labor and Delivery for additional monitoring.
I promptly text Nick to let him know that I am coming to get him and we are taking a drive into the city. I managed to stay mostly calm until we arrived at the hospital, and once we were in triage settled in, I was fine. My blood pressure started coming down to "normal" range, and Izzy's heart rate was back down to normal. We couldn't keep her on the monitor (totally normal) but eventually we captured our 20 uninterrupted minutes (after a severe case of hiccups stopped our ability to monitor her for about 8 minutes!- it was shaking my whole belly they were so strong!).
They took blood and checked my urine for protein. As usual, everything came back negative or normal. Unfortunately a trip to labor and delivery means the doctors are a little more careful with you. So the doctor who was caring for me wanted me off of work (I'm modifying for this last week since realistically I can do most of my work from home with just a couple of hours in office a day, which will keep my blood pressure down). I am also now doing home blood pressure checks two times a day, and checking my urine for protein once a day, with daily phone calls to the perinatalogists office. This is in addition to my now twice a week NSTs, my now weekly OB visits, my three times a week visits to the chiropractor (have I mentioned my hip is KILLING me???), and my every other week visit to the acupuncturist... Good thing I'm only trying to work for 4 more days! I don't know how I'd fit all these appointments in!!!
The good news is that everything is fine. I really do not expect this to turn into preeclampsia, because for whatever strange reason I feel like if it was going to happen, it would have happened by now. I trust that my blood pressure was high due to circumstances and not my body processing something poorly. Nick and I are also comfortably familiar with the hospital we will be delivering at (good thing we did our hospital tour on Wednesday night- just in time!). We have our route down and even parking.
So we officially have 4.5 weeks left and I'm trusting that despite the trouble, things will go just fine from here on out.
I guess we just needed a little excitement in our lives! Can't be too boring right??? =)
I had my regularly scheduled non-stress test (NST) at 11:30 in my regular OB's office. As per usual, I drank a little caffeine to ensure that Miss Isabella was moving sufficiently for the test. They are looking at her heart rate over 20 minutes (or more) and want to see at least two significant accelerations and then back to baseline. They also monitor uterine activity to see if I'm having any contractions. It is hit or miss if she is active or napping during these tests, so that is why I've taken to drinking a little caffeine. Worst case we have trouble keeping her on the monitor because she moves and we have to "find" her heart rate again. It has worked fine until yesterday.
Yesterday the office was busy. I was taken into a different room than I'm used to (one that is usually used for "procedures" so very medical and sterile feeling as opposed to the soft lit office I usually am in), with a Nurse that I hadn't met before. Generally speaking a new nurse wouldn't make me anxious, but we started out with the ultrasound to check fluid levels and she was having trouble finding one of the pockets. She even brought my regular nurse in to help. Hard not to start to feel a little anxious, you know? Well once that was done we got me hooked up to the monitors and started the business of the NST.
Isabella was moving like a mad woman and her heart rate was quite a bit higher than I am used to seeing. Usually her "baseline" is between 120 and 140 with an acceleration getting up into the 150s maybe up to 170. Well yesterday she was hovering around 170 for quite a while, with the range between 150 and 180! On top of that, the numbers on my uterine monitor were also higher. I usually baseline in the 20's with a contraction taking me up to the 40's or so. On this monitor I was consistently up near 40, even hitting up to 60 a couple of times, but no real evidence of a contraction (it looks like a hill on the monitor).
So of course, being the crazy person I am I sat there trying to keep calm and think that perhaps the machine was just calibrated differently or something, but really, my anxiety was just building. Then they take my blood pressure.
Great. My number one cause of high blood pressure is stress/anxiety.
So of course, my blood pressure was a little high. Not scary high, just enough to be concerned. They took it again and it was still high. On top of all of this I had been feeling really bad the day before. My stomach was upset, and I had a migraine. I went home and slept and felt better for awhile, but it came back until I took a vicodan, which took care of it again. But I had the hangover headache yesterday morning, so I didn't know what to think. Stomach issues and headaches can all be signs of preeclampsia, which is what they were concerned about. They are also normal parts of the end of pregnancy! Go figure...
So anyhow, the nurse called the doctor in and they decided that I should go to Labor and Delivery for additional monitoring.
I promptly text Nick to let him know that I am coming to get him and we are taking a drive into the city. I managed to stay mostly calm until we arrived at the hospital, and once we were in triage settled in, I was fine. My blood pressure started coming down to "normal" range, and Izzy's heart rate was back down to normal. We couldn't keep her on the monitor (totally normal) but eventually we captured our 20 uninterrupted minutes (after a severe case of hiccups stopped our ability to monitor her for about 8 minutes!- it was shaking my whole belly they were so strong!).
