Thursday, June 27, 2013

16 Weeks + Ultrasound Update

Before too much time passes, I need to write this so I won't forget anything :).  What a week it has been!  I had my regular appointment last week (which I think I posted about...) and had a follow-up ultrasound yesterday with the perinatal doctor.  This was scheduled three weeks ago following my ER visit.  They wanted to check the placenta and also look at the baby's growth to check for signs of genetic problems.  I don't know why but just a few hours before the appointment, I became extremely nervous and anxious.  I tried eating lunch but it just made me feel more sick to my stomach (maybe because it was Burger King? Hmm...) so I resorted to praying :).  I talked to my boss at work and he helped me talk myself through it.  I told him my specific prayers and the verses I was leaning on and he basically said that there's nothing the enemy can come at me with when I stand on the Word.  I was still a little nervous, but felt better :).  I headed to my appointment and said a prayer on the way.  Once I arrived at the perinatal consultants' office, I was pretty much at peace.

The ultrasound went smoothly.  The nurse conducting the ultrasound kept asking me questions and I kept thinking, "is she just trying to distract me from what she's looking at?"  I pushed that paranoid thought aside and focused on watching our sweet little baby.  While watching the baby move around, the nurse asked if we wanted to know what the sex of the baby is and I said yes.  She asked if I wanted to know right then and I said "well... if I happened to see something, I guess I would find out", so she told me we're having a GIRL!  I would've been ecstatic either way, but we're both really happy :).  Anyway, she finished taking pictures and the doctor came in.  He looked at everything, confirmed that I still didn't want to get an amniocentesis, and told me the baby looked perfectly healthy from all of the measurements they took.  He said that they almost never get a good look at the heart at this stage, but the baby cooperated beautifully so we could see 4 chambers in the heart and he said the arteries looked like they were positioned perfectly too :).  He also looked at the umbilical cord at my request and said there are 3 vessels.  This may not seem very important to the average parents, but Logan only had a 2 vessel cord, which is one of the indicators that there was a heart defect.  I go back in 4 weeks for a follow-up ultrasound (and Jason will be with me at that one) and they will check everything again, but I am convinced that the baby is completely healthy.  Thank the Lord for his faithfulness!!!

On to the basic stuff:

Skin
I think my hormones are balancing out, finally!  My skin seems to have settled down a bit, which is very nice.  I was getting tired of trying to find the ideal skincare products for what has been going on.

Bloating
I think the bloating has gotten a lot better too... I just have to be careful with what I eat and I need to eat small meals more frequently throughout the day.

Weight
I have no idea what I've gained, but I'm hoping little to nothing.  I need to do better about eating healthier, though.  That will involve bringing more leftovers from home and not eating as much fast food, which means better meal planning on the front end.

Overall
I'm feeling pretty good.  My nausea has subsided for the most part and I'm not quite as tired as I was... but Logan is cutting a molar, which has thrown his sleep schedule off and ours along with it.  I just can't seem to get caught up on sleep :P.  I read my 16/17 week posts from when I was pregnant with Logan and I wasn't really feeling pregnant at the time because I wasn't nauseous and I wasn't huge pregnant yet.  I'm kinda at that stage again right now, which is nice but strange at the same time.

Movement
I'm feeling little movements throughout the day, like the baby is rolling around.  I can't wait to feel real kicks :).

Baby
She is the size of an avocado now (about 4.5" long) and they estimated her weight at the ultrasound to be 6oz.  She's growing and right on track :).  I saw her little hand and foot on the ultrasound and they're perfect :).

Thank you for all your prayers over the past couple weeks.  They were felt and very much appreciated :).  Until next week... God bless! :)

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Appointment Update

Here is a quick update before I go to bed (or just fall asleep on the couch) :).  I went in for my 15 week appointment this afternoon and it was very short and sweet.  I'm always nervous about my blood pressure and even more so now that I want to have a VBAC, so I said a quick prayer on my drive over.  When I got there, they weighed me (every pregnant woman's favorite part) and I have gained 3 lbs in the past 4 weeks.  However, I lost 4 lbs in the 1st trimester so I'm still down 1 lb from my starting weight, yay.  I'm really trying to be good :).  Then the nurse took my blood pressure and it was 110/70, woot!  After that, the doctor came in and went over the results from my ultrasound at the perinatal center a couple weeks ago.  He told me (again) that the perinatal doctors were concerned about the baby having Down Syndrome, even though the Harmony test (which looks at the baby's DNA in my blood) came back with a 1/10,000 chance.  He asked what Jason and I had decided to do about further testing, etc. and I told him we're waiting to see how next week's ultrasound and the 20 week ultrasound goes.  He seemed slightly concerned and asked if we would want to terminate if there was something "wrong" and I said, "no... the baby is coming home with us regardless.  Termination is not an option" so he said that was great and he will support whatever Jason and I choose.  It disturbs me how easily some people come to the decision to abort their own babies... I just don't get it.  Anyway, that's a post for another day :).  They scheduled my next appointment for July 16th and they will schedule the 20 week ultrasound following that appointment.  I thought the doctor said something about doing it around 18 weeks, but that's ok.  We want them to get the best pictures possible and the baby needs to be a certain size, so I'm fine with waiting a couple more weeks *sigh*.  So we should find out what peanut is around the end of July. 

I added a little poll in the top right corner if you would like to choose what gender you think Peanut is :).  I still don't really have any idea so your guess is as good as mine.  You have a 50/50 chance of choosing correctly ;).

Monday, June 17, 2013

15 Weeks

I will be 15 weeks on Wednesday but since so much has happened the past couple of weeks, I thought I would group it all together, even if it's a little early.

Things with me have been interesting, to say the least.  Two weeks ago from tomorrow I had to go to the ER.  I was changing Logan's diaper on the couch and felt a warm gush and knew something was wrong.  I ran to the bathroom and there was blood.  I tried to stay calm, so I called my doctor and since it was after hours, they told me to go to the ER.  As I stood up to get my purse, I felt another gush and there was even more blood and terrible cramping that time.  I couldn't stand up straight because the cramping was so bad.  I changed my clothes really fast and told Jason we had to go (while crying uncontrollably)... I couldn't stop crying because I was assuming the worst had happened.  We got to the ER and they admitted me to a room.  I gave a urine sample and they sent me to get an ultrasound.  I was so scared until the ultrasound tech turned the volume on and we heard the baby's heartbeat... whew!  We were so relieved :).  They said baby is fine but the placenta detached from the uterus slightly, so no exercise/activities other than walking, at least for 3 weeks.  They also said the chance of it happening again (the bleeding & cramping) is about 50/50.  Thankfully, I haven't had anymore issues and I'm praying it will stay that way.

I go in tomorrow for my normal 15 week checkup and I have to go back to a perinatal specialist next Wednesday to get another ultrasound to check the placenta. 

Also, at the 11 week scan, they told me that there was a high amount of fluid on the back of the baby's neck, which can be a marker for Down Syndrome.  I opted to have a couple of blood tests done (non-invasive) and they came out negative for Downs but the doctors are still worried about other genetic disorders.  They recommended an amniocentesis but I think we're going to wait and see how things go after the big anatomical scan in 3 or 4 weeks.  So needless to say, with working full-time, being a mommy, taking a graduate class, and all the baby stuff, I've been very exhausted :(.  Please join with us in praying that the baby will be perfectly healthy... I love how our friend Vanessa prayed over the baby... for "perfect form and perfect function".  That's what I've been praying for the past couple of weeks.  We're praying that the fluid will go away on its own and there won't be any health concerns at all.

I won't lie... it has been difficult at times to wrap my mind around everything that's going on, but we trust in a very big God and we know He loves us and will take care of us.  There have been times when I've had to ask myself if I have what I like to call "mustard seed faith" and I've always been able to answer with "yes".  If God's word is true (which I believe it is) then He will move mountains with that little amount of faith.

Anyway, on to the basic baby stuff:

Skin
My skin has been going absolutely crazy since I found out I'm pregnant.  I usually have oily skin (but pretty clear) so I was hoping it would dry out a little from the hormones, but no... it has gotten even more oily.  It has also gotten really bumpy.  I don't have huge zits, but there are a lot of little bumps all over my face.  I'm not really sure what to do with it other than keep it clean and try to manage it as best as I can.

Movement
I keep thinking that I'm feeling the baby move, but I really can't be sure.  Ever since I had my hernia repair surgery last year, I can feel food digesting/moving around my belly button area.  I'm getting the same feelings except lower (in the uterus area).  I don't know if it's baby, digestion, or gas.  I'm just going to say it's the baby to make me feel better about myself ;).

Exhaustion
See above ;).  I'm sleeping ok at night except I have to get up about 3 times on average each night to go to the bathroom.  I only have 3 weeks left of my current grad school class (Business Law) and when it's over, I plan on taking a bit of an extended break.

Swelling
When I was in the ER, the doctor was a little concerned about some swelling around my ankles.  I doubt I told him that it's kind-of normal for me.  I've been drinking a lot of water (and maybe some Sprite here and there) so hopefully there aren't any concerns about my blood pressure.  I'm sure they'll check it thoroughly tomorrow.

Well, I think that's probably enough information to cram into one blog post.  Please keep baby in your prayers.  If anything noteworthy happens at my appointment tomorrow, I will try to update with details.  If not, I will update after my perinatal appointment next week.