Good News!

I had another ultrasound and FFN test today. Baby is still huge but fluid level is very normal. Cervical length is holding strong at 2.6 cm, so I can rest easy for the weekend! My FFN test came back negative - this means I'll see the 30s... I can't believe it! I'll be able to say "I'm 3x weeks pregnant"... unbelievable!

So much for that...

So today I'm my most pregnant - this was my first milestone and I'm very happy.

Now the bad news:

Yesterday I had an ultrasound (my first in 4 weeks) to check the baby's size and my cervical length. My doctor is concerned because I'm HUGE... when I say huge, I mean really big - as in full term big. As it turns out this kid is in the 90th percentile and I have an 'overabundance of amniotic fluid' - both of which put pressure on my cervix... which is now funneling and short at 2.5 cm - a loss of nearly a cm in a month. I've had an increase in discharge that I chalked up to advancing pregnancy but now realize its my cervix thinning...g.r.e.a.t.

I failed my 1 hour like I thought I would and have to take the 3 hour this weekend. A big kid and overabundance of amnio fluid are signs of gestational diabetes - so I bet I have it. My father has Type II so its not like I don't have risk factors for it.

Arianna was born at this point in my pregnancy and weighed 2 lbs. 15 oz... this kid, at the same gestation, is weighing in at 3 lbs. 9 oz! I'm paying $1000 for a doula and watch, I'll end up with a c-section because the kid is too big... oh ya, and breech... fun times.

On the bright side my OB and I agreed that the reason Arianna was born early was cervical incompetance so getting the cerclage was the single best thing I've done this pregnancy. The 17P shots are a close second because they've been shown to strengthen weak cervix. We also agreed that even if I pass the 3 hour on Saturday I should plan on following a low carb diet because this kid is just WAY too big and if it continues I'll be looking at a 9 lb baby. I won't lie to you that if I go full term I'm VERY scared of delivery. I hired a doula to do it 'all natural' and I'm scared that the size of the baby will make that very hard.

I have another ultrasound on Friday to check the cervical funnel - if it shortens more I'm on bedrest. It would be very hard to do bedrest at home with the amount of work required around the house and potty training a 2-year old and it sounds odd to request it but I'll be asking for hospital bedrest. Although I haven't been having any contractions a funnel/short cervix brings it on and I'd rather be in the hospital if that happens so it can be stopped immediately.

I just need 6 more weeks to feel comfortable... I can do that in the hospital; I know I can, I know I can...

I've made it this far - that's a reason to celebrate but I want my 'take home kid' and I don't care if I have to hang from my toenails to get it!

28 weeks...

Yesterday I was 28/3 - the day I went into labor with Arianna so I'm a little teary eyed yesterday and today. At 5 o'clock I was driving to the ER with DH thinking they'd just give me some meds and send me home. The nice nurse in the ER had me give a UA sample and get changed and no sooner did I get back to the bed the resident checked me and told me I was 'paper thin' effaced at 100% and 4 cm. I wasn't going to leave the hospital and she would be born very soon. For some strange reason I was more excited than not and when the resident tried to calm me down I stupidly said "I was born really early and I'm fine... she'll be fine too". I've learned so much since that day.

I was wheeled up to L&D and they immediately gave me the first steroid shot and it seems that the exam the resident gave me really sent me into full labor - the pain was UNBEARABLE! Within an hour I had an epidural and the onslaught of Social workers/NICU staff/Nurses/OB Medicine and OB staff would infiltrate my room throwing all sorts of info at us but I was too scared to really listen.

She was born at 6:43 AM on 28/5 - so if I can make it to 28/5 and still be pregnant I've reached my first goal - to make it past where she was born.

I have a growth u/s and meeting with my doc tomorrow afternoon - I am very optimistic everything will be fine but still have my fingers crossed, just in case.

Third Trimester!!

I did it - I made it to the 3rd trimester. Only 12 days until I can say I'm my most pregnant. I can't believe how time has FLOWN! Wow!

