This morning we had our biophysical profile ultrasound. The things they look at include breathing movements, body movements, smaller movements e.g. clenching fists, the amniotic fluid index and the baby's heart-rate. Baby boy was doing everything he should be doing - the ultrasound took literally 5 minutes! He's still vertex (head down) and it's getting very cramped in there so I doubt he's going to turn breech again (I really hope he doesn't, anyway!). I asked about the cord and whether it was still around the baby's neck - it isn't! Yay! Obviously that can change at any time, but it's nice to know it's not there right now. His heart-rate was 146 bpm, which is normal. My amniotic fluid index was 12, and the tech said between 10 and 20 is normal so that's good. My placenta looks good, too. I'm very happy that everything is awesome!
As for his estimated weight, he's about 6 pounds 4 ounces right now. At our last ultrasound, which was at 34+6 (19 days ago) he was estimated to be about 4 pounds 14 ounces. So going by those measurements, he's gained about 22 ounces in 19 days. I know ultrasound weight measurements can be off, but it's good to know he's growing appropriately. Babies are supposed to gain around an ounce a day, apparently, so he's doing well. I'm guessing he'll weigh somewhere in the region of 7 pounds at delivery, maybe 7 and a half. The tech said he's in the 25th percentile, but they get concerned when
babies are in the 10th percentile or the 90th percentile. He's just a
smaller baby than average, I guess. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing!
We got 4 pictures from the ultrasound, but at this point it's really hard to make anything much out. It's crazy to think that in 2-3 weeks, our little guy will actually be here! :)
Monday, April 29, 2013
Thursday, April 25, 2013
37 weeks - full term!
Today is a huge milestone for me - I'm 37 weeks pregnant, which is classed as full term! :)
I remember the day I got my BFP and it really doesn't seem like that long ago. Baby will be here before we know it, I'm sure. I'm still loving being pregnant, I love feeling the baby move around and I can't complain much really, I've been very lucky so far.
I had an appointment and NST today. My OB had been called to a delivery, so we waited quite a while for her. We were given the option of rescheduling, but I wanted to ask her some questions so we waited. I was glad we got to see her, we discussed quite a lot.
We talked about induction, and she said she'd rather let the baby come on his own - but if I get to 40 weeks and he's not here, she would like to induce shortly after. I expected this, and I'm OK with it. I asked about what she thinks regarding epidurals, especially given that baby has the cord around his neck. She said it would be good for me to get one, for a number of reasons:
The baby is doing really awesome, which is a huge relief! My doctor said the NST shows a textbook baby! I asked if we need to have another ultrasound before delivery, and she said I can have a biophysical profile done so we're going for that on Monday morning. I'll ask the tech if the cord is still around the baby's neck. Hopefully it won't be anymore, or if it is, it'll be no worse than it was before. My doctor isn't worried about the cord, she said it's really common, so that's good. I feel much better about it now!
I had my first cervix check today, too. She said I'm at about 1.5 cm. I know it doesn't really mean a whole lot, but it's interesting to know anyway. I am having some light spotting now, though. That's normal, I know.
Here's a pic I took yesterday - this belly is getting huge now! He hasn't dropped yet, but I'm sure he will soon enough :)
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Earlier this week I went to L&D because my BP was acting all funky. At home it's usually good, but on Monday it was 145/90. I thought maybe I was just tired, so I took a nap. After the nap I checked my BP again, and it was 149/90. That's when I decided to go and get checked out; better safe than sorry! My OB always says if it's higher than 140/90 I should get seen. Anyway I had a NST and baby was doing really great. My urine tests came back normal, as did the blood tests. I just didn't want to mess around with my BP in case it was going to continue to rise. It's back to normal now, and has been for a couple of days. It must have just been one of those things. Thank goodness it wasn't pre-eclampsia or anything like that.
I remember the day I got my BFP and it really doesn't seem like that long ago. Baby will be here before we know it, I'm sure. I'm still loving being pregnant, I love feeling the baby move around and I can't complain much really, I've been very lucky so far.
I had an appointment and NST today. My OB had been called to a delivery, so we waited quite a while for her. We were given the option of rescheduling, but I wanted to ask her some questions so we waited. I was glad we got to see her, we discussed quite a lot.
We talked about induction, and she said she'd rather let the baby come on his own - but if I get to 40 weeks and he's not here, she would like to induce shortly after. I expected this, and I'm OK with it. I asked about what she thinks regarding epidurals, especially given that baby has the cord around his neck. She said it would be good for me to get one, for a number of reasons:
- If baby gets distressed and we need to have a c-section, I won't have to be put under. This is a big one for me, because I don't want to miss our baby's birth! Also, if they put me under, my hubby would miss it as well. It would be a real shame.
- It will lower my blood pressure - which tends to run high in medical environments, and definitely will if I'm in pain.
- If I tear (which is pretty likely) it will be a lot more comfortable when I'm getting stitched up afterwards.
The baby is doing really awesome, which is a huge relief! My doctor said the NST shows a textbook baby! I asked if we need to have another ultrasound before delivery, and she said I can have a biophysical profile done so we're going for that on Monday morning. I'll ask the tech if the cord is still around the baby's neck. Hopefully it won't be anymore, or if it is, it'll be no worse than it was before. My doctor isn't worried about the cord, she said it's really common, so that's good. I feel much better about it now!
I had my first cervix check today, too. She said I'm at about 1.5 cm. I know it doesn't really mean a whole lot, but it's interesting to know anyway. I am having some light spotting now, though. That's normal, I know.
Here's a pic I took yesterday - this belly is getting huge now! He hasn't dropped yet, but I'm sure he will soon enough :)
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Earlier this week I went to L&D because my BP was acting all funky. At home it's usually good, but on Monday it was 145/90. I thought maybe I was just tired, so I took a nap. After the nap I checked my BP again, and it was 149/90. That's when I decided to go and get checked out; better safe than sorry! My OB always says if it's higher than 140/90 I should get seen. Anyway I had a NST and baby was doing really great. My urine tests came back normal, as did the blood tests. I just didn't want to mess around with my BP in case it was going to continue to rise. It's back to normal now, and has been for a couple of days. It must have just been one of those things. Thank goodness it wasn't pre-eclampsia or anything like that.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Today's NST
The NST this afternoon went really well. The baby did great, thank goodness :)
I also found out I'm having contractions. That was news to me! I felt what I thought might be one during the NST, but there were a lot I didn't notice apparently. Cool! I'm sure nothing is going to happen imminently, but the doctor said now that I'm 36 weeks they won't try to stop labor whenever it starts. It's good to know my body is getting ready for labor, though. I wonder if my OB will check my cervix next week at my appointment. I've never asked what she normally does with regards to cervical checks, so who knows? I've heard they're kind of pointless, because you can go from being 0 cm dilated to being in labor quickly, or you can walk around 3 cm dilated for weeks with nothing happening. I guess I'll just go with whatever she suggests. It would be interesting to know what, if anything, is going on though!
I also found out I'm having contractions. That was news to me! I felt what I thought might be one during the NST, but there were a lot I didn't notice apparently. Cool! I'm sure nothing is going to happen imminently, but the doctor said now that I'm 36 weeks they won't try to stop labor whenever it starts. It's good to know my body is getting ready for labor, though. I wonder if my OB will check my cervix next week at my appointment. I've never asked what she normally does with regards to cervical checks, so who knows? I've heard they're kind of pointless, because you can go from being 0 cm dilated to being in labor quickly, or you can walk around 3 cm dilated for weeks with nothing happening. I guess I'll just go with whatever she suggests. It would be interesting to know what, if anything, is going on though!
Another scare
Yesterday (35+6) I had a regular appointment. On Monday the office called to let me know my OB wouldn't be in, and they asked if I would mind seeing the physician's assistant instead. I said that was fine, I figured it would be better to at least have an appointment rather than skipping one. My BP was good at my appointment for the first time in a while (usually it goes up when I go there, I wish it wouldn't, but it does). It was a nice surprise that it was fine! Well the PA was very nice, and she spent a while with us. She talked about last week's ultrasound, and said that there was one thing they were concerned about. I assumed it was going to be the baby's weight, but no. The cord is around his neck. Not what we wanted to hear by any means! It's "only" wrapped around once, and apparently it's not tight. It's one of those things, apparently, and shouldn't cause any problems. They're going to have me go in for weekly NSTs though to make sure the baby isn't in distress. The first one is going to be today (my appointment was late yesterday afternoon and they couldn't fit it in).
She said that sometimes it can cause the baby to go into distress during labor, so if that happened I may need to have a c-section. When I have my appointment with my OB next week I'm going to ask her what she thinks - of course I'd rather avoid a c-section if possible, but at this point as long as our baby is healthy that's all that matters.
While I was there the PA did the group B strep swab, so I should find out next week if I'll be needing antibiotics during labor. Hopefully not, but again, whatever I have to do for the baby.
I can't lie, this whole thing about the cord is worrying me a lot. It's just after 5am here and I can't sleep. I did get some sleep, maybe a few hours, but I've been tossing and turning all night. Eventually, at about 4:40am, I thought I might as well just get up. I can take a nap later, thankfully. Then this afternoon it's my NST. I'm not worried about the actual NST at all, but the results of it could be scary. Hopefully baby boy will be his usual active self and not be in any distress. I'm finally going to get my hospital bag physically packed today - just in case. I'm 36 weeks now and it's supposed to be done by now anyway. I have everything I need, I think, it's just a matter of packing it.
I've done some reading on nuchal cords, and apparently they're fairly common and don't usually cause issues. I wish I could stop worrying!! While I've loved being pregnant - and I still do love it, don't get me wrong - I'll be glad when the baby is finally in my arms. I know I'll probably never stop worrying about him, but at least I'll be able to see him to know what's going on!
She said that sometimes it can cause the baby to go into distress during labor, so if that happened I may need to have a c-section. When I have my appointment with my OB next week I'm going to ask her what she thinks - of course I'd rather avoid a c-section if possible, but at this point as long as our baby is healthy that's all that matters.
While I was there the PA did the group B strep swab, so I should find out next week if I'll be needing antibiotics during labor. Hopefully not, but again, whatever I have to do for the baby.
I can't lie, this whole thing about the cord is worrying me a lot. It's just after 5am here and I can't sleep. I did get some sleep, maybe a few hours, but I've been tossing and turning all night. Eventually, at about 4:40am, I thought I might as well just get up. I can take a nap later, thankfully. Then this afternoon it's my NST. I'm not worried about the actual NST at all, but the results of it could be scary. Hopefully baby boy will be his usual active self and not be in any distress. I'm finally going to get my hospital bag physically packed today - just in case. I'm 36 weeks now and it's supposed to be done by now anyway. I have everything I need, I think, it's just a matter of packing it.
I've done some reading on nuchal cords, and apparently they're fairly common and don't usually cause issues. I wish I could stop worrying!! While I've loved being pregnant - and I still do love it, don't get me wrong - I'll be glad when the baby is finally in my arms. I know I'll probably never stop worrying about him, but at least I'll be able to see him to know what's going on!
Friday, April 12, 2013
A bit of a scare
On Wednesday we had a growth ultrasound. We got some good news: baby boy is finally head down! I thought he was, but couldn't be 100% sure until the ultrasound.
His estimated weight was 4 pounds 13 ounces (at 34 weeks 6 days) - so he's on the small side, which worries me a little but he's still in the "normal" range so hopefully everything is fine.
We also got some worrying news, though: his heartrate was too high. The ultrasound tech took repeated measurements over a period of time, and his heartrate did drop a little, but not enough for her liking. In between the heartrate measurements, she got us some more 3D pictures for free (very nice of her!). Baby still had his hands by his face, so they weren't too great, but we appreciated the effort! Anyway once that was all done and his heartrate was still on the high side, the tech went to speak with one of the doctors to see what they wanted to do. They sent us to the hospital to have a NST done. They could have done it at the OB office, but they said we were better off at the hospital if anything were to happen. Before we left the ultrasound tech said "If you decide to deliver, good luck!". Holy crap! I was panicking a bit by that point. I was virtually 35 weeks pregnant, but not expecting to deliver right then!
Anyway, we went to the hospital and waited quite a while to be called back to L&D. Once we were called back, everything happened quickly. I gave them a urine sample and they hooked me up to the NST equipment and a blood pressure cuff. My BP was a little high, but I have what seems to be white coat syndrome, and I monitor my BP at home where it's fine, so they weren't concerned. Within a few minutes the nurse was able to tell us that everything seemed to be OK with the baby - his heartrate was higher when he was active, and lowered when he was not active, which of course is how it should be. We still had to leave the NST running for the full 20 minutes, of course, but that was fine. Baby boy passed the test with flying colors, which was a huge relief! It was definitely better to be safe than sorry, and I'm glad that we were sent for the NST in case anything had been wrong, but it was scary at the time. It really hit me yesterday morning that there could have been a different outcome, you know?
I haven't taken a 35 week belly photo yet, so here's one from 34 weeks:
And here's one of our new 3D ultrasound pictures:
I don't know if anyone can really make out this picture, but his hand is resting on his forehead and his other arm is across him. You can see his nose and one eye, and a chubby cheek. He's definitely stubborn when it comes to having his picture taken!
His estimated weight was 4 pounds 13 ounces (at 34 weeks 6 days) - so he's on the small side, which worries me a little but he's still in the "normal" range so hopefully everything is fine.
We also got some worrying news, though: his heartrate was too high. The ultrasound tech took repeated measurements over a period of time, and his heartrate did drop a little, but not enough for her liking. In between the heartrate measurements, she got us some more 3D pictures for free (very nice of her!). Baby still had his hands by his face, so they weren't too great, but we appreciated the effort! Anyway once that was all done and his heartrate was still on the high side, the tech went to speak with one of the doctors to see what they wanted to do. They sent us to the hospital to have a NST done. They could have done it at the OB office, but they said we were better off at the hospital if anything were to happen. Before we left the ultrasound tech said "If you decide to deliver, good luck!". Holy crap! I was panicking a bit by that point. I was virtually 35 weeks pregnant, but not expecting to deliver right then!
Anyway, we went to the hospital and waited quite a while to be called back to L&D. Once we were called back, everything happened quickly. I gave them a urine sample and they hooked me up to the NST equipment and a blood pressure cuff. My BP was a little high, but I have what seems to be white coat syndrome, and I monitor my BP at home where it's fine, so they weren't concerned. Within a few minutes the nurse was able to tell us that everything seemed to be OK with the baby - his heartrate was higher when he was active, and lowered when he was not active, which of course is how it should be. We still had to leave the NST running for the full 20 minutes, of course, but that was fine. Baby boy passed the test with flying colors, which was a huge relief! It was definitely better to be safe than sorry, and I'm glad that we were sent for the NST in case anything had been wrong, but it was scary at the time. It really hit me yesterday morning that there could have been a different outcome, you know?
I haven't taken a 35 week belly photo yet, so here's one from 34 weeks:
And here's one of our new 3D ultrasound pictures:
I don't know if anyone can really make out this picture, but his hand is resting on his forehead and his other arm is across him. You can see his nose and one eye, and a chubby cheek. He's definitely stubborn when it comes to having his picture taken!
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