I had my Non Stress Test today. They put two monitors on my belly. One is for the fetal heartbeat and the other measures uterine contractions. I was instructed to push a button every time I felt the baby move. This is printed out on a paper strip for the doctor to look at.
I don't think Patches liked the monitor very much. He moved and rolled around A LOT! His heart beat would accelerate every time he started his gymnastic moves.
The OB said it was a great strip and the baby is looking fantastic.
The ultrasound estimates Patches at 8 lbs and 9 oz (just a little above normal) with a head circumference of 14 inches(average for a newborn.) He's definitely put on some weight since the last ultrasound. Probably all that halloween candy.
They wanted to schedule me to be admitted Sunday night for an induction for Monday but the hospital says they aren't accepting any more on their schedule until next Thursday. My OB doesn't want me to go that long over due.
So the office manager told me to go to the hospital Sunday night and tell them I'm over due and haven't felt the baby move for a while.
They'll run a NST and tell me everything is okay and then call my OB. At that point he's supposed to tell them to keep me and start an induction.
We're both really uncomfortable with lying to the nurses in labor and delivery.
One, I've lost two babies. I don't like saying something is wrong with this one! Two, if I lie, it's going to be pretty apparent if the baby has a great NST like today's. Then the nurse is going to know something fishy is going on. I'm sure this is a common practice that OB's use to get their patients in the hospital door.
I may call tomorrow and talk to the office manager about this some more.
I really hope Patches shows up sooner than Sunday night so this isn't a problem!
I have another NST on Friday with a quick ultrasound.
Pray Patches gets moving out!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Baby Eviction Notice
EVICTION NOTICE
Date: October 26, 2008
To: Mr. Patches
To the above tenant in possession of below described premises:
I am issuing a 3 day notice for EVICTION. You will have 3 days in which you can either gather your belongings and promptly vacate the premises, or wait until the final day. After which, you will be physically removed from the property.
You are being evicted due to breech of contract and destruction of property. Expansions only to the FRONT of the house, within reasonable limits, were discussed. Not only have these limits been exceeded, but additions to the back of the house were also made!
Remodeling and gutting of the home was never approved, nor was changing the initial layout and base structure. And due to property damage, there are now leaks in both the upper AND lower levels of the home. On top of which, the landlord has received numerous complaints about nightly disturbances.
After 3 days from this day that you don't comply with the notice will result in immediate and forceful removal at my discretion.
Thank you for your cooperation
Love,
Mommy
Thursday, October 23, 2008
39 Weeks And Running Out of Time!
I'm 2 cm dilated now and the baby has dropped a little to -2 station. I've been having a few cramps. So that's good news, a little more progress.
I have to go back to the doctor on Monday and we'll talk induction. Tuesday is my due date.
I really don't want the induction but the doctor keeps saying the baby is big and wants to induce before he gets even bigger. All he's doing is measuring the fundal height (tape measure to the belly). He's not feeling the baby or looking at the ultrasounds. I've gained 22 lbs.
The ultrasounds keep showing the baby in the 50% percentile, not big at all, just average. I'm a little frustrated because the fundal height could be bigger in part because I have a lot of amniotic fluid (high normal) according to the ultrasound.
The OB said that the ultrasounds could be up to 30% off so that doesn't mean anything. Well, the baby has measured on time or slightly behind at every single scan starting at 7 weeks. He's always been in the 50% range and that's been 5 different sonogram machines and 5 different techs.
The last scan Patches measured two days behind his Estimated Due Date and only 6 lbs 5 oz. That's only 7.5 to 8 lbs by my due date.
When I asked if we could do an Non Stress Test before we scheduled the induction, the OB said he wouldn't be the pregnancy police. But at the same time I think he's going to pressure us to schedule the induction. I understand not wanting to wait until I'm a week late but I want a few more days to get this baby out.
I have an appointment on Monday afternoon for acupuncture. I've been working the exercise ball and we went walking this afternoon at the mall. Maybe that will get something going!
I have to go back to the doctor on Monday and we'll talk induction. Tuesday is my due date.
I really don't want the induction but the doctor keeps saying the baby is big and wants to induce before he gets even bigger. All he's doing is measuring the fundal height (tape measure to the belly). He's not feeling the baby or looking at the ultrasounds. I've gained 22 lbs.
The ultrasounds keep showing the baby in the 50% percentile, not big at all, just average. I'm a little frustrated because the fundal height could be bigger in part because I have a lot of amniotic fluid (high normal) according to the ultrasound.
The OB said that the ultrasounds could be up to 30% off so that doesn't mean anything. Well, the baby has measured on time or slightly behind at every single scan starting at 7 weeks. He's always been in the 50% range and that's been 5 different sonogram machines and 5 different techs.
The last scan Patches measured two days behind his Estimated Due Date and only 6 lbs 5 oz. That's only 7.5 to 8 lbs by my due date.
When I asked if we could do an Non Stress Test before we scheduled the induction, the OB said he wouldn't be the pregnancy police. But at the same time I think he's going to pressure us to schedule the induction. I understand not wanting to wait until I'm a week late but I want a few more days to get this baby out.
I have an appointment on Monday afternoon for acupuncture. I've been working the exercise ball and we went walking this afternoon at the mall. Maybe that will get something going!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
38 Weeks
Christopher was able to go to this appointment since he just happened to be off work that day.
When we got there, I noticed the lights in my doctor's exam rooms were all off. That's a bad sign, meaning he's not there.
When I came back out from giving the standard urine sample, (gotta love peeing in a cup 9 months pregnant but that's another story) the receptionist told me that my OB was in surgery and would not be back that morning.
We ended up waiting about an hour and a half when the ultrasound tech called us back instead of a nurse. I was surprised since we just had a scan the week before. The ultrasound tech told us that since the midwife was running so far behind, that she would do a scan to get the baby's heart rate. Who could turn down a free ultrasound?
She got a healthy heart rate of 133 bpm. She confirmed that the baby was still head down and showed us a the baby's face. She showed us his abdomen was moving in and out which is how he was practicing his breathing.
Then she moved the wand up by my ribs and found his little foot. It was so cute on the screen. That's what has been kicking me in the ribs! He also had his hand down there too like he'd been grabbing his foot.
The first picture is a profile of his foot, toes pointing to the right.
The second picture is the bottom of his foot, you can see all 5 toes.
We finally got to see the midwife a little later. She confirmed that I was still at 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. The baby is still at -3 station. She said that's a great place to be at 38 weeks.
So we wait for Patches to pick his birthday!
When we got there, I noticed the lights in my doctor's exam rooms were all off. That's a bad sign, meaning he's not there.
When I came back out from giving the standard urine sample, (gotta love peeing in a cup 9 months pregnant but that's another story) the receptionist told me that my OB was in surgery and would not be back that morning.
We ended up waiting about an hour and a half when the ultrasound tech called us back instead of a nurse. I was surprised since we just had a scan the week before. The ultrasound tech told us that since the midwife was running so far behind, that she would do a scan to get the baby's heart rate. Who could turn down a free ultrasound?
She got a healthy heart rate of 133 bpm. She confirmed that the baby was still head down and showed us a the baby's face. She showed us his abdomen was moving in and out which is how he was practicing his breathing.
Then she moved the wand up by my ribs and found his little foot. It was so cute on the screen. That's what has been kicking me in the ribs! He also had his hand down there too like he'd been grabbing his foot.
The first picture is a profile of his foot, toes pointing to the right.
The second picture is the bottom of his foot, you can see all 5 toes.
We finally got to see the midwife a little later. She confirmed that I was still at 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. The baby is still at -3 station. She said that's a great place to be at 38 weeks.
So we wait for Patches to pick his birthday!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
OB said, "Wow!" 37 week appointment
I had a couple of minor scares today at the OB. First he had trouble finding the HB. I figured the baby was just in a weird spot because I felt him do a funny roll on the way to the appointment. He felt like he was up in my stomach all morning.
And then it's never a good thing if your doctor says, "Wow" during an internal exam. And that's all he said! I'm sure my eyes got huge because the nurse patted my arm.
Finally he said that he couldn't tell the baby's position. The doctor couldn't tell if he was feeling Patches' head or his bottom. And then he said that the baby was measuring BIG!
I was pretty much speechless, trying to process the possible change. The nurse was great at reassuring me. She remembers the previous miscarriages and knows all the worries that are automatically built in with this pregnancy.
I had to wait 30 minutes for an ultrasound. I tried to read in the waiting room but who can concentrate when you might be scheduling a c-section next. The tech put the wand on my lower belly and said, "IT'S A HEAD!" The baby is thankfully head down but he's all stretched out and floating up high. I guess that's why the doctor said he was big with just the fundal measurement on my belly.
I also have a lot of amniotic fluid, supposedly high normal. I'm not going to go down that google path since it can mean there's a problem. I don't want to know all the negatives at this point. I'll just go with what the u/s tech said, more is better than too little and it was just on the high end of normal.
He's measuring two days behind my EDD so he's not really big at all. She estimated his weight at 6 lbs 5 oz which is in the 50% percentile. Normal, Dr. S! Normal! Since the baby is supposed to gain a 1/2 lb a week, she guessed he would be 7.5 to 8 pounds at birth.
She printed out a picture for us. The baby kept yawning over and over. You could see his little mouth open and close. I guess we were disturbing his sleep with all the commotion. He also has a full head of hair. According to the tech, it's a lot of hair! Daddy might be jealous. ;)
She did kind of goof up by asking me what my other babies weighed at birth. I guess she saw this was my 3rd pregnancy but didn't catch the miscarriage part of my chart.
It's still hard to believe we could have a real baby here soon. And he's head down and measuring normally! Now if he'd just engage and give mom a chance to breathe.
And then it's never a good thing if your doctor says, "Wow" during an internal exam. And that's all he said! I'm sure my eyes got huge because the nurse patted my arm.
Finally he said that he couldn't tell the baby's position. The doctor couldn't tell if he was feeling Patches' head or his bottom. And then he said that the baby was measuring BIG!
I was pretty much speechless, trying to process the possible change. The nurse was great at reassuring me. She remembers the previous miscarriages and knows all the worries that are automatically built in with this pregnancy.
I had to wait 30 minutes for an ultrasound. I tried to read in the waiting room but who can concentrate when you might be scheduling a c-section next. The tech put the wand on my lower belly and said, "IT'S A HEAD!" The baby is thankfully head down but he's all stretched out and floating up high. I guess that's why the doctor said he was big with just the fundal measurement on my belly.
I also have a lot of amniotic fluid, supposedly high normal. I'm not going to go down that google path since it can mean there's a problem. I don't want to know all the negatives at this point. I'll just go with what the u/s tech said, more is better than too little and it was just on the high end of normal.
He's measuring two days behind my EDD so he's not really big at all. She estimated his weight at 6 lbs 5 oz which is in the 50% percentile. Normal, Dr. S! Normal! Since the baby is supposed to gain a 1/2 lb a week, she guessed he would be 7.5 to 8 pounds at birth.
She printed out a picture for us. The baby kept yawning over and over. You could see his little mouth open and close. I guess we were disturbing his sleep with all the commotion. He also has a full head of hair. According to the tech, it's a lot of hair! Daddy might be jealous. ;)
She did kind of goof up by asking me what my other babies weighed at birth. I guess she saw this was my 3rd pregnancy but didn't catch the miscarriage part of my chart.
It's still hard to believe we could have a real baby here soon. And he's head down and measuring normally! Now if he'd just engage and give mom a chance to breathe.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
36 week: 1 Down, 9 To Go!
I had my weekly appointment today. While I was getting prepped (BP and weight check) the nurse said she felt sorry for me because I was getting my first internal check. She made it sound awful! LOL
The midwife took off her ring before putting on her gloves. I knew she was serious about this! She warned me that I would feel the pressure of the back of her hand and then she would turn her hand to check the dilation.
She coached me into postion, no more stirrups. I had to put my feet flat on the table extension. She said this is how I'll be checked during labor.
That first part wasn't really bad at all. The only thing that was uncomfortable was when she started pushing on Patches to determine what station he was at. I swear she pushed on his bottom and shoved him towards the exit like she was trying to get him out today!
I'm offically 1 cm dilated. Woo-hoo.
*Only* 9 cm more to go! That's how I'm looking at it. At least it was some progress.
My cervix is 50% effaced and posterior. The baby hasn't really dropped yet into my pelvis. He's at -3 station so that's pretty high up there.
The internal wasn't painful but I did start bleeding immediately. She said I handled the internal exam very well. It's all about relaxing and breathing. Even when it feels like she's reaching up to touch my lungs.
I'm glad my OB and midwife have small hands. ;)
The midwife took off her ring before putting on her gloves. I knew she was serious about this! She warned me that I would feel the pressure of the back of her hand and then she would turn her hand to check the dilation.
She coached me into postion, no more stirrups. I had to put my feet flat on the table extension. She said this is how I'll be checked during labor.
That first part wasn't really bad at all. The only thing that was uncomfortable was when she started pushing on Patches to determine what station he was at. I swear she pushed on his bottom and shoved him towards the exit like she was trying to get him out today!
I'm offically 1 cm dilated. Woo-hoo.
*Only* 9 cm more to go! That's how I'm looking at it. At least it was some progress.
My cervix is 50% effaced and posterior. The baby hasn't really dropped yet into my pelvis. He's at -3 station so that's pretty high up there.
The internal wasn't painful but I did start bleeding immediately. She said I handled the internal exam very well. It's all about relaxing and breathing. Even when it feels like she's reaching up to touch my lungs.
I'm glad my OB and midwife have small hands. ;)
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