Dale and I went in for our doctor appointment this morning at 9 o'clock. I think it's so funny how when he is with me we barely ever have to wait. There was only one other person in the waiting room ahead of us, so we were called back not long after we got there.
They did all the usual vital stuff and tests. Took my weight, still good, (not going to share that one!) and her heart beat was still in the average range. I measured out at 35 weeks and my blood pressure was 137/74, which was a little higher than it usually is when I go in, but still not bad.
Dr. Fletcher came in joking with me about how I just don't want to produce any extra fluid and proceeded to explain to Dale and I what was going on. She told me my fluid count was lower, at an 8, but that it was nothing to worry about at the moment. She explained to us why the fluid was so low. She said the placenta is like an egg timer. It only goes so long before it decides it's done with the whole pregnancy thing. Well the placenta is what provides the blood flow to the baby. So when it decides that it's done the blood flow to the baby decreases. From there, there baby realizes that it's not getting enough blood flow and to protect itself, rushes it's blood supply to it's head to protect it's brain. In doing this, it means that the baby's kidneys aren't producing as much as they usually would. Basically, amniotic fluid is baby pee. So when the baby's kidneys are producing enough fluid, then the fluid starts to run low, which puts the baby at a higher risk the lower and lower the fluid gets. The fluid is vital for the baby to be able to move around and function.
Dr. Fletcher told me that since I was at an 8 that I was still ok for the time being, but that she feels that I shouldn't go any longer than 37 weeks, or the first week in December, which is why they set a date to induce labor just in case she wouldn't come before that period of time. When Dale asked why they couldn't just induce me today she told us because the risk of delivering a baby at 35 weeks who might not be ready is much greater than delivering a baby at 37 weeks. At 35 weeks, Brooklyn's lungs might not still be completely developed because my body wouldn't have given her that last natural dosage of steroids like it would naturally verses inducing. Also, babies at 35 weeks can not control their body temperature near as well as a baby at 37 weeks. So all and all, it was safer for me to wait as long as possible because being an 8 fluid wise was not causing the baby any harm. Had I been a 5, then she would take Brooklyn immediately.
So to keep and eye on everything, I now have to go in every Tuesday and Thursday to the hospital to have a NST done. She said she will be able to tell from this test whether or not the baby is stressing out. I also have to have a BPP, or Bio Physical Profile, AKA ultrasound, done every Tuesday as well to measure the amount of fluid and her weight. When I asked the doctor about her weight gain she said she was not worried about it at all. That babies grow in spurts and that there was always room for a little error in those weight measurements.
The next thing we discussed with her was whether or not I needed to continue taking my medication for the contractions. She told me no! She said not to worry about taking any more of the medicine because if I have Brooklyn, then I have her. As far as bed rest, she did tell me to take it easy still and that laying around wouldn't hurt me. Dale asked if that meant I couldn't get out because I was dying to go shopping for baby stuff. Dr. Fletcher said to go ahead and that it was fine for me to do all of that. If doing so sends me into labor, then oh well. She said she didn't have a problem if I went into natural labor because that was my body telling itself that it was time. If it's time, then it's time, so be it because my uterus is a lot smarter than she is!
She said that she is not on call this weekend, but if something happens over the weekend, that she has it written on my charts for the hospital to call her first. She is on call over Thanksgiving, so if something happens then, she'll be there. She then checked my cervix and everything and said I was still dilated to a 2 at this point. She ran some other tests and told me that she would see me next week on Tuesday since they would be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday.
I also asked her why I wasn't able to eat too much without feeling like I was going to get sick. She told me that my stomach was literally up in my chest like I was feeling and that with the baby pushing on it all the time it has shrunk. With that being said, I need to eat 6 smaller meals a day instead of bigger meals otherwise I will make myself sick. Yay! I have never been so hungry but so unable to drink or eat anything in my life! I just hope I will be able to handle Thanksgiving! I am SO looking forward to turkey and pie!
Anyway, after we left the doctors office we had to go to the hospital so they could run a NST on me. After about 30 minutes of me laying there listening to Brooklyn's heart pound like a race horse and feeling her kick the crap out of me, they let us go. They said everything looked fine and that they would see me on Tuesday whenever I decided to come in. As for next Thursday, they said whenever I wanted to come in would be fine also and that I just needed to schedule my BPP with radiology before I left.
So my doctor appointment schedule for the next week is really nice. Now given that I don't have Brooklyn sometime this weekend, I have to be at the hospital around 7/ 7:15 in the morning next Tuesday for my 7:30 ultrasound. From there I have to go upstairs to have another NST done. After I am done with that I have to head over to Dr. Fletcher's office for my routine doctor appointment at 9 am. That should be nice since their last appointment that day is at noon because of the holiday weekend and the lady at the front desk went ahead and double booked us so we could get an earlier time. So I will probably be waiting a while there. Then sometime Thanksgiving day I have to run up to the hospital to have another NST done. All of this makes for a very busy week.
Anyway, with me being off of bed rest now, which I am SO excited about, Dale and I are finally going to be able to go to Wal-Mart and finish our baby shopping. I didn't think I would ever say this, but I can't wait to go to Wal-Mart!!
That is about it for my day so far though. I still need to talk about the baby shower, but I will have to do that another time because I need to get my bags ready for the hospital now just in case something happens!
Love,
Jennifer
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment