As most of you know, Maddie hasn't been gaining weight as we'd hoped. Two weeks ago she only gained 1.5 oz over a span of 7 days. Because of this slow gain, we had to start fortifying the breast milk with formula to up her caloric intake. She was to get 3 oz of fortified milk per day, which brought the milk up to 24 calories per oz from the normal 20 calories per oz.
After 7 days of fortified feedings, Maddie had another weight check yesterday. She gained EIGHT OUNCES!! A whole half a pound!!! She now weighs 4 lbs 5 oz. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was at her weight gain! We have another weight check on the 4th (her due date) to make sure she's still gaining and to hopefully give her the first Hep B shot because she'll finally weigh enough!
In other news, Maddie is starting to get her days and nights correct. She's been staying awake more often during the day doing tummy time and just hanging out. She's so alert a lot of the time...always looking around and taking everything in. And at night, she's actually been giving mommy and daddy some break! She's been skipping her 3 am feeding sometimes and letting us sleep right through to 5 or 6 am. That is MUCH appreciated!
Her new thing in gazing at me while feeding. I don't know if she actually can see me yet, but she spends a lot more time looking at my face than she ever used to.
That's all for now!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Pics of the Kiddos!
Here are a few pics of the kids from the last few days!
I have all of the Christmas pictures loaded on Facebook. Feel free to check them out when you get a chance!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
One Month Old
I still can't believe it, but Maddie is now a month old. We took a few pictures yesterday and here are some of them:
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Momma is Behind!
I'm so sorry that I've gotten so far behind on updating this blog. Maddie isn't a huge fan of sleeping so I try to catch some Z's when I can. And, now Trina is here too...so I have very little "down" time. Here are some pics from the family Christmas Party:
Maddie is one month old tomorrow! I can't believe it. I hope to be able to snap some pictures of her and I'll post those for everyone!
The Christmas Petting Zoo!
The kids all blowing kisses to their parents.
Trina got to be Rudolph!
Maddie is one month old tomorrow! I can't believe it. I hope to be able to snap some pictures of her and I'll post those for everyone!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Many Updates
This will be a long post, so brace yourselves!
Maddie and I made it to the 34 week goal that everyone had, and we made it by the skin of our teeth. As a matter of fact, my c-section was a bit delayed because my blood pressure was so high we had to take some meds and wait for them to kick in. Here I am the night before:
Madeleine Marie Ramsayer was born at 10:13 a.m. on November 23, 2011. She came out a whopping 3 pounds 8 ounces and 16.5 inches long. Here's her first picture:
The C-Section.
I don't think it's a secret that I didn't in any way want a c-section. My birth plan included giving birth med-free, laboring in a jacuzzi tub, and only giving in to the call of an epidural if it was absolutely necessary. I held on to the hope that something would go according to plan...even if Maddie insisted in making an early appearance, at least we could do an induction and life would be okay. Wrong. In the end, it was decided that a c-section was the safest route to take...so that's what we went with.
I was originally scheduled for a 9 a.m. section, but ended up going a bit later because of my blood pressure. The mostly prepped me in my room, and then we were taken into the OR where I received my spinal and had the catheter inserted. For what it's worth, the spinal didn't hurt at all. My OB was even sweet enough to kick the nurse out and hold my hand for it. The spinal started taking effect almost immediately and I was laid down on the table. 11 minutes after making the first incision, Maddie came screaming into this world. It turns out that a c-section would have been necessary anyway as Maddie had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck twice.
I'm not sure how long I held my breath, but I did. I held my breath until I heard her crying. The minute I heard her, I started to cry. A few seconds later, I was able to see her being cleaned up and looked over in the warmer:
I remember that it seemed like it took forever to get sewed up. I could feel a lot of pulling and pressure while they were working. Kind of like they were yanking down on a shower curtain, and that shower curtain was my ab muscles. Eventually, I was all put back together and wheeled into my room. Ryan went down with Maddie to the NICU and I hung out with the nurses while shaking uncontrollably. Ryan was in and out of my room a number of times to check on me and to take people to see Maddie.
Maddie's Birthday.
I missed her first bath, but Ryan took some shots:
And then, eventually, the moment I had been waiting for since the day I found out I was pregnant...I got to hold my sweet baby. After a number of hours, the nurses said that I was good to go down to the NICU to visit. After an incredibly slow and painful transfer to a wheelchair, we all made our way down to see Maddie. The nurses in the NICU had been adamant that momma always get the first "hold" so no one had been able to hold her all day.
I love this picture of her and her daddy. It's perfect.
We spent a lot of time in the NICU that night passing Maddie around and cuddling with her. Grandpa has consistently refused to hold her, insisting that he'll hold her "once she gets bigger." Grandma is already starting with the secrets:
Yes, Maddie, that's your Aunt Ashley ;)
Eventually, we let Maddie go to bed for the night.
Maddie's First Week.
At the end of the day, Maddie has done fantastic in her first week. She started at 4 ml per feeding and is up to 25 ml per feeding. She started with an IV to get her nutrients, but is eating so well now that they've removed it. She's doing a really great job regulating her body temp and is currently on the lowest temperature setting in her Giraffe. Her breathing has markedly improved over the last few days which means that she's been successful in working the amniotic fluid out of her lungs. She's still in the bili-blanket, but her bili levels have not been increasing which is very good news. And finally, we had our first breast feeding session yesterday. All in all, she's doing amazingly well. We're all so very proud of her and hope that she'll be able to come home sooner rather than later.
Here are a couple shots from our visit last night:
And yes, for all you Facebook nay-sayers...her hair is definitely blonde:
Maddie and I made it to the 34 week goal that everyone had, and we made it by the skin of our teeth. As a matter of fact, my c-section was a bit delayed because my blood pressure was so high we had to take some meds and wait for them to kick in. Here I am the night before:
Madeleine Marie Ramsayer was born at 10:13 a.m. on November 23, 2011. She came out a whopping 3 pounds 8 ounces and 16.5 inches long. Here's her first picture:
The C-Section.
I don't think it's a secret that I didn't in any way want a c-section. My birth plan included giving birth med-free, laboring in a jacuzzi tub, and only giving in to the call of an epidural if it was absolutely necessary. I held on to the hope that something would go according to plan...even if Maddie insisted in making an early appearance, at least we could do an induction and life would be okay. Wrong. In the end, it was decided that a c-section was the safest route to take...so that's what we went with.
I was originally scheduled for a 9 a.m. section, but ended up going a bit later because of my blood pressure. The mostly prepped me in my room, and then we were taken into the OR where I received my spinal and had the catheter inserted. For what it's worth, the spinal didn't hurt at all. My OB was even sweet enough to kick the nurse out and hold my hand for it. The spinal started taking effect almost immediately and I was laid down on the table. 11 minutes after making the first incision, Maddie came screaming into this world. It turns out that a c-section would have been necessary anyway as Maddie had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck twice.
I'm not sure how long I held my breath, but I did. I held my breath until I heard her crying. The minute I heard her, I started to cry. A few seconds later, I was able to see her being cleaned up and looked over in the warmer:
I remember that it seemed like it took forever to get sewed up. I could feel a lot of pulling and pressure while they were working. Kind of like they were yanking down on a shower curtain, and that shower curtain was my ab muscles. Eventually, I was all put back together and wheeled into my room. Ryan went down with Maddie to the NICU and I hung out with the nurses while shaking uncontrollably. Ryan was in and out of my room a number of times to check on me and to take people to see Maddie.
Maddie's Birthday.
I missed her first bath, but Ryan took some shots:
And then, eventually, the moment I had been waiting for since the day I found out I was pregnant...I got to hold my sweet baby. After a number of hours, the nurses said that I was good to go down to the NICU to visit. After an incredibly slow and painful transfer to a wheelchair, we all made our way down to see Maddie. The nurses in the NICU had been adamant that momma always get the first "hold" so no one had been able to hold her all day.
Eventually, we let Maddie go to bed for the night.
Maddie's First Week.
At the end of the day, Maddie has done fantastic in her first week. She started at 4 ml per feeding and is up to 25 ml per feeding. She started with an IV to get her nutrients, but is eating so well now that they've removed it. She's doing a really great job regulating her body temp and is currently on the lowest temperature setting in her Giraffe. Her breathing has markedly improved over the last few days which means that she's been successful in working the amniotic fluid out of her lungs. She's still in the bili-blanket, but her bili levels have not been increasing which is very good news. And finally, we had our first breast feeding session yesterday. All in all, she's doing amazingly well. We're all so very proud of her and hope that she'll be able to come home sooner rather than later.
Here are a couple shots from our visit last night:
Monday, November 14, 2011
Yo MTV Cribz
I thought I'd post a couple pics of where I've been living for the last week.
Pardon my mess bed :) but here's a shot of my bed, and one of the TV and bassinet.
There's a rocker/recliner that Ryan has claimed as well as a couch that turns to a bed. At this hospital, your room is for everything and you aren't transferred anywhere after the birth. So, there this area for the baby on the side.
I also have my own bathroom with Jacuzzi tub. I haven't used the Jacuzzi yet because my BP is too crazy to be up and about that long, especially in the heat.
Updates: We met with Dr. Murphy and Dr. Campbell today. We also had another ultrasound. In the end, Dr. Murphy decided that my BP meds needed to be increased because my pressures were getting out of control. They also took a bunch more blood. Later, Dr. Campbell said that Dr. Murphy is adamant about a 34 week delivery, but she wants to discuss waiting until 35 weeks with all her partners. Basically, 35 weeks would mean no NICU stay for Maddie. So, we'll see what everyone says.
In other news, some of my favorite people in the whole wide world sent me a giant Squishable platypus. I named him Hank in honor of Mr. Henry Ford. How cute is he???
I also had the CEO of the hospital stop by to see me this afternoon. I was totally taken aback. He said he was told I've been here a while and wanted to know how my stay had been. He asked about my nurses and doctors, as well as the food and housekeeping. He then wanted to know if there was anything he could do to make my stay better. It was crazy!!! Do hospital CEOs usually do that?!?
Saturday, November 12, 2011
NICU
Ryan and I got to take a tour of the NICU in anticipation of Maddie's stay. I have to say, it's quite nice. All of the rooms have pull out couches to sleep over if you'd like. The nurses we met were really nice.
We went over some of the things to expect. Whether they need it or not, all babies are hooked up to a central monitoring system so the nurses can see what's going on with them at all times from anywhere. Maddie will be hooked up to an IV as all preemies receive antibiotics initially. She'll be evaluated for whether she needs oxygen or a vent, but apparently at 34 weeks with the betamethasone shots most babies do not. She'll have her blood sugar evaluated until she passes 5 tests in a row. And finally, they will evaluate her ability to maintain her body temp. We are anticipating her weighing around 3.5 lbs at birth and they like babies to be about 4 before they leave. The NICU nurse said that if all thing go well, Maddie would likely only stay about a week. Depending on all of the above will depend on feeding. She might have to go straight into The Giraffe (her bed) and if that's the case we'll start me pumping right away.
All in all, I am glad we are at this hospital. Everyone has been wonderful and I've been impressed with their standard of care.
In fun news, Ryan snuck me Panera for dinner...including an M&M cookie. I was totally prepared for my sugar to be out of control and to get lectured by the nurse. Nope!!! My sugar was perfect!!! Now I want a cookie after every meal :)
We went over some of the things to expect. Whether they need it or not, all babies are hooked up to a central monitoring system so the nurses can see what's going on with them at all times from anywhere. Maddie will be hooked up to an IV as all preemies receive antibiotics initially. She'll be evaluated for whether she needs oxygen or a vent, but apparently at 34 weeks with the betamethasone shots most babies do not. She'll have her blood sugar evaluated until she passes 5 tests in a row. And finally, they will evaluate her ability to maintain her body temp. We are anticipating her weighing around 3.5 lbs at birth and they like babies to be about 4 before they leave. The NICU nurse said that if all thing go well, Maddie would likely only stay about a week. Depending on all of the above will depend on feeding. She might have to go straight into The Giraffe (her bed) and if that's the case we'll start me pumping right away.
All in all, I am glad we are at this hospital. Everyone has been wonderful and I've been impressed with their standard of care.
In fun news, Ryan snuck me Panera for dinner...including an M&M cookie. I was totally prepared for my sugar to be out of control and to get lectured by the nurse. Nope!!! My sugar was perfect!!! Now I want a cookie after every meal :)
Friday, November 11, 2011
Sorry it's been so long...
I was hospitalized on Monday for the duration of the pregnancy and blogging from my phone was just too difficult.
Monday we had our growth scan. Maddie fell from the 7th percentile to less than the 3rd percentile. However she grew enough to warrant remaining in there. In 2 weeks she put on 200 grams (about 7 oz.) and gained 2 cm around her abdomen. As of Monday she weighed 3 pound even, which is the normal weight of a 28w3d baby and Maddie was 31w5d so almost a month behind.
Dr. Murphy, my high risk OB, was worried about my BP and decided I needed to be placed on meds, so I was send down to L&D to get a dose and be monitored. During my stay it came back that there was protein in my urine. So, my team of doctors decided that I needed to be admitted for 24 hour observation and a 24 hour urine collection. At some point during Monday evening my doctors all decided that I needed to remain in the hospital until delivery because I could decline so quickly with pre-eclampsia.
I have met with all 5 of my OBs as well as my high risk OB in the last few days. They are all of the opinion that we need to deliver at 34 weeks at the latest because of Maddie's growth issues and my health. I do not have severe pre-eclampsia yet, but if I develop that we will deliver immediately because the risk to me and Maddie is to great to continue the pregnancy.
I spoke with one of my OBs in depth today about what we are realistically looking at with Maddie being born 6 weeks early. I have been a bit panicky about the prospect of a preemie and how she will be affected in the long run. Talking with my OB today made me feel a lot better. If we make it to 34 weeks we are looking at basically no long term problem other than some delays. And not delays like you think. It will be delays like if a book says she should walk at 10 months, we need to add 6 weeks to that. And she should be all caught up by 2. She will likely spend a couple weeks in the NICU, but it is possible she could come home with us.
As for me, my BP is still running a bit high even with being on the meds. They don't want to up the dose at this point because they don't want to decrease the already restricted flow to Maddie. I am having trouble with spikes when I get up, so I am pretty much in bed most of the day and now have compression boots on to stop blood clots. I get my BP checked every 4 hours and Maddie gets an NST 4 times a day.
So, right now we're just hanging out hoping my body doesn't give out and we can keep her baking until 34 weeks.
Monday we had our growth scan. Maddie fell from the 7th percentile to less than the 3rd percentile. However she grew enough to warrant remaining in there. In 2 weeks she put on 200 grams (about 7 oz.) and gained 2 cm around her abdomen. As of Monday she weighed 3 pound even, which is the normal weight of a 28w3d baby and Maddie was 31w5d so almost a month behind.
Dr. Murphy, my high risk OB, was worried about my BP and decided I needed to be placed on meds, so I was send down to L&D to get a dose and be monitored. During my stay it came back that there was protein in my urine. So, my team of doctors decided that I needed to be admitted for 24 hour observation and a 24 hour urine collection. At some point during Monday evening my doctors all decided that I needed to remain in the hospital until delivery because I could decline so quickly with pre-eclampsia.
I have met with all 5 of my OBs as well as my high risk OB in the last few days. They are all of the opinion that we need to deliver at 34 weeks at the latest because of Maddie's growth issues and my health. I do not have severe pre-eclampsia yet, but if I develop that we will deliver immediately because the risk to me and Maddie is to great to continue the pregnancy.
I spoke with one of my OBs in depth today about what we are realistically looking at with Maddie being born 6 weeks early. I have been a bit panicky about the prospect of a preemie and how she will be affected in the long run. Talking with my OB today made me feel a lot better. If we make it to 34 weeks we are looking at basically no long term problem other than some delays. And not delays like you think. It will be delays like if a book says she should walk at 10 months, we need to add 6 weeks to that. And she should be all caught up by 2. She will likely spend a couple weeks in the NICU, but it is possible she could come home with us.
As for me, my BP is still running a bit high even with being on the meds. They don't want to up the dose at this point because they don't want to decrease the already restricted flow to Maddie. I am having trouble with spikes when I get up, so I am pretty much in bed most of the day and now have compression boots on to stop blood clots. I get my BP checked every 4 hours and Maddie gets an NST 4 times a day.
So, right now we're just hanging out hoping my body doesn't give out and we can keep her baking until 34 weeks.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Well that's weird...
I received a letter today from Progressive. It's apparently from a Claims Branch in Sterling Heights, MI. It lists a claim number, date of loss, and pictures of a totally mangled Dodge Magnum. The letter says:
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Ramsayer,
We are completing an investigation into the above captioned incident and need to contact you. It is possible you may have information of value to this claim.
Please contact me at the number below at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your assistance.
And it is signed by a Special Investigator. I have absolutely no idea what this is about, so I call Ryan to see if he maybe witnessed an accident and gave a witness statement or something. He also has no idea what this is about. I was hesitant to call thinking it's some stunt or something. But, all the info (address, phone number, etc.) on the letter checks out as legit. So, I called and left a message.
Guess I'll find out?
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Ramsayer,
We are completing an investigation into the above captioned incident and need to contact you. It is possible you may have information of value to this claim.
Please contact me at the number below at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your assistance.
And it is signed by a Special Investigator. I have absolutely no idea what this is about, so I call Ryan to see if he maybe witnessed an accident and gave a witness statement or something. He also has no idea what this is about. I was hesitant to call thinking it's some stunt or something. But, all the info (address, phone number, etc.) on the letter checks out as legit. So, I called and left a message.
Guess I'll find out?
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Say What?!?
Bed rest = too much TV = ignorance destroyed. I think I probably would have been okay never knowing this. Somehow I made it in and out of Wesleyan without knowing we had a B'town cop who doubled as a serial rapist.
Here's one of the articles. It's seriously disturbing knowing that this was all going on while we were there.
Here's one of the articles. It's seriously disturbing knowing that this was all going on while we were there.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Maddie got a 10/10!!!
Today was the appointment with my high-risk OB, Dr. Murphy. First up was the biophysical profile. Apparently my MFM's office got a new ultrasound machine and the tech was pretty excited to play with it. She decided to start playing with the 3D function and even made me a CD of the pictures she took. Here are a couple cute ones of our Madeleine Marie:
Yeah, in case you couldn't tell...she's kicking herself in the forehead in the last picture. I laughed pretty hard when she did that.
Anyway, all in all, the appointment went really well. While there is still restricted blood flow at the cord, it is better today than it was last week. It went down from 4.2 to 2.6. YAY! Maddie passed the NST today in the first 30 seconds we were hooked up to the machine. Dr. Murphy gave her a 10/10 for today. And although we still have to wait for the growth scan next week to get out of woods, things are looking good at this point that she'll be able to stay in there a little while longer.
My blood pressure is still high, although it's been stable. I dropped off my 24 hour urine collection at the lab and they ran another blood panel on me to keep an eye on the possible pre-eclampsia. The lab, by the way, was INSANE! Is it a full moon tonight?!? There were probably about 50 people there and while I was waiting I saw the following: a woman have a seizure, a crazy old lady freak out and start slamming her cane into the counter, and another crazy lady run over two people AND a sign with her motorized wheelchair.
So, we're still in a waiting pattern. Thursday is my next NST and Monday is the big growth scan. I think today I'll celebrate the bit of good news we got.
Anyway, all in all, the appointment went really well. While there is still restricted blood flow at the cord, it is better today than it was last week. It went down from 4.2 to 2.6. YAY! Maddie passed the NST today in the first 30 seconds we were hooked up to the machine. Dr. Murphy gave her a 10/10 for today. And although we still have to wait for the growth scan next week to get out of woods, things are looking good at this point that she'll be able to stay in there a little while longer.
My blood pressure is still high, although it's been stable. I dropped off my 24 hour urine collection at the lab and they ran another blood panel on me to keep an eye on the possible pre-eclampsia. The lab, by the way, was INSANE! Is it a full moon tonight?!? There were probably about 50 people there and while I was waiting I saw the following: a woman have a seizure, a crazy old lady freak out and start slamming her cane into the counter, and another crazy lady run over two people AND a sign with her motorized wheelchair.
So, we're still in a waiting pattern. Thursday is my next NST and Monday is the big growth scan. I think today I'll celebrate the bit of good news we got.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Maddie Got a Gift from Grandma & Grandpa!
Maddie received a gift in the mail from Grandma Jayne and Grandpa Jerry!
BABY QUILT!
Here's a close up of the panels:
"Madeleine Marie Ramsayer" is embroidered on the back.
BABY QUILT!
Here's a close up of the panels:
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Another 24 Urine Collection
Today we had a NST (non stress test) at my OB. Of course, my blood pressure was still high. However, today I also had trace protein in my urine. Since they've been concerned about pre-e for the last week or so, they've ordered me to do another 24 hour urine collection this Sunday. YAY!
Maddie passed her NST with flying colors. My OB laughed when she came in because Maddie was flipping all over the place in there and ended up passing the test in the first 3 minutes we were hooked up. We still had to stay hooked up for the minimum 20 required minutes. Maddie also has the heartbeat of a 32 week baby rather than the 30 week old that she is. So, sounds like she's doing just fine in there right now.
So, our doctor schedule is:
Tomorrow - Dietitian
Sunday - 24 Hour Urine Collection
Monday - Dr. Murphy for ultrasound and NST
Thursday - Dr. Campbell for an NST
Maddie passed her NST with flying colors. My OB laughed when she came in because Maddie was flipping all over the place in there and ended up passing the test in the first 3 minutes we were hooked up. We still had to stay hooked up for the minimum 20 required minutes. Maddie also has the heartbeat of a 32 week baby rather than the 30 week old that she is. So, sounds like she's doing just fine in there right now.
So, our doctor schedule is:
Tomorrow - Dietitian
Sunday - 24 Hour Urine Collection
Monday - Dr. Murphy for ultrasound and NST
Thursday - Dr. Campbell for an NST
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Update on Maddie
Well, I've been officially removed from work and put on modified bed-rest. The modified part basically means I can walk around my house, and that's about it.
Essentially, we're in a wait an see pattern right now. As I said earlier, Maddie is measuring small (7th percentile) and there's restricted blood flow at the umbilical cord. Primarily, the doctors are worried about IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction). Essentially, this means that the placenta is not allowing adequate blood/nutrients to get to Maddie so that she can grow properly. I will have another growth scan in 2 weeks. If it is determined that Maddie is not growing, then they will have to deliver her. As such, I have been placed on a round of betamethasone to help develop her lungs in the event that we have to deliver in the next couple weeks. If it shows she's growing (and thus just a small baby) they're going to try and keep her in there as long as possible, but we will be continually monitored.
Secondly, the doctors are worried about pre-eclampsia. Although all of my blood and urine has come back normal, they are still concerned that with my blood pressure being high I am at risk to develop it soon. Because of this concern is why they have removed me from work and placed me on modified bed-rest in an attempt to help lower my BP and thus keep her baking as long as we can.
Essentially, my team of OBs are trying to get us to at least 34 weeks (4 more weeks) before considering delivery; my personal goal is to not see her sweet face until at least December. Obviously at this point, anything can happen. I won't know much more until after the next growth scan. As we stand now, I will have two appointments a week where I will get a NST (non-stress test) and an ultrasound. So, despite what's going on, Maddie and I will both be getting regular monitoring so we can react as needed.
As for my blood sugar, it had been great until yesterday. My normal diet was keeping my sugar in the 80-90 range all day (which is great). However, the steroid shots caused my sugar to skyrocket (a known side-effect). I was rolling around 160 yesterday after the first shot and have been 160 so far today after getting the second shot. I have to keep a close eye on it, because if it goes over 200 I have to call the doctor and at that point they will decide whether I need to be admitted for a few days to the hospital to maintain my sugar at a normal level.
It's been a crazy couple of days with a lot of information thrown at me. I'm thankful that I have a great team of doctors who are giving me the best possible care out there and keeping a very close eye on everything. They've also had fantastic communication with each other which has put my mind at ease. Finally, I'm also very thankful that I have great health insurance. I can't even imagine how much all of this is going to cost from the day in labor & delivery to the multiple blood/urine tests, NSTs and ultrasounds, not to mention all of the supplies and appointments related to the GD.
And just to make this a little happier, here are a couple Maddie pics. First up is a great shot of Maddie's sweet little profile:
And here's a shot of her little foot. It looks like a Trina foot to me...so I think we know where Trina got her clod-hoppers.
Essentially, we're in a wait an see pattern right now. As I said earlier, Maddie is measuring small (7th percentile) and there's restricted blood flow at the umbilical cord. Primarily, the doctors are worried about IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction). Essentially, this means that the placenta is not allowing adequate blood/nutrients to get to Maddie so that she can grow properly. I will have another growth scan in 2 weeks. If it is determined that Maddie is not growing, then they will have to deliver her. As such, I have been placed on a round of betamethasone to help develop her lungs in the event that we have to deliver in the next couple weeks. If it shows she's growing (and thus just a small baby) they're going to try and keep her in there as long as possible, but we will be continually monitored.
Secondly, the doctors are worried about pre-eclampsia. Although all of my blood and urine has come back normal, they are still concerned that with my blood pressure being high I am at risk to develop it soon. Because of this concern is why they have removed me from work and placed me on modified bed-rest in an attempt to help lower my BP and thus keep her baking as long as we can.
Essentially, my team of OBs are trying to get us to at least 34 weeks (4 more weeks) before considering delivery; my personal goal is to not see her sweet face until at least December. Obviously at this point, anything can happen. I won't know much more until after the next growth scan. As we stand now, I will have two appointments a week where I will get a NST (non-stress test) and an ultrasound. So, despite what's going on, Maddie and I will both be getting regular monitoring so we can react as needed.
As for my blood sugar, it had been great until yesterday. My normal diet was keeping my sugar in the 80-90 range all day (which is great). However, the steroid shots caused my sugar to skyrocket (a known side-effect). I was rolling around 160 yesterday after the first shot and have been 160 so far today after getting the second shot. I have to keep a close eye on it, because if it goes over 200 I have to call the doctor and at that point they will decide whether I need to be admitted for a few days to the hospital to maintain my sugar at a normal level.
It's been a crazy couple of days with a lot of information thrown at me. I'm thankful that I have a great team of doctors who are giving me the best possible care out there and keeping a very close eye on everything. They've also had fantastic communication with each other which has put my mind at ease. Finally, I'm also very thankful that I have great health insurance. I can't even imagine how much all of this is going to cost from the day in labor & delivery to the multiple blood/urine tests, NSTs and ultrasounds, not to mention all of the supplies and appointments related to the GD.
And just to make this a little happier, here are a couple Maddie pics. First up is a great shot of Maddie's sweet little profile:
Saturday, October 22, 2011
We had an interesting day yesterday!
8 a.m. marked my first appointment with the high-risk OB regarding my Gestational Diabetes. I didn't really know what would happen at the meeting, but I figured we'd go over my test results, she'd explain the situation to me (including risks and complications), we'd figure out a diet, and she'd write me a script for my diabeetus testing supplies.
That is pretty much the exact opposite of what actually occurred. I got there early, around 7:30, which ended up being a good thing because I had to fill out about 10 pages of paperwork. I was taken back and told that all new patients get a comprehensive ultrasound. Sweet! Another chance to see Maddie! Well, the ultrasound is where my appointment went downhill. The high-risk OB, Dr. Murphy, came in to the ultrasound room to see how things were going. She expressed concern that my blood pressure seemed high, especially when compared to my previous pressures. Then the ultrasound concerned her even more. Maddie is measuring small (7th percentile) and there is a restriction of blood flow at the umbilical cord. All of these things combined made Dr. Murphy worry about pre-eclampsia. She discussed the multiple complications and risks which sufficiently freaked me out and then sent me down to Labor & Delivery for monitoring.
I spent quite a few hours in L&D having bloodwork run and having my BP checked every 15 minutes. I was also strapped into some monitors to monitor Maddie's heart beat and check to see if I was having any contractions. Eventually, all of my bloodwork came back normal. However, the midwife on-call expressed concern over Maddie's "variables" (dips) in Maddie's heart beat. She told me that I'd have to wait until my OB could take a look at the strip before they decided whether to discharge me or not. My OB was in surgery, so I had to wait a while before she came to see me.
Eventually, my OB came to see me and said that everything looked great with Maddie's strip. Thank goodness. She said my bloodwork was good, but that with all of the other issues they want me to do a 24 hour urine collection to make sure I have no protein in my urine at all. She sent me home with these beauties:
She also explained that while Maddie is measuring small, it might not be anything to be concerned about because obviously 10% of babies are small, however, they always become concerned any time they see a baby under the 10th percentile and they like to keep an eye on things. We were officially diagnosed as SGA (Small for Gestational Age). Also, the blood flow restriction at the umbilical cord may not be anything to worry about either as it may be a one time thing. However, because of my BP, Maddie's size, and the restriction they are going to keep a very close eye on us. She said that from here on out I will be followed by her office as well as Dr. Murphy for the high-risk issues.
I was put on strict bed-rest until Monday at which time I have to go back to the hospital to see Dr. Murphy. At that appointment they are going to re-run all of the blood work done yesterday and go over the results of my 24 hour collection. If my urine collection comes back clean, then we can officially say that I don't have pre-eclampsia...at least not right now. Hopefully, I will also be able to talk to her about my GD and what I could be doing. Because of the concern of Maddie, the only thing I ended up getting at the initial appointment was the script for my diabeetus testing supplies:
That 3 month supply you see right there...$500. For real. Good thing Blue Cross covers durable medical equipment for me! I had a fun morning of trial and error with the meter. I ended up burning through almost a whole drum of lancets and a few testing strips because I had to find the right depth for the needle. I've got 2 of my 4 draws done today and it's really not as bad as I thought it was going to be. At least not yet. Ask me again in a week after I've poked myself 30 times.
That is pretty much the exact opposite of what actually occurred. I got there early, around 7:30, which ended up being a good thing because I had to fill out about 10 pages of paperwork. I was taken back and told that all new patients get a comprehensive ultrasound. Sweet! Another chance to see Maddie! Well, the ultrasound is where my appointment went downhill. The high-risk OB, Dr. Murphy, came in to the ultrasound room to see how things were going. She expressed concern that my blood pressure seemed high, especially when compared to my previous pressures. Then the ultrasound concerned her even more. Maddie is measuring small (7th percentile) and there is a restriction of blood flow at the umbilical cord. All of these things combined made Dr. Murphy worry about pre-eclampsia. She discussed the multiple complications and risks which sufficiently freaked me out and then sent me down to Labor & Delivery for monitoring.
I spent quite a few hours in L&D having bloodwork run and having my BP checked every 15 minutes. I was also strapped into some monitors to monitor Maddie's heart beat and check to see if I was having any contractions. Eventually, all of my bloodwork came back normal. However, the midwife on-call expressed concern over Maddie's "variables" (dips) in Maddie's heart beat. She told me that I'd have to wait until my OB could take a look at the strip before they decided whether to discharge me or not. My OB was in surgery, so I had to wait a while before she came to see me.
Eventually, my OB came to see me and said that everything looked great with Maddie's strip. Thank goodness. She said my bloodwork was good, but that with all of the other issues they want me to do a 24 hour urine collection to make sure I have no protein in my urine at all. She sent me home with these beauties:
I was put on strict bed-rest until Monday at which time I have to go back to the hospital to see Dr. Murphy. At that appointment they are going to re-run all of the blood work done yesterday and go over the results of my 24 hour collection. If my urine collection comes back clean, then we can officially say that I don't have pre-eclampsia...at least not right now. Hopefully, I will also be able to talk to her about my GD and what I could be doing. Because of the concern of Maddie, the only thing I ended up getting at the initial appointment was the script for my diabeetus testing supplies:
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