Little Jack's CornerThe Life & Times of Jack-Evan and Family

(Note:  I forgot to post this back in April!  I kept track of every appointment to print for our baby book except for this one.  Today is June 23, but I’m post dating this for the date of the appointment’s date of April 30)

——————-

Today’s appointment was at 11 am.  Mom went with me as usual since Kevin is unable to get off of work for these.  I feel miserable.  At 39 weeks pregnant, I feel like I’m literally about to pop.  Last week, the doctor gave me an 80% chance of delivering before my next appointment.

Looks like that didn’t happen!

It was very crowded in the waiting room, so we had to sit in an adjoining room.  I was a tad afraid they wouldn’t realize in was in there and would miss me when they called.  I worried even more after I had been there for 40 minutes without them calling me. 

But finally they called me back.  My weight today was 145 lbs.  After all of the nice vitals and peeinacup stuff, I saw Dr. Nancy.  We did the typical small talk stuff and fundal height measurements.

We also talked about my contractions.  I have been contracting pretty good off and on since Sunday morning!  Usually they’re 5 minutes apart.  This morning they’ve been 3 minutes apart.  I can tell it’s not time yet though.  Mom thinks I should have went to the hospital Sunday, but I told her I’m following my gut.  Even though this is my first baby, I have a good feeling that I will “know” when it’s truly time. 

At least I hope I’m right.  I don’t like it when my gut is wrong.

Anyway, the doctor gave me a thumbs up for everything and said all signals are ready to go.  I could go as early as tonight, she said!!  I can’t wait.

The appointment was really short…but now it’s over and if all goes well, I won’t be coming back for another pre-natal visit.  Jack is due on May 6th, and my next scheduled visit is on May 7th. 

Let’s get prayin’ for a baby!  whoohoo!

1  1

Wow.

Lookey at that.

38 weeks?  Already???

I feel like I was just taking my pregnancy test, and now here I am, on the last few prenatal visits.

Today’s visit was with Dr. Fred – the man doctor who will be delivering my baby.  Well, that is, if he’s working at the time.  Most likely I’ll be delivered by the doctor on call.  Whoever that might be.

But right now, Dr. Fred is in charge.

My appointment today was at 12 noon.  I had been up since 5:30 am, sorting through baby clothes, and finishing a few last small things in the nursery all morning – so by noon I was completely pooped!  Thank goodness my mom goes with me to these appointments.  I probably couldn’t have kept my eyes open if I was by myself!

I arrived at the OB office a few minutes before noon and only had to wait 5 minutes or so (whoohoo!).  An intern was there today (they’re there often) so she took my vitals.  Blood pressure was the same as usual – running a little low – 80 over 52.   Weight was 146. 

Once I was placed in the exam room, the intern also checked the baby’s heartbeat (158 bpm) and told me to undress from the waist down.

It was at that moment that I assumed I was having a pelvic exam.

(Does no one ever think to tell me these things before hand?)

It didn’t take too long for Dr. Fred to appear either.  He also brought good news – my beta strep test was negative!  That means I don’t have to have the antibodies during labor!

Then he measured my belly.  Today I measured at 29 weeks – the highest I’ve ever measured with the “tape over the belly” thing is 34 weeks and it’s consistantly dropped since then.  The ultrasound, which is what they focus on the most for gestational measurement, has always placed me at the correct week I was.  Dr. Ann thinks that because the baby is sooooooo low in me, the belly height (measured manually with a measuring tape stretched over my stomach) is just reading low.  I agree with her.  Dr. Fred didn’t seemed too concerned with it today either.

Then, he pressed the buzzer for the “witness” (female intern) to come in and the pain fun began.

Apparantly, where the baby’s head is makes it harder to reach the cervix.  So, lemmetellyou, it was quite an ouch-filled few moments for me as he was a-probin’ and a-prodin’ up in my nether regions.

Finally though he was through. (Whew).  Then he brought out a little chart to “award points” (goodie!) and explained what it all meant.

I was 2 cm dialated, 70% effaced, soft, and the baby’s station was -1.   Based on the points that gives me, he says I have a very, very good chance – an 80% chance - of going into labor within the next 7 days.  He doesn’t think I’ll make it to my due date (May 6).  He doesn’t even think I’ll make it back to my next OB appointment (next Wednesday). 

That’s fine with me!  I just hope he doesn’t come before Saturday though.  My mom is holding a shower for me with the church ladies this Saturday at 2 pm.  The big joke for the past few weeks has been that he’ll be born Saturday morning.

Kevin says that’s fine because it means he’ll not only get to see his son, but also get to open all the shower gifts instead of me having all the fun.   

1  1

Gee…how can time go so slow, yet so fast at the same time???

I’ve done pretty good up until now with documenting my prenatal visits – but for the past 2 weeks I just can’t seem to get it together enough to write about them.

Ho hum.

So anyway.

Last week’s visit with the doctor fell on Thursday, April 17.  Because my fundal height (not sure how to spell it) has been measuring pretty low, Dr. Ann ordered another ultrasound for measurement that day.  During the ultrasound, Jack was asleep and the sonogram lady got a little nervous at his non-movements.  I knew he was fine though – he was just sleeping!  After 30 minutes of measuring, she estimated him to weigh 6 lbs, 3 oz, and sent me on my way to have vitals checked and my regular OB appointment.

Vitals were good.  Weight was 144 and everything else was normal.  Then I was placed in Dr. Nancy’s room to wait.

And wait.

andwaitandwaitandwait!

I was in there for 30 minutes before Dr. Nancy popped in to see me. 

And see me was about all she did – she took less than 60 seconds to tell me she was concerned about the baby’s size (after studying the ultrasound) and was ordering a NST (non-stress test) done at the hospital.

Immediately.

Great.

She assured me that she didn’t think there was anything wrong, but because he was only in the 28 percentile for growth at that stage, she just wanted the test just to make sure.  I had a really hard time understanding how a 6 lb 3 oz baby could worry her so much?  I was only 6 lbs 6 oz when I was born one day before my due date.  I tried to get out of the test – because I honestly felt there was no need for it – but she insisted.

So, anyway, after she handed me my chart and said a pleasant bye-bye, I went up front to schedule my next OB appointment and then left with mom for the hospital.

And I was so annoyed!  I have never felt in my entire life so out of control of a situation as I have during this pregnancy.  There was no need for a “non-stress test” (it should be called “puts-stress-on-the-mother test”) because I knew  in my gut there was nothing wrong with the baby.    Two hours later, I left the hospital and they said the baby looked perfectly normal….perfectly healthy…perfectly fine.

I knew that already.  Doesn’t a mother’s gut count for anything??

I’ve decided that with my next pregnancy, I’ll be doing things a lot different.  For one, I do not like going to a practice where you don’t have a relationship with the care givers.  And I do not like not knowing the person who will be there helping me give birth!  There has also been issues with this office that has made me uncomfortable (such as being blamed for “forgetting” to remind them about my 20 week scan – when I didn’t know I was supposed to have one).  Also, being out of control of things and feeling like I have no say in what tests are done annoys me. 

More and more, throughout this pregnancy I’ve felt myself drawn to going the mid-wife / birthing center / natural route – especially over the past 2 months.  I’ve even surprised with how much I’ve come to abhore the modern day birthing methods as it relates to how much control is taken away from the mother. 

I don’t know. 

Giving birth holistically use to didn’t appeal to me – but the route I’ve taken when it comes to doctors visits throughout this pregnancy appeals to me even less. 

So we’ll just have to wait and see.  Perhaps my next child will be born at home in a birthing pool. *shrug*

1  1

I turned 36 weeks pregnant today.

And since Tuesdays are now designated as my weekly doctor visit days, it also meant it was time for another trip to the OBGYN.

My appointment this week was at 10:30.  That meant I got to sleep in, right?

Wrong.  

I woke up at 3:45 am, with no hopes of getting back to sleep.

Although my abillity to sleep through an atomic bomb is legendary amongst my family members, I have become quite the light sleeper during this last month of pregnancy.  The doctor says it’s probably nature’s way of preparing Mom for the upcoming baby caring days.

I think it just has to do with a 5 lb baby jumping headfirst on my bladder.

My arrival time at the office was great today… I arrived 10 minutes early!  Unfortunately that doesn’t mean squat in the eyes of the doctor’s office because I still sat in the waiting room for 35 minutes before being called back.

This week, after my vitals (blood pressure, weight, peeinacuptest) were completed, I didn’t have an ultrasound due to them taking me off of the gestational diabetes classification list.  I did have the pleasure of having the beta strep test done.

I was scared until they told me that the only thing going inside me was a q-tip.

(WHEW.)

For those of you wondering – a beta strep test is done to detect the presence of a bacteria found “down there” in 20% of women.   Don’t worry, it’s not sexually transmitted (my first question).  It’s just a bacteria that although it doesn’t harm the mother, it can do severe damage to the baby.  If a mother tests positive for the bacteria, antibiotics are administered during delivery to protect the baby from it.  I won’t know the results of that test until next week.

Doctor Ann also checked for dialation (at my request).  She, like the other 2 who checked me, seemed very surprised when she discovered that she could feel the baby’s head only 2 inches in.  She didn’t even continue checking for dialation because she was afraid she’d hurt me and cause cramping to start.  She did note that I was “very thinned” alread.  No numbers were given for either dialation or thinning.    Oh well…. (and admittedly, it DID hurt when she checked).

My “measurements” were also 3 weeks off – I measured at only 33 weeks.  She says I probably shouldn’t worry though since last week’s ultrasound showed him perfectly on target and he received a perfect score on his BPP.  Her thinking is that perhaps he’s dropped lower, causing my tummy to manually measure incorrectly. (The Fundal height?  I think that’s what she called it).

One good piece of news – I gained 4 pounds in the past week!  Last week I was at 142.  This week I was at 145.  Albeit though, an intern was taking my weight and I don’t have complete faith in her reading.  The first time she recorded that I weighed 135 pounds.   WHAT?  I told her that could in no way be right…so she checked again and came up with 146. 

This past week, since I’m no longer classified as a gestational diabetic, I haven’t counted ANY sugar intake and I’ve slowly allowed myself some of the “forbidden foods” (white bread, pastas, and even a pepsi…ahh).  So what does that tell me?  My un-scientific experiement makes me think that sugar is the culprit in weight gain or weight loss!   Ditch the sugar, and you’ll ditch the weight.  Increase the sugar, and you’ll increase in weight.

At least that’s what happened to me.

After all of my testing was done, we had our typical question / answer session.  I asked her what would the hospital do if I passed out during labor (a very real fear for me due to past medical history and having run very low blood pressure during the entire pregnancy).  She talked 2-3 minutes, but basically her message was summed up as “Don’t worry, you won’t pass out because of the IV fluids… Don’t worry, you won’t because of….Don’t worry, you won’t because…blah blah…”.

That doesn’t alliviate my fears.  I hate it when a doctor assumes to know more about my body’s reactions than I do.  I never did get an answer to my exact question of what would the hospital do if I passed out during labor.

There is a very, very real chance that I will pass out during labor.  I’ve passed out before and I know my triggers (overheated, exhaustion, low blood pressure, loss of blood) – and all of them will be occuring during labor. 

So anyway…that’s one of my labor fears.  I’ll be proposing my question to the Doctor Fred (who will be deliving) the next time I see him.  Hopefully he will give me a better, more strait-forward answer as to what will happen if I do.

After a few more minutes of chitchat, the visit was over and I headed up front to schedule next week’s appointment.  Next time, I’ll be returning next Thursday, on April 17 (9:45 am).  Tuesday was completely booked up.    I’ll also be having another ultrasound to measure weight and growth….and I’ll be 37 weeks (granted that the baby doesn’t arrive before then!).

Time is running out FAST!

1  1

Last week, I ran into unexpected complications with the pregnancy.  Up until last Thursday, I’d had a great 9 months with the exception of being classified as a gestational diabetic back in January.

Because of the diabetes diagnosis, I was scheduled for automatic weekly non-stress tests at the hospital and last Thursday was my first trip – and that’s when they discovered I was already contracting, dialated, and thinned!  That ended up turning into a 4 day hospital stay to stop preterm labor.

Thankfully it was stopped!  And with the steroids they gave me (to build up baby’s lungs), they determined that Little Jack could now come any day and they were confident he would be fine and healthy.

The best part about it was the doctor on call ordered more tests done this past Saturday, reviewed my entire case history, and suggested that he thought I did not have the gestational diabetes.

Talk about a huge worry off my mind!

It was confirmed by my own doctor when I went for my weekly OBGYN visit this past Tuesday, April 1st.  (And luckily, it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke either).

I turned 35 weeks pregnant this past Tuesday, and at 8 am my mom and I left out to head up to the doctor’s office for my (now) weekly visit with them.  (My weekly visits started at 34 weeks)

We were a tad late because it seemed I couldn’t get going good enough – we kept forgetting everything!  As we were leaving mom’s, I realized I’d left some important papers at my house so we had to run back home to pick them up.  THEN we realized we’d left the ultrasound video at mom’s house.  So it was back to there we went afterwards to pick it up really quick. (My gracious dad was standing in the front yard…kinda tag team like… ready to hand me the video as we passed!)

Luckily all of the bouncing around only put me 10 minutes behind my scheduled 8:30 appointment!

It was packed at the office….and it seemed like everyone there was about 8 or 9 months pregnant.   It was a funny site to see the room filled to the brim with miserable looking ladies, hunkered over a friend in the room, looking like they’re about to pop.

It was even funnier to think that I looked worse than they did!

