So, I am writing this new post from the comfort of my bed...where I am currently spending the remainder of this pregnancy. Yes, you guessed it...I am on bed rest...again. So, here is the low down on the bed rest this time. It all goes back to Tuesday. I hadn't been feeling E move as much as my doctor had said I should be, so per his orders I called him and they said to come in. So we went through the standard appointment procedure, weight, pee in cup, and for me get hooked up to the monitor for a NST (non stress test). Basically this is like the heart rate monitor that they hook you up to in labor and delivery but with a little button for me to hit when I feel baby move. Normally a baby's heart rate will vary greatly over the course of the test accelerating and decelerating, going up and down. The print out should look like a heart rate roller coaster with peeks and valleys kind of. Well E still wasn't moving and his heart rate was holding steady in the 120s so they had to buzz my belly to try and get a reaction from him. It helped his heart rate, but he still wasn't moving, so they buzzed again and still little movement, but since is heart rate was responsive to the sound they decided he was just having a lazy day. They sent me on my way because I had an appointment scheduled for Thursday.
Fast forward 2 days...show up for my appointment go through the standard procedures weight, pee in cup, blood pressure, monitor...well firstly I had gained 4 lbs in 2 days...like that is not normal for anyone, and my blood pressure was high....uh oh...this is what we had been watching for the entire 3rd trimester,but so far had had no signs creep up on us until now. Toxemia...is what they think it could be...so we receive instructions on how to do the 24 hr urine collection to check for protein and yes, you guessed it, put on strict bed rest for the duration. Because I have not dilated at all....bummer...and my cervix is still thick...double bummer...Dr. Bell said I was a poor candidate for induction on Thursday because we were all like can we just get him out already...and he wasn't willing to do a c section before 39 weeks until he knew the severity of what we are dealing with...darn having a doctor who likes babies to cook the full time...I'm kidding. So bed rest it is.
We go back on Monday for another biophysical profile ultrasound...which I am assuming is more to see if he is ready to come out than stay in...if it turns out that I have toxemia and E looks good and cooked, I am assuming that we will be scheduled either for induction or c section for Tuesday...it will depend on my body and how and if it starts to look like it is ready to do this labor thing. Truth be told I am terrified of a c section, but if it is what we have to do to get E here safely then I guess that is what we will do.
So barring him just deciding to get his act together and come on his own between now and Tuesday...it looks like Tuesday is the earliest we could have a baby....I will be 39 weeks Tuesday I should also add. Anyway right now it is just a waiting game...a very trying and difficult waiting game...but hopefully E will be here safe and healthy next week.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Entering the Final Countdown
Sorry I have such a hard time staying super current blogger world...I mean I can't even manage the "weekly" update thing. That is why I really enjoy that Facebook app that just updates every week with what is suppose to be going on during that week in the life a pregnant lady, and I can just be all like "yeah, what that thing said...kind of" But seriously I feel like I just can't keep my head on straight...there is SO MUCH TO DO!! But most days and afternoons and evenings all I really want to do is sleep...but even that has gotten to be a little difficult to do too....I mean between working for the next 3 1/2 weeks, planning for a long term sub, getting myself somewhat in a happy place with my national board entries, organizing then reorganizing and then reorganizing everything in Emerson's room, closet, dresser....and feeling the urge to just burn my house down and start over with something new and already clean and organized to perfection, I can't keep my whits about me. Most days I give up and sit on the couch eating chips ahoy cookies...with milk.
Basically life is really crazy right now, and yes I know "look out for what's coming!" I know it only gets crazier and more hectic and sleep more elusive than now. But come on ya"ll join me in my pity party for how out of control I feel right now, and probably for the next forever...
Well now that I have gotten all of that off of my chest, I think it is only right to share news of what is currently going on with the large cantaloupe occupying my body right now. We went 2 weeks ago to Fayetteville to see our MFM doc. We had another lllooonnnggg scan where we look at all things/parts Emerson and they conducted a biophysical profile on him. Basically this is a test they give to babies in utero to asses their health. Dr. Bell likened it to the APGAR screenings they give newborns, but this is for unborns...hehe. It is usually given around 32-34 weeks and it looks at things like the fluid levels, how well they are breathing, their muscle tone and movement, and so on. Emerson apparently did very well. Out of a possible score of 8, Emerson scored an 8...so go Emerson! This was lovely information, but we already knew that their weren't really any problems with him, he has always been very healthy. The problems have been with me and his temporary 9 month home. He is also growing quite nicely. At 33 weeks 2 days he was "guestimated" to weigh 4lbs 8oz. Which they said was right on track and very average. All good news to us. We were released from the MFM doc to Dr. Bell! Woot! We do have to go in for another growth scan in a week to make sure he is still growing and doing well, but we get to do that in Dr. Bell's office.
In other news Emerson had also made the journey to being in the head down position. Which means my fears of having to have a scheduled c-section have temporarily been relieved! I will be having a big delivery discussion tomorrow with Dr. Bell at my appointment...trust me we have lots to discuss...including being put back on my blood thinner, Lovenox, after delivery...yuck!
All in all it has been a pretty good final trimester for us, which we are so thankful for because the first two were not so enjoyable. We have around 4-5 weeks left(maybe fewer but we hope not) and it really seems crazy to think that in the next month we will most likely get to meet our little boy. We have waited for this day for over 2 years, and as much as I don't want to wish this last bit of pregnancy away(maybe I do a little) I am so ready to meet him!
Basically life is really crazy right now, and yes I know "look out for what's coming!" I know it only gets crazier and more hectic and sleep more elusive than now. But come on ya"ll join me in my pity party for how out of control I feel right now, and probably for the next forever...
Well now that I have gotten all of that off of my chest, I think it is only right to share news of what is currently going on with the large cantaloupe occupying my body right now. We went 2 weeks ago to Fayetteville to see our MFM doc. We had another lllooonnnggg scan where we look at all things/parts Emerson and they conducted a biophysical profile on him. Basically this is a test they give to babies in utero to asses their health. Dr. Bell likened it to the APGAR screenings they give newborns, but this is for unborns...hehe. It is usually given around 32-34 weeks and it looks at things like the fluid levels, how well they are breathing, their muscle tone and movement, and so on. Emerson apparently did very well. Out of a possible score of 8, Emerson scored an 8...so go Emerson! This was lovely information, but we already knew that their weren't really any problems with him, he has always been very healthy. The problems have been with me and his temporary 9 month home. He is also growing quite nicely. At 33 weeks 2 days he was "guestimated" to weigh 4lbs 8oz. Which they said was right on track and very average. All good news to us. We were released from the MFM doc to Dr. Bell! Woot! We do have to go in for another growth scan in a week to make sure he is still growing and doing well, but we get to do that in Dr. Bell's office.
In other news Emerson had also made the journey to being in the head down position. Which means my fears of having to have a scheduled c-section have temporarily been relieved! I will be having a big delivery discussion tomorrow with Dr. Bell at my appointment...trust me we have lots to discuss...including being put back on my blood thinner, Lovenox, after delivery...yuck!
All in all it has been a pretty good final trimester for us, which we are so thankful for because the first two were not so enjoyable. We have around 4-5 weeks left(maybe fewer but we hope not) and it really seems crazy to think that in the next month we will most likely get to meet our little boy. We have waited for this day for over 2 years, and as much as I don't want to wish this last bit of pregnancy away(maybe I do a little) I am so ready to meet him!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
What's Happening with Baby E?
So I know it has been a few weeks since I have really updated you all on the goings on inside of my hostile uterus...I feel like Meredith on Grey's when she is talking about how her uterus is all an angry and hostile place to be...that's me! I mean if we are thinking the actual process of birth will be traumatizing to E, think again. He has lived in perpetual state of hostility for the past 8 months! Anyway, I figure since I have some extra time on my hands, what with this ice day and all, it would be nice to update all of my friends, family, and prayer warriors on how things are looking for us now at 32 weeks.
Three weeks ago we visited the MFM doc in Fayetteville for our second appointment. We had a big long ultrasound, as per usual, and to our shock the super large hematoma, you know the one that had me on bed rest for 7 weeks, well it was completely GONE! I know right...gone as if all 9.5 cm of it had never been there all ugly and scary in the first place. This, of course, was like the best news we could have hoped for. It made all the time sitting on my hind end away from my students, coworkers, and the rest of the world seem worth it. I mean that was the point of what felt like the never ending bed rest, to rid myself of this horrible bleed/clot whatever you want to call it, and it worked! Now, the hematoma is/was only one of the issues that we are "monitoring"(I like how doctors use that term: "We are just going to continue to monitor it closely") but it feels like a victory non the less.
At this same appointment we got an approximate weight measurement for E. He was in the 45th percentile at 29 weeks weighing in right under 3lbs at 2lbs 14 oz. The doctor was very pleased with this information because one of our concerns is IUGR (inter-uterine growth restriction) which basically means he isn't getting what he needs whether it be nutrients, blood flow, space, etc that he needs to grow inside. In some cases they actually take the baby early because they would stand a better chance at growth outside the womb. This, thankfully, as of now is not a problem for us. We go next week for another scan and the MFM doc said if all looks good and he his still growing appropriately then he will release me to my regular OB for the duration and in his words "it should be smooth sailing." Should be...we hope.
I have been to see Dr. Bell a couple of time since this last MFM appointment and they have been your basic run of the mill OB appointments. We are really just keeping an eye out for symptoms of preeclampsia, since I am at increased risk for developing that because of the hematoma. So far no blood pressure issues or protein in my urine, which are two big signs of pre-e, so this is good. I see Dr. Bell next week again as well.
For now we are just taking it a day at a time and "monitoring" the situation the best that we can. We are so close to D-day I think all of us are starting to breathe a little easier, however, I will not be relaxed about any of this until I am holding him.
Every week that passes we are closer and closer to meeting our little boy and that is a very amazing thing for us. Even though I prayed and believed that this would happen for us someday, the fact that someday is most likely less than 8 weeks away hasn't really sank in to my mind yet...it seems unreal. We are truly thankful to have such a huge support system in all of you that take the time to read our blog and say a little prayer for us. Can't wait until little E is here and we can all celebrate together!
Three weeks ago we visited the MFM doc in Fayetteville for our second appointment. We had a big long ultrasound, as per usual, and to our shock the super large hematoma, you know the one that had me on bed rest for 7 weeks, well it was completely GONE! I know right...gone as if all 9.5 cm of it had never been there all ugly and scary in the first place. This, of course, was like the best news we could have hoped for. It made all the time sitting on my hind end away from my students, coworkers, and the rest of the world seem worth it. I mean that was the point of what felt like the never ending bed rest, to rid myself of this horrible bleed/clot whatever you want to call it, and it worked! Now, the hematoma is/was only one of the issues that we are "monitoring"(I like how doctors use that term: "We are just going to continue to monitor it closely") but it feels like a victory non the less.
At this same appointment we got an approximate weight measurement for E. He was in the 45th percentile at 29 weeks weighing in right under 3lbs at 2lbs 14 oz. The doctor was very pleased with this information because one of our concerns is IUGR (inter-uterine growth restriction) which basically means he isn't getting what he needs whether it be nutrients, blood flow, space, etc that he needs to grow inside. In some cases they actually take the baby early because they would stand a better chance at growth outside the womb. This, thankfully, as of now is not a problem for us. We go next week for another scan and the MFM doc said if all looks good and he his still growing appropriately then he will release me to my regular OB for the duration and in his words "it should be smooth sailing." Should be...we hope.
I have been to see Dr. Bell a couple of time since this last MFM appointment and they have been your basic run of the mill OB appointments. We are really just keeping an eye out for symptoms of preeclampsia, since I am at increased risk for developing that because of the hematoma. So far no blood pressure issues or protein in my urine, which are two big signs of pre-e, so this is good. I see Dr. Bell next week again as well.
For now we are just taking it a day at a time and "monitoring" the situation the best that we can. We are so close to D-day I think all of us are starting to breathe a little easier, however, I will not be relaxed about any of this until I am holding him.
Every week that passes we are closer and closer to meeting our little boy and that is a very amazing thing for us. Even though I prayed and believed that this would happen for us someday, the fact that someday is most likely less than 8 weeks away hasn't really sank in to my mind yet...it seems unreal. We are truly thankful to have such a huge support system in all of you that take the time to read our blog and say a little prayer for us. Can't wait until little E is here and we can all celebrate together!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
"Is This Your First?"
So now that I have grown to a nice rounded size...this seems to be the question that I get asked a lot in passing, by you know, whoever. "Awww congratulations! Is this your first?" to which I smile and graciously say thank you and and yes. But, every time I answer yes to this question I immediately think to myself..NO! this is not your first! You see, it's not my first. Emerson is my fifth child. I have four other sweet babies, they just don't happen to reside here on this Earth with me. I think about them a lot more these days, especially since we are so close to getting to meet their brother. It is the most ridiculously bittersweet time in my life. I am so anxious to finally meet Emerson, but at the same time my heart still longs for those babies as well. I wonder what they would have looked like, if they were little boys or girls, who they would have become. I know that my questions will be answered someday when I see them in the arms of Jesus, but that doesn't stop me from wanting them to be here with me at times.
So I smile and I respond, "yes this is my first." even though I know in my heart I am already a mother four times over. I would never throw that out there in casual conversation "No actually it's my fifth, but the first I will bring home you see." I would never seek to catch a complete stranger off guard and feeling awkward having to digest that nugget of information. But somehow I felt the need to claim them, to speak out that they were once here, that I am their mother, and that someday I WILL know them. So...
"No this is not my first child. This is my fifth precious child. Four of my babies are resting safe in the arms of Jesus and someday Michael, myself, and Emerson will see and know them."
So I smile and I respond, "yes this is my first." even though I know in my heart I am already a mother four times over. I would never throw that out there in casual conversation "No actually it's my fifth, but the first I will bring home you see." I would never seek to catch a complete stranger off guard and feeling awkward having to digest that nugget of information. But somehow I felt the need to claim them, to speak out that they were once here, that I am their mother, and that someday I WILL know them. So...
"No this is not my first child. This is my fifth precious child. Four of my babies are resting safe in the arms of Jesus and someday Michael, myself, and Emerson will see and know them."
Friday, January 3, 2014
Starting the New Year with a Bang!
This week has been quite eventful for us to say the least. First we welcomed in the new year, a year that will be pretty life changing for us as a family. This is the year we will meet our son, which is a very crazy, surreal thought. To be honest, over the last 2 years as we have struggled through loss after loss, loss became the norm. We knew nothing different, that was how pregnancy seemed to go for us. Even though we have clung to our faith and held onto hope that we would have a child, now that we are at a point in our pregnancy where even if something happened and he were to come today he would have a good chance of making it, it doesn't seem like a reality. We made it to the third trimester this week...in just three short months Emerson will be here.
We also made a trip to labor and delivery this week. Not for a birth class or tour, it was more of a middle of the night freak out moment for me. Bless my husbands heart, he has been really understanding and patient with me when I freak out over EVRY little thing. He hopped right out of bed, no arguing, to drive to the hospital at 1:30 in the morning even though he had to work the next day. See, what had happened was I had been having a really intense sharp pain in my lower abdomen earlier in the day, to the point I called my doctor and had made a trip to his office for him to check me out.( also bless Dr. Bell's heart for seeing me all the time when I freak out over EVERY little thing) They took a urine sample to send off to check for a UTI because I was having pain in the right side of my back also. When I left the doctor I was still having the pain but was in agreement with the doctor thinking it was most likely a UTI. Then things got worse...around 10 o'clock I started having a lot of cramping and tightening in my belly, which I assumed where some form of contraction whether Braxton hicks or otherwise. I also still had the sharp pain, but it had migrated to the other side of my belly and was causing pain on both sides. Not wanting to rush to freak out mode I got up, drank a few glasses of water, walked around the house, and finally decided to sit on the couch and watch tv for a bit. After about an hour and several glasses of water it didn't seem to be getting better, it actually felt worse. It was at this time I decided to time to see just how far apart my pains were....they were coming around every 4-5 min this went on for over an hour. Needless to say I started to freak out and decided to wake Michael up and alert him to what was going on. We decided that we didn't want to wait to get in contact with the on call doctor, we just wanted to be at a place where if something were really wrong we could get immediate help.
So we get to the hospital and get into a room all hooked up to the monitor and such. Then we wait...basically after a few hours and a few contractions showing up they think it is more of an irritable uterus...which is uncomfortable p.s. I felt a little silly for going all the way over to the hospital for an irritable uterus, but it just didn't feel right. Better safe than sorry I guess. The hospital told me to call my doctor the next day to let him know what was going on, so I did. He decided to have me come in to ultrasound my kidneys because I was still having lots of discomfort and some pain. Sure enough there was some fluid backed up in my right kidney and it looked like I did have a UTI. So he prescribed some antibiotic for me. Thankfully the antibiotic is really helping! As of today I am pain free with no contractions! Thank The Lord, who knew a UTI could cause so much pain and discomfort...I sure didn't.
The upside to all of this is that after checking out my kidneys Dr. Bell had the tech take a peek at Emerson! He is getting so big and extra cute! Dr. Bell even had her snap some 4d shots to make me feel better because I was feeling a little upset and frustrated about everything!
One thing I know is that pregnancy is not my favorite...and I feel very guilty to say that....but pregnancy is not an easy thing for me. I know when he gets here it will be worth it, it is worth it, but it is hard. I have a lot of times where I wish that I could just have a normal, easy pregnancy, but that was not in the plans, so I just have to take it day by day and know that Emerson is going to be my greatest blessing
Here is my sweet boy at 27 weeks. I just don't know if I could love him any more.
We also made a trip to labor and delivery this week. Not for a birth class or tour, it was more of a middle of the night freak out moment for me. Bless my husbands heart, he has been really understanding and patient with me when I freak out over EVRY little thing. He hopped right out of bed, no arguing, to drive to the hospital at 1:30 in the morning even though he had to work the next day. See, what had happened was I had been having a really intense sharp pain in my lower abdomen earlier in the day, to the point I called my doctor and had made a trip to his office for him to check me out.( also bless Dr. Bell's heart for seeing me all the time when I freak out over EVERY little thing) They took a urine sample to send off to check for a UTI because I was having pain in the right side of my back also. When I left the doctor I was still having the pain but was in agreement with the doctor thinking it was most likely a UTI. Then things got worse...around 10 o'clock I started having a lot of cramping and tightening in my belly, which I assumed where some form of contraction whether Braxton hicks or otherwise. I also still had the sharp pain, but it had migrated to the other side of my belly and was causing pain on both sides. Not wanting to rush to freak out mode I got up, drank a few glasses of water, walked around the house, and finally decided to sit on the couch and watch tv for a bit. After about an hour and several glasses of water it didn't seem to be getting better, it actually felt worse. It was at this time I decided to time to see just how far apart my pains were....they were coming around every 4-5 min this went on for over an hour. Needless to say I started to freak out and decided to wake Michael up and alert him to what was going on. We decided that we didn't want to wait to get in contact with the on call doctor, we just wanted to be at a place where if something were really wrong we could get immediate help.
So we get to the hospital and get into a room all hooked up to the monitor and such. Then we wait...basically after a few hours and a few contractions showing up they think it is more of an irritable uterus...which is uncomfortable p.s. I felt a little silly for going all the way over to the hospital for an irritable uterus, but it just didn't feel right. Better safe than sorry I guess. The hospital told me to call my doctor the next day to let him know what was going on, so I did. He decided to have me come in to ultrasound my kidneys because I was still having lots of discomfort and some pain. Sure enough there was some fluid backed up in my right kidney and it looked like I did have a UTI. So he prescribed some antibiotic for me. Thankfully the antibiotic is really helping! As of today I am pain free with no contractions! Thank The Lord, who knew a UTI could cause so much pain and discomfort...I sure didn't.
The upside to all of this is that after checking out my kidneys Dr. Bell had the tech take a peek at Emerson! He is getting so big and extra cute! Dr. Bell even had her snap some 4d shots to make me feel better because I was feeling a little upset and frustrated about everything!
One thing I know is that pregnancy is not my favorite...and I feel very guilty to say that....but pregnancy is not an easy thing for me. I know when he gets here it will be worth it, it is worth it, but it is hard. I have a lot of times where I wish that I could just have a normal, easy pregnancy, but that was not in the plans, so I just have to take it day by day and know that Emerson is going to be my greatest blessing
Here is my sweet boy at 27 weeks. I just don't know if I could love him any more.
He is so cute.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Bumpdate: 25wks
So I have been intentionally waiting to give a quick update about all that is going on, thinking I'll wait until after my next appointment but truth be told I seem to always have another appointment coming up and if I keep waiting and waiting and waiting this kid will be here!
Basically I still have problems. As my husband would say "I've got 99 problems and a hematoma is just one!" But really the hematoma is the one that is causing the most concern at the moment. We went in several weeks ago for our anatomy scan at 20 weeks. Emerson looked amazing! Everything as it should be and he was even measuring a bit ahead, so we were super happy and thankful for a healthy baby! However, my hematoma that started out measuring around 1cm at 8 weeks had really done some growing as well. It measured 9cm x 5.2cm x 2.5cm. It was a doozy of a bleed. I hadn't had any active bleeding since around 13 weeks though, and my slight brown spotting g had even subsided. Even though I hadn't had any active bleeding and the hematoma looked less "liquidy" on ultrasound the Dr. still made the choice to stop my blood thinner and put me on bed rest....this decision was made the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Bed rest also meant no work...which I hated but I knew that we had gotten to the halfway mark and that I needed to do whatever I could do so that we could bring Emerson home at the end of this journey....so I got really cozy on my couch and settled I to being lazy and somewhat helpless.
I was referred to a maternal fetal medicine doctor as well mainly just so we could get his opinion on the situation since he is the high risk specialist dude. We went to Fayetteville to see him the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. He did another looonnngg scan and checked everything with Emerson, who thankfully still looked perfect! Unfortunately the pesky hematoma is still there BUT it is significantly smaller measuring 6cm x 3cm x 1cm at 23 weeks. Yay and boo at the same time....I really just wanted it gone but that would be unrealistic given it's size and time between scans. But hey you can't fault a girl for hoping. Basically the mfm doc confirmed that the course of treatment given
by Dr. Bell was what we should stick with. So I am continuing on with my folate and baby aspirin and prenatal and yes two more weeks of bed rest...He told us that ladies with these hematoma's find themselves at an increased risk for pre-eclampsia and pre term labor so Dr. Bell is going to be seeing me every two weeks rather than four to keep an eye on me. I go back to the mfm doc in January.
So basically I have become an expert at being really lazy and not working....but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel or couch rather....technically bed rest will be over Friday but I will probably take it easy over the two week break from school to be safe. I will start back to work in January! Yay! Hopefully this hematoma is on the way out and we can enjoy these last few months of pregnancy free of event!
I will say I am thankful that I have gotten to spend the last several weeks sitting and really enjoying my baby boy growing and moving like crazy! It is the strangest yet most amazing feeling. And with
each week that passes I breathe a little easier knowing Emerson's chances of making it here healthy
go up! Love that little boy!
Here are some pics of our sweet, sweet Emerson from a couple of weeks ago he was weighing in at 1 lb 3oz at just at 23 weeks so I am thinking he is getting close to 2 lbs by now....
Basically I still have problems. As my husband would say "I've got 99 problems and a hematoma is just one!" But really the hematoma is the one that is causing the most concern at the moment. We went in several weeks ago for our anatomy scan at 20 weeks. Emerson looked amazing! Everything as it should be and he was even measuring a bit ahead, so we were super happy and thankful for a healthy baby! However, my hematoma that started out measuring around 1cm at 8 weeks had really done some growing as well. It measured 9cm x 5.2cm x 2.5cm. It was a doozy of a bleed. I hadn't had any active bleeding since around 13 weeks though, and my slight brown spotting g had even subsided. Even though I hadn't had any active bleeding and the hematoma looked less "liquidy" on ultrasound the Dr. still made the choice to stop my blood thinner and put me on bed rest....this decision was made the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Bed rest also meant no work...which I hated but I knew that we had gotten to the halfway mark and that I needed to do whatever I could do so that we could bring Emerson home at the end of this journey....so I got really cozy on my couch and settled I to being lazy and somewhat helpless.
I was referred to a maternal fetal medicine doctor as well mainly just so we could get his opinion on the situation since he is the high risk specialist dude. We went to Fayetteville to see him the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. He did another looonnngg scan and checked everything with Emerson, who thankfully still looked perfect! Unfortunately the pesky hematoma is still there BUT it is significantly smaller measuring 6cm x 3cm x 1cm at 23 weeks. Yay and boo at the same time....I really just wanted it gone but that would be unrealistic given it's size and time between scans. But hey you can't fault a girl for hoping. Basically the mfm doc confirmed that the course of treatment given
by Dr. Bell was what we should stick with. So I am continuing on with my folate and baby aspirin and prenatal and yes two more weeks of bed rest...He told us that ladies with these hematoma's find themselves at an increased risk for pre-eclampsia and pre term labor so Dr. Bell is going to be seeing me every two weeks rather than four to keep an eye on me. I go back to the mfm doc in January.
So basically I have become an expert at being really lazy and not working....but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel or couch rather....technically bed rest will be over Friday but I will probably take it easy over the two week break from school to be safe. I will start back to work in January! Yay! Hopefully this hematoma is on the way out and we can enjoy these last few months of pregnancy free of event!
I will say I am thankful that I have gotten to spend the last several weeks sitting and really enjoying my baby boy growing and moving like crazy! It is the strangest yet most amazing feeling. And with
each week that passes I breathe a little easier knowing Emerson's chances of making it here healthy
go up! Love that little boy!
Here are some pics of our sweet, sweet Emerson from a couple of weeks ago he was weighing in at 1 lb 3oz at just at 23 weeks so I am thinking he is getting close to 2 lbs by now....
He tends to like to put his feeties over his head!
He is just the cutest little boy in utero ever...he gets it from his momma
I'm pretty sure his dad liked this one. Number 1 already.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
A Peek Inside My 19 Weeks of Pregnancy
So I first have to start this blog by saying how overwhelmed Michael and I have felt with the outpouring of love, joy, and pure excitement over our news a couple of weeks ago! We are truly blessed to have some of the most incredible friends, family, and yes even strangers praying for us and rooting for us during this time. So you know...we could not do walk this road without each and everyone of you! So thank you, we love you!
With that, let's talk pregnancy....so when I was pregnant the very first time 2 summers ago(man that seems so long ago) I look back and think how utterly clueless and naive I was about EVERYTHING pregnancy related. I mean I literally thought it was gonna be fabulous,maybe I'd feel a little queasy but nothing I couldn't deal with, I would get just a little bump but not really gain weight anywhere else I mean it would literally look like I had a basketball up my shirt, and because I was active and young I may gain weight but I was totally gonna bounce back so quickly like you'd see me a week later and wow who would have guessed I had just pooped out a child. Obviously...I was an idiot...
This pregnancy has NOT been that pleasant...like at all. Truth be told if I hear one more formerly pregnant lady(kuddos to you for birthing a child not taking that from you) tell me how they felt the best they have ever felt in their life while pregnant and that it was sooooooo great and super and fabulous...I will slap them(no offense) Trust me I feel incredibly guilty and all kinds of wrong to be complaining...I mean who does that? Especially someone who has been through what I have...but for the first 17 weeks of this shiz I have felt like complete and total crap, and I have had some really scary moments to add to my stress(more on that in a bit) Needless to say I am not the glowing picture of pregnancy...but whatevs.
So yes I have been puking my guts up. Yes, I have been so tired I can hardly focus. Yes, my acid reflux and heart burn is reminiscent of swallowing LAVA almost all day, everyday...I mean water gives me heart burn! I had a terrible bout with constipation there for a few weeks, but I came out on the winning side of that war. You name it chances are I had it or still do...On top of all the really just generally crappy pregnancy symptoms, there is the medication....lots of medication...which trust, I am super thankful for because with out said medications sweet baby Emerson may not still be growing away in my belly right now. But I promised a run down on my just what all it has taken to keep him safe so here it goes....disclaimer so of the drugs and descriptions on this list may not be suitable for young viewers...or men...they might rather not know these things.
First Trimester:
At 5 weeks I was started on a daily dose of Lovenox(essentially heparin) a blood thinner which comes in a preloaded syringe. Yay! This means each night around 9-9:30 I inject myself with a dose. To date I have taken 98 shots. Yes, they do hurt, not so much the initial stick but the actual medicine burns really, really bad for a good 15 mins after the shot. Yes, they occasionally leave bruises, sometimes really nasty blackish purple ones and they can be quite large.Along with the Lovenox I also take a daily dose of baby aspiring, 81mg. This does not suck. When I started taking Lovenox I also started to take Crinone. Crinone is a progesterone suppository...yeah this one was actually the worst for me. I had to take it twice a day, in the morning and at night, and it was messy....nuff said. The day Dr. Bell said no more, October 1st but who would remember that, was one of the best days of pregnancy for me! I do not miss you Crinone...
Because my MTHFR mutation doesn't allow my body to metabolize folic acid like a normal person, and folic acid is super important in pregnancy, I also take a low does of L-methylfolate. This also does not suck. I take a prenatal everyday as well, also does not suck.
Because I am a problem child, I also had to go weekly to check progesterone levels, which means a stick in the arm every week...not that fun but needles don't really give me pause. I also received an ultrasound much earlier than most. This is where things started to get really stressful for me. So, here I am thinking I am on this drug regimen and things would be golden, but during my first ultrasound at 7 weeks they found a hematoma. Great...not again was my thought, but they had said that it was small and no big. A few days later, the Saturday before the first day of school, I found myself in the ER GUSHING blood. I mean gushing as in more than I ever remember bleeding in less than an hours time with my two natural miscarriages. I was crushed. I thought here we go again...and I just about gave up on the thought of ever trying to get pregnant again. I was at the point of throwing in the towel for good. They sent me to ultrasound and baby still had a heartbeat, but they informed me that my gestational sack was elongated and abnormal....great...Thankfully on Monday, the FIRST DAY of school Dr. Bell was able to work me into an ultrasound where we saw that my gestational sack was not elongated or abnormal and baby looked fine. Relief, excitement, everything is now going to be golden....wrong. At 13 weeks I started bleeding then soon after gushing blood yet again at work...great...my principal was great though and let me go without a thought and straight to the doctor we went. Dr. Bell was gone but we got to hear the baby on the doppler and thankfully I had an appointment in two days, so we left feeling slightly better and bleeding tapered off. So now things are going to be great and golden....wrong this brings me into the
Second Trimester:
Around 15 weeks I started to have a weird feeling in my lady parts like a lot of pressure building when I stood, walked, coughed, etc. So again I called the doctor and they of course had me come in. The baby still had a good heartbeat. I was measuring right on track and from outside my cervix looked nice and shut. Just to be safe Dr. Bell sent me straight in for an ultrasound to check my cervical length. Well that was great, nice and long and closed as it should be, but no worries the cause of the pressure revealed itself. My nice little almost tiny hematoma had grown to a nice much larger size and was residing directly on top of my cervix....still is...I have not had any more bleeding episodes, even though they keep telling me it could happen. I have however continued to spot brownish stuff since my 13 week bleed.
So as you can see this has not been the gumdrops and roses and rainbows kind of pregnancy I had hoped for, but Emerson is proving to be true to his name and he is most definitely a brave and powerful little boy to be continuing to call my hostile uterus home. With all that complaining being said, I am still overjoyed to be pregnant even though it kinds stinks, I couldn't be happier to be this sweet little ones momma, and I wouldn't trade this entire experience for anything. It blows my mind that I will be halfway finished with this process next week and that in like 4 1/2 months we will get to meet our son. Even when it hurts and makes you sick and gives you crazy stress God is still so mind blowingly good.
P.S. It has been 3 weeks since I have called or been to the doctor for some issue that has come up.I go back next week on Thursday for my anatomy scan...which will make it a grand total of 4 weeks 2 days between visits! Take that! Just like a normal pregnant person! woot!
With that, let's talk pregnancy....so when I was pregnant the very first time 2 summers ago(man that seems so long ago) I look back and think how utterly clueless and naive I was about EVERYTHING pregnancy related. I mean I literally thought it was gonna be fabulous,maybe I'd feel a little queasy but nothing I couldn't deal with, I would get just a little bump but not really gain weight anywhere else I mean it would literally look like I had a basketball up my shirt, and because I was active and young I may gain weight but I was totally gonna bounce back so quickly like you'd see me a week later and wow who would have guessed I had just pooped out a child. Obviously...I was an idiot...
This pregnancy has NOT been that pleasant...like at all. Truth be told if I hear one more formerly pregnant lady(kuddos to you for birthing a child not taking that from you) tell me how they felt the best they have ever felt in their life while pregnant and that it was sooooooo great and super and fabulous...I will slap them(no offense) Trust me I feel incredibly guilty and all kinds of wrong to be complaining...I mean who does that? Especially someone who has been through what I have...but for the first 17 weeks of this shiz I have felt like complete and total crap, and I have had some really scary moments to add to my stress(more on that in a bit) Needless to say I am not the glowing picture of pregnancy...but whatevs.
