When I became pregnant with this baby, I was asked what test I took, and scheduled for a blood test, not given the option. Below is what we have experienced so far during this pregnancy, minus the normal fears and worries of every ache, pain, and day of feeling 100%:
4 weeks pregnant: Found out pregnant 6/8/13
Called OB office first thing Monday morning
Monday pm had blood drawn
Tuesday, received results and scheduled ultrasound for Wednesday
Wednesday had ultrasound showing yolk sac and more blood work
Thursday, received results of blood work, hCG doubled in 48 hours
6 weeks pregnant: Ultrasound that shows fetus, fetal pole and heartbeat
7 weeks pregnant: Visit OB office, draw blood. We are told my progesterone levels are good, but if I
start feeling well to call. The worse I feel, the better for this baby.
9 weeks pregnant: Use fetal monitor at home to hear heartbeat
10 weeks pregnant: Visit OB office with ultrasound. We saw the heartbeat and discussed the future of
this pregnancy. This day was filled with smiles and hugs from the staff.
Go back at 14 weeks for next check up.
Go to maternal fetal specialist at 21 weeks for gender ultrasound and to have a
thorough inspection of the ultrasound.
Depending on results of that ultrasound, is where we go after 21 weeks.
At 32 weeks I will be seen twice per week with 24 hour urine collection as needed
14 weeks pregnant: Visit OB office. Heard heartbeat. Discussed travel with pregnancy, (lots of
breaks, lots of water). Also lost a little weight, but not concerned yet. While sitting and bending over to wrap our dog's paw, I felt a quick odd, slightly painful jab in my side, but have not felt anything else since. I figured it was the baby not liking me in that position.
15 weeks pregnant: I am starting to worry a little more, trying to remember to fully trust God.
I had a painful burning feeling just to the left and above my belly button with 3 red bumps one evening. I put liquid benedryl on the spots and they were gone within an hour. Burning sensation was gone after about 5 hours. I am feeling our baby move as I type this, knowing God is trying to reassure me. Also, staring to fear the ultrasound at 21 weeks because I am waiting to hear what is wrong, having a hard time believing all is good.
16 weeks pregnant: A dear friend helped us try to find out our baby's sex before vacation. We had a leg crosser! However, we took a guess and decided to wait until our ultrasound at the maternal fetal medicine clinic to learn if our guess was correct.
18 weeks pregnant: My blood pressure was high at this visit. I had also lost more weight. Now I am starting to get concerned! I had to lay in a reclining chair and let them take my blood pressure again before I left the office. Then Andrew had to monitor it and I am supposed to call next week to let them know my readings.
We checked my blood pressure and it fluctuated. However, I was away from Andrew for the weekend on a women's retreat and using a digital monitor. I called my doctor on Wednesday, and they asked me to come in for a quick check the next day.
19 weeks pregnant: My blood pressure was more normal and I had finally gained 1 pound!!!
20-22 weeks pregnant: So the ultrasounds are reading with an earlier due date than the calculations! Our doctor told us that we would finalize a due date based off both calculations from my LMP and ultrasounds at our next visit in 3 weeks. We learned the sex of the baby, but have decided to have a gender reveal of some sort before we make our announcement. The baby was semi-cooperative, however, so far things look good. This child has a 3-vessel umbilical cord and does not currently show any markers of anything that should suggest we have chromosome testing for this child at this time. We learned after Riley that Andrew and I are not carriers, that Riley's chromosome abnormality was a fluke mutation. Our beautiful baby boy was special and one of a kind to us for sure! But, due to the baby not getting into the positions the doctor wanted to see certain things, we are going to go back in 3 weeks for another scan and compare the two scans.
My blood pressure was high at this visit, but we think it was due to the nerves of the appointment since this was our first visit to the maternal fetal specialist with this baby. The smells of the ultrasound jelly are starting to flood my mind with memories of our sweet Riley.
22 weeks pregnant: Blood pressure has finally started to stay in the normal range. Our doctor said this is about the time in pregnancy when blood pressure stays low or lowers, so we will still watch it. I was nervous for this visit. Last week a good friend delivered her son sleeping at 21 weeks. Over the weekend I had terrible pains that suddenly hit me. We decided I was either constipated or dehydrated. After some rest, water, and stool softeners I felt much better. I was thinking about asking for anxiety medication at this appointment, but God clearly spoke to me and reminded me that he is the only anxiety medication I need at this time. I need to keep letting go and letting God!
23 weeks pregnant: Gender Reveal! Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZga0p7lFFg to find out what we are having!
24 weeks pregnant: Saw the Maternal Fetal Specialist. Things look great! Our doctor compared today's ultrasound with the one taken 3 weeks ago. She also compared it to Riley's scans. Everything looks good and the baby cooperated so they were able to see all the views they wanted to see. We return to this office in a few weeks. I will be monitored closely, which is alright with me! We are going to stick with the February 13 due date at this time. I was filled with much more peace after this. I think it also helped that this past week I was able to honor and remember Riley in two different events!
25 weeks pregnant: Had some contractions and an uneasy feeling. Called my nurse who told us to check into the hospital to be monitored. We learned that everything is fine, although I am at a higher risk for pre-term labor due to being pregnant so soon after our loss. We also learned that there had been an intestinal bug going around causing many other pregnant women having the same symptoms to check into hospitals. My symptoms included loose stools, lack of appetite, uneasy feeling, and contractions. Of course I was stubborn, and waited to call the nurse when I was feeling a little better, but still uneasy. I had been having bad cramps and back pains that put my in the bed in the fetal position, or at least as close to the fetal position as I could get since my son is growing so much my belly was in the way. We saw our maternal fetal specialist this week and had a quick ultrasound. We were assured everything was looking well and our son is growing like a weed. In fact, he is in the 98% for growth!
26 weeks pregnant: Had my regular visit with my OB. Blood pressure was normal. Heart beat was 143 for baby, but I had just drank the glucola for my test. I was also told that the tech at the hospital the week prior had noted fluid around our son's heart. However, because the maternal fetal specialist didn't note anything, she wasn't concerned. I was not convinced, so I call our maternal fetal specialist who assured me that a little fluid was normal and it could have been the angle of the ultrasound, especially since they were focusing on my cervical length at the hospital, not our baby's heart. She said that I could come in for a scan earlier than my next visit, but I felt better after talk to her and I am trusting God with his plan for our son. I had some peace after that phone call.
I never heard from my OB's office so I must have passed the glucola test. She did tell me they were worried about my weight gain because now I had gained too much since my last visit, but it is difficult to tell if I am making up for what I lost earlier in the pregnancy or not. She told me in about 5 weeks I am going to be seen twice per week.
To ease my nerves as of late, and with the agreement of my wonderful husband, we have decided to put me on a modified bed rest plan and take it a little easier than we currently have been.
28 weeks pregnant: Had my regular visit with my OB and another visit with the Maternal Fetal Specialists. My blood pressure is great, heart beat is good, and we did not discuss my weight. However, our son weighs 3lbs and 10oz! Big Boy! He also showed us how he is practicing his breathing 2 weeks ahead of schedule!
Starting the week of December 19th I will be seen twice a week for biophysical profiling. On Mondays and Thursdays I will be monitored.
I was given a jug for a 24 hour urine test. This is a difficult test, mostly because you have to schedule your life around peeking in a pan to pour into a jug and refrigerate between bathroom runs. When I turned the jug into the lab, I did not have any orders to go with it. Because I took the jug in over my lunch break, the lab technician was also on her lunch break. Apparently, a blood test usually goes along with this test, however, it was not mentioned to me and I did not have any papers to turn in. The nice people at the lab found someone to draw my blood. The man explained he was going to draw more than necessary just in case they needed to test for anything else once they figured out what all was to be tested. The next day I got a call from the hospital saying I needed to have my blood drawn for testing. When I explained that I had that done, they did some more research and called back to let me know that they found my blood samples. I am grateful for the humor in the situation! Just what I needed during my second pregnancy, which is proving to be just as nerve racking as the first! Unfortunately, I will never know what a "normal" pregnancy is.
I am feeling him move, mostly at night, and especially when I am assisting Andrew. Andrew said he is going to be a dentist because he moves when he hears the drills! My comfort level is pushed to the limits. My legs ache, my back aches, and my stomach is constantly tight. I am having a lot of braxton hicks contractions, and I think I am feeling my stomach stretch constantly as our growing boy is outgrowing his space! I had Andrew take a picture of me in the same outfit I wore to the hospital to deliver Riley. I am less swollen, and my stomach is only a couple inches different from 28 weeks vs. 37 weeks! It was interesting to see!
30 weeks pregnant: We received my results from my 24hr urine & blood test. My numbers are on the high side, but with their new guidelines, they are not going to worry unless my blood pressure rises or my swelling increases. If either of those happen, I will probably do another test to decide what steps we should take. My weight has stabilized, I have not had much swelling, and our son is very active & growing! Our OB said today that she would not be surprised if he came early, but they would like me to get to at least 36 weeks. It is almost unbelievable to think that from now until 10 weeks from now we will be welcoming our second child into the world, with the hope of keeping this one with us on earth. Maybe I should pack the hospital bag, set up the nursery, and install the car seat.....!
31 weeks pregnant: I began getting a sore throat one night. I woke up feeling awful. By the fourth day I called my OB's office and spoke to the doctor on call. They recommended zyrtec and mucinex as well as using my neti pot. After 3 more days, I called my OB office again. This time my pain was worse and I was developing a sinus infection. I was prescribed a z-pack. I was nervous about the baby because I had not been eating much and I was not drinking as much water as I should have. A day later I felt even worse. I was dizzy, seeing floaters, and felt very weak. I had also not felt the baby move much. I had Andrew check my blood pressure and it was high. We called our maternal fetal specialist and then drove to their office to have an ultrasound. Baby was great, and my fluid levels were good. We believe I had a bad cold that developed into a sinus infection. Because I had just started the z-pack, I was to take a prescription steroid if I was not feeling better by the end of the z-pack. I felt so sick during that week that I did not sleep well at night and spent many nights watching TV, trying to fall asleep sitting up.
32 weeks pregnant: I was feeling a little better. My blood pressure is still higher than they like to see. The baby is doing great and measuring 5lbs 13oz with bone length in the 35 week measurement! We discussed a big baby and avoiding cesarean. We also discussed my blood pressure and continued monitoring. We discussed our loss of Riley at 37 weeks. The end result of this appointment was basically:
1. If blood pressure stays up, then we will discuss medication and possible induction.
2. If baby continues to grow like he is, and because of our loss at 37 weeks, we have a case for induction around 36-37weeks.
We will do what we can to prevent cesarean. After delivering Riley vaginally, it is important to me to deliver this son in the same way. To push a child out of me that was not moving and did not make a sound is difficult, especially when it is your first child. This time, I want to hear my child cry and feel him move. I don't want to be numb from the waist down. I want to get up and help bathe my son.
It is crazy to think that within the next 4 weeks we will more than likely be meeting our second son. Especially when months ago we were discussing a February due date!
When people ask my now when my due date is, I usually respond with a chuckle and say, "Anywhere between now and 4 more weeks". Sometimes I go into how I am technically due in February. Most of the time I do not.
Between our doctors advising me to take it as easy as possible and my blood pressure fluctuating along with swelling, I am now on modified bed rest. I am doing what I can to avoid complete bed rest. I am praying for a healthy son to come within the next few weeks. I am praying for a vaginal delivery. I am praying for my blood pressure and swelling to stay down and not fluctuate.
33-35 weeks pregnant: What a whirlwind the last couple weeks have been! We have been busy working and preparing for my leave from the office. Last week my blood pressure stayed slightly elevated and increased to some scary numbers a couple of times. Sitting with my feet up was the only thing that helped it come down. I was also spilling more protein. And, at our last non-stress test we learned I was having contractions & didn't realize it. I was about 50% effaced and no dilation at that point. We will learn if that has changed this coming Thursday. At last Thursday's appointment, the discussion of my blood pressure and urine were enough concern to have me admitted to the hospital for 24hr monitoring. We also learned that depending on the results of monitoring would be whether or not I would need to be induced then, stay in the hospital for monitoring & bed rest, or go home to bed rest. In the end, I am now home for bed rest until my next appointment. I am not allowed to do laundry, cook, move around much, or leave the house. Depending on the results from my vitals and the BPP at my next appointment is whether or not we are induced this weekend or another week of bed rest, hopefully at my home and not at the hospital.