They took blood and checked my urine for protein. As usual, everything came back negative or normal. Unfortunately a trip to labor and delivery means the doctors are a little more careful with you. So the doctor who was caring for me wanted me off of work (I'm modifying for this last week since realistically I can do most of my work from home with just a couple of hours in office a day, which will keep my blood pressure down). I am also now doing home blood pressure checks two times a day, and checking my urine for protein once a day, with daily phone calls to the perinatalogists office. This is in addition to my now twice a week NSTs, my now weekly OB visits, my three times a week visits to the chiropractor (have I mentioned my hip is KILLING me???), and my every other week visit to the acupuncturist... Good thing I'm only trying to work for 4 more days! I don't know how I'd fit all these appointments in!!!
The good news is that everything is fine. I really do not expect this to turn into preeclampsia, because for whatever strange reason I feel like if it was going to happen, it would have happened by now. I trust that my blood pressure was high due to circumstances and not my body processing something poorly. Nick and I are also comfortably familiar with the hospital we will be delivering at (good thing we did our hospital tour on Wednesday night- just in time!). We have our route down and even parking.
So we officially have 4.5 weeks left and I'm trusting that despite the trouble, things will go just fine from here on out.
I guess we just needed a little excitement in our lives! Can't be too boring right??? =)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Weekly Update
How far along? 35 Weeks
How big is baby? Total guess- with 5 weeks left somewhere around 6 lbs, and full length!
Total weight gain/loss: I'm avoiding the scale at the moment since the heat is making me retain fluids, but still less than 5 lbs up.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively. Well that's not entirely true- I found a pair of capri pants on Sunday that are pre-pregnancy pants! They must be really big on me normally...
Sleep: It's been rough this week for sure. My pelvic/hip pain is getting worse. I go to the chiropractor tonight though so maybe next week I'll feel better!
Best moment this week: Last night we had just parked at Costco and I was staring at my belly. She was moving a lot and Nick asked me what was going on. I said "look at my belly and you'll see"... I think it was the first time he had seen the major alien earthquake across my belly!
Movement: Continues to be active, though I'm definitely noticing the quiet days and active days more now as she runs out of room. She is also definitely an afternoon and evening baby. Those are her most active times of day.
Food cravings: none
Food Aversions: just done with food in general.
Gender: All girl!
Labor Signs: Nothing that is a true labor sign, but it is too early for that anyhow. We want at least two more weeks to get to full term and then I can start dilating etc.
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Being able to undertake activities without wondering "am I going to end up with contractions because of this?"... I'd really like to be able to do things like go to the farmers market and walk around, but knowing the result it doesn't sound so pleasant!
What I am looking forward to: Getting my body back. It's definitely difficult to be the host of two right now.
Weekly Wisdom: Just take things one day at a time. If things are rough today, they'll likely change tomorrow!
Milestones: no milestones that I can think of. Just plugging along!
Bump Picture: Look!
How big is baby? Total guess- with 5 weeks left somewhere around 6 lbs, and full length!
Total weight gain/loss: I'm avoiding the scale at the moment since the heat is making me retain fluids, but still less than 5 lbs up.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively. Well that's not entirely true- I found a pair of capri pants on Sunday that are pre-pregnancy pants! They must be really big on me normally...
Sleep: It's been rough this week for sure. My pelvic/hip pain is getting worse. I go to the chiropractor tonight though so maybe next week I'll feel better!
Best moment this week: Last night we had just parked at Costco and I was staring at my belly. She was moving a lot and Nick asked me what was going on. I said "look at my belly and you'll see"... I think it was the first time he had seen the major alien earthquake across my belly!
Movement: Continues to be active, though I'm definitely noticing the quiet days and active days more now as she runs out of room. She is also definitely an afternoon and evening baby. Those are her most active times of day.
Food cravings: none
Food Aversions: just done with food in general.
Gender: All girl!
Labor Signs: Nothing that is a true labor sign, but it is too early for that anyhow. We want at least two more weeks to get to full term and then I can start dilating etc.
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Being able to undertake activities without wondering "am I going to end up with contractions because of this?"... I'd really like to be able to do things like go to the farmers market and walk around, but knowing the result it doesn't sound so pleasant!
What I am looking forward to: Getting my body back. It's definitely difficult to be the host of two right now.
Weekly Wisdom: Just take things one day at a time. If things are rough today, they'll likely change tomorrow!