So yes I have been puking my guts up. Yes, I have been so tired I can hardly focus. Yes, my acid reflux and heart burn is reminiscent of swallowing LAVA almost all day, everyday...I mean water gives me heart burn! I had a terrible bout with constipation there for a few weeks, but I came out on the winning side of that war. You name it chances are I had it or still do...On top of all the really just generally crappy pregnancy symptoms, there is the medication....lots of medication...which trust, I am super thankful for because with out said medications sweet baby Emerson may not still be growing away in my belly right now. But I promised a run down on my just what all it has taken to keep him safe so here it goes....disclaimer so of the drugs and descriptions on this list may not be suitable for young viewers...or men...they might rather not know these things.
First Trimester:
At 5 weeks I was started on a daily dose of Lovenox(essentially heparin) a blood thinner which comes in a preloaded syringe. Yay! This means each night around 9-9:30 I inject myself with a dose. To date I have taken 98 shots. Yes, they do hurt, not so much the initial stick but the actual medicine burns really, really bad for a good 15 mins after the shot. Yes, they occasionally leave bruises, sometimes really nasty blackish purple ones and they can be quite large.Along with the Lovenox I also take a daily dose of baby aspiring, 81mg. This does not suck. When I started taking Lovenox I also started to take Crinone. Crinone is a progesterone suppository...yeah this one was actually the worst for me. I had to take it twice a day, in the morning and at night, and it was messy....nuff said. The day Dr. Bell said no more, October 1st but who would remember that, was one of the best days of pregnancy for me! I do not miss you Crinone...
Because my MTHFR mutation doesn't allow my body to metabolize folic acid like a normal person, and folic acid is super important in pregnancy, I also take a low does of L-methylfolate. This also does not suck. I take a prenatal everyday as well, also does not suck.
Because I am a problem child, I also had to go weekly to check progesterone levels, which means a stick in the arm every week...not that fun but needles don't really give me pause. I also received an ultrasound much earlier than most. This is where things started to get really stressful for me. So, here I am thinking I am on this drug regimen and things would be golden, but during my first ultrasound at 7 weeks they found a hematoma. Great...not again was my thought, but they had said that it was small and no big. A few days later, the Saturday before the first day of school, I found myself in the ER GUSHING blood. I mean gushing as in more than I ever remember bleeding in less than an hours time with my two natural miscarriages. I was crushed. I thought here we go again...and I just about gave up on the thought of ever trying to get pregnant again. I was at the point of throwing in the towel for good. They sent me to ultrasound and baby still had a heartbeat, but they informed me that my gestational sack was elongated and abnormal....great...Thankfully on Monday, the FIRST DAY of school Dr. Bell was able to work me into an ultrasound where we saw that my gestational sack was not elongated or abnormal and baby looked fine. Relief, excitement, everything is now going to be golden....wrong. At 13 weeks I started bleeding then soon after gushing blood yet again at work...great...my principal was great though and let me go without a thought and straight to the doctor we went. Dr. Bell was gone but we got to hear the baby on the doppler and thankfully I had an appointment in two days, so we left feeling slightly better and bleeding tapered off. So now things are going to be great and golden....wrong this brings me into the
Second Trimester:
Around 15 weeks I started to have a weird feeling in my lady parts like a lot of pressure building when I stood, walked, coughed, etc. So again I called the doctor and they of course had me come in. The baby still had a good heartbeat. I was measuring right on track and from outside my cervix looked nice and shut. Just to be safe Dr. Bell sent me straight in for an ultrasound to check my cervical length. Well that was great, nice and long and closed as it should be, but no worries the cause of the pressure revealed itself. My nice little almost tiny hematoma had grown to a nice much larger size and was residing directly on top of my cervix....still is...I have not had any more bleeding episodes, even though they keep telling me it could happen. I have however continued to spot brownish stuff since my 13 week bleed.
So as you can see this has not been the gumdrops and roses and rainbows kind of pregnancy I had hoped for, but Emerson is proving to be true to his name and he is most definitely a brave and powerful little boy to be continuing to call my hostile uterus home. With all that complaining being said, I am still overjoyed to be pregnant even though it kinds stinks, I couldn't be happier to be this sweet little ones momma, and I wouldn't trade this entire experience for anything. It blows my mind that I will be halfway finished with this process next week and that in like 4 1/2 months we will get to meet our son. Even when it hurts and makes you sick and gives you crazy stress God is still so mind blowingly good.
P.S. It has been 3 weeks since I have called or been to the doctor for some issue that has come up.I go back next week on Thursday for my anatomy scan...which will make it a grand total of 4 weeks 2 days between visits! Take that! Just like a normal pregnant person! woot!
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