Rollercoaster Sunday...

So I am a hormonal mess now. I was able to collect the AF like they wanted and they were able to test it. It scored 40 or 49 (I swore that I heard 49 last night, but that was at 3am) either way, it is rated as an intermediate maturity, not immature, but not mature either. So lungs are definitely maturing, but not fully done yet.

So, when the med student woke me up at 6:15, he confirmed the results of the test, and then said "So that means we won't be rushing into delivery anytime soon" I said ok and tried to go back to sleep.

At about 9:45, the doctor came in and says "so how do you feel about having a baby today?" Enter rollercoaster emotions...tears, unable to logically ask questions and get the info I needed. She left me to call Brian and then talk to her about it later.

Brian rushes like a mad man to get Greyson taken care of and get here before 11. She came in at about 10:30 and said that she wasn't going to induce because of my previous c-section and she wasn't the dr on call. So, this has been, even before noon, an ups and downs day.

So, I guess the current plan is, if nothing goes wrong, to wait until I naturally go into labor or hit 34 weeks, when they would be happier doing a c-section if that is what we want.

Now, I just need to relax...

Saturday's big plans

So it is Saturday here at the hospital...not much to do but grow a baby and watch the lifetime movie marathon. I know, sick and wrong, but the drama keeps it fresh...lol

I am doing the first thing well. Pumkin is a moving machine. Moving so much and getting so big, the movements are not always comfortable. The back rolls make my stomach look like there is an alien in there. The kicks are very forceful, despite what the 32 week update says "that baby will sleep most of the day and the movements will slow" I'm calling BS on this one. So I think this baby is getting big.

I am having a hard time eating. I get so full due to lack of room. Not to mention you don't burn many calories when you are laying in bed....all day and night long. But I force it down for Pumkin. I am trying to get in 1800 calories a day, which they recommend for growth of baby...but it is hard.

32 week update

Week Thirty Two: Reproductive development continues (this is not pumkin, but another 32 week baby)

• You are 32 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 30 weeks)


• The baby is 17 inches (43cm) long and weighs 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms).


• The diameter of the head is almost 4 inches (10cm).


• Under the skin the fat layer is getting thicker.


• The toenails and fingernails are completely formed.


• In boys, the testicles will be descending from the groin down into his scrotum.

During this time the baby sleeps most of the day. The uterus is getting to be a small space for the baby to move about, so you may have noticed a decrease in your baby's movements. The baby is still trying to move frequently but it just does not have enough room. The baby will turn its head from side to side and move its hands.

As space in your uterus becomes more cramped, your baby's kicks and other movements may seem less forceful. You may want to check on your baby's movements from time to time and do a kick count.

If your baby is a boy, his testicles are moving from their location near the kidneys through the groin on their way into the scrotum. If your baby is a girl, her clitoris is now relatively prominent.

The baby will now weigh about 4 pounds (1.8 kg). Half of your weight gain now will go directly to baby. If you are carrying twins or more, their weight increase will be slower than singletons because of the lack of room in the uterus.

Are you waddling? This is because the ligaments in your pelvis have softened, allowing your hips to spread in preparation for birth. If you find that the increased weight of your breasts is uncomfortable when sleeping try wearing a soft but supportive bra to bed.

Friday tests were a bust

So no tests got to be run due to not enough or not enough qaulity of the fluid. We will try to get a sample again tonight. So other than the baby sounds great on the monitor still, I have no real updates.

I am finding myself increasingly frustrated and depressed with the bedrest...it's getting old. 24 days and counting, although I know it is best for baby. So send me me good happy vibes....

I am officially at 32 weeks now, which is fantastic. I have officially made it 3 weeks and 3 days longer than they originally thought I would go...

Almost 32 weeks...

So, it is official. I have made it 3 weeks longer than the dr's initially predicted. They gave me most likely 24-48 hours after my water broke to deliver. I was under 29 weeks when this happened and I am 32 weeks tomorrow.

So tomorrow, baby hits a big milestone. 32 weeks is what the hospitals I have been in look at as the "if baby makes it to 32 weeks in-utero, he/she will be as good as a full termer" milestone. So at this point, they start to really weigh the pros and cons for baby and me of delivery vs. waiting to 34 weeks.

The biggest risk of course is infection. I am now off IV antibiotics, so the risk increases. The best way to determine how baby will do outside is to check the amniotic fluid for fetal lung maturity. This is what they plan on doing tomorrow. When we get the results that will tell us what we have to weigh at that point.

venting...

I am sorry that I haven't been online as much, updating you all as to what all is going on. I have found that it is a little harder to write about anything that might be considered negative more than positive. But then again, the writing process does seem to be quite therapuetic.