36 weeks pregnant: After a week of bed rest, I am still showing signs of elevated blood pressure and protein in my urine. We have decided to induce me the following Tuesday (January 21, 2014). I am 50% effaced and 2cm dilated. Fortunately with Riley, the induction went well and quickly. We are hoping for the same, although this son is bigger. But, if God is with me, who can be against me? 5 days from now I will end my bed rest and check in to be induced to meet my second son, another gift from God!
31 weeks pregnant: I began getting a sore throat one night. I woke up feeling awful. By the fourth day I called my OB's office and spoke to the doctor on call. They recommended zyrtec and mucinex as well as using my neti pot. After 3 more days, I called my OB office again. This time my pain was worse and I was developing a sinus infection. I was prescribed a z-pack. I was nervous about the baby because I had not been eating much and I was not drinking as much water as I should have. A day later I felt even worse. I was dizzy, seeing floaters, and felt very weak. I had also not felt the baby move much. I had Andrew check my blood pressure and it was high. We called our maternal fetal specialist and then drove to their office to have an ultrasound. Baby was great, and my fluid levels were good. We believe I had a bad cold that developed into a sinus infection. Because I had just started the z-pack, I was to take a prescription steroid if I was not feeling better by the end of the z-pack. I felt so sick during that week that I did not sleep well at night and spent many nights watching TV, trying to fall asleep sitting up.
32 weeks pregnant: I was feeling a little better. My blood pressure is still higher than they like to see. The baby is doing great and measuring 5lbs 13oz with bone length in the 35 week measurement! We discussed a big baby and avoiding cesarean. We also discussed my blood pressure and continued monitoring. We discussed our loss of Riley at 37 weeks. The end result of this appointment was basically:
1. If blood pressure stays up, then we will discuss medication and possible induction.
2. If baby continues to grow like he is, and because of our loss at 37 weeks, we have a case for induction around 36-37weeks.
We will do what we can to prevent cesarean. After delivering Riley vaginally, it is important to me to deliver this son in the same way. To push a child out of me that was not moving and did not make a sound is difficult, especially when it is your first child. This time, I want to hear my child cry and feel him move. I don't want to be numb from the waist down. I want to get up and help bathe my son.
It is crazy to think that within the next 4 weeks we will more than likely be meeting our second son. Especially when months ago we were discussing a February due date!
When people ask my now when my due date is, I usually respond with a chuckle and say, "Anywhere between now and 4 more weeks". Sometimes I go into how I am technically due in February. Most of the time I do not.
Between our doctors advising me to take it as easy as possible and my blood pressure fluctuating along with swelling, I am now on modified bed rest. I am doing what I can to avoid complete bed rest. I am praying for a healthy son to come within the next few weeks. I am praying for a vaginal delivery. I am praying for my blood pressure and swelling to stay down and not fluctuate.
33-35 weeks pregnant: What a whirlwind the last couple weeks have been! We have been busy working and preparing for my leave from the office. Last week my blood pressure stayed slightly elevated and increased to some scary numbers a couple of times. Sitting with my feet up was the only thing that helped it come down. I was also spilling more protein. And, at our last non-stress test we learned I was having contractions & didn't realize it. I was about 50% effaced and no dilation at that point. We will learn if that has changed this coming Thursday. At last Thursday's appointment, the discussion of my blood pressure and urine were enough concern to have me admitted to the hospital for 24hr monitoring. We also learned that depending on the results of monitoring would be whether or not I would need to be induced then, stay in the hospital for monitoring & bed rest, or go home to bed rest. In the end, I am now home for bed rest until my next appointment. I am not allowed to do laundry, cook, move around much, or leave the house. Depending on the results from my vitals and the BPP at my next appointment is whether or not we are induced this weekend or another week of bed rest, hopefully at my home and not at the hospital.
