First Admission

I had a checkup for baby yesterday since I'm on 2x per week checkups now.  There were 3 parts to the checkup:  First the non-stress test (NST), then the ultrasound, then meet with the doc.  We saw Dr W again this time.

The NST went much like the last one we did, in spite of my attempt to get Baby to wake up by slamming part of a bottle of Coke for my morning carbs.  I started out on my back, then the nurse had me roll to my right side and propped me up with a pillow.  We noticed my blood pressure spike quite drastically when I was on my back - I was giving off readings of 148/94, which is MUCH higher than what they want to see.  Baby seemed to be sleeping throughout the test again.  After 20 minutes, the nurse took a buzzer and put it on my stomach to wake baby up.  Then she explained a little better what exactly they're looking for since she was training a new tech.  They need Baby's heart rate to increase by 15 beats per minute and stay elevated for at least 10 seconds.  Baby has to do this at least 2 times in 10 minutes for the test to be considered 'reactive,' which is what the goal is.  The buzzer really seemed to do the trick - I got the living daylights kicked out of me for the next half hour! lol!!

We had another ultrasound to measure the fluid levels around Baby.  We were told the level is in the 'normal' range, although it's on the lower side of the normal.  This is another thing they're really keeping an eye on.  We got a pretty cute face shot of Baby though :)

Next we went to see Dr W.  She asked about my sugar levels, which have been really good since I've been on the Glyburide.  In spite of me overdoing some of my carbs a little bit now and then, my numbers are staying in range.  I've noticed quite often I underdo my carbs too, though.  Anyway, Dr W was very concerned with how high my blood pressure was.  She sent me over to Labor and Delivery for additional monitoring.  She didn't know if they were going to keep me overnight or if I'd just be there for a few hours.  It was dependent on how my blood and urine tests came back and how the monitoring came out.

We went over to the L&D Triage center and I got admitted.  After giving them a urine sample, I spent the next couple hours laying in the bed with the NST monitors and a blood pressure cuff on.  They checked my bp every 5 minutes for the first hour, then every 10 minutes for the next hour.  Hubby and I watched a movie to help pass the time.  With the docs and nurse coming in and with the monitor going off, plus having to contact people to keep them posted (my sister since she had my kids, and my mom and grandma), I missed quite a bit of the movie. What I did see what pretty good though.

In addition to the other tests, the OB on call in L&D did a pelvic exam since I haven't had one since about 20 weeks or so.  We found out I'm dilated to 2, 50% effaced, and even though Baby feels like he/she is sitting lower, is still at -3 station. (I've included these couple links for those who are unfamiliar with the terms.)

Obviously after this additional time added to my appointment, hubby didn't make it to work as planned :(  He had been planning on going in around 11 or 1130, but since we didn't get back to town until about 2, he said there was no point in going in.  Unfortunately that means he gets to spend all day Saturday working and putting in a few extra hours during the week...  He's been putting in up to 2 hours extra a night during the week.  I don't think he has any idea how much it means to me that he's been so supportive and so involved in this pregnancy.  This all would have been a lot more difficult if he wasn't so supportive.  I'm so lucky I found such a wonderful man!!

My bp mellowed out and my labs came back alright, so they decided to send me home.  I have to go back on Tuesday for another NST, ultrasound, and checkup.  They also sent a jug home with me with orders to collect urine for the next 24 hours (YUCK) so that they can check the protein levels in it.  Which means we actually have to go back this afternoon to drop it off.

Hubby really doesn't want me to go by myself just in case something happens, even though it's just straight over there and back.  I asked my best friend to ride with me, but she has to help her dad move today.  I can't go until after 3:30, which is about how late hubby was planning on working anyway, so we decided that I would just wait and we'd go when he gets home.  I had to move the seat back in my car, too, cuz my steering wheel was rubbing against the baby belly.  It's a little more difficult to reach the pedals now, so I try not to drive out of town if I can help it.  Since a friend had asked, here's a belly shot.  Not so flattering.  But I am still down a total of 8.25 pounds.  Yup - I gained 3 pounds this past week.

Next week I have to be back 2x again.  The plan was to go on Wed since Scraps has an ENT appointment then, but that doesn't work into their 2x per week schedule.  They said one appt has to be Mon or Tues and one has to be Thurs or Fri.  So next week I will be at Mayo Tues, Wed, and Thurs.  We were having a hard time figuring out how to do this since it would be super hard for hubs to take that much time off, so Grammy is going over with me on Wed for Scrappy's appt.  We don't have to be there until 945 for that one, and my appts are at 8am so it would be harder for her to go with to those.  I would prefer that hubby is with for mine anyway in case I get kept or anything happens.

And the more that things are going wrong, the more the docs are talking about induction.  Hopefully we find out a definite answer very soon.  As much as I love my babies and I loved being pregnant, this one has taken quite a toll on me.  I'm ready to meet this little one and have some strand of normalcy back in my life.

Mixed Emotions

Yesterday's appointments didn't go quite as well as we had hoped for.  I'm riding an emotional roller-coaster right now because of everything going on and all the stress and emotions involved with pregnancy.

My first appointment was for the non-stress test.  They let Scrappy come in with us for this one since he was being pretty mellow.  For those who have never had one, a non-stress test is one where I sit back in a recliner with my feet up.  The nurse puts 2 straps around my   stomach with monitors on them.  One was put at the top of my stomach to monitor for contractions and the other is placed over Baby to monitor movement.  During this I also had a blood pressure cuff on that would periodically monitor my blood pressure.  The test can last anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, depending on how the baby responds.

We seem to have a pretty stubborn baby.  I was hooked up for the entire 40 minutes. Baby's heart rate was in the lower 150's.  During the test, the nurse monitors how many times the baby moves and what the baby's heart rate does.  The goal is that when baby moves, his/her heart rate is supposed to go over 160 and stay there for a short period.  Baby did NOT want to cooperate.  We listened to hiccups for a while, which was the extent of the movement we were getting.  The nurse pushed on my stomach and had me change positions, rolling over to my left and rolling over to my right side.  I pushed on my stomach.  Scrappy yelled at and talked to Baby and pushed on my stomach.  Daddy pushed and shook and rubbed his hands on my stomach.  In spite of my carb restrictions, I even ate part of a granola bar to see if the sugar was going to get Baby moving.  We got a few kicks here and there, but not a lot.  Baby is most active around supper time and bed time, or really early in the morning and is pretty mellow throughout the day.  I was concerned, though, when I saw what my blood pressure readings were.  Throughout my pregnancy, my bp has been about 110/65-70.  My last appointment, Dr R said it was running a little high.  At this appointment, it varied with the top ranging from 128-138 and the bottom running from 83-92.

My second appointment there were no kids allowed, so Daddy and Scrappy had to wait in the waiting room during that one.  The ultrasound tech didn't do any measurements on how big baby was, just concerned about checking how much fluid there is and a few other measurements the doc needed.  She said Baby was 'face down' so she couldn't get a good profile shot.  But here you can see Baby's face, shoulder, and hand.

Then it was on to my third and last appointment - seeing the doc.  We didn't see my normal doc, but we got to meet another (Dr W), which is good just in case mine isn't there when we go in.  She was very brief and to-the-point.  I don't think we were in the room for more than 10-15 minutes with her.  She looked over my glucose readings since the medication started and looked over the non-stress test and bp results.  She was not happy with my bp being up since it's been so low until recently.  Of course she said she was concerned about pre-eclampsia and now wants me coming in twice per week.  Normally, she said, she wouldn't be so concerned about my bp since it's not horribly high, but because of the gestational diabetes AND the bp, she'd rather I come in more often.  She said if it stays high, she would like to induce me at 36 week.  I told her that Dr R had talked about induction at 34 weeks if it was high.  She didn't agree with that.  But I guess in the end it's up to what the two of them decide.  We're going back to see Dr W on Friday for a follow-up.  I'm not sure how she wants me to handle 2x per week after that since my next 2 appointments after that are on Wednesdays to coincide with Scrappy's.  We'll just have to see what happens.  On the 9th, we're scheduled to see Dr R again.

And after some discussion, my husband and I decided to stop down and change my registration.  We upgraded to a private room.  I'd rather not have someone else's newborn keeping me up all night or have to deal with their family visiting if I wanna nap during the day. 

I guess I'm as ready as I'm every going to be for this baby to come.  I'm kind of nervous because so many things have gone wrong already and I'm afraid of what else can go wrong.  I'm excited to see the little angel that's been kicking and hiccuping and growing in me for the last 32 1/2 weeks.  I'm terrified of the possibility of Baby needing surgery.  But we're seeing some of the best doctors in the country at Mayo.  We just need to put our trust in them....  We really can't do any more to prepare...

I'm getting restless and sore and craving everything I can't eat because of the diabetic diet.  I swear if I could, I'd chug a gallon of high-pulp orange juice right now!!!