Milestones: no milestones that I can think of. Just plugging along!
Bump Picture: Look!
Monday, June 21, 2010
To the doctor's we go!
I am still in the 'every other week' doctor's appointment phase, so my last appointment was on Friday. All is well, relatively speaking. I am definitely entering the final stage though. Retaining fluids and a little bit of swelling, but hey for 8.5 months pregnant, I think that is pretty darn good! Only other question mark I left with is that my fundal height (i.e. belly measurement) was large this week- 38 centimeters! For those that don't know, it should be 1 centimeter for each week you are along, so I should have been 35.5 centimeters. That's a whole "two and a half week" difference. It makes me a little nervous that miss Isabella is growing a little faster than we would like, but since it was a rough day and I was warm, I'm hoping I was simply retaining fluid that made me measure larger.
Other than that though, all is well. One funny story from the appointment at least! In the process of taking my fundal height, my OB felt a very firm and round body part up near my ribs. She got a little nervous that perhaps it was the head! Well since I had my non-stress test just the day before, and Izzy was head down then, I felt fairly confident that it was in fact not her head that we were feeling. Or at least I hoped that if she did a major flip, I would have noticed!
So as a precaution my OB went and got the in office ultrasound machine to check things out. It was confirmed, Isabella's head was still down and low, just like she's been, and the firm, round body part that we felt? Definitely butt. =) I've felt it a few times before and always felt confident that it was butt because I could feel the continuation of back just below it.
All the same I thought it was pretty entertaining. As the nurse who does my non-stress tests says, she's already a smart baby! Probably too smart for her own good, but good for a chuckle from time to time.
Other than that... I confirmed that if all continues the way it has (steady blood sugar readings, measuring on target with good non-stress test results) then induction will be scheduled most likely for my actual due date! Of course unless she decides to come on her own (which is what we would all prefer). Fingers crossed that it all goes as well as possible!
So that is all I have to report. I'll do my weekly update tomorrow as usual and we'll keep on counting down!
Other than that though, all is well. One funny story from the appointment at least! In the process of taking my fundal height, my OB felt a very firm and round body part up near my ribs. She got a little nervous that perhaps it was the head! Well since I had my non-stress test just the day before, and Izzy was head down then, I felt fairly confident that it was in fact not her head that we were feeling. Or at least I hoped that if she did a major flip, I would have noticed!
So as a precaution my OB went and got the in office ultrasound machine to check things out. It was confirmed, Isabella's head was still down and low, just like she's been, and the firm, round body part that we felt? Definitely butt. =) I've felt it a few times before and always felt confident that it was butt because I could feel the continuation of back just below it.
All the same I thought it was pretty entertaining. As the nurse who does my non-stress tests says, she's already a smart baby! Probably too smart for her own good, but good for a chuckle from time to time.
Other than that... I confirmed that if all continues the way it has (steady blood sugar readings, measuring on target with good non-stress test results) then induction will be scheduled most likely for my actual due date! Of course unless she decides to come on her own (which is what we would all prefer). Fingers crossed that it all goes as well as possible!
So that is all I have to report. I'll do my weekly update tomorrow as usual and we'll keep on counting down!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
It's all very "alien"
This afternoon I had a meeting to jump start a task force here at work. It was a two hour meeting, after lunch, in a hot room. We were sitting in a semi-circle with no tables in front of us. Not the most comfortable situation for an 8 1/2 month pregnant woman, but I made due.
About halfway through the meeting I started feeling the baby moving around a bit. The movement increased until I was fairly distracted by it. I kept looking down and seeing the alien earthquakes across my belly. Of course this is nothing new for me (I have an episode of such major movement at least once a day), but I couldn't help but wonder "is anyone else seeing this!?!"
If anyone else noticed the alien in my stomach, they were kind enough not to mention it, but it was pretty entertaining for me all the same! =)
About halfway through the meeting I started feeling the baby moving around a bit. The movement increased until I was fairly distracted by it. I kept looking down and seeing the alien earthquakes across my belly. Of course this is nothing new for me (I have an episode of such major movement at least once a day), but I couldn't help but wonder "is anyone else seeing this!?!"
If anyone else noticed the alien in my stomach, they were kind enough not to mention it, but it was pretty entertaining for me all the same! =)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Weekly Update
How far along? 34 Weeks
How big is baby? All guesses- somewhere between 5.5 and 6 lbs, and 19-22 inches long.
Total weight gain/loss: Holding steady, a couple of pounds up at most. My doctors couldn't be happier and I just keep thinking how awesome I'll feel once I deliver, and start to lose with breastfeeding too! =)
Movement: Big, strong, and on my right side. She gets the hiccups 1-4 times each day (maybe more because if it happens at night I'm sleeping through it). She's active though!
Food cravings: none
Food Aversions: every day is different. No true aversions, but I'm sick of food in general. There's no room for food anymore!
Gender: All girl!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are becoming a daily occurrence. I did too much on Friday and it took a full hour plus to get my belly to calm down. I was easily agitated for the rest of the weekend I noticed. The heat doesn't help either. Of course none of this says that labor is impending. We still have plenty of time to go!
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Being able to eat without feeling like a stuffed pig.
What I am looking forward to: Not feeling like I'm going to split in two because I am so stuffed full.
Weekly Wisdom: no wisdom this week. I'm not feeling particularly wise! ;)
Milestones: not sure that I had any milestones this week... outgrowing a maternity shirt??? =)
Bump Picture: again, I'm failing on this I know... maybe tonight I'll take one. =)
How big is baby? All guesses- somewhere between 5.5 and 6 lbs, and 19-22 inches long.
Total weight gain/loss: Holding steady, a couple of pounds up at most. My doctors couldn't be happier and I just keep thinking how awesome I'll feel once I deliver, and start to lose with breastfeeding too! =)
Maternity clothes? All the time. Sadly, I put on a maternity t-shirt with some sweats last night, and discovered that I have outgrown even that. The bottom of my belly was hanging out! Just a few more weeks!
Sleep: I would like to sleep all the time. When I'm asleep, I sleep pretty well. Then my bladder wakes me up, and it hurts my pelvis to get out of bed. But as long as I am sleeping, I'm pretty happy!
Best moment this week: Nick felt Isabella get the hiccups. He was cracking up. That was pretty fun.
Movement: Big, strong, and on my right side. She gets the hiccups 1-4 times each day (maybe more because if it happens at night I'm sleeping through it). She's active though!
Food cravings: none
Food Aversions: every day is different. No true aversions, but I'm sick of food in general. There's no room for food anymore!
Gender: All girl!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are becoming a daily occurrence. I did too much on Friday and it took a full hour plus to get my belly to calm down. I was easily agitated for the rest of the weekend I noticed. The heat doesn't help either. Of course none of this says that labor is impending. We still have plenty of time to go!
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Being able to eat without feeling like a stuffed pig.
What I am looking forward to: Not feeling like I'm going to split in two because I am so stuffed full.
Weekly Wisdom: no wisdom this week. I'm not feeling particularly wise! ;)
Milestones: not sure that I had any milestones this week... outgrowing a maternity shirt??? =)
Bump Picture: again, I'm failing on this I know... maybe tonight I'll take one. =)
Friday, June 11, 2010
Ready to meet!
I've written about it some here, but for the most part I have been pretty scared at the prospect of becoming a mom. Don't get me wrong, clearly we made the choice that becoming pregnant would be a possibility (pulled the goalie so to speak), but it happened so quickly I'm not sure I was actually ready. We had recently been spending more time with a new group of friends, and actually acting our age for once! We are still barely just settled in our home, and still have so much to learn about being homeowners. Aside from all of that, the years that I have spent in therapy have made me a little too aware of my own personal faults and how hard they are to fix.
With all of those factors in mind, I've been really scared at the reality of becoming a mom. Mostly I've been "going through the motions" as far as preparing to have a baby in the house, and really just dealing with the realities of pregnancy instead of the ultimate result of the pregnancy! Seriously- you mean I am going to be completely responsible for the well being of another human being???
Something in the last few days has shifted. The idea of holding my sweet little girl is becoming a reality that brings a smile to my face and not just panic to my head. =) I am starting to visualize what it will be like after delivery. I can imagine the warmth and love of holding a new born baby who is seeing the world for the first time. I look forward to Nick and I snuggling up on the couch with our new baby, just enjoying a quiet, sleepy moment together.
It is getting exciting! Now if I can just get through these last couple of weeks at work, rest up a bit on maternity, and finally meet our little girl!
With all of those factors in mind, I've been really scared at the reality of becoming a mom. Mostly I've been "going through the motions" as far as preparing to have a baby in the house, and really just dealing with the realities of pregnancy instead of the ultimate result of the pregnancy! Seriously- you mean I am going to be completely responsible for the well being of another human being???