Ok, well.  Maybe not that funny, now that I think about it.

But I did feel like complete and total crud.

I was there about 20 minutes before I was called back for the scan.  The ultrasound went great (his lungs are already maturing nicely!  they think the steroids did a great job).  Jack scored an 8 of 8 on his BPP (bio physical profile) and we actually got a nice video of his face in 4D this time.  I think the ultrasound lady felt sorry for me when I pleaded for her to get a shot of his head (he’s been so low that we haven’t gotten a face shot since November).  That’s when she turned on the 4D imaging and pulled up a nice lower face picture.

It’s so marvelous at what technology can do!  Little Jack appears to have a square jawline (like his daddy), chubby little cheeks, his dad’s chin, a bowed mouth (like me), and his dad’s nose (yay!).  He was just so cute – especially when she paused him in mid “squinch” – he looked frustrated and had his face squinched up just like Kevin does.  We all had a good laugh at that.     

After the ultrasound, they did my vitals.  Even with all the food I’ve eaten over the past week (I think I ate every hour at the hospital!), I still lost 2 pounds since my visit last week.   My weight was 142 this time.  That’s 1 pound less than my starting weight.  And since the baby is estimated to weigh a little over 5 lbs now, that means my personal body weight is 137.   I started the pregnancy at 143!   The removal of sugar from my diet is the absolutely only thing we can determine is causing the weight loss….perhaps it has triggered the fast metabolism I had when I was young?   I don’t know, but it sure doesn’t feel good.  With my worry wart nature, I feel like I’m doing something wrong.   The doctor isn’t worried though and says as long as I’m eating enough and eating healthy (I am, I am!), then there’s nothing to worry about.  All tests point to the fact that the baby appears very, very healthy and well developed. 

After the vitals check, I was put in a room to await a visit with the doctor.  The real doctor, this time – “the man”, Dr. Fred himself.   I haven’t seen him since November 27 (when I first met him).  I didn’t even see him during my 4 day hospital stay!  It’s weird to think that he’s going to get all the credit for my pregnancy and birth, when I don’t even know him.  I wouldn’t even had saw Dr. Fred during this visit if it wasn’t for the doctor-on-call (Dr. Bullard) at the hospital who listened to my concerns and said he’d make sure I got to see Dr. Fred at my next appointment.

(I swear, I’m going to Dr. Bullard with the next baby.  Anyway…)

So I had my visit with Dr. Fred and he seemed unconcerned about preterm labor any more.  He says I’m now in the clear and if I deliver now, it’s fine, and we should have a normal healthy baby.  He also says there’s really no way of knowing when the baby would come and he has known cases where they stopped a preterm labor – and then had to induce later on because the baby decided not to come out afterall!  He also reviewed my case history and confirmed that I should no longer worry about the gestational diabetes.  (Hurray!!)

I did have a few questions to ask him – such as how terrible I’ve been feeling and the changes I’ve suddenly felt in my body.  Over the past week, I’ve definately noticed a huge difference “within myself”.   

He addressed each of my concerns and attributed them to “normal” end of term pregnancy feelings….

Current Pregnant Symptoms:

• Nausea is hitting me more often – he says that’s normal as the baby is putting so much concentrated weight on and my innards are getting displayed. 
• My hip bones hurt like crazy – my pelvic region is spreading (great, a bigger butt is one thing I didn’t need), and my bones are softening in prep for delivery.
• I’m very moody now - pregnancy hormones will do that to a woman.
• Sharp pains are exploding “down there” at times – muscles are stretching and nerves may be pinched as the baby loses room due to growth.

So those are a few of my 35 weeks symptoms with the doctor’s response.  Of course, a doctor who has seen upteenth births will treat these symptoms with a light hearted “no problem” mood.

But for a first time preggo woman like me, those symptoms are killer!  There’s nothing more frustrating than telling a man your hips hurt like mad and having him shrug it off.   Can’t I get some sympathy here?  *sigh* 

My moods are terrible too and I feel like crying all the time.  In fact, I think I’ve cried more this past week than I have in years.  (Where’s all this water coming from anyway?  I thought I peed it all out every 15 minutes…geez).  Thankfully I have a very patient husband! 

He still hasn’t learned yet though that I don’t have to have a reason to cry, thankyouverymuch.

Crying just feels…good.

“No reason.  I just want to cry, daggum it!!” I tell him when he asks what’s wrong.

So anyway.

After 15 minutes with the doctor, I was given my chart, a good bill of health, a smile, a handshake, a new appointment, and I was able to leave.

It’s going to be nice not having to go to the doctor so much once I get back to my pre-pregnant self.  I’ve never particularly cared for going to the doctors, but it’s getting to where it’s hard to imagine what life was like without the regular doctors visits. 

1  1

…or…”Thank God Early Labor Was Prevented”

Back in January, I was given a diagnosis that I had gestational diabetes.  Because of this, my doctor’s office orders mandantory weekly non-stress tests at the hospital.  My first weekly non-stress test came this past Thursday morning at 9 am.

I was only supposed to be there for 45 minutes or so.

“Supposed to” is a huge, huge phrase in hind sight!

After being on the monitor for 30 minutes, they inquisitively asked me if I knew I was having contractions.

Uh.  no.  I sure didn’t!

I was having contractions every 2 to 4 minutes!  The nurses at the hospital conferenced with the doctor, and he ordered a fetal fibronectin test for preterm labor.   During the test, she barely made it inside when she felt a bump. “That must be baby head,”  was her conclusion.  When she went in with her glove, she determined the baby was extremely low (it was baby head she felt).  She also estimated at first that I was already 3 CM dialated and 70-80% effaced (thinned).  So they went into overdrive.

The contractions were there – yet I felt nothing.  Absolutely nothing. 

I was admitted to the labor & delivery by 11 am Thursday.  When the actual doctor got to check me he summized that I wasn’t quite as dialated as they thought – only 2 centimeters.  But they were still worried – so I the treatment for preterm labor was immediately started in hopes of preventing my baby boy from arriving at only 34 weeks.

An IV was started and I was given a loading dose of magnesium - a relaxant that was to calm uterin contractions and hopefully prevent labor.  The bad thing is that magnesium causes bad side effects such as hot flashes and general cruddiness.  I felt like I had a 3rd degree sunburn at times! 

I was also started on steroids (2 shots in the bottomus maximus! OUCH!) 24 hours apart, and antibiotics.  The steroids, they said, would build his lungs up and if he is born earlier it will help his chances of being healthy and avoiding a longer stay in the prenatal ICU.  The antibiotics were given as a precaution in case an infection was going on – and because I had not had my beta strep test yet (it was scheduled to be done at 36 weeks).

I was kept in the labor room all day Thursday and Friday.   Around 9 am Friday they slowed the magnesium down from 2  per hour to 1 CC (1 gram?? i dunno) per hour, and the heartbeat / contraction monitor was kept on me the entire time and we were relieved when the contractions started to slow. 

Around 3 PM Friday, I was moved to a post-delivery maternal care room and Saturday morning, the IV with magnesium was removed.  (The IV was probably the most physically painful part of this ordeal!  Well, besides the shots in the butt).  I was also taken off of the constant monitoring and vitals were only checked periodically. 

By mid-Saturday afternoon, with all of the medicine wearing off I began to feel soreness and having a hard time breathing.  I was still having hot flashes from the magnesium as well (not a very pleasant experience).  At least I was allowed to take a shower and change into a fresh gown though!  I felt like everything was one big blurr however – my body ached, my heart hurt (from grief) and I feared every fear that a woman in pre-term labor can think of.

After an hour monitoring sessions Saturday from 2-3 pm, the doctor suggested one more night stay (we had hopes until then that I’d be going home). 

One good thing though, it was determined that I actually do not have gestational diabetes!  The doctor who was with me through this ordeal (not my regular doctor – he was a doctor on call this weekend), studied my case history and ordered tests done.  All tests came back that there is no evidence that I am diabetic.

That was a small miracle in these past few days!

Last night was my final night in the hospital.  This morning, from 6 am to 7 am, I was put back on the contraction monitoring.

Finally, I felt something.  During the monitoring session I had 5 contractions, 2 of which were (to me) not very pleasant at all!  Ironically, we were all glad I could actually feel the contractions and now knew what to look for.

After 2 more sessions with the doctor (about possible complications, things to look for, etc), and an instructional session with the nurse (the do’s and don’t of bedrest), I was given my discharge papers this morning at 9 am and was wheeled out into the fresh, wide world – I hadn’t seen the outside world in 4 days!

Everything had happened so unexpectedly, and really puts into perspective that old saying “you can’t plan a death or a birth”.  Not once had it ever crossed my mind that I could end up going into pre-term labor.  It’s something that happens to other people.  Not you, you now?

The doctor who worked with me this time was excellent (I wish I would have found him first and used him the whole time).  He’s a very honest, no-nonsense kind of guy with a white beard and a gentle, straitforward grandfatherly touch to him. 

He ordered strict bedrest (sitting as much as possible, with laying on my side preferable).  They have no idea when the baby will come, although they are hoping the pregnancy extends for at least another week – with 18 days being ideal.  With the steroids that were given to build up his lungs, they believe he (baby Jack) will have a good chance if he does come on now. 

So we’re now playing the waiting game. 

I am to do no lifting, no cleaning, no shopping, and very minimal walking.  That’s hard!  We had so much planned for April and it didn’t occur to us that this might happen.  It was so unexpected!  What’s even more ironic is that our scheduled Lamaze class (at that same hospital) was for yesterday (Saturday).  The nurse who first saw me on Thursday would have been our teacher.  The class was something that we had looked forward to so much.

It’s weird at how much grief one goes through at the thought of pre-term labor.  I felt grief over lost plans, fear for my health, fear for my baby’s life, grief over not having “things done” (cleaning, final nursery preparations), and (my biggest) fear that I had done something wrong.

I don’t think anyone understands either how much pre-term labor can affect a woman’s psyche – I know I didn’t.  The grief and thoughts I experienced ranged from the deepest pain (“What did I do wrong??”) to the essentially mundane (“Our video camera isn’t even charged”).  Before I went through this experience I would have considered such thoughts to be rediculous – people have a tendency to get self righteous and say “Don’t think about that – you should be just concerned about your self and the baby!”.  Believe me I was – but the emotions that ran through me over every level were so strong. 

It makes me a lot more empathetic and aware of what other women have gone through.  It’s a private world, with lots of mixed emotions, and hard to describe to someone who hasn’t gone through it.  Thursday afternoon was the hardest part of the grieving process for me – at one point I mentioned sadness over not having our video camera ready (taping the birth is something, I realized, that is deeply important to me).  Yet the nurse cut me off saying I shouldn’t be concerned about that.  She was not empthetic at all, and her worlds only hurt more.  (It sounds silly to even describe, but I’m trying to get across the wide range of emotions that occured to me.)  

 I’ve always thought I didn’t have any expectations about delivery – but this weekend showed me just how much hidden expectations I did have (the last minute shopping sprees, the lamaze class, a final beach trip, final nursery decorations, preparing mentally).  And it hurt to say goodbye to them all.  One wonderful nurse (who would have been our Lamaze teacher) gave me the best emotional support – she’s the one who put a name to my fears and emotions.  She’s the one who said it’s like going through a grieving process, and she was so right.  It felt so good to share my thoughts with her, and she didn’t judge me at all.  She knew my emotions had nothing to do with my love or concern for my little boy.  I hope to one day console another mother like she consoled me through this hard time! 

So anyway, now I am at home.  My husband and I were at my parents all day today after the discharge and I just slept.  We just walked into our home tonight around 10 pm – the first time I’ve been home since Thursday morning.  It’s amazing at how fast things happen in life when you least expect them!  Now I’m waiting, and watching, and praying that everything goes well and my little boy is ok.  After the grieving process of unexpected complications, I’ve now reached the end point to where I can finally relax and focus on “being ready” at any moment.  

Baby Jack can appear any time now.   The final waiting stage has begun!

1  1

Yesterday, I hit a milestone in the pregnancy – I’m now 34 weeks and on my weekly doctor visit schedule!  The countdown has started in full force!

Yesterday was my first “weekly” doctor visit.  Because I am a gestational diabetic patient, they will be doing an ultrasound at each weekly visit to monitor the baby’s growth.  It’s quite exciting to know I’ll be “seeing him” every Tuesday now.

So anyway – yesterday morning I got up very early.  Having lost my little card with my appointment time on it, I decided to wing it and show up at 8:30 anyway.  I knew I had an early appointment… perhaps 8:30..9…9:15…just not the exact time.  (I always ask for an early time if it’s available.)  It takes 30 minutes to get to the OBGYN office so I had my mom picked up and we were on the road all before 8 am.  When we got there, I walked in and there was this lady I had never met at the window.  Perhaps she was just a fill in?  Well…I told her my name and asked what time my appointment was.

10:15 AM.

10:15 AM????

How could I have been that mistaken??

Back out at the car (it’s only 8:35 at this time), mom and I decide to head down the road and get some breakfast.  With over an hour to kill, we had a nice long leisurly breakfast at “The Waffle House” and I got some reading in.

Then we headed back to the office, with me still wondering how I could have made such a mistake with my appointment time.

After check in at 10 am, they send me immediately back to “empty my bladder” (a requirement for the ultrasound) and then on to the waiting room where I sat maybe 5-10 minutes or so before the ultrasound tech came for me.  Thankfully I didn’t have the same tech girl that I had last time during my 30 week scan (the one who only knew how to say official latin type words for his body parts).  The older lady who had done my ultrasounds during my first trimester was back!

In the ultrasound room she started asking me if everything is ok.   (OK?   Of course it was!  Why?)   She was concerned because I was “late…and had missed the appointment”.   Confused, I recounted the events of the morning – we were there at 8:30 am!  Come to find out, the new lady at the front window had skipped over my ultrasound appointment and had only told me the time they had set for the actual OB visit with the doctor.

Great.   So my actual appointment HAD been at 9:15 am.  *sigh*  Just like I thought…

Anyway.  The “tummy ultrasound” went great!  The video machine was recording fine, everything measured beautifully on the baby, heartrate was 140 BPM, and they confirmed once again that he definately was a boy.  And they gave me a nice “turtle” picture to prove it. (My hubby is so proud). 

She estimates his weight to be 4.2 LBS.  His head is also “dropped” and was sitting very, very, very low in my neither regions.   She also told me that his feet were slightly under my ribs.

As if I didn’t know that already!  OUCH! 

After the ultrasound, I went to another room for my OB visit with Doctor Nancy and had my routine vitals done.  My weight was 144 (yay!  I haven’t lost any more!) and my blood pressure was 100 / 70.  (That was great too!  I have been running really low).

In the room with Dr. Nancy, she went over the results of my CBC blood test that was taken 2 weeks ago, along with the sugar test.  Everything came out perfectly….iron levels, sugar count…everything.  I was so relieved!   The only slightly abnormal thing they mentioned was that baby Jack is a little small – but they consider that better than the alternative since I have gestational diabetes.  Dr. Nancy said I seemed to be doing so great that I should be the poster child for pregnant women.

I don’t know about that, but it made me feel a whole lot better.

Then it was time to go.  Whew!  I had what I considered a perfect visit (well, beside the little mistaken appointment time fiasco).  I felt like floating on air.  

Tomorrow I have my first weekly NST (non-stress test) at the hospital at 9 am (I’ll report on that afterwords – I’m not sure what all to expect during the visit).  Then I return to the OBGYN office next Tuesday morning at 8:30 am.

(Yes.  8:30 am.  I’ve documented it here for safekeeping!)

Each week I’ll be continuing on in the same fashion – doctor visit on Tuesday, NST at the hospital on Thursday.

Oh, and Kevin and I have our Lamaze Baby Class at the hospital this Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm.  We’re excited about that!  Kevin is a bit more excited that I am, I do believe.  He’s all into this being-a-daddy thing.  It makes me quite proud to call him my husband.

1  1

My latest doctor visit arrived today.

 ….:::pauses in contemplative silence:::….

Ok, wait, I just reread my first sentence.  Boy, you can tell I am caught up in babyspeak.  A doctor visit arrived?

 LOL…Anyway…

So, yeh.. the doctor visit arrived at 9:15 this morning.    As usual, since Kevin is unable to get off during the day to go with me, my mom went instead (my mom is the greatest).  At 8:30 this morning, I dropped off some funeral bulletins to my dad that I had been asked to design for a dear friend who passed…and then at 8:45 me and mom hopped in the car and we headed onward to the OBGYN office. 

And I was miserable! 

I’ve always had the tendency to pass out whenever blood leaves my body.  It’s the most horrible feeling.  Plus, I’m scared of needles – especially after this one vampire “couldn’t find my vein” one time a few years ago when I was in the hospital with a bad stomach virus.  She stuck me 5 times in the arm…hard…before I puked on her.  I didn’t mean to..honest!

Today, I knew I was having my CBC (Complete Blood Count) Test performed which means they would be drawing blood from my arm. 

To make things worse, they were also using the same blood test to check my sugar levels, which means I had to start fasting last night after midnight.  I was completely famished!  Usually I’m not too hungry when I first start my morning, but wouldn’t you know that since it was a “required” fast, that’s the time when I end up feeling more hungry than I ever have in my life.  That, and and I had to potty.  It’s pretty hard waking up and knowing that, hey, if I don’t save this for the unmentionablepeeinacuptest at the office then I won’t have anything to donate!  

Oh, and did I mention how wobbly and stuffed I’ve been feeling lately?

A hungry, scared, wobbly, stuffed, miserable, bloated pregnant woman is NOT a fun thing to be.

So.  Anyway.

We arrived at the doctor’s office at 9:03 am with the slight hopes that they might call me in earlier than my 9:15 scheduled appointment.   No such luck though.

I think they finally called me back around 9:20 or so.

First Things First

First thing they did (as always) was take my vitals.  Blood pressure was ok – 90/60.   Then they weighed me – 143 lbs.  Which means, I lost a pound since my visit last week.  The lady nurse tried to accuse me of not eating at first… no way!  I’ve been eating great (just see our dinner last night, for instance).  After a few seconds she conceded that cutting out all of the sugar will make one lose weight, but she still sounded doubtful.   Then I was sent back for the unmentionablepeeinacup test, and was finally escorted to Doctor Ann’s room to await her arrival.   (There I go again, talking in babyspeak..hehe).

The OB Visit

She didn’t take too long to get there – maybe 3 minutes tops.  We went over my chart and vitals, I asked how much the baby weighs according to the ultrasound (3.8 lbs…I had forgotten to ask earlier), and then she brought up the “losing a pound” issue.  All in all, I’ve now lost a total of  4 lbs since my December 27 visit (which was the day my highest weight was recorded).  She asked if I was eating as well.  Of course I am!!  I even told her that since our last 2 visits (where she advised that I not worry so much and pick back up on a few starches) I’ve added some white potatoes, corn and a bit of pasta back into my diet.  She finally decided that the weight loss is just due to my sugarless diet.  Everything is going well with the baby, and he seems to be doing fine and dandy – so there’s probably not anything to worry about.

I think it’s quite a conundrum to have a condition that is known for causing increased weight gain and abnormally large babies – yet our main concern right now is the fact that I’m losing weight.  It’s very paradoxical.  Hrm.

After our little talking session was over, she measured me.  I’m measuring 32 weeks this week – last week I was only measuring 30 weeks.  So I guess I was correct in thinking that I’ve popped out more this past week!  I definately feel different.  She also took his heartbeat (140 bpm) and we got to hear him start the hiccups. It was way too cute.

Oh, and I did ask about the backaches I’ve been experiencing the past week.  And of course she said exactly what I knew she would say.  But anyway.  At least there’s no (perceived) problem with it.  

Then we discussed how my last few weeks of visits will be played out.  I don’t have another visit until 2 weeks from now – but once that starts, I’ll be having visits every week.  Doctor Ann explained that they determine how these particular visits go based on the “profile” of the patient.  Since I am a gestational diabetes patient I’ll be having ultrasounds done at each visit as well so they can monitor the baby.  Furthermore, because of the diabetes, I’ll be having to visit the hospital for a NST (non-stress test) once a week.  I was thinking this would be a long test, but was told later that it probably won’t last longer than 30 minutes or so.  Those weekly sessions will continue each week until the birth (whoohoo…it’s getting exciting.. I’m truly on the countdown now!!).

We also got in a bit of personal conversation about our favorite music genres and about Christian music – she has tickets to the upcoming Casting Crowns concert in our state’s capital city!  They’re a great group.  We also chitchatted a bit more about our faith.  It’s always nice to find a “professional” worker who isn’t afraid to admit their faith in Jesus.

Here Comes the Needle

Then we said our farewells and it was time for my blood test.  Since I always request to lay down (because of my tendency to faint), I got to stay in Doctor Ann’s room on the exam table (with the comfy pillow).  I was very nervous, but not quite so scared once I found out the GOOD “needle sticker” was there – Ms. Rachel!  She is a very kind older lady who seems to have 100 years of experience under her belt.  I barely even felt the needle during my last blood test. 

So in she came, and POP – my eyes closed…not to be opened again until she was done!   I know it would just scare me more to see the needle and watch it go in, so I just always turn my head and close my eyes.  (I’ve even given explicit instructions to my hubby and my cousin Carrie who will be helping in the labor room that I am NOT to see the epidural needle)!  The needle didn’t hurt much, since she is such a wonderful needle-sticker   but I did feel the usual warmth come over me and the start of a slight tingle.  Luckily the nausea didn’t hit this time like it normally does, and I felt pretty good afterwards.   Good enough to stand up a few seconds later (without passing out!!) and thank her profusely for such a wonderful, wonderful job she does! 

After that, it was time to leave.  Out in the hallway I chatted with Doctor Ann for a brief moment and she got my chart for me.  Then I gave my chart to the secretary lady and she set up my appointments.

My 1 week visits start in 2 weeks, with my next visit to the OBGYN office being Tuesday, March 25 at 9:15 am.  Then the secretary called the Labor & Delivery at the hospital to get my NST set up.  I’ll be going to them for the first time on Thursday, March 27, at 8:30 am.   The secretary said also that for the remainder of my pregnancy I’ll probably continue in that particular Tuesday / Thursday fashion – OBGYN every Tuesday and the hospital for NST every Thursday.

And then it was time for us to leave (and of course I immediately went over everything with mom in the car…it feels good to have someone to tell things to immediately after leaving the office). 

1  1