Ups and Downs

Things are going pretty well over here in SB Land. I had my weekly doctor's appointment (went from twice a week to once a week). My blood pressure was 118/62 and there was trace levels of protein in my urine. No swelling, no weird vision. I fully understand that this can take a turn at any time, but I am hoping with two good doctor's appointments under my belt, this is more of an indication that I can make it to 37 weeks. Dr. B even suggested that I can take my appointments to twice a month now. I declined simply because of the fact that I am a spaz.

Speaking of being a spaz......

I had my second growth ultrasound two Saturdays ago. Since the diagnosis, they want to make sure the baby is still growing and getting everything he needs. So I go about once every 4 weeks to go and get him checked out now. Dude, our baby is getting what he needs and plenty more of it where that came from. HE IS BIG! In the 81st percentile for his growth and at 31 weeks he was weighing in at about 4.5 lbs. No surprise really. Mr. SB was an 8 pounder and I was a 9 pounder so to think our baby was going to small was pretty much a figment of our imaginations.

Well, during this appointment, I noticed the tech taking extra pictures of the baby's head (which by the way is measuring 4 weeks ahead!!!!) and measuring it. This let me into hysterics because I was convinced she was doing all of these measurements because the baby is brain damaged. Rational and logic aside (umm, her job is to measure - that's pretty much what we went in for), I was prepared to take in the bad news at my doctor's appointment. Needless to say, everything was fine and I will just add that instance to the list of why I will be the craziest mother on earth (If you are a hypochondriac, just wait until you get knocked up - then you have two people to obsess about).

However, pre e has not come without a few bumps in the road. I was in the ER twice in past week.

The first time was for high blood pressure that would not go down. Mr. SB and I went out for lunch and I don't know how to explain it but I just felt...off. We were going to go and finish up some baby shopping after, but I asked him to take me home - I didn't feel well. Once I got home, I took my blood pressure. It was sky effin' high. So I put my feet up, drank some water, and tested again - still high. Repeated this one more time and then called my doctor's office. They told me to come in.

Once in triage, my blood pressure went down to safe levels and all of my blood work came back normal. I was sent home with another 24 hour urine test to do (I'm such a pro at this now). My levels came back slightly elevated from last time, but nothing to be concerned about.

The second trip was because I am a little crazy and thought my water broke. I'm going to go all TMI on you guys here and tell you that holy mother of cats do I have a ton of discharge in my third trimester. Needless to say, my water is still in tact, but that didn't stop them from keeping me in triage for FOUR HOURS because my blood pressure was high (umm no shit - I thought my water broke). But I guess it is best to be monitored, and after a few blood tests and other blood pressure readings, I was sent home again.

Tomorrow I will officially be 33 weeks (which marks 6 weeks since my diagnosis of pre e). One week away from our first goal of 34 weeks and I must admit, it feels pretty good to have made it this far. Let's just hope that my body can endure this for 4 more weeks. Every day I am considering a blessing.

I'm going to leave this post on a positive note and say that I also had my baby shower this month. It was so cute! My cousin did a baby bird theme for me. Here are some pics:

Pre Eclampsia - I Has It

Hi All! Sorry to have been MIA - just have kind of been on a whirlwind of emotions that has to do with the title of this post.

At my 27.5 week appointment, I thought it was going to be a normal run of the mill appointment. Go to Dr. appointment, get told my blood pressure was a little high, hear Dude's heartbeat get sent home. Guess what? It didn't go that way.

Apparently the first blood pressure taken was so high they wouldn't even tell me the numbers. After the doctor came in and listened to the heart beat, he took it again and said it was still on the high side and sent me to triage (kind of like the ER for pregnant ladies) for a few hours to do rolling blood pressures. He told me he didn't think anything was wrong, but he wanted to be sure.

When I got to triage they hooked me up on all kinds of monitors and had my blood pressures taken. I was pulling high numbers - I was stressed out. They took blood to make sure my liver and kidneys were still functioning properly and took a pee sample to look at the protein levels.

The blood tests turned out fine, but the pee test showed my proteins were up to about 280. The cut off for pre eclampsia is 300. Due to the high blood pressure numbers I was pulling in triage (160s and 180s/80s) I won the prize of a night stay in the hospital. I had never stayed in the hospital overnight before so I freaked out a little bit more.

I did a 24 hour urine sample in the hospital and had my blood pressures taken every 4 hours. The BP came down significantly - in the 120/130 and a few in the 140 range, but the pee test came back at 320, so the diagnosis of pre eclampsia was given.

I was scared to be diagnosed so early. All I kept thinking was that I was going to have a premature baby at 28 weeks, which is terrifying. However, they said my condition was mild, but it could turn around at anytime.

Things I have to be mindful of:

1. Spots in front of my eyes (Can I tell you how many "spots" I think I see now? I'm almost positive I see them when I turn my head and come to find it is just a bug. I talked to my doctor about it and he said that those spots are normal - I'm sure he thinks I'm psycho)
2. Pain in my upper right quadrant (I have this all of the time on my right and left sides - especially when Dude is in my rib cage)
3. Headaches that are severe or don't go away (Want to know how many phantom headaches I have a day? Don't ask)
4. Nausea or vomiting (another symptom I've been having when Dude is doing back flips in my belly)

So ya, give a hypochondriac (me) a list of symptoms and I swear I have them all and that I'm going to die. My only saving grace is my blood pressure machine at home. I take it about 3 times a day (sometimes more because I'm a little obsessed with it) and record my pressures. They are almost never high when I'm at home which is a relief.

I guess I'm kind of on a modified bed rest. I don't really go anywhere except places where I know I can sit and much walking isn't involved and I work from home 4 out of 5 days a week now. Seems to be working.

I've went from 2 appointments a week back down to one since my BP on Tuesday was 122/60 and my proteins came back negative on the dip test (I had another 24 urine same the week before and levels were only up 30 points), so I'm feeling a little better. Although the terms "seizure" "stroke" and "premature baby" still tend to haunt me.

But for now, I guess I'm holding steady. I've had this for almost 4 weeks now and in 1 day, I will be 31 weeks pregnant. No blood pressure meds and no full bed rest. If Dude can hold out for at least 3 more weeks, I will be ecstatic - although I know he needs to cook longer than that.

Oh, and I have a new "due" date too. Since they won't let me go past 37 weeks, looks like I'm having the baby no later than May 19th. Yes, I'm having a baby next month. Four days after my 30th birthday to be exact.

Sounds like the best birthday present ever to me. Let's just keep praying for 37 weeks.

Heart Shaped Box

Before I go any further, PLEASE tell me someone gets the song reference in the title of the post. I'll feel really old if nobody does.

I had my first appointment with my new provider this morning. All-in-all it was as expected. We went over history. She estimated my due date. Based on the u/s that I had in the ER a few weeks back apparently we're looking at October 17th rather than the 15th. A couple of days later than LMP is expected due to my late ovulation (see chart), so whatever. They scheduled me for my first shot at hearing the heartbeat (FINALLY!), and then sent me to the vampires in the lab for blood draws and peeing in a cup.


As of right now, my first chance at seeing a heartbeat won't be until March 31st. I'll be about 11.5 weeks. Ironically, I'll be getting a NT Scan at a different hospital (the u/s tech that does them at the military hospital is deployed) at roughly the same time (11-13 weeks). I'll be waiting what feels like an eternity for an u/s, and then getting two in two weeks time. Figures.



******

Now for the big news of the day. Apparently I have what they are deeming a Bicornate Uterus. I knew at my ER visit at 6 weeks that they were looking at the possibility, but I had no idea it was official. I'm honestly kind of suspecting its the fibroid I've been told is there growing and distorting things, but they are right to be conservative.


For those that don't know, a bicornate uterus is basically one with a partial division down the center. There are two common shapes to a bicornate uterus. Heart-shaped and two horned. I'm the heart-shaped variety. I don't have an image of my own yet, so here is the closest I could find on the internet to what I saw during my u/s.

A three-dimensional image that demonstrates a heart-shaped bicornuate uterus. Fundal indentation is well seen (arrow), as well as the widely divergent horns (asterisks) with a single cervix (arrowhead). (Image and explanation courtesy of: http://tinyurl.com/4gnr7zd)

From what I've been able to find online, the biggest risks are:
*Miscarriage if implantation happens in a region of the uterus where growth would be too restricted.

*Early delivery due to space restrictions.

*Cesarean section due to breech/transverse presentation. Basically the shape of the the uterus can restrict the baby being able to flip into a head-down position for delivery.

I've also found examples on the internet of women going full term and doing natural deliveries, so I'm just taking it as something they'll be watching closely. We'll deal with potential complications as we go. I've already got a list going for questions to ask the doctor. Right now I'm just trying to remind myself that this is the same pregnancy as it was yesterday, I'll just be watched more closely now. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was concerned though. Its scary being told your pregnancy is now deemed risky enough that they are sending you to the Big Dogs to be watched more closely. The same place that you were told just weeks ago was for "high risk" only. *Gulp*