Something in the last few days has shifted. The idea of holding my sweet little girl is becoming a reality that brings a smile to my face and not just panic to my head. =) I am starting to visualize what it will be like after delivery. I can imagine the warmth and love of holding a new born baby who is seeing the world for the first time. I look forward to Nick and I snuggling up on the couch with our new baby, just enjoying a quiet, sleepy moment together.
It is getting exciting! Now if I can just get through these last couple of weeks at work, rest up a bit on maternity, and finally meet our little girl!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Weekly Update
Sorry this is so late! It's been a busy week!
How far along? 33 Weeks
How big is baby? According to our growth scan last week, she was about 5 lbs last week, so I'm guessing she is nearing 5.5 lbs. From here on out though it is all guesses! She is also between 19 and 22 inches... In other words she is at, or close to, full length for when she is born. Now growth is more about becoming the roly poly baby of cuteness!
Total weight gain/loss: Still holding strong at maybe 1-2 lbs above pre-pregnancy weight. Fingers crossed we stay that way while baby continues to grow!
Movement: She is a busy busy girl! Her most active time seems to be in the afternoon. Usually sometime between 2pm and 5pm she likes to stretch out and move a bunch. It makes afternoons at work quite interesting since I can't get comfortable with all that movement going on!
Food cravings: none
Food Aversions: definitely starting to be turned off by foods again, but nothing severe like before. Of course because of the GD diet (and eating the same things over and over again) I think I'm just sick of food in general, which doesn't help the situation!
Gender: All girl!
Labor Signs: the Braxton Hicks are becoming more regular. Walking is a sure fire way to bring them on. They aren't what I expect though- no overall tightening of the belly. I am seeing some "irritability" on the non-stress tests though, so we know that my uterus is starting to practice on its own. They also did an internal exam last week and verified that my cervix is still closed and long, so there is no risk of baby coming too early based on that. =)
Belly Button in or out? In (I seriously have the deepest belly button on the planet, so I don't anticipate this will change.)
What I miss: Coping skills for any regular irritations of life. My hormones surged over the last couple of weeks and I feel like I'm back in the first trimester with my moods!
What I am looking forward to: I am genuinely looking forward to holding this little girl in my arms. The fear is dissipating as excitement replaces it a little.
Weekly Wisdom: If you aren't pregnant yet, but would like to have a baby soon- enjoy your time to be as selfish as possible right now. Spend time with your significant other, eat whatever you want, drink whatever you want, and truly enjoy life. This is definitely something not to rush.
Milestones: Starting the non-stress tests every week and getting our growth ultrasound!
Bump Picture: another failed week- sorry! I really do need to take one soon though because I can see myself growing!
How far along? 33 Weeks
How big is baby? According to our growth scan last week, she was about 5 lbs last week, so I'm guessing she is nearing 5.5 lbs. From here on out though it is all guesses! She is also between 19 and 22 inches... In other words she is at, or close to, full length for when she is born. Now growth is more about becoming the roly poly baby of cuteness!
Total weight gain/loss: Still holding strong at maybe 1-2 lbs above pre-pregnancy weight. Fingers crossed we stay that way while baby continues to grow!
Maternity clothes? Yep! Can't fit into anything much that isn't. Even some of my sweats are uncomfortable (not unwearable, just uncomfortable)...
Sleep: Depends on the day. My schedule seems to be altering late again, making me want to go to bed later, and wake up later. I also could use an afternoon nap every day. Now all I have to do is make it through three more weeks of work and I can actually adjust to that schedule, at least until Isabella is born and I stop sleeping altogether! =)
Best moment this week: Getting the growth ultrasound and discovering that she is in the 64th percentile. Between two families of large babies, and the GD, I was scared for sure! Hopefully she'll stay right in that range and come out around 8 lbs at birth.
Movement: She is a busy busy girl! Her most active time seems to be in the afternoon. Usually sometime between 2pm and 5pm she likes to stretch out and move a bunch. It makes afternoons at work quite interesting since I can't get comfortable with all that movement going on!
Food cravings: none
Food Aversions: definitely starting to be turned off by foods again, but nothing severe like before. Of course because of the GD diet (and eating the same things over and over again) I think I'm just sick of food in general, which doesn't help the situation!
Gender: All girl!
Labor Signs: the Braxton Hicks are becoming more regular. Walking is a sure fire way to bring them on. They aren't what I expect though- no overall tightening of the belly. I am seeing some "irritability" on the non-stress tests though, so we know that my uterus is starting to practice on its own. They also did an internal exam last week and verified that my cervix is still closed and long, so there is no risk of baby coming too early based on that. =)
Belly Button in or out? In (I seriously have the deepest belly button on the planet, so I don't anticipate this will change.)
What I miss: Coping skills for any regular irritations of life. My hormones surged over the last couple of weeks and I feel like I'm back in the first trimester with my moods!
What I am looking forward to: I am genuinely looking forward to holding this little girl in my arms. The fear is dissipating as excitement replaces it a little.
Weekly Wisdom: If you aren't pregnant yet, but would like to have a baby soon- enjoy your time to be as selfish as possible right now. Spend time with your significant other, eat whatever you want, drink whatever you want, and truly enjoy life. This is definitely something not to rush.
Milestones: Starting the non-stress tests every week and getting our growth ultrasound!
Bump Picture: another failed week- sorry! I really do need to take one soon though because I can see myself growing!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Welcome Baby Boy Shelah!
Katie, my college suite mate and one of my best friends, had her baby today! She was three weeks ahead of me and hit 36 weeks today. Since she has been battling pre-term labor since about 20 or so weeks, so we knew the baby would be joining us early. She's been on strict bed rest since about 26 weeks (shortly after our trip to Disneyland together), and it has been a struggle to say the least for her. Last night she took her last dose of meds to stop the contractions, enjoyed as good a night's rest as she good, and had her baby boy this afternoon via c-section. He was 6.5 lbs and 18.5 inches- so a big guy for 36 weeks! I don't know the little guy's name yet, but it sounds like mommy and baby are doing well. Daddy Brian sent a photo to my phone and he looks great.
I can't wait for Baby Isabella to meet her cousin by friendship, baby boy Shelah! We have a trip planned to Las Vegas in December if we can't all get together sooner. Four adults, two babies and a 5.5 year old- should be fun! =)
Updated 6/7/10: We have a name! Dominic Isaiah is the new baby's name. Pretty cute I think! Dominic was one of my favorites for boys name other than there are already too many in Nick's family. So Isabella and Dominic get to grow up together. Fun times!
I can't wait for Baby Isabella to meet her cousin by friendship, baby boy Shelah! We have a trip planned to Las Vegas in December if we can't all get together sooner. Four adults, two babies and a 5.5 year old- should be fun! =)
Updated 6/7/10: We have a name! Dominic Isaiah is the new baby's name. Pretty cute I think! Dominic was one of my favorites for boys name other than there are already too many in Nick's family. So Isabella and Dominic get to grow up together. Fun times!
Friday, June 4, 2010
No monster baby here!
Even though I already posted last night about our doctors appointments from yesterday, I've been thinking more and more about what our results tell us. =)
Although ultrasound is a very poor diagnostic tool when it comes to how big the baby is (particularly regarding weight), and I am waiting for the official results from my OB regarding things like head circumference (because let's face it, if I have a natural delivery, that is what we really care about!), we did get the "guesstimate" that Baby Isabella is about 5 lbs, which is the 65th percentile. Just above average. Today I decided to look up what that really means when it comes to birth weight.
If she really is in the 65th percentile, and stays there as she grows, that means that she will be just about 8 lbs at birth. The 50th percentile for baby girls is 7.5 lbs and the 75th is 8.5 lbs, putting us right smack in the middle of that. So just fat and happy enough for me to know she is healthy, and small enough to not require a c-section or early induction! That is what we are hoping for after all.
Also another fun fact from our ultrasound last night- we got a really nice face shot on the ultrasound after we handled the business of the ultrasound. I was totally amazed at how much detail you could see since they are usually pretty fuzzy and hard to read. But this time it was nearly as clear as the 3D ultrasound! Anyhow as usual she had her hand up by her face (I sleep with my hands up by my head too, so I guess I'm not surprised that this is her preferred position), but we could still see her features. It was quite obvious that she has my lips. =) I have the Sorgen lips- full and plump. Nick's lips are much thinner. There is no question that this little girl has inherited the Sorgen lips. If she gets Nick's eyelashes, boy oh boy are we (especially Nick!) in trouble! Big eyes and big lips makes for a very convincing and adorable little girl... As Nick said in the elevator she'll be able to give him a big pout that will be hard to resist!
I'll try to post the picture we had printed, though it is hard to see (the print out wasn't nearly as good as what we saw on the monitor). I just have to actually scan it in since it isn't digital already! =)
Although ultrasound is a very poor diagnostic tool when it comes to how big the baby is (particularly regarding weight), and I am waiting for the official results from my OB regarding things like head circumference (because let's face it, if I have a natural delivery, that is what we really care about!), we did get the "guesstimate" that Baby Isabella is about 5 lbs, which is the 65th percentile. Just above average. Today I decided to look up what that really means when it comes to birth weight.
If she really is in the 65th percentile, and stays there as she grows, that means that she will be just about 8 lbs at birth. The 50th percentile for baby girls is 7.5 lbs and the 75th is 8.5 lbs, putting us right smack in the middle of that. So just fat and happy enough for me to know she is healthy, and small enough to not require a c-section or early induction! That is what we are hoping for after all.
Also another fun fact from our ultrasound last night- we got a really nice face shot on the ultrasound after we handled the business of the ultrasound. I was totally amazed at how much detail you could see since they are usually pretty fuzzy and hard to read. But this time it was nearly as clear as the 3D ultrasound! Anyhow as usual she had her hand up by her face (I sleep with my hands up by my head too, so I guess I'm not surprised that this is her preferred position), but we could still see her features. It was quite obvious that she has my lips. =) I have the Sorgen lips- full and plump. Nick's lips are much thinner. There is no question that this little girl has inherited the Sorgen lips. If she gets Nick's eyelashes, boy oh boy are we (especially Nick!) in trouble! Big eyes and big lips makes for a very convincing and adorable little girl... As Nick said in the elevator she'll be able to give him a big pout that will be hard to resist!
I'll try to post the picture we had printed, though it is hard to see (the print out wasn't nearly as good as what we saw on the monitor). I just have to actually scan it in since it isn't digital already! =)
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A day of appointments
Today I had three appointments for baby stuff. My first appointment of the day was the first non-stress test. This is where they strap you up to a fetal monitor (for the heartbeat) and the uterine monitor (for contractions). They are looking for accelerations and decelerations of the heart rate as expected with movement and contractions (if I have any). They also check the amniotic fluid levels using ultrasound. Although miss Isabella was slightly less than cooperative ultimately the results were all good. For the first part she was sleeping so her heart rate was good and steady, but no accelerations (they want to see at least two coupled with movement). Then she started moving for us after I moved around a bit, and kept swimming off the monitor, so we kept missing the accelerations they wanted to see! But fluid levels were good, and we did ultimately determine that she was having the accelerations they wanted to see. Just took a little longer than we might hope for.
My second appointment was the standard prenatal (I'm up to every other week these days). This is pretty much to check my weight, blood pressure, urine, and any other questions or concerns. My weight is holding steady (I think I was down 3 lbs from the last time they weighed me there, which is always higher than when I weigh myself at home) so that was good. My OB is very happy with me for that. Also my blood pressure was down, which was really great news since it was a little high at the last appointment. Of course I was stressed and anxious at the last appointment, so not hard to explain. The only "bad" news is that my blood sugars had a consistent elevation over the past week. I watched the trend happen and even tried to manage my food intake a little better to no avail. But I was totally hormonal last week (I was weepy at stupid country songs nearly every morning in the car), so I am very clear that I experienced a hormone surge which is what is causing the increased insulin resistance. So they have upped my blood sugar medicine to twice a day now. I don't feel bad about that. I know it isn't because of anything that I have done, or didn't do.
The third appointment was the growth ultrasound. Since I have GD and am on medication, they monitor me more closely, and one of the things they look for is an over sized baby. So today we had our growth ultrasound and Isabella is measuring around 5 lbs, which is the 65 percentile for her gestational age. Just above average. No monster baby here! This is good news because if we continue to measure on target, not only will we not have a crazy large baby, but it also means that hopefully we can deliver naturally. They still won't let me go past my due date, but I also don't want to be induced super early. Really I hope Isabella knows that she has an eviction date and will come on her own before then. Make a statement baby girl by coming into this world on your own terms, and not the medical professions! =)
So anyhow today was a good day. I was feeling bad this past week that perhaps I was gaming the system with the GD and was still going to have other issues (like a super huge baby). Today shows me that I continue to do well with this whole pregnancy business and that baby girl is responding just fine. Maybe we only think our families grow monster babies because issues went undiagnosed and since I've been doing my best, we won't have any problems. I hold that idea closely and keep my eye on the prize. Now if only I could be on maternity leave.... =)
My second appointment was the standard prenatal (I'm up to every other week these days). This is pretty much to check my weight, blood pressure, urine, and any other questions or concerns. My weight is holding steady (I think I was down 3 lbs from the last time they weighed me there, which is always higher than when I weigh myself at home) so that was good. My OB is very happy with me for that. Also my blood pressure was down, which was really great news since it was a little high at the last appointment. Of course I was stressed and anxious at the last appointment, so not hard to explain. The only "bad" news is that my blood sugars had a consistent elevation over the past week. I watched the trend happen and even tried to manage my food intake a little better to no avail. But I was totally hormonal last week (I was weepy at stupid country songs nearly every morning in the car), so I am very clear that I experienced a hormone surge which is what is causing the increased insulin resistance. So they have upped my blood sugar medicine to twice a day now. I don't feel bad about that. I know it isn't because of anything that I have done, or didn't do.
The third appointment was the growth ultrasound. Since I have GD and am on medication, they monitor me more closely, and one of the things they look for is an over sized baby. So today we had our growth ultrasound and Isabella is measuring around 5 lbs, which is the 65 percentile for her gestational age. Just above average. No monster baby here! This is good news because if we continue to measure on target, not only will we not have a crazy large baby, but it also means that hopefully we can deliver naturally. They still won't let me go past my due date, but I also don't want to be induced super early. Really I hope Isabella knows that she has an eviction date and will come on her own before then. Make a statement baby girl by coming into this world on your own terms, and not the medical professions! =)
So anyhow today was a good day. I was feeling bad this past week that perhaps I was gaming the system with the GD and was still going to have other issues (like a super huge baby). Today shows me that I continue to do well with this whole pregnancy business and that baby girl is responding just fine. Maybe we only think our families grow monster babies because issues went undiagnosed and since I've been doing my best, we won't have any problems. I hold that idea closely and keep my eye on the prize. Now if only I could be on maternity leave.... =)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Weekly Update!
How far along? 32 Weeks
How big is baby? 19 inches, head to toe and 4.5 pounds! (goodness gracious- another half pound and she is officially beyond preemie sizes!)
Total weight gain/loss: Definitely up, but probably only a pound or two.
Movement: Like I said before, she is getting bigger and stronger every day. I no longer feel what I consider "kicks" but instead shoves, and rolls, and big movements. It's odd now- a bit like how your stomach feels when it is really upset with the rolling and boiling type feeling. Took a few days, but I'm starting to get used to it and not feel nauseous from it!
Food cravings: none
Food Aversions: starting to gag again, but nothing in particular. Hopefully this isn't a sign of times to come!
Gender: All girl!
Labor Signs: nothing really particular other than the occasional Braxton Hicks contraction.
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Thinking about anything other than baby stuff. I'm hoping I can be really selfish in my first couple of weeks of maternity leave and do some pampering before baby arrives!
What I am looking forward to: Getting the baby clothes out of the living room and into the baby room!
Weekly Wisdom: Not feeling particularly wise this week. So I guess I'll steal- just remember, take things one day at a time.
Milestones: movement I suppose?
Bump Picture: sorry- no pictures this week! I'll see if I can remember to take one...
How big is baby? 19 inches, head to toe and 4.5 pounds! (goodness gracious- another half pound and she is officially beyond preemie sizes!)
Total weight gain/loss: Definitely up, but probably only a pound or two.
Maternity clothes? definitely 100% all the time.
Sleep: I'm able to sleep- not dealing with insomnia thank goodness. And we discovered this weekend that I sleep through baby moving (which is a good thing in my book!). I was napping on the couch and Nick had his hand on my belly. Apparently she was kicking so hard he thought I was jolting myself awake! He realized it was her when I stayed deep in peaceful slumber! Now if only I could sleep more hours every day, I'd be in great shape!
Best moment this week: Finishing all of the returns from the showers! We had a number of duplicate items and needed to balance out the clothes a bit (lots and lots of 0-3, which she'll probably outgrow quite quickly).
Movement: Like I said before, she is getting bigger and stronger every day. I no longer feel what I consider "kicks" but instead shoves, and rolls, and big movements. It's odd now- a bit like how your stomach feels when it is really upset with the rolling and boiling type feeling. Took a few days, but I'm starting to get used to it and not feel nauseous from it!
Food cravings: none
Food Aversions: starting to gag again, but nothing in particular. Hopefully this isn't a sign of times to come!
Gender: All girl!
Labor Signs: nothing really particular other than the occasional Braxton Hicks contraction.
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Thinking about anything other than baby stuff. I'm hoping I can be really selfish in my first couple of weeks of maternity leave and do some pampering before baby arrives!
What I am looking forward to: Getting the baby clothes out of the living room and into the baby room!
Weekly Wisdom: Not feeling particularly wise this week. So I guess I'll steal- just remember, take things one day at a time.
Milestones: movement I suppose?
Bump Picture: sorry- no pictures this week! I'll see if I can remember to take one...
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