Just got back from the high risk doctor. We did growth today, and the baby weighs about 4lbs and 3ozs!! He’s a big boy already. If he keeps growing at this rate, and if I get to full term, I’m looking at having a pretty big baby!!! Everything looked really good today… but I’m not out of the woods yet. We thought this would be my last appt w/ the high risk doctor, but he has decided that he wants to see me every two weeks until I deliver, because I show a bit of damage to my placenta, which wasn’t there at my last appt w/ him 2 weeks ago. The doctor isn’t sure what is causing the damage to my placenta, but if it gets worse, it could cause Damian’s growth to be affected. He said there is no need for concern yet… but that we’ll monitor Damian’s growth every two weeks, and if at any time it appears that Damian isn’t growing properly, then we’ll go ahead and induce labor and get him on out of there. He is in the head down position, which is the position he needs to be in before labor… and there is no room left for him to turn around… he’s out of wiggle room!! So we’re still playing the wait and see game, but at this point, everyone feels very certain that no matter when Damian “arrives” from this point forward, he should be just fine! I’ll go every week to my regular ob doctor for a routine checkup, and then see my high risk ob every 2 weeks to check on growth. So I’ll update the website again next Monday w/ the results of that appt w/ my regular ob.
I saw my regular ob doctor today. I got hooked up to the fetal monitor, and I had a couple contractions while being hooked up… but I didn’t feel them. The doctor said that is normal, that my body is just starting to prepare itself for delivery. I’m 32 weeks and 2 days today!! My belly measured 35cm, so it’s growing just as it should! All the tests I had last week came back fine! Everything looks great! I’ll go see my high risk doctor tomorrow, and we’ll be checking the baby’s growth!! 🙂
I I took the 3 hour test today… only had to have my blood drawn 4 times, and not 5!! But they had to draw from the exact same vein they used yesterday, because they couldn’t get a vein in my other arm. So 6 sticks in 2 days in the exact same place… not very fun!! I was very sick by the time the test was over, drinking that highly concentrated mixture (3 times the amt as yesterday) sent my body into a sugar overload!! But GOOD NEWS – I passed! I just called for the results, and they said they were magnificent! That’s good news! I’ll go back to the doctor on Monday!
Things went well w/ the re-check today, I have stopped leaking fluid, which is a good sign. The doctor decided to go ahead and test me for Group B Strep and a couple of other things pregnant women are at risk for. I should know those results in a few days. I didn’t pass my glucola screening however. My sugar was in the medium to high range, so I have to go back tomorrow for a 3 hour test to check it again. If it is again too high, that will most likely mean I have gestational diabetes (diabetes caused by pregnancy). If I get normal results, then all should be okay! The test today was only an hour, w/ only 2 times of blood being drawn, however, tomorrow I’ll have to have my blood drawn 5 times over a 3 hour period! I should know the results of that test tomorrow afternoon! I’ll update the site after I find out the results!
Well, I overslept this morning for my glucola screening, so I had to reschedule that and my rhogam shot for tomorrow. I did go see my regular ob doctor today. Everything went well during the hour I spent hooked up to the fetal monitor. The baby has a very good heartbeat! I appear to be leaking some fluids, the doctor isn’t sure if it’s my bag of waters or not, so I have to go back to the doctor tomorrow to be re-tested. If I continue to leak tonight, I’ll have to go the ER and be checked. I sure hope my water isn’t breaking now… I’m not ready!! Also, the doctor has diagnosed me with shingles. If you don’t know about shingles… anyone who has ever had chicken pox harbors the shingles virus forever. It stays in your spine I think, and during a shingles attack, you break out along nerve lines in your body. Usually shingles affects much older people, but sometimes young ones as well. I have shingles along the nerve lines in my face, neck, shoulders and chest. I’ve had them before, but this is the worst case I’ve ever had. Shingles is very painful, and can last for quite some time. The lesions that break out usually heal up in a couple weeks, but you still feel the effects of shingles for 3-5 weeks. Normally, stress is what causes shingles… and I have sure had more than my fair share of that lately. The doctor has prescribed an antibiotic, and I’m not allowed in his office during office hours because I can spread it to other pregnant women, giving them chicken pox. It’s not normally contagious, but other pregnant women are susceptible due to their compromised immune systems during pregnancy. So, when I go tomorrow for the re-check, I’ll go during their lunch break. Well, that raps up my visit for today, I’ll probably update this tomorrow to let you know how things go w/ the re-check.
February 25, 2003 – 2:46 pm
Everything went well at the doctors office today. I saw my high risk specialist first, and my cervix measured 12mm. They looked at the baby, and checked my amniotic fluid and everything looks really good. And instead of going back next week, they said I don’t have to come back for 2 weeks. So I’ll see the high risk specialist on 3/11. I left there and went to my regular ob, and they hooked me up to the fetal monitor to check the baby’s heartbeat, and to see if I had been having any contractions. Everything there looked really good too. The baby’s average heartbeat was about 155bpm. It went down to 125 and up as high as 188, but they said that was normal, it was doing that when he’d move around. They said that was actually a really good sign, and they don’t usually see that at this point in pregnancy, normally those fluctuations happen a little later, but it’s still a good sign. Last week my belly measured 31cm, and this week it measured 34cm, so I’m growing just as I should, even though I still haven’t gained any weight this pregnancy. I was supposed to have a glucose screening today, but I didn’t know I was supposed to fast, and when they found out I had a peppermint, they had to reschedule it. So I’ll have my glucose test (to check for gestational diabetes) next Tuesday, and I’ll also get another injection of Rhogam (since I’m RH Negative). I’ll be seeing my regular ob doctor next Tuesday, and will update the website after that visit.
February 18, 2003 – 2:47 pm
Had a good checkup today at the doctor. My cervix is holding steady at 11mm, and the doctor said he just simply can’t explain what is keeping me pregnant. He said that a cervix this small, is just unheard of, and he just can’t understand it. But, I’m still pregnant, and to me that’s all that matters, I don’t need an explanation. I’m 29 1/2 weeks along today, so only about 10 weeks left to full term, although he predicts I’ll have the baby within the next couple of weeks, since Damian is putting on so much weight so quickly. They checked his growth today, and this baby is growing like a weed. On the 28th of January, he weighed just barely over 2 lbs, and today he was right at 3 pounds. He’s growing just as he should be, which means that he’s totally perfect so far. He’s not in the head down position as he should be, so if he doesn’t turn soon, and I go into labor, they’ll take him by c-section. But hopefully he’ll turn, and I’ll be able to have a normal delivery. They hooked me up to the fetal monitor for about an hour today, and I was able to listen to his heartbeat, while they monitored that activity in my uterus. I didn’t show any contractions, but did show a bit of irritability in the uterus… which could be a clue that I could go into labor soon, but it could also be nothing. At this point, it’s nothing to worry about. I go back next week, and get screened for gestational diabetes, but that’s routine, and there is no reason to think I have that. Everything else looks really good!!
I did hear from Rob last week, he was allowed a quick 4 minute phone call. He is well, the conditions aren’t great, but he’s hanging in there. Apparently their stuff is still on ship, so they don’t have anything to do until it arrives, but the most important thing is that he is safe. I will let you know when I hear from him again.
February 11, 2003 – 2:48 pm
Back from another trip to the doctor. My cervix measured 10mm, which is the same size as last week, so no change is a good sign!! The doctor calls me the “amazing cervix girl”. He said he just can’t believe that I am still pregnant, he can’t believe my cervix is holding up. I keep telling him that not everything needs to be explained by science, that things happen for a reason, and that there’s somebody else up there that’s keeping an eye out for my “little one”.
On another note, most of you already know that Rob is a US Marine. Some of you knew he could be affected by the possible war with Iraq. He has known for some time that he’d probably get called up, and that time has come. He left early this morning to fly out and help fight our war on terrorism. They have said he could be gone anywhere from 4-12 months, with 6-8 being the general thought. It was very hard to say good-bye to him today, not knowing when we will see him again. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers, as well as all the other servicemen/women who are over “there” fighting for our country. I don’t expect to hear from him for maybe a month, but when I do, I will let everyone know how he is doing. If anyone wants to send him a note, a card, or anything else, please send it to me and I will include your item in my box to him. I will be sending him a package every Friday, and some things that I have been told that are great are letters/cards, candy/cookies, books/magazines, anything to help pass the time. We will be sending big boxes of goodies about once a month for him to pass around to all his marines, in hopes of bringing some cheer to their camp. I will also be sending him some letters addressed to “any marine” for him to pass along to those that may be in need of a companion, so if you are interested in having a pen pal over there, please send any letters/cards, and address the envelope “Any Marine” and I’ll make sure those are in his box to pass out also. I have 3 sisters in elementary school, and their classes will also be sending cards and drawings over there to spread some cheer.
I’ll go back to the doctor next Tuesday, and will update the website again then.
February 3, 2003 – 2:49 pm
Back from another appointment today. The cervix measured about 10mm, which is almost the same as last week (11mm). We got to see the baby for a little bit this morning. He was sleeping, as usual. The ultrasound tech woke him up with a buzzer she put on my belly. He stretched, rolled over, and went back to sleep. But not before winking at us. We got to see his face up close, and I may be biased, but that’s the prettiest baby I’ve ever seen!! He’s got a cute little nose, he looked like he was smiling, and he’s got some fat cheeks! We are 27 weeks and 3 days today. They still say we could go into labor any day, but they’ve been saying that for a month, so we’ll just take everything one day at a time. We’ll go back next Tuesday.
January 28, 2003 – 2:51 pm
Just got back from another appointment. We did growth today, which means they measured all of Damian’s bones and waist and head to make sure he’s growing like he should, and he is. He’s right on target!! He weighs a little over 2 pounds now. He looks great!! Everything as far as he is concerned couldn’t be more perfect. And good news… my cervix has increased size from 6mm to 11mm long, even though that is still very very small, that’s definitely better than last week. The doctor still says that the baby can come any day now… and since we’re 26 weeks and 3 days, the chances of him surviving if he is born now are very good. They say about 85%, which is certainly alot better than the 50% that we were at for the last 2 weeks. The goal is still to get another month along… to get us to 31-32 weeks — but we’ll just have to wait and see if he can hang in there that long. The heavier he gets, the more pressure he puts on the cervix, and the greater the chance he could push on through. Damian is very active these days, doing jumping jacks, flips, and all sorts of kicks and punches. He is thriving, and although at times quite painful, it’s great to feel him moving around in there. Rob can also feel him move when he puts his hand on my belly, and I think that scares him a little bit, but he does think it’s cool. We’ll go back on Monday!