I was just sending an email to my husband today saying how I'm glad we'll have all our debts (minus my 2006 Toyota) paid off next month so we can actually have some money to buy baby things because we haven't purchased ANYTHING yet. I feel bad in a way. At this point in my first pregnancy we had finished the nursery and had lots of baby things. This baby is already second best and s/he isn't even here yet!

Oh well - its more important that we pay off our debts so I can stay home with minimal stress when the baby arrives.

I had my 1 hour gestational diabetes test this morning - I hate that test, its so pointless. I'm sure I'll fail it again like I did with Arianna and I'm really not looking forward to doing the 3 hour. I didn't get to do the 3 hour with her because she was born the day I was scheduled to take it - oh well! I was good and watched my diet closely for 3 days prior to the test so I hope it makes a difference. I only failed my 1 hour by a few points last time but had a huge carb loaded breakfast before hand. This time I enjoyed a yogurt and water so I hope it makes the difference!

I had my 17P shot and they're getting so much more tolerable now - maybe its because I'm more vocal about how they should administer the shots or just that I'm used to them, but either way its good. Only 8 more shots! WOo HoO!

I have an appointment on Tuesday and then we make a plan for the rest of the pregnancy. Since I'm in the 3rd trimester I'm out of the 'incompetant cervix' danger zone and if my cervical length is favorable we can pretty much rest assured it won't be the reason I deliver early if I do.

On the bright side I haven't had any contractions (that I feel anyway) in 2 weeks - how odd considering how the weeks previously had gone. I'm not complaining, its the best news I could report. I'm so optimistic right now. As long as Tuesday's appointment goes well my anxiety level will drop through the floor because I'm doing really well now! Who'd-a-thunk it? :)

WOW!

I know I've been here before but I still can't believe it - next week I'm in the third trimester! WOW! I'm so happy to have made it this far without bedrest or intervention!

26 Weeks!

It's been a milestone week!

I'm now under 100 days and I have had more 17P shots than I have left (10 shots so far, only 9 left now). Things are going really well (knock on wood). I haven't had ANY contractions in over a week and although my hips still ache all the time, I can deal with that if I'm not having contractions. Maybe we've 'turned a corner' and things will be nice and quiet from now on?

I have my 1-hour glucose test next Friday. I failed this by 5 points in my first pregnancy and was scheduled for my 3-hour the day Arianna was born. It was a big source of stress for me and I really want to avoid that this time so I'm going to be really diligent about watching what I eat next week so I don't consume too many carbs or whatever and hope for the best! My OB is concerned that I'll fail it again - I'm measuring 3 weeks ahead already so she wouldn't be surprised if I had gestational diabetes. I sure hope I don't though - I don't want the added stress!

It's been weird the last 2 weeks for me. I have no appetite - I haven't been hungry and nothing sounds good. I don't know if I've got a cold or not but my asthma has been pretty out of control - which is very rare for me. I had alot of trouble with my asthma early in my first pregnancy but it was gone by the second trimester. This time it didn't peak until the end of the second trimester! Due to being pregnant and due to my heart condition I'm very limited in what I can take and that's scary to me. I really hope doubling up on my steroids will help soon because being pregnant makes you out of breathe anyway!

I'm going to do something I said I would never do this weekend - I'm putting on a bathing suit and going to a public beach! Put out the beached whale signs! I have no clue how I'm going to shave my legs and bikini area, I can barely see my feet! But it's going to be 95 degrees this weekend and my husband is in NJ for a 'guys weekend' and I'm sure not going to be chasing after a toddler when its THAT hot outside all by myself- I've recruited my mom and hope the two of us can wrangle a two year old who loves the water!

Another mini-milestone

I'm under 100 days left - woo hoo! Double digits!

That requires cake and ice cream doesn't it?

NICU Levels

I thought this was very interesting... in case anyone is looking for a chart on how the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) grades their NICUs: