Pregnancy Week 32

Sometimes I totally avoid posting an update because it seems to make the weeks go by faster. Does that sound dumb? Like today I'm posting my 32-week update, but I'll be 33 weeks in two days, so it almost seems like I bypassed this week all together. Well not totally bypassed it. Almost. :p I now find myself counting down the hours, not just the days. Lol.

My week started out very crappy. Lots of issues with my OB in Decatur. After saying he would get ahold of the Springfield doctors this past week, he told us during our appt that there was no need to. And when we would ask him questions, he would have no answers for us. Very frustrating.

My fluid levels are back up to 30 now, an increase of 5cm of fluid in just one week. That's not a good thing. And baby weighed 5lbs 1oz at Tuesday's appt.

My contractions are getting much stronger when I do have them. I can't even feel the Braxton-hicks anymore unless I happen to run my hand across my belly and then I realize I'm having one. Fortunately they haven't become regular enough for me to make another trip to the hospital, which I'm very grateful for. Lastnight they were coming pretty close for more than an hour, but then they let up again. I don't think it's a good sign that they are getting stronger, and I'm guessing when they do become regular, that I'll be in full-blown labor. And guessing by the size of my belly, I don't think that will be long.

I of course have no way of knowing when I will go into labor. My gut (no pun intended) is telling me that I won't go past 35 weeks. Heck I could go into labor tonight, there is just no telling what's going to happen. But judging by my size, and the fact that my contractions are getting stronger, I just don't think it will be more than 2 weeks. The good thing is that I'm almost 33 weeks. Some babies are take-home babies at 34 weeks. Some may spend a week or two as feeders and growers if born at 34 weeks. I would LOVE to make it 2 more weeks, and then maybe with my 3 day hospital stay after my c-section, we could bring this little guy home with us. Davey said the other day, "I sure hope we have him home for Christmas." It hadn't even crossed my mind that we wouldn't. He HAS to be home for Christmas! If you're praying, say some extra prayers that he'll be home for Chrismas, ok? ;)


I've put my fears of rupturing to the back of my mind since there is really nothing I can do about it. I'm taking it easy, listening to my body, and tyring not to stress about things. That's all I can do. I've been feeling pains along my c-section scar this past week, so I know it's definitely stretching. If it gets any more painful, I'll head to the hospital. It doesn't hurt all of the time. Just every now and then it will hurt for an hour or 2, and I'll have sharp shooting pains.


My Mom has been here for the past 11 days and it was a Godsend having her here! I give all the credit to her for me keeping this baby cooking for almost 2 extra weeks. Thank you, thank you, thank you Mom!! I love you so much! I was so sad to see you go today... but am SO thankful that I got through a couple of scary weeks with my Mom here. ^_^ Sometimes you just need your Mom, and this was definitely one of those times. Can't wait to see you again when baby Ben gets here!!!


I have my fluid levels checked again on Tuesday. If I don't post on here, check my Twitter update on the left sidebar of this page. I Twitter a lot of my updates.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Pregnancy Week 31

I'm a couple of days late posting this, but am happy to report that at 31 weeks 2 days, I am still pregnant. Yay!

Sunday night I wound up back in the hospital with horrible back pain and contractions. My contractions were 5 minutes apart, then after an hour or so spaced out to every 10 minutes, and then when they were 20 minutes apart, they let me go home. No meds or hospital stay needed this time. Thank goodness.

I had another appt with my regular OB in Decatur on Tuesday. Thankfully he seems more on board with what's going on, and is being more realistic that I have some very serious issues here, and that I most likely will not make it to my scheduled c-section at 37 weeks.

We also discussed the risks of going to 37 weeks, and if the game plan should be re-evaluated. With my risk factors of large baby, excess fluid (was back up to 25 this week) and my classical c-section scar, my risk of rupturing is pretty high. Dr. P plans to call the MFM's in Springfield next week and try to come up with a new gameplan. He said it's hard to say when it may be too late to deliver, or when it's too early for the baby. He said if I rupture at home, we'd "wind up with a dead baby, and probably not a good outcome for mom either." Eek. I'm glad he put it so bluntly so Davey could understand how serious of a situation it would be if that were to occur.


We have to weigh both risk factors and try to make a decision. To me it's a no-brainer...if it's a matter of me and baby dying, or baby needing a little bit of oxygen from a nasal cannula for a few days...I choose the nasal cannula. We're not talking delivering at week 25 here, or even 30. If I make it to week 34, I think we really need to make a decision.


Dr. P also told me that at this point, if I'm having regular contractions at all, that I need to come in. If I have to go to the hospital 50 times between now and when I deliver, he said it doesn't matter. I'm to a size now that contracting at all could mean rupturing.


On a side note, I measured my uterus today with a tape measure and I'm measuring 37 weeks. I measure 14.5 inches from the top of my pubic bone to the top of my uterus. The baby is measuring 3 weeks ahead (he should be about 4lbs 11oz today), so that would put me at 34.2 weeks, so the rest must be the extra fluid causing my uterus to be so large.


Still holding out for 32 weeks. After that I'll take things day by day.

Discouraged

After a week of being contraction free, I thought that I was better. I had gone from being afraid that I could deliver at any moment, to believing I was going to make it to 37 weeks.

Then lastnight, the contractions started again. I was once again making that decision whether or not to go to the hospital. Thankfully after a few hours the contractions stopped, but I know it's going to be a bumpy ride from here on out. Lastnight the contractinos didn't begin until 6:00 pm. But this morning when I got out of bed I started having them right away. As of right now they are more of the braxton hicks type contractions, coming every 8-10 minutes. There are some stronger contractions every now and then, but definitely nothing to go to the hospital over. Yet I know it won't be long before these little "irritation" contractions will turn into something bigger. Lastnight they started out small, then for an hour and a half or so were quite strong. I waited it out, and they stopped. If they had gotten any stronger I would have had to head back up to Springfield.
(I was rating the pain at a 5, when I start rating them at a 6 is when I'm heading to the hospital) The braxton hicks type is more of a tightening across the top and middle of my belly. The "real" contractions cause more of a cramping and pain way low in the uterus. Not a good sign when you start to have those.


I hadn't thought about it until lastnight, but it does kind of make sense that I'm having contractions again. The reason I was having contractions was because my uterus had gotten to a size that it just couldn't handle. So they brought my fluid levels down some, and that helped. I was under the impression that if my fluid levels came down, and stayed down, that I should be able to go full term. But while the fluid was going down, baby kept getting bigger. He has gained 1 1/4 pounds since I went into the hospital. So wouldn't it make sense that if my uterus is back up to the size it was 2 1/2 weeks ago, that I would start to have contractions again?

I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen. I could have a few more days or even weeks of these lighter type of contractions. Or I could be heading up to the hospital tonight. I just don't know.


I'm taking it easy. I'm drinking my water. I'm laying down. I'm trying not to stress about it. I'm glad I'm almost 31 weeks vs. 28 weeks, I'm trying to "stick it out just a few more weeks". I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing.



Which is why it's so damned discourging.

Pregnancy Week 30

First of all, can I get a big YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY for making it to 30 weeks?!

YAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulder just by getting out of the "20's" and into the "30's". I did NOT want to have another twenty-something week baby. And now we've made it safely out of the 20's so I don't have to worry about that anymore! Yay!

I had my first appointment with my regular OB today since my hospital stay. I say appointment, though I'm not sure I'd exactly call it that... They did my ultrasound, and according to the measurments my fluid levels are at 23cm today, which is a decrease of 5cm since Friday. I'm not buyin' it. They didn't measure the fluid the same way they did in Springfield, so I'm just not very confident that they measured it correctly.

Then we had our "appointment" with my doctor. I kid you not it lasted less than 2 minutes. Let me first say that the typical appt with Dr. P lasts about 30 seconds to 1 minute. My friend Shelby sees this doctor too, so she can back me up on this.

Here's what was said during my 1 1/2 minute appt today:


Doctor walks in the room..

Doctor: "So what did Springfield have to say." (it came out more of a statment than a question)

Me: "About what?" (I was in the hospital for 3 days dude...where do you want me to begin??)

Doctor: "About anything."


*long pause...


Me: "Um...that I had excess fluid and that the baby is measuring large...."

Doctor: "Ok. Well we'll see you back weekly for fluid checks. Then we'll go ahead and schedule your c-section for 37 weeks I guess."

Me: dumbfounded look on face, speechless that he's not discussing anything else with me.

Doctor: As he's writing out my appt for next week, "Do you have any questions?"

Me: "Um....I....well....I guess not?"

Doctor: "Ok, see ya next week." And walks out the door.


Are you KIDDING ME???? Not one single question was asked about my hospital stay. Not once did he ask me how I was feeling now, or if I was having any more contractions. Nothing was mentioned about what the game plan was if I go into labor at home, or if I rupture at home, or what hospital I should go to. He had zero interest whatsoever in my well being. ZERO. Total disregard for my feelings and how I've been handling things.

Is that not CRAZY?!?!?!

So me and Davey talked on the way home, and if I go into labor any earlier than 37 weeks, we're going to Springfield. Even if it's the evening of 36 weeks 6 days, we're heading to Springfield. I'm actually hoping that I go into labor during week 36 just so I don't have to deliver in Decatur. Isn't that sad?

On a good note though, it didn't appear that the fluid levels had gone up any. There were still 2 large pockets of fluid, but they didn't look any bigger than they did on Friday.

And the GREAT news? This little guy now weighs 4 pounds 2 ounces!!! He's in like the 93rd % for his weight! But for his height he's actually measuring a week behind, LOL. So he's apparently short and chubby. :) I have no clue how big this little guy is going to get, but I'm guessing once he gets to the 6 1/2 pound mark, I'm going to either start having contractions, or I'm going to just go into hard labor. That's what happened with the triplets- I got to the size my body thought was full term and I just went into labor. Their combined weights were 5lbs 14oz, but when you add in the 3 placentas and the 3 sacs of fluid I was about the same size I was when I delivered Kadence.

But we shall see. Right now my contractions are few and far between, and I'm really hoping it stays that way at least until week 35. By then, if he keeps gaining at a rate of an ounce a day, he will weigh almost 6 pounds. LOL. Pretty big for a 35-weeker!!


Here is my newest belly progression photo. My belly didn't grow a whole lot from week 27 to week 30 because of all of the fluid that I've lost, but baby has put on about a pound and a half since then! And I'm rounding out quite nicely, it looks like I have a basketball under my shirt now. :)

Tough.

The last couple of weeks have been tough. Really tough. I'm doing my best to cope with everything that has been thrown my way, but the days just keep getting longer and harder.


I am not a very patient person. I wish I were, but I'm not. If someone could show me a magic ball where I could just peek into the future and know what complications were going to arise, and when I was going to deliver, I could handle this all so much easier. I'm going to go into labor at home? Fine. When? I'm going to have a premature baby? Fine. What week?


I like information. I like it when the doctors are straight with me and tell me what will most likely happen. I like to search the internet for information so that I can educate myself. This not knowing is what's killing me. But there is no way of knowing, no crystal ball to peek into. According to the doctors, my fluid levels will most likely rise back to the level it was at previously by the end of next week. But it might not. Or it may rise by this Tuesday. They just don't know.


For now I'll just take comfort in the fact that tomorrow I'll be 30 weeks. The survival rate for 30-weekers is 95%, with just a 5% chance of long-term disabilities. Also I am thankful that this little guy is so big for his age. If he were born tomorrow he would probably be 4 pounds vs. where he "should" be which is 3 pounds. I am thankful that he has already received his doses of steroid shots for his lungs.


So while I have a lot on my mind, and a lot to worry about, I also have a lot to be thankful for. I need to try to refocus my thoughts to the good things, and try not to worry so much about what could go wrong. It's so hard not to worry though...

Not exactlly what I was hoping for..

But not horrible either...

I had another appt this afternoon at St. John's with the MFM doctors. They did a scan and found out that while the baby's heart is handling the Indocin just fine, my fluid levels didn't come down at all over the past 3 days. (they remained at 28cm) So, they discontinued the meds because they said they had obviously done all that they were going to do.

So now what?


Good question.


Now it's just a waiting game. 1 of 3 scenarios could happen.

The least likely scenario- my fluid will remain at 28cm for the remainder of my pregnancy and will not rise any more. Very doubtful.

The scariest scenario- my fluid could return to a scary level in just a few days. This would mean lots of contractions again, and most likely pre-term labor.

The most likely scenario- my fluid levels will return to scary levels in approximately 2 weeks. This is what they see most often.


So the plan is that if begin having regular contractions, I get my butt back to St. John's so they can monitor me and assess things. They would still try to stop labor at this point, but with what I'm not sure. Mag again? We didn't really discuss what they would use to stop contractions. If I'm laboring too hard, they will go ahead and do the c-section due to my risk of rupturing.

If my uterus remains calm, then I go have my fluid levels measured via sonogram every week from here on out at Decatur with my regular Ob/Gyn. If it gets dangerously high, then they'll send me to St. John's in Springfield. Most likely I will not be delivering in Decatur- unless of course I would happen to make it to full term.(very doubtful)


Since I've stopped taking the Indocin I've already noticed an increase in the amount of contractions. Fortunately nothing regular yet. But I'm guessing over the next few days I'm going to be having more and more.


I'm trying not to let this news get me down, and am trying to count my blessings. I'll be 30 weeks on Monday, which is 4 weeks further than I made it with the triplets! That's something right?! My big goal is still 32 weeks, so I'm still holding onto that hope. Only 17 more days...

Well my scan went really well today- lots of good news to report. I’ll try my best to explain things and try to make some sense, I know this is a lot of information to take in. Trust me, I know. ;o) I apologize if it's choppy or if I repeat myself.


- My fluid levels went down from 36 to 28, (they measure the fluid in centimeters) which is a good thing! The normal range for amniotic fluid around the baby is 5-20, so at 36, mine was getting really high. The medicine I’m on, Indocin, is what’s decreasing the fluid.

- They will check my fluid levels again on Friday, and if they’ve come back down into normal range, they will take me off of the Indocin.

- They only like to give Indocin as a temporary fix, and do not like pregnant patients to be on it longer than two weeks. So hopefully this Friday I can stop taking it.

- As I mentioned before, Indocin can cause damage to the baby’s heart. The doctor explained this in more detail today. Basically what can happen is the medicine can cause the baby’s PDA valve to close prematurely. It can be reversible while the baby is still in the womb- simply by taking you off of the medication, the baby’s heart valve may open back up as it should be. But then when the baby is born, the valve can stay opened, which when a baby is born, it’s supposed to close. The way they normally get baby’s heart valves to close when they are born (both Eli and Joey had this problem because they were preemies) is to give Indocin. However, Indocin would not work and they would have to do surgery to close the valve. Sound confusing? It is. Let’s just hope none of that happens.

- If the fluid levels do go down to normal range on Friday, the plan is to take me off of the medication, and to keep checking my fluid levels every few days. There is a good possibility that my fluid levels will begin to rise again, though how quickly they don’t know. The doctor said that typically the levels do not rise as quickly as they went down. So since it took a week for my fluid levels to return to normal, it should take longer than a week for them to go back up to where they were in the dangerous level. We’re of course hoping it takes the fluid several weeks to rise to that level again, but it’s so hard to say what will happen.

- As of today, the baby was handling the Indocin very well. They will check his heart again on Friday.


- The hope is that by lowering my fluid levels, that will hold off pre-term labor at least for a couple more weeks. They cannot give me Indocin again after week 32 because the risks are far too high for the baby after that point. We have not discussed what we will use to stop my labor if I should happen to go into labor again past week 32.

- We really have no long-term plan. For right now we’re taking it 3 days at a time.

- Things are looking much better today than they were a few days ago, but it’s still terrifying when the doctors are throwing words at you such as “rupturing” and “hemorraging” and asking how far away your closest hospital is, and telling you how minutes can make a difference if something goes terribly wrong at home. I hate having to worry about these things constantly. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.


I’m feeling much better about things as far as the immediate future is concerned. Knowing that I should have at least another couple of weeks to keep this baby cooking is such a huge relief. I have been through so many emotions this past week I’m surprised I didn’t have a nervous breakdown to be completely honest with you. But for now I feel that I can breathe again, and know that every single day that I’m able to keep this little guy in is doing him so much good. I’m feeling very confident that I can make it to 32-weeks now. Such a turn-a-round from last week when at 28 weeks 2 days I thought for sure he was going to be born.

Things could change at any minute, but we’ll just keep praying that things keep going in this direction. Of course a full-term baby would be fantastic, but making it to 32 weeks is my first BIG goal that I’m trying to make it to.

Ok, so actually this Friday is my first BIG goal. 3 days at a time my doctor told me...just 3 days at a time.

The Game Plan

Ok, I'm going to try to line out what the "game plan" is for me over the next couple of weeks. All of this could change at any moment, i.e. if I go into labor again, or if the meds start having a negative effect on the baby. But here's what the plan is thus far:

- I am on Indomethacin (Indocin), 25mg 3x daily. Indocin is used to help stop contractions, and one of it's side effects on the baby is that it reduces the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby. In most cases this would be a very bad thing, but in my case, it would be a good thing because of my overabundance of amniotic fluid is what is causing my contractions.

- Side effects of Indocin on mother are- fatigue, dizziness, and depression. All of which I have had since taking it. But if it keeps the baby in, I'll gladly take it.

- Possiblie side effects of Indocin on baby- it reduces the amount of amniotic fluid by making baby pee less, so they have to keep a close eye on his kidney function. It also could effect his heart by prematurely closing his PDA valve. And the 3rd potentially harmful side effect is a bowel perforation. The side effect to his heart is the most common, and the one I am most concerned about. However, from talking with the doctors and doing some research online, this typically does not occur if they discontinue the Indocin by week 31-32.

- I will be going to St. John's Hospital in Springfield every 3 days while I am on this medicine to have an u/s done to check fluid levels, check baby's kidneys, and check the fluid levels around the baby. If at anytime they find something is wrong, they will discontinue the meds and most likely keep me overnight to see how I handle contractions without the medicine.

- If I go into labor at home, I am to go to St. John's hospital. We will no longer be going to Decatur Memorial during this pregnancy.

- My risk of hemorraging is quite high if I go into labor, so it is very important for me to go to the hospital if I do go into labor at home. The doctor told me that instead of thinning and shortening my cervix, my contractions instead could be effecting my c-section scar by thinning it and tearing it apart. (lovely as that sounds..)

- After they take me off of the Indocin (I'm actually hoping they take me off of it within a week) we'll see how my contractions are and go from there. I'm not sure what the next step will be to stop labor after that, we haven't gotten that far.



So that's all I can think of right now. If you have any other questions, just leave me a comment and I'll try to answer it the best I can.


I have an appt tomorrow at St. John's, so I'll try to post when I get home tomorrow. Hoping and praying the meds aren't having any negative effects on baby, and that they don't keep me in the hospital again. I feel a little bit more comfortable being in the hospital, but at the same time, if they're keeping you in the hospital, it means there is something wrong, and I don't want the either.

Keep checking my Twitter and Facebook for updates throughout the day. Thanks again for the prayers and comments. :)