So on Monday, things were a little rough. I had been told that the IV was going to be in longer and not only was it going to be in longer, it had to be replaced. Something that was done at about 6:30 in the morning. This was not really fun for me, but oh well, it is done.

Due to the gestational diabetes, my blood sugar is regularly monitored. The protocol here, is that it has to be drawn 1 hour after you start eating. I have to let them do it and I call when I am done eating so they can come draw at the right time. Monday, they showed up, what I thought was early and of course it was high, even though the same meal the day before had resulted in lower ##'s. So if I hadn't said anything I would to have insulin, which would have crashed my normal levels.

The part of the day that sucked the most was when it was time for monitoring, I had just woken up from a nap and was still groggy. I went to use the bathroom first and caught my leg on the sheet and crashed out of bed....landing mostly on my head. I have a nice mark on my forehead and nose and knees to show this act of grace, which of course wasn't good for the baby in a already fragile environment. I laid on the monitor for 6 hours and it didn't seem to phase baby.

So fast forward to Tuesday, I wake up with some fluid loss and bleeding, which they say is "normal" for my condition, but abnormal to me, because I haven't had that in 3 weeks. Rushed to u/s baby looks good, monitor, baby looks good, baby is still moving and active. That is all good, but I now have very low fluid levels and am being much more closely monitored.

If nothing else, it has put my sunny attitude in check and I have been kinda weepy and depressed since it happened. So I am just trying to remain as calm as possible because I know that is best for baby.

You are now updated for the last few days...

Holiday weekend fun...

So today, just getting used to the new routines in the new hospital...

1. The heparin shots at spectrum have been replaced with these cool leg cuffs that massage your legs to keep the blood flowing. Stopped the bruise count from the shots at 14 and thank goodness I won't be spurting for blood sugar tests soon. It was disgusting this morning.
2. The 2 new betamethazone shots are definitely playing games with the blood sugar again. I got my last one yesterday, they take about 5 days to get out of your system, so I am getting insulin again. But at least I know what to expect.
3. The room here is nice...bright and airy. It has a courtyard and you can see other rooms across it....needless to say I spent the last two days worrying about mooning the chick across from me on my numerous bathroom trips.
4. The IV has been ordered for 7 days....7 days of hell. The 24 hours was "bad information" that I got. Oh well, I am adding it to the overdramatic birth story that Pumkin will hear.

On the good side, baby is stable, moving well, great heartrates. I also got new flowers from my boys and my grama...beautiful star gazer lillies and yellow roses.

Hope you all are having a beautiful weekend. It looks like it is nice outside.

31 weeks

Week Thirty One: Baby detects light

You are 31 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 29 weeks)

• Baby weighs 3.5 pounds and measures 16.5 inches from the head to heel.
• Baby's weight is about 1.6 kg and length around 42cm.
• The eyes have now completely opened and are responding to light and darkness.
• A loud noise near you may cause your little one to jump.

Your baby continues to grow. Baby's lungs and digestive tract are very near to being mature. Now that almost all of the major organs are functioning, growth will focus on maturing those organs and growing muscle mass and fat stores. Baby's weight gain will exceed its growth in length from now on. He or she should more than double their weight again between now and birth. It weighs about 3.5 pounds (1.6kg), and crown to rump length is 11 inches (28cm). Its total length is 16.5 inches (42cm).

A loud noise near you may cause your little one to jump. Baby may move to the rhythm of music. Studies with heart rates show that they may also prefer some types of music to others at this stage. The eyes can now completely open and the irises are now responsive to light, dilating and contracting as needed.

You will probably find that though you have been feeling pretty energetic throughout your second trimester, you are beginning to slow down now. Pay attention to your body's signals and rest when you need to. Exercise is still an important activity for you, even though it gets harder as you get larger and heavier. Try swimming, stretching and walking all excellent options for pregnant women.

Your total pregnancy weight gain by this time should be between 21 and 28 pounds (9.5 and 12.5kg).

31 weeks.....whooo hooo

Whoohoo, I made it to 31 weeks! This is huge in baby/fetal development! I will be celebrating with a delicious omelet. Bronson has some good food here.

This may sound trivial, but me eating is essential to baby (and me) gaining weight. Spectrum's food was pretty good, and I managed to help baby gain a whole pound in less than 2 weeks, which is awesome! So if I want baby to put on another pound and a half in the next 3 weeks..momma needs to eat.

Everything is good, everything is stable, I get to kiss the IV pole gone in 6 hours, which may help me stop mooning the chick across the courtyard. I swear she has seen my butt a good 7 times. Her little chair faces my room. I was more than happy when she pulled her shades last night!

I get to meet Dr Austin today, who is the high-risk specialtist who will be my primary doctor. I will update more once I talk to him...

New day...new hospital

So, I made it home last night, had an uneventful night. However, early this morning I had some leaking and decided to head into Bronson (in Kalamazoo) to get it checked out.

Yep, I was leaking amniotic fluid, which means an automatic admission. So, my home time was short lived. Here is what the most updated info is:

1. I will most likely be here for 3 weeks
2. We are shooting for June 12th due date by c-section for baby, who will be 34 weeks and most likely able to breathe on his/her own by then and feed independently by then
3. We had an ultrasound, AFI and biophysical today, which all are designed to determine health of baby.

Baby looks great...

• all organs are perfectly formed and working just like they are supposed to
• the lungs/diapragm are already practicing the breathing reflex, which is awesome, and possibly due to the bmz steriod shots (I got another one today and will get another tomorrow) bad thing is this messes with insulin absorption and sugar levels so I get to start that 5 day issue again.
• AFI showed almost 9cm of fluid...4 more than yesterday. It can be subjective based on how the baby is positioned, but a decent level
• Monitoring of baby went well
• Baby has gained about a pound in less than 2 weeks, which is awesome
• Baby is measuring closely to where it should be

So, not really fun to be in a hospital again, but it is a much more controlled environment than at home and that makes it safe and best for baby so I am fine being here. I can't wait to get rid of the IV, but that will be tomorrow at about 3pm...so until then I may be grumpy, but after that I will be just fine.

Going home....

Well, I am going home. We spoke to the doctor and he is happy with me being able to go home and basically do what I am doing here. Strict bedrest with bathroom privledges.

Here is what we found out in the tests today:

1. Test for AF leaking was negative again
2. AF level, although low, has remained constant

So, I will be going home with care from a specialist from Bronson until at least 34 weeks and then possibly resume treatment with my original OB. It really just depends on what happens on a week to week basis.

Treatment at home (or in Kzoo) will consist of:

1. Twice weekly non-stress tests, which would have been the case with GD anyway, they monitor the heartbeat and movement of the baby and any contractions I might have
2. Weekly ultrasounds to monitor AF to see if there is any reduction or change.

So wish us luck and keep up the prayers for Pumkin!

Trying a walk...got all three in now! (edit)

So today, not only have I been given the wheelchair privledges to go for a ride, they also wanted to send me for a walk to see what happens. They are looking for amniotic fluid leaking. I am supposed to walk around the floor about 3 times today. One down.

All that happened was that I was scared to walk fast, had a nervous physiological reaction (sweating and heart beating fast) so that is good.

I did notice while walking that my belly, although hard and tight feeling, is getting huge. Huge when you went from hardly being noticeably pregnant is good...

So I got my three walks around the unit done. The first was nerve wrecking, the second I did with company, and the third was almost at normal speed. I made it and all is well.

Pleasantly boring day....

In the high risk pregnancy floor, no news is good news. Meaning the more boring the better. My day has been quite uneventful, unless you include my tasks of:

• eating (a lot....although I haven't gained a pound, in fact have lost 6 since being here)
• reading...I started a new book today and am halfway thru..it's really good
• napping, I have managed to take 2 naps today, despite the fact that there was a 2 year old in the next room who was having a tantrum, for about 15 minutes.

Baby is doing well, so well, that we are having a hard time monitoring heartrate. There is just so much movement. Especially after meals, try doing a nonstress test then and you won't get anything. Heartrate has been fluctuating between 140's when the baby is calm and 160's when moving all over.

At 3am the baby decided to keep me company as I wasn't able to sleep. How nice huh?

Tomorrow is likely to be boring as well, the big day will be Wednesday. I have an ultrasound where they will measure fetal growth, which I swear has to be immense. I feel the kid move all the time... They will also be measuring levels of amniotic fluid, which was 5.9 last time. I have been diligently drinking 120 oz of water a day to help replenish this. So that will be most likely when I have some real updates.

Happy news...Resident's report

So I just met with the hottie resident who has been on staff everyday, with both doctors, since I got here. She has never spoke during their visits with me, but today, she had plenty to say.

I mentioned that the two drs seem to be "on the same team" but on "different pages"...she agreed. She told me what goes on in the meetings that they don't tell due to fear of "sue happy" patients.

Agreement is this:

• Both feel that I have resealed (which is the best thing that could happen)
• Both feel comfortable without reservation with sending me home

Difference in opinon is this:

• Dr S would send me home without pushing amnio because he is confident in the amnisure test and feels amnio is unnecessary. He also feels at this point I am probably at the same risk as any other pregnant woman who hasn't had a premature rupture of membranes.
• Dr Z would send me home, but would recommend the amnio, but not force it.

I also talked to the resident about Dr Austin, who is now at Bronson, who I would see if I went home. She said he is amazing. The best and favorite of all the nurses and patients. The only thing she warned me of is that he would really push for me to name the baby "Robert" if it was a boy, as that is his name...

Dr. S also said the problems we are having with monitoring...too active baby...could be a sign of a big increase in amniotic fluid. Which would be awesome....

Nice visit...

My boys just left, which of course is kind of bittersweet. I say that because I love to see them, but I feel for Brian who is going crazy trying to keep an almost 3 year old calm and quiet in a 10x10 room...not that easy to do.

It does of course reaffirm my decision to hang here....it wasn't easy for me to not do anything. To sit and defer everything to Brian. We just always split the duties and this I couldn't do...

So although I am happy they came of course I feel a little guilty for not being able to help. I know Brian wouldn't want me to feel this, but I almost think it would be better if when he came he could always have someone to help out with Greyson, as he can be a handful.

Friday...uneventful

I always wonder if people get frantic thinking..."what happened, I didn't hear from her today?" when I miss a day. Yes, it was the first day that I missed doing an update, but it is basically because the day was pretty uneventful...which on this floor is GOOD.

I am boring the nurses, but they do fight over me. Seems I am a good patient who doesn't give them much trouble. They like that. And I like that.

Monitoring went well, minus the fact that Pumkin has no desire to stay on the monitor. (S)He would rather move around and have us try to find where (s)he went. Good strong heartbeat and lots of movement.

My blood sugars are all under control of diet, although I have had to learn what the real carbs of all the foods on the menu are as opposed to what they list them as. For example, the list a baked potato as 2 carb counts, but it really is about 4. Thus, I almost blew my levels by eating 1/2 of one. But that is part of this trial and error of diet control. At home, it is easy, because I can see all the labels.

Nothing much to report, I had a few visitors and went for a wheelchair ride, which is nice to get out of the room a little. Brian and Greyson are coming up today so it will be a good day!

Thursday Morning Updates

Well, little pumkin is a mover and shaker. I have been feeling him/her move ALL morning long, starting at 6am. While this is greatly reassuring, try to get a fetal monitor on a hyper baby...it doesn't happen so easily.

Remember the fetal monitor strip I posted a few days ago, where it shows fetal movement? Well, this is how it looked today: ____________ a thick black line that indicates he just didn't stop moving the whole time.

The baby woke up at 6am with me and kept going and going...and going. But once we held it in place we finally got great readings of a strong heartrate and no contractions.

I now have wheelchair ride privleges...so I made it out of the room for the first time yesterday! I get to go today too! Whoo hoo.

While out, we stumbled upon the "wall of babies". This is a celebratory section of the floor where parents have documented their baby's success stories. They have babies anywhere from 23-24 weeks (which is before "age of viability") to 34-36+ weeks. It was quite inspirational to see all the beautiful healthy babies that made it through a big struggle at such a young age.

I also have been corresponding with another mom from Michigan who was in my same situation about a year ago. She ruptured at 24 weeks, went home at 29 because they thought she had sealed up, started leaking a few days later and lost every bit of amniotic fluid, and then was back in the hospital for another 5 weeks. At 34 weeks, she delivered a healthy baby girl who only was in the NICU for a week and didn't need any respiratory assistance. Her little girl was born at 5 lb 10 oz and 19 inches! It is quite inspirational to me...and really reaffirmed my decision to hang here for at least another week.

30 week milestone

Week Thirty: Baby puts on pounds

You are 30 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 28 weeks)

• Baby measurements are 16 inches and weighs about 3 pounds.
• Length is 40cm and your baby's weight is 1.4 kilograms.
• The head is almost 3.5 inches (8cm) in diameter.
• The feet are nearly 2.5 inches (6cm) long.
• The wrinkled skin is becoming smoother now.
• In boys, the testicles have moved down to the groin.
  

The baby controls its own body temperature.For several months, the umbilical cord has been the baby's lifeline to the mother. Nourishment is transferred from the mothers blood, through the placenta, and into the umbilical cord to the fetus. Their bone marrow is now responsible for red cell production. These red blood cells will continue to service your child's body by transporting oxygen and removing the wastes. Your baby begins storing iron, calcium and phosphorus.

The fetus now weighs about 3 pounds (1.4kg). He or she will gain about half a pound a week until week 38. Baby is getting fatter and beginning to control its own body temperature. Baby continues to put on fat stores and the major weight gains will occur in the coming weeks. Eyebrows and eyelashes are fully developed, and hair on the head is getting thicker. Head and body are now proportioned like a newborn. Hands are now fully formed and fingernails are growing, eyelids are opening and closing.

You may be starting to experience some swelling of your ankles and legs. If you have not experience swelling yet, it is highly probable that you will, as approximately 40 to 75 percent of women experience mild swelling related to pregnancy.

Your uterus is now about 4 inches (10cm) above your bellybutton. It may feel like you are running out of room as your uterus grows up under your ribs. However, your fetus, placenta and uterus will continue to get larger, you still have 10 weeks to go. The average weight gain during pregnancy is 25 to 35 pounds (11.5 to 16kg). About half of this weight is concentrated in the growth of the uterus, the placenta, the baby and in the volume of amniotic fluid. At this point, you should be gaining about a pound (500 grams) a week

Wednesday Test Results

Testing began bright and early this morning. In fact, the amnisure test was complete by 6:25am...

This test is designed to determine the presence of amniotic fluid leaking. It was NEGATIVE. What does this mean? We know that it means there is no leaking at the moment it was taken. However, before and after the test, we don't know about.

The next test was performed using ultrasound technology, I think it's called an AFI. It was to determine an approximation of the amount of amniotic fluid present. The results showed 5.9 (whatever measure). I checked in last Wednesday, when I had my first ultrasound Friday morning, my levels were 4.9 (again, whatever measure) So the good news is, there is an increase and no apparent leaking. But normal levels are 8-10, so still a little low.

So at this point, they are actually comfortable enough to release me, but not without reservation. If my levels were higher, then they would do it no problem. The dr said she would like to see 8-10. So with this in mind, we decided to err on the side of caution, remain here another week for monitoring and revisit the issue next week, after another AFI test.

The big factor that comes in here is the issue of fetal development. We have already bought a week, which in baby age is amazing. Today is my 30-week milestone and when we re-evaluate I will be 31 weeks, which is huge. Their goal is still 34 weeks, which would be very close to full term, but not beyond due to the risk of infection it presents.

So next week, if levels are up, we will most likely go home and start treatment at Bronson. There is a dr that had been part of the Spectrum team for years, who is now at Bronson. They would set me up with him for monitoring and evaluation on a regular basis.

Due to the healthcare insurance crap issues, there is no way to just transfer me from here to Bronson. I would have to go home, have an issue and then be readmitted to Bronson in order to have the hospital stay covered by insurance. They would like me there for the baby's stay if possible, as it would be easier for all involved. But, we are taking it one day at a time...

Wednesday = Test Day

My Wednesday may not be much fun...lots of tests scheduled.

1. Ultrasound which will measure the amount of amniotic fluid in comparison to the level of the one done on last Friday.
2. Amnio-Sure test, which basically will indicate if there is still fluid leaking that I am not detecting.

• If it is positive...this is home sweet home for a while
• If it is negative..then we have a few options, one of which is the amniocentesis procedure where they would inject dye into the amniotic sac and then monitor for leaking (this would most likely rule that there has been no more leaking)

If the tests conclusively say no leaking, they will most likely figure out a way to release me with who knows what kind of treatment that I would have to do at home. Yikes, nervous about all this...think happy thoughts for me!

Special Thank Yous

In general, of course, I want to thank everyone of their kindness that has been shown to me in the form of emails, cards, warm wishes and prayers; but those of you have had physically made the trek to come see me, I really want to thank you. I am in the best spirits I can be and it really is due to you and the fact that you keep me from going stir crazy.

The phone calls are amazing. They keep me happy and hopeful and mean so much. I love the emails and comments that show me you care about all of the updates that I do on the blog. The hospital has brought me in several that they print out on pretty paper and I am saving them all.

My room has to be the best decorated with flowers on the floor. Thanks for the beauty that takes my mind off being in a hospital room. In fact, I got a new gorgeous arrangement, that of course matches all of the others perfectly today from my department at work...thanks so much Academic Studies!

All of the little comforts that make the room bearable like magazines, books and handheld games are a lifesaver too. And a special thank you to Mom Y for bringing me some new clothes, yes, little things are such a nice thing. I am comfy in real clothes instead of a hospital gown!

You all mean so much to me and baby Pumkin, what a blessed world that he/she will enter!

Monday Updates

No news appears to be good news. Everything continues to be going well. The monitoring sessions that happen in the morning and night both are going well. Always showing a strong heart rate and no contractions.

I pasted a pic on here so you can see what a fetal monitor log looks like. The top is what monitors the fetal heart rate, the bottom contractions. (This is not mine, but one I found on the net) Mine looks like this one on the top, but a flat line indicating no contractions on the bottom. The minute he/she feels the pressure of the monitor it is like wake up time.

The above doesn't show where the fetal movements are indicated. That is shown right in between the strips and it looks kinda like a lotto strip that has been filled in. So by the time the monitoring is done, the strip looks like little pumkin has been doing morse code, there are so many little ticks of movement.

I have another ultrasound on Wednesday, which will be the true test of how everything is going. So keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Mother's Day...what a gift

I was greeted this morning early with a cheerful little voice wishing me a happy mother's day on the phone, which nearly induced a full hormonal reaction..yes, my boys called me first thing to wish me a happy Mommy's day. Then I had the pleasure of actually seeing them and getting a great card and some nice keep you busy items to make the time here pass faster.

I also got to see my neices and nephew too, so all in all a great day for visiting, relaxing and just incubating.

An issue we have been struggling with is my blood sugar levels. I was diagnosed as having gestational diabetes the day this all happened and hadn't gotten to the education part to see what would be the course of action to control it. So between the steriods used to mature baby's lungs and the higher than what I thought I should be getting levels of carbs, my blood sugar has been off the charts. I have had to have insulin injections since checking in. Today....none. In fact, if anything my sugar is low, not high. Sounds like it is getting kinda figured out. They are really on top of it.

Luckily, when Brian was here, he actually got to talk to the dr and nurses that I see everyday. He was able to ask questions and I hope get answers he was looking for. One answer, that we are holding cautiously optimistic about is that, next week, probably Wednesday, they are going to be doing another ultrasound to monitor the levels of amniotic fluid. The dr mentioned that he was surprised to see the levels he did from the last ultrasound and that I may be in the rare few that actually have the amnion (baby sac) patch back up and thru process of nature, fill back up with fluid..good mommy drinking over 120 oz of water a day! AND....he said depending on the results of the test to determine how much fluid is in there, I may actually be discharged.

Dischaged...scares the hell out of me. I am in the safety of a nationally ranked hospital where if anything should happen, they can fix it. At home, I would still be on complete bedrest, which is also scary, but seemingly unrealistic at home....a 3 year old, 2 dogs and a family that needs me..yes, it would be harder in my opinion.

So we are taking all of this with a grain of salt. Certainly celebrating the possibility of this being the best news that we could ever receive!

Saturday's Updates

Whoohoo the iv pole is GONE! I am now on oral antibiotics for awhile, but no fluids or iv drugs anymore.

Baby is doing well, morning monitoring went well. Good strong heartbeat and lots of movement, which kinda sucks, it hurts a little. There is no cushion for the pushing or kicking so I feel everything. Not complaining though. A happy baby is a moving baby.

Mom is doing good too. No more iv drugs as previously celebrated, lots of visitors and calls, flowers, and got to see both of my boys. My sweet Greyson brought me some lilacs from our house that are so yummy smelling, it doesn't even smell like a hospital in here! I also got to ditch the gown...yes in my own comfy clothes now!

I am still working on the blood sugar issue, but that is mostly due to the steriods they gave me to help Pumkin's lungs develop. Other than that all is well, baby, my spirits and everything else.

Purple must be in...

My room is looking pretty cheery lately. I have been blessed to receive some eye candy of the non-opposite sex kind...yep flowers.

I am sure that the lone female on the card spear-headed the flowers from work, thank you to Lisa and of course all my fantastic colleauges, commonly known as "the hall" it is great to have a little peice of you here as I am supposed to be there enjoying our summer banter...

And of course the dynamic duo that never forgets a birthday, anniversary, or any kind of celebration, Sandy and Dick, all the way from Clemson, SC (that kinda sounded like Bob Barker) sent an unknowingly complementary arrangement (yep, they match, even though they are from multiple flower shops)

So thank you for brightening my view and spirits... it is kinda gloomy outside, drizzling...yucko. Glad I'm not someone foolish enough to be in GR for the "River Bank Run" doing anywhere from a 5-25K race. Is that what you get for being healthy? Rained on? If I could only see them trod by in the rain from my room...that, would be a way to boost my spirits for sure.

Reassuring Hospital Information..small world/top ten

Chalk it up to making good relations with students, but in this case, I am sure glad I did. (this is a very small world) I had a student that I absolutely loved having in class. Not only was she mature and an excellent student, she also mentioned she worked here. Here at Spectrum, on the floor I am on....small world. I also know she is excelling in the nursing program at SMC, which I knew she would. So I am excited to see her friendly face next weekend. She gaurantees her Docs will still have me here by then. Also, she reassured that this hospital is ranked in the top 10 in the nation for maternal-fetal and neonatal medicine.

Another member on my maternal-fetal team is, I think the neice of one of instructors at SMC, Dr. Grabemeyer, neice of Harold, who I work with.

Little things like this make the 1hour+ drive away from home feel not so far away.

PM Monitoring

Baby is great. Heartbeat is still strong and no contractions...

• Heartbeat consistent with some acclerations, just what they want to see...no decels
• No contractions for mommy
• lots of movement during monitoring
• bed time, baby is sleeping now
• No loss of fluid today, should be building up which is great news.

Mommy update

So the good news is that all of my vitals are good. Blood pressure, temp, etc. Better news is that I am now off iv antibiotics, which means I have ditched the iv pump and pole. Lots more freedom without that having to follow me anywhere. I will be taking oral antibiotics now, but not the iv ones.

I also think I will be moving to a better room with a little more room and comforts of home soon.

Baby's still doing good, I will have more to update on that after PM monitoring.

AM Monitoring/Ultrasound

Things are still going very well. AM monitoring showed a healthy baby with a strong heartbeat and lots of movement and no contractions on my part. All is as perfect as can be with the morning monitoring.

Surprise Ultrasound..yep, they came in and told me I would be going down to u/s to monitor baby further. Here is all the great news:

• heart looks perfect, all four chambers working perfectly
• the stomach, liver, bladder and organs are working perfectly
• the lungs are the only thing they cannot assess until the baby is born, they can see movement and the breathing reflexes, but not functionality
• the blood flow and bladder functions were evident and working right
• the spine is perfect
• the brain looks perfect and as evidenced by the develpoment of the frontal part, 95% of abnormalities of the spinal cord

So, on my front I am all good, vitals perfect minus the sugar we are fighting with due to the steriod, but bp, temp, etc. which all point to good are just as they should be.

PM Monitoring

Later last night I had my second monitoring session of the day and met with "my doctor" his actual title is maternal-fetal doctor, meaning his goal is to care for me and the baby, where the neonatologist is focusing on the baby, mostly after he/she is born.

So the monitoring is not really that intensive, the attach two monitors to me and they measure the baby's heart rate and if I am having any contractions. The process lasts about 30-45 minutes.

• It was kinda late last night, I think Baby was getting a little sleepy, the heart rate was good and strong, but lower than in the day right about 140-157
• The baby moved and kicked the entire time being monitored, which did cause a small decel in the heart rate for about 5 seconds. I felt Pumkin adjust at this point. They presume he/she pinched the cord real quick and then got off it.
• As far as contractions, nothing. Not on the monitor, not off the monitor, which means there are no extra threats of my body getting ready to get the baby out prematurely.

The doctor is very pleased with my progress:

• no contractions, what so ever, due to me being very well hydrated via iv and drinking like a fish
• my blood pressure is very normal, I know Aunt Char asked me and I can't for the life remember it from last time, but I think it was 109/79, but I do sometimes mix up the lower and upper numbers
• i have no swelling, which is good, no signs of edema or swelling due to iv fluid build up
• i am remaining cheerful and positive (thanks to all of your thoughts, emails, visits) which is great for baby's prognosis
• I will most likely be changing to a "better" room (wear my own clothes and have more comfort items) same floor soon which is when they plan on discontinuing the iv and going to oral antibiotics and letting me chug my fluids instead of them by iv

TO YOU:

So thank you for all you are doing. Wether it is an email a call they lift my spririts and make me not feel so alone. I cannot begin to express my gratitude enough.

A special thank you has to go out to the visitors too, I know driving here is not fun. It's far away, you get lost in the construction, but what seems like a meaningless visit to you filled with just small chat is a life saver to me.

On a more spiritual note, the prayers and prayer chains. Brian and I practice a quiet faith, but this is amazing and so special to me and I will do anything for this baby and my family.

I can never forget the homefront supporters who have so generously offered their time to care for my family while I cannot. Keeping Greyson occupied and happy, while other wise he would blow up in a mommyitis fit, feeding my boys, offering respite to Brian, who needs it just like me. We are a team and he absorbs everything that effects me.

You know who you are....and I cannot thank you enough.

Neonatologist Update

Met with on of the neonatologists of baby Pumkin's team. He was very nice, but also positive and hopeful of the possible prognosis. Our goal obviously remains the same, keep the baby in as long as possible. Moms are better incubators than are the ones in the NICU. But he did say a lot of things that make me happy.

Please note that below I keep saying "29 weeks" this does not indicate that I will be delivering anytime soon. At this point there is no indication that I will deliver any time earlier than our long term goal of 34 weeks. He just wanted to emphasize that 29 weeks is good, but any day or week after this is better and eliminates more and more of any possible issues. The older baby is gestationally (longer he/she stays in) the better and less severe any of the possible complications are.

I will try my best to summarize his thoughts:

• Babies born at 29 weeks have the same survival rate as full term newborns, thus this is not a risk factor.
• Babies born at 29 weeks have very little risk for any cognitive or sensory issues.
• Babies born at 29 weeks will most likely stay in the hospital until roughly their due date (about 6-9 weeks after birth)
• The main two risks are respiratory issues (which is why I am getting the steriods to mature the baby's lungs) and inability to feed until 34 weeks (thus before 34 weeks tube feeding would be the order)

1. The repiratory issues could be severe or mild. Varying from mild, needs some assistance and then can breathe on own to moderate needing a nasal tube with oxygen to severe needing a breathing tube. They will also possibly use surfactant (synthetic lung maturer)
2. The feeding issue: babies don't have the appropriate reflexes or interest in traditional feeding until 34 weeks

Now Mommy:

• my blood pressure is good, last reading was very normal for me, which is normal to a little low
• sugar is off due to the steroids and gestational diabetes, but being treated with insulin untile the steriods wear off (about 3-5 days)
• No contractions whatsoever...due to antibiotics and good hydration
• baby is head down preventing leak of new amniotic fluid, which is good as there is no sign of infection at all

I will be posting again later after the second monitoring of baby

Baby Monitoring

Just had the morning monitoring session. Baby is doing great. I hear the heartbeating nice and strong at the highest rates ever seen by me from a baby in my belly. Yep, little Pumkin is hitting the 160's on a regular basis.

No contractions, lots of antibotics, and chilling out for me. All is good as can be. Please keep the prayers coming.

Holy Crap

I am assuming this is spreading like wildfire, but being closest to the situation and for sure going to be rather bored soon...I thought I would send the latest news.

You may have heard that yesterday at 29 weeks (almost 7 1/2 months for you non-prego people) my water broke. Apparently, Pumkin is a little antsy about making a big debut.

Scared out of our minds...but not even sure what had happened, I called the clinic and they hesitantly told me that I was probably having bladder leakage. Less than an hour later it is confirmed as amniotic fluid. Yes, my water broke...which never even happened with Greyson.

Due to how early I was, Borgess couldn't keep me, they only want 32 week plus babies due to facilities. They were concerned about the contractions that I was having regularly, every 3 minutes. They gave me something to slow them/stop them as I was transported to Specturm Health in Grand Rapids. Bronson, which also has a NICU was full and not accepting anyone who had possibility of delivering quickly. At that point, that was me.

Took a quick ride to GR, got to labor and delivery, they did all sorts of monitoring and lab tests, gave me shots of steroids to mature baby's lungs, and administered antibiotics.

Here is what I know, which may be review, depending on who you talk to:

Baby is stable, I am stable, it is possible from what I have heard for me to hang out here for another 5 weeks being on bed rest and monitored and still have an early, but healthy baby
I am here. I will not be going home, until the baby is delivered, which we don't know when will happen, ideally, in 5 weeks, which is what they are looking at as far as a goal
I was having contractions, regularly, but they stopped. They made no progress in terms of getting ready for delivery...cervix is closed, not dilated.
Baby is healthy and reacting healthily as possible to the stress he/she has been thru. Heartbeat stayed very healthy all of my contractions petered out and I am having none now. Which is good.
I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and initially will be having insulin injections due to high blood sugar levels due to the steriod that was given to the baby to help lungs develop
Every day, week, etc. that I am here, the better for baby. So I am here chilling out, but with all that time on my hands, will have way too much time to think. Had a hecl of a time sleeping last night.

I have wireless internet and will most likely use that as a main form of communication, becuase I can't use my cell and other wise have to pay for the calls on top of how much this is going to cost. I will have my laptop sometime today and I am in room 4409, 616-391-7323. I know it is not convenient to drop by, but I am sure some people will be making at least weekly treks, so if you have read a good book lately send it with them or any low carb or high protien snacks, I have a fridge in here...:)

On the homefront, things are going to be chaotic. Brian is going to for all intents and purposes be a single dad and he will be needing as much help and support that he can get. We love Greyson to death, but he has been quite challenging so recently. I am asking for any help that you can give him. I haven't even had the chance to start my after baby meals that I had planned on doing, I thought I had time!

So if you have time to give him some relief in the form of food, time, entertainment, whatever, he won't ask for it. So I am.

I will be updating as best I can. Here is the link to the blog that I have created for baby pumