Ethan is 2 weeks old today! I can't believe how fast time is going by already. Before I know it he is going to be walking & talking *breathes into paper bag*. He already looks so much bigger than when we brought him home. We had his first pediatrician appointment yesterday for his 2 week check up and circumcision. He weighed in at 8lbs 3.5oz and was 20 in long! He gained almost 2 pounds in 9 days! His lowest point was 6lbs 8oz, so we are very happy he is growing well now :) The doctor said he looked perfect! He is having some goopy discharge from his eyes & as I suspected the doctor thinks his tear ducts are clogged. She prescribed some antibiotic ointment and I can already tell a difference.
As for the circumcision he slept through the entire thing! The doctor asked me if I wanted to come with him and watch it and I politely declined. I have seen it done a few times and did not wish to see my own child go through it! He was a trooper though! He also got his heel poked to check his 2nd PKU, and he SCREAMED when the nurse had to poke him TWO times to get enough blood. Poor baby!!
As soon as we strapped him into his car seat he was not a happy camper. I can't blame him either! Those straps are so tight, especially when you've just had something snipped! We had a rough ride home and an even harder time tracking down infant Tylenol due to the recall. We were finally able to get some and once he got a dose at home he slept for quite awhile. We had a few more fussy periods, but last night he managed to sleep almost a 5 hour stretch! Then almost 4 hours! I'm hoping tonight goes just as well :)
We are looking forward to this weekend! Ethan's aunt and uncle are coming to visit from Indiana and staying for a week! We can't wait for them to meet Ethan and to just spend time with them!!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Super Long Birth Story Part 2
My MIL and I got to L&D around 4:30 pm and they took me to a nice labor room. The really sweet nurse I had tried twice to start my IV and both failed. Thankfully another really nice nurse got it on her first try (my 3rd poke). She hooked me up to the monitors and asked me tons of questions. The cervadil was placed around 6pm. It was pretty uncomfortable after that doctor had checked me the last time. My in-laws stayed with me until my husband got there around 7:30 (with dinner thankfully!) A little while later we were moved to a different room and then it was a waiting game. The on-call doctor came in around 9 pm and said I could have an Ambien if I wanted to help me sleep since the next day would be a long one. I got the Ambien around 10:30 pm, but it really didn't help. I don't think I slept at all. I started having contractions around midnight, and while they weren't super strong they were still painful. I had horrible shooting pains in my back every time I had a contraction.
Needless to say, neither of us got my sleep that night (maybe an hour or two). At 6am my new nurse (who was AWESOME!) who I had all day came in and took out the cervadil. There weren't any orders at that point, so I was able to eat a little bit of breakfast and take a shower (which felt wonderful on my back). My doctor showed up (I was so happy he was on called for the next 24 hours!) and checked my cervix. Still about 1cm, maybe 2 and about 80% effaced. Very little progress made! The pitocin was started around 9am and slowly increased. After about an hour I could feel my contractions intensifying and the back pain was almost unbearable. I do not exactly like pain, but I can handle my fair share. I knew from the beginning I wanted the epidural, it was just a matter of when.
The doctor came back in around 11:30 and checked me again and said I was almost 3cm and I could have the epidural if I wanted. Yes please! I'm thankful I asked for it then because they had a c-section to do and it would have been another couple of hours! The epidural was very weird going in, and the first catheter had an extra hole, so he had to remove it and start over. Seriously!? Hubby was holding my hand and I was leaning over the nurse trying not to hyperventilate. He finally got it placed correctly and within about 15 minutes my legs started going numb and I could barely feel my contractions. It was heaven! My MIL showed up at that point and I told hubby he should go eat lunch, that way I could try to rest a little. Sleep did not come easy to me with the nurse checking on me, the monitor beeping, IV beeping, etc. I was good and numb though, and after about an hour my legs were so heavy (right side more than left, very weird). My doctor came in around 2pm and broke my water. I couldn't feel him actually breaking it, but I could feel the fluid coming out.
(Lack of sleep, plus epidural makes me look funny:)
So we waited at that point. We tried to rest, but couldn't. I was too excited about meeting my baby boy. The one thing I am sad about is that once the epidural kicked in I couldn't feel Ethan move around anymore. The doctor came back around 4:30 or 5 and said I was still about 3cm, maybe 4, but Ethan was still up extremely high. He just wasn't dropping down like he should have. They kept upping my pitocin to make my contractions stronger. The nurse commented that the pattern she was seeing indicated that Ethan was posterior, or sunny side up. That explains why he wasn't dropping very well.
Nothing much happened after that. My doctor checked me a couple more times and at 9:30 he said I was still 4cm and we had two options. Go ahead with a c-section or wait a couple more hours to see if any more progress would be made. We decided to wait a couple more hours because I really didn't want to give in right away. At 11:30pm on June 15th, I was still 4cm and it was decided we would have a c-section since I had been laboring for 24 hours and my water had been broken for 12 hours or so. Everything moved very quickly after that. The anesthesiologist came and put a lot of extra medicine in my epidural which made me feel very weird.
They moved me into the OR and I started shaking uncontrollably. My arms and face HURT because I was shaking so hard and nothing would stop it. Once they brought my husband in I started feeling very nauseated and ended up getting sick a couple of times. Bless his heart for holding my vomit pan :) I remember the doctor singing "happy birthday" LOL! I was SO tired at this point, it was all I could do to hold my eyes open. I heard the doctor say he was having a tough time getting Ethan out and he would have to use the vacuum! My child is stubborn and did not want to leave his nice, warm home! He finally pulled him out and we heard the most beautiful cry! He definitely let us know his lungs were working!! Ethan Dale was born at 12:18am on June 16th, weighing 7lbs 5 oz and 19.5 in long.
This was our first family photo taken in the recovery room. I was so drugged at this point, and then given even more stuff to calm my shaking down. I was SO extremely tired and could not keep my eyes open. I was actually afraid to hold Ethan! The nurses were wonderful though and said I was just fine and I could sleep if I wanted to LOL
The shaking finally stopped and I was able to hold Ethan skin to skin which was the most amazing feeling in the world. I even got to breast feed him for a little bit.
We were taken back to around room around 2:30am and my in-laws were able to come meet their first grandson! We got a few hours of sleep that night and I felt like a new woman when I woke up! I was up and in the rocking chair at 11am, and when my catheter was taken out around 3:30pm I was able to finally shower. The pain was bearable thanks to the meds they were so kindly giving me. I ended up being in the hospital from Monday afternoon until Friday evening when they discharged us. Recovery from my c-section hasn't been that bad. I was having pain on the right side for a while, especially when I would sit down or stand up or get in and out of bed. Now 2 weeks later it is finally feeling better. I still have some discomfort, especially if I move the wrong way.
I would do it all over a million times to have my little boy!!!!!
Needless to say, neither of us got my sleep that night (maybe an hour or two). At 6am my new nurse (who was AWESOME!) who I had all day came in and took out the cervadil. There weren't any orders at that point, so I was able to eat a little bit of breakfast and take a shower (which felt wonderful on my back). My doctor showed up (I was so happy he was on called for the next 24 hours!) and checked my cervix. Still about 1cm, maybe 2 and about 80% effaced. Very little progress made! The pitocin was started around 9am and slowly increased. After about an hour I could feel my contractions intensifying and the back pain was almost unbearable. I do not exactly like pain, but I can handle my fair share. I knew from the beginning I wanted the epidural, it was just a matter of when.
The doctor came back in around 11:30 and checked me again and said I was almost 3cm and I could have the epidural if I wanted. Yes please! I'm thankful I asked for it then because they had a c-section to do and it would have been another couple of hours! The epidural was very weird going in, and the first catheter had an extra hole, so he had to remove it and start over. Seriously!? Hubby was holding my hand and I was leaning over the nurse trying not to hyperventilate. He finally got it placed correctly and within about 15 minutes my legs started going numb and I could barely feel my contractions. It was heaven! My MIL showed up at that point and I told hubby he should go eat lunch, that way I could try to rest a little. Sleep did not come easy to me with the nurse checking on me, the monitor beeping, IV beeping, etc. I was good and numb though, and after about an hour my legs were so heavy (right side more than left, very weird). My doctor came in around 2pm and broke my water. I couldn't feel him actually breaking it, but I could feel the fluid coming out.
(Lack of sleep, plus epidural makes me look funny:)
So we waited at that point. We tried to rest, but couldn't. I was too excited about meeting my baby boy. The one thing I am sad about is that once the epidural kicked in I couldn't feel Ethan move around anymore. The doctor came back around 4:30 or 5 and said I was still about 3cm, maybe 4, but Ethan was still up extremely high. He just wasn't dropping down like he should have. They kept upping my pitocin to make my contractions stronger. The nurse commented that the pattern she was seeing indicated that Ethan was posterior, or sunny side up. That explains why he wasn't dropping very well.Nothing much happened after that. My doctor checked me a couple more times and at 9:30 he said I was still 4cm and we had two options. Go ahead with a c-section or wait a couple more hours to see if any more progress would be made. We decided to wait a couple more hours because I really didn't want to give in right away. At 11:30pm on June 15th, I was still 4cm and it was decided we would have a c-section since I had been laboring for 24 hours and my water had been broken for 12 hours or so. Everything moved very quickly after that. The anesthesiologist came and put a lot of extra medicine in my epidural which made me feel very weird.
They moved me into the OR and I started shaking uncontrollably. My arms and face HURT because I was shaking so hard and nothing would stop it. Once they brought my husband in I started feeling very nauseated and ended up getting sick a couple of times. Bless his heart for holding my vomit pan :) I remember the doctor singing "happy birthday" LOL! I was SO tired at this point, it was all I could do to hold my eyes open. I heard the doctor say he was having a tough time getting Ethan out and he would have to use the vacuum! My child is stubborn and did not want to leave his nice, warm home! He finally pulled him out and we heard the most beautiful cry! He definitely let us know his lungs were working!! Ethan Dale was born at 12:18am on June 16th, weighing 7lbs 5 oz and 19.5 in long.
This was our first family photo taken in the recovery room. I was so drugged at this point, and then given even more stuff to calm my shaking down. I was SO extremely tired and could not keep my eyes open. I was actually afraid to hold Ethan! The nurses were wonderful though and said I was just fine and I could sleep if I wanted to LOL
The shaking finally stopped and I was able to hold Ethan skin to skin which was the most amazing feeling in the world. I even got to breast feed him for a little bit.
We were taken back to around room around 2:30am and my in-laws were able to come meet their first grandson! We got a few hours of sleep that night and I felt like a new woman when I woke up! I was up and in the rocking chair at 11am, and when my catheter was taken out around 3:30pm I was able to finally shower. The pain was bearable thanks to the meds they were so kindly giving me. I ended up being in the hospital from Monday afternoon until Friday evening when they discharged us. Recovery from my c-section hasn't been that bad. I was having pain on the right side for a while, especially when I would sit down or stand up or get in and out of bed. Now 2 weeks later it is finally feeling better. I still have some discomfort, especially if I move the wrong way.
I would do it all over a million times to have my little boy!!!!!
Super Long Birth Story Part 1 (better late than never!)
So I guess I should start with my final OB appointment on June 14th. Remember I wasn't supposed to be induced until the 16th? Not so much. When I woke up on the 14th I knew my blood pressure was high. I had a horrendous headache that would not go away. B/P was 168/108. My appointment was a few hours away, so I decided to wait it out. Instead of laying down like I should have, I decided I needed to clean our bedroom/bathroom and a few other things. I took this picture right before I left for the doctor (my last belly pic!)
See how high he still was? When I got to the doctor's office the nurse hooked me up to the NST and then checked my B/P. It was 148/104. She said I may not even make it to my induction on Wednesday. I laughed nervously because I had a feeling she was right. My husband was taking finals and would be done on Wednesday so he had given me strict instructions to not have the baby before then. Ha! This was also only the 2nd appointment he couldn't come to and I had a feeling something bad would happen. The doctor came in and said that while Ethan looked great on the monitor, he was not pleased with my blood pressure. Since I was 39 weeks, he felt confident that Ethan was ready to come out. Not to mention that my mother had toxemia with her first child, who was still born because of SUPER high B/P (my mom almost had a stroke and died). He checked my cervix and I swear to god he tried to rip my child right out! I'm pretty sure he tried to strip my membranes or something. All I know is that it hurt like hell, and it made me bleed! I was barely 1 cm and 50% effaced. It was a start right? He called L&D and told them to expect me in about an hour.
I called my husband frantic and told him what was going on. He couldn't leave school right away because he still had a final to take. I was okay with that because I knew nothing major would happen right away. I called my mom to let her know what was going on & then called my MIL to see if she would take me to the hospital once I came home and got our bags. She met me at our place and watched me run around frantically trying to grab last minute stuff. I was a wreck & couldn't believe it was finally happening. I was going to meet my baby!!
To be continued....
See how high he still was? When I got to the doctor's office the nurse hooked me up to the NST and then checked my B/P. It was 148/104. She said I may not even make it to my induction on Wednesday. I laughed nervously because I had a feeling she was right. My husband was taking finals and would be done on Wednesday so he had given me strict instructions to not have the baby before then. Ha! This was also only the 2nd appointment he couldn't come to and I had a feeling something bad would happen. The doctor came in and said that while Ethan looked great on the monitor, he was not pleased with my blood pressure. Since I was 39 weeks, he felt confident that Ethan was ready to come out. Not to mention that my mother had toxemia with her first child, who was still born because of SUPER high B/P (my mom almost had a stroke and died). He checked my cervix and I swear to god he tried to rip my child right out! I'm pretty sure he tried to strip my membranes or something. All I know is that it hurt like hell, and it made me bleed! I was barely 1 cm and 50% effaced. It was a start right? He called L&D and told them to expect me in about an hour.
I called my husband frantic and told him what was going on. He couldn't leave school right away because he still had a final to take. I was okay with that because I knew nothing major would happen right away. I called my mom to let her know what was going on & then called my MIL to see if she would take me to the hospital once I came home and got our bags. She met me at our place and watched me run around frantically trying to grab last minute stuff. I was a wreck & couldn't believe it was finally happening. I was going to meet my baby!!
To be continued....
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
pictures galore!
A few pictures of Ethan's nursery. My wonderful mother-in-law made all of the bedding & curtains for his room. I just love it! She is still working on the letters to go above the crib which I think will really make a difference. Remember we live in an apartment and cannot paint. I love the monkey theme!! The glider we got is still in our living room.
1 week old!
I can't believe Ethan is already a week old. Time is flying by and needs to slow down a little! Ethan weighed 7lbs 1 oz yesterday which means he is up 9 ounces since Sunday! Sadly he is not nursing at all so we have been supplementing with formula and whatever breast milk I get when I pump. I am still not getting very much so I started taking Fenugreek yesterday which is an herbal supplement to help my milk supply. It smells like maple syrup and will supposedly make me smell like that in the next day or two! I don't care as long as it helps. I really want to be able to feed him breast milk solely, but only time will tell. The most important thing is that he eats and gains weight and he is doing that now!
We had our first big outing on Monday. I had to go to the doctor to get my staples out. My blood pressure is still too high the my doctor put me on medication to bring it down. Hopefully it will only be temporary, but about 40% of women who have high blood pressure during pregnancy end up with hypertension for good. I hope not! That is what happened to my mom, so it very well may be my future. We ran a few errands after my appointment and Ethan did so well. he slept pretty much the whole time which was great.
I am still in a little bit of pain from the c-section, but have slowly decreased the pain medication. It is getting a little better everyday. I definitely can't walk too much (which I did on Monday) or it will start hurting a lot. I am learning to sit more and take it easy! I will post a few more pictures soon, but right now Ethan is ready to eat!
We had our first big outing on Monday. I had to go to the doctor to get my staples out. My blood pressure is still too high the my doctor put me on medication to bring it down. Hopefully it will only be temporary, but about 40% of women who have high blood pressure during pregnancy end up with hypertension for good. I hope not! That is what happened to my mom, so it very well may be my future. We ran a few errands after my appointment and Ethan did so well. he slept pretty much the whole time which was great.
I am still in a little bit of pain from the c-section, but have slowly decreased the pain medication. It is getting a little better everyday. I definitely can't walk too much (which I did on Monday) or it will start hurting a lot. I am learning to sit more and take it easy! I will post a few more pictures soon, but right now Ethan is ready to eat!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
He's here!!
My doctor's appointment on Monday the 14th turned into an induction when my blood pressure was through the roof again. To make a long story short...after being induced and being in labor for 24 hours I never dilated more than 4 cm. Ethan Dale was born via c-section on June 16th at 12:18am weighing 7 lbs 5 oz and 19.5 in long! He is absolutely beautiful and we are in love! We were able to come home yesterday evening which was wonderful after being in the hospital this entire week!
Ethan is a great nurser when my breasts cooperate. It started off really great and I thought I had gotten lucky, but then by Friday my nipples were completely flat and he couldn't latch on. It was getting to the point last night that he was so hungry and angry that he wouldn't latch at all because it was too much work. Thankfully a wonderful home health nurse came to see us at home today and helped us out. We are now the proud new owners of a breast pump which I will be using to help my milk come in as quickly as possible ( I think it's almost there anyways). I may have to pump exclusively and feed him with a bottle but at least it's breast milk.
The doctor said I definitely had pre-eclampsia after follow up labs on Thursday and it seems to have gotten slightly worse after I delivered Ethan. My blood pressures are still kind of high and my right lower leg/ankle is HUGE! Hopefully that will subside soon. I go to the doctor on Monday to get my staples out. I have to say the c-section wasn't as bad as I thought. The whole experience would have been better had I not been completely exhausted from being up for so long but what can you do. The pain has been tolerable, not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
So that's what has been going on this week. We are home in time to celebrate my husband's first Father's Day! Here are some pictures of our little boy. He's pretty damn cute if I say so myself :)
Ethan is a great nurser when my breasts cooperate. It started off really great and I thought I had gotten lucky, but then by Friday my nipples were completely flat and he couldn't latch on. It was getting to the point last night that he was so hungry and angry that he wouldn't latch at all because it was too much work. Thankfully a wonderful home health nurse came to see us at home today and helped us out. We are now the proud new owners of a breast pump which I will be using to help my milk come in as quickly as possible ( I think it's almost there anyways). I may have to pump exclusively and feed him with a bottle but at least it's breast milk.
The doctor said I definitely had pre-eclampsia after follow up labs on Thursday and it seems to have gotten slightly worse after I delivered Ethan. My blood pressures are still kind of high and my right lower leg/ankle is HUGE! Hopefully that will subside soon. I go to the doctor on Monday to get my staples out. I have to say the c-section wasn't as bad as I thought. The whole experience would have been better had I not been completely exhausted from being up for so long but what can you do. The pain has been tolerable, not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
So that's what has been going on this week. We are home in time to celebrate my husband's first Father's Day! Here are some pictures of our little boy. He's pretty damn cute if I say so myself :)
Friday, June 11, 2010
The end is near!
I had my appointment and NST today. My B/P was high all morning and then I get to the office and it isn't too bad. Ethan wasn't as active for the NST as he usually is, but he still passed. My doctor said since all of my labs were still okay he doesn't like to induce before 39 weeks unless absolutely necessary. However, since I am still having higher than normal B/P and frequent headaches he set up an induction for next week! We are going in Wednesday night at 7:30pm to start the cervadil, and then the pitocin will start Thursday morning. I have one last appointment on Monday, & if my cervix has progressed at all we will probably skip the cervadil and just start with the pitocin induction on Thursday. I didn't have the doctor check me today since I am going back on Monday (it is really uncomfortable for me!). So that is our plan! He asked what I really wanted and I told him I didn't want to go past my due date, and he said he wouldn't have let me anyways because of the B/P issues I have been having. Here's hoping for a smooth induction & delivery! Hopefully I have made some progress on Monday too!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
38 week survey & scary belly pic ahead!
How far along? 38 weeks 2 days
How big is baby? last week he was measuring 7lbs 3 oz!
Weight gain?I have officially gained back the 10 pounds I lost, plus 7 or 8 :(
Maternity clothes? I am ready to wear my normal clothes again!
Stretchmarks? Yes, I have a nice cluster making a circle around my belly button.
Sleep? I don't know what that is anymore!
Best moment this week? Seeing our baby boy again for our BPP ultrasound (which he passed quickly)Movement? a lot, and very strong! He is running out of room!
Food cravings? I like food, PERIOD. I need to stop eating!
Gender? Boy!
Labor signs? a few contractions here and there, nothing really painful or consistent. I haven't had any other signs that labor is imminent! :(
Belly button in or out? still in
What I miss? my couple good friends at work! I'm all alone at home these days...
What I am looking forward to? meeting my baby boy & a nice margarita ;)
Weekly wisdom? I'm drawing a blank
Milestones? well I'm still baking this little boy, 12 days away from my due date....
Just when I think I can't get any bigger, my belly has another growth spurt. It looks much larger and perhaps lower this week. Please come soon Ethan! Disregard my tired looking self!
How big is baby? last week he was measuring 7lbs 3 oz!
Weight gain?I have officially gained back the 10 pounds I lost, plus 7 or 8 :(
Maternity clothes? I am ready to wear my normal clothes again!
Stretchmarks? Yes, I have a nice cluster making a circle around my belly button.
Sleep? I don't know what that is anymore!
Best moment this week? Seeing our baby boy again for our BPP ultrasound (which he passed quickly)Movement? a lot, and very strong! He is running out of room!
Food cravings? I like food, PERIOD. I need to stop eating!
Gender? Boy!
Labor signs? a few contractions here and there, nothing really painful or consistent. I haven't had any other signs that labor is imminent! :(
Belly button in or out? still in
What I miss? my couple good friends at work! I'm all alone at home these days...
What I am looking forward to? meeting my baby boy & a nice margarita ;)
Weekly wisdom? I'm drawing a blank
Milestones? well I'm still baking this little boy, 12 days away from my due date....
Just when I think I can't get any bigger, my belly has another growth spurt. It looks much larger and perhaps lower this week. Please come soon Ethan! Disregard my tired looking self!
Monday, June 7, 2010
another trip to L&D
When I woke up this morning I had a horrible headache. I checked my blood pressure & it was 148/103. Well, that's not good! I saw down for about 10 minutes and rechecked it. It was 159/102! I continued to check it about every 10 minutes and it stayed just as high for another couple times. I called my doctor's office and they had the nurse call me back about 15 minutes later. I told her what my blood pressures were and she wanted to know if I had been started on any medication yet. No, I sure haven't. She said she would talk to the doctor and get right back to me.
Let's just say that 4 hours later when she finally called me back my blood pressure was fine and my headache was gone. Obviously, if my blood pressure had continued to be high and/or my headache had worsened I would have called them back earlier. It was nice to know that they were so concerned though...
She told me my doctor wanted me to go to L&D for another non-stress test and lab work. I asked her if it was really necessary since my B/P had been fine for a couple of hours and my headache was gone!? She told me I needed to go anyway. C was in class and couldn't leave, so I went by myself. I got there and they hooked me up to the monitor, drew my blood and I laid there in THE MOST uncomfortable "bed" for 2 hours. Of course my B/P was fine the whole time, and Ethan looked great on the monitor. My lab work came back great once again so I go sent home. I don't understand why my blood pressure keeps spiking in the mornings (it has gotten progressively higher the past few days in the morning time) but then it levels out during the day. As long as I'm not doing anything that is!
So now I just keep sitting and waiting. I have my BPP ultrasound tomorrow and won't even see my doctor until Friday. I hope I don't end up in the hospital again until it is time to have my baby!!!
Let's just say that 4 hours later when she finally called me back my blood pressure was fine and my headache was gone. Obviously, if my blood pressure had continued to be high and/or my headache had worsened I would have called them back earlier. It was nice to know that they were so concerned though...
She told me my doctor wanted me to go to L&D for another non-stress test and lab work. I asked her if it was really necessary since my B/P had been fine for a couple of hours and my headache was gone!? She told me I needed to go anyway. C was in class and couldn't leave, so I went by myself. I got there and they hooked me up to the monitor, drew my blood and I laid there in THE MOST uncomfortable "bed" for 2 hours. Of course my B/P was fine the whole time, and Ethan looked great on the monitor. My lab work came back great once again so I go sent home. I don't understand why my blood pressure keeps spiking in the mornings (it has gotten progressively higher the past few days in the morning time) but then it levels out during the day. As long as I'm not doing anything that is!
So now I just keep sitting and waiting. I have my BPP ultrasound tomorrow and won't even see my doctor until Friday. I hope I don't end up in the hospital again until it is time to have my baby!!!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Sitting & waiting & wishing & hoping...
I had another appointment today to check my B/P and check Ethan. The NST went great, he was moving around like crazy. My B/P was 146/96 which is higher than it has been at home the past couple of days. That was the lowest reading they got after I had been sitting there for about 10 minutes. The doctor finally came in to see me and I am going to have another Bio-Physical Profile (ultrasound) next week on Tuesday and then another NST and appointment on Friday. Sometime next week they are going to repeat my lab work again. She said once again if my cervix showed any sort of progress they will look at inducing me prior to my due date. She said he is definitely good size and will be just fine if born now. I am okay with waiting, as long as my B/P continues to not rise too much. Maybe we will have our little boy by the time I'm 39 weeks? Who knows! He doesn't show any signs of coming on his own yet, but he still has time :) For now I'm just sitting and waiting still on "bed rest" which for me is mainly couch rest lol :) I'm trying to enjoy this peaceful time & resting before Ethan makes his appearance!!
37 week belly pic
This ended up being my last day at work! This is a good thing if you notice how snug my scrub top was getting :)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Bedrest it is:( super long post...
It's amazing how quickly things can change. I was at work yesterday (my 3rd 12 hour day in a row) when I noticed my head was throbbing. It hurt so bad to even keep my eyes open. I had a sinking feeling that my blood pressure was high so I had the other nurse check it. 146/112!!!! WHAT! She rechecked it in my other arm and got the same thing. I started getting nervous at this point and called my doctor's office. They said to come in right away, so I left work about 3pm (2 hours early). Luckily C had just gotten home so he was able to take me.
Once I got to the doctor's, they hook me up to the NST (non-stress test) and the nurse checks my blood pressure again. 138/108. Crap! She said she would recheck in after I rest for a little bit, but that I would most likely have to go to L&D for further monitoring. We sat there for about 20 minutes listening to Ethan's heartbeat (it was great!). The nurse came back in and rechecked my B/P and it was still 148/98. The doctor came in and had this somber look on his face and said, "You are DONE working!" Ok, I can handle that. It's a few weeks earlier than I had planned, but we'll make do. He then said he would meet me over at the Childbirth center, that I needed more lab work and more monitoring. He said IF he sent me home it would be on bedrest until Ethan is born. Okay, I can handle this...
We spent 4 hours in triage hooked up to the NST. My lab work came back okay and I am in the middle of doing another 24 hour urine collection to check for protein. I had quite a few contractions while I was there, but they were not painful. I had my regular appointment and ultrasound scheduled for this morning, and things just keep getting better..
The ultrasound went great! Ethan is about 7lbs 3oz (79th percentile) and measuring about a week ahead. He passed the Bio-Physical Profile which checks for practice breathing and movement. Then I had to see the doctor. First things first, my B/P was 134/98. Crap! She wasn't too thrilled with that. She listened to his heartbeat, 152 which is great. She checked my cervix: CLOSED! He is still up higher right about my pubic bone. She said the only way to fix my B/P is to have the baby, but my cervix is not favorable for inducing at this point. She said I am to be on strict bed rest until he comes. I got sent home with a blood pressure monitor and have another appointment Friday for another NST and B/P check. I will now be seen at least 2x/week until he comes. He sweet little face in 3d!
Not exactly how I saw things going, but it's out of my control. I'm thankful this didn't start until now and that I know Ethan is good size and will be okay if he comes a couple weeks early. The good news is he continues to do great with all the tests! Now I just sit and wait...I'm not a very patient person :)
Did I mention I still haven't packed my bag? LOL! We will be doing that when C gets home!
Once I got to the doctor's, they hook me up to the NST (non-stress test) and the nurse checks my blood pressure again. 138/108. Crap! She said she would recheck in after I rest for a little bit, but that I would most likely have to go to L&D for further monitoring. We sat there for about 20 minutes listening to Ethan's heartbeat (it was great!). The nurse came back in and rechecked my B/P and it was still 148/98. The doctor came in and had this somber look on his face and said, "You are DONE working!" Ok, I can handle that. It's a few weeks earlier than I had planned, but we'll make do. He then said he would meet me over at the Childbirth center, that I needed more lab work and more monitoring. He said IF he sent me home it would be on bedrest until Ethan is born. Okay, I can handle this...
We spent 4 hours in triage hooked up to the NST. My lab work came back okay and I am in the middle of doing another 24 hour urine collection to check for protein. I had quite a few contractions while I was there, but they were not painful. I had my regular appointment and ultrasound scheduled for this morning, and things just keep getting better..
The ultrasound went great! Ethan is about 7lbs 3oz (79th percentile) and measuring about a week ahead. He passed the Bio-Physical Profile which checks for practice breathing and movement. Then I had to see the doctor. First things first, my B/P was 134/98. Crap! She wasn't too thrilled with that. She listened to his heartbeat, 152 which is great. She checked my cervix: CLOSED! He is still up higher right about my pubic bone. She said the only way to fix my B/P is to have the baby, but my cervix is not favorable for inducing at this point. She said I am to be on strict bed rest until he comes. I got sent home with a blood pressure monitor and have another appointment Friday for another NST and B/P check. I will now be seen at least 2x/week until he comes. He sweet little face in 3d!
Not exactly how I saw things going, but it's out of my control. I'm thankful this didn't start until now and that I know Ethan is good size and will be okay if he comes a couple weeks early. The good news is he continues to do great with all the tests! Now I just sit and wait...I'm not a very patient person :)
Did I mention I still haven't packed my bag? LOL! We will be doing that when C gets home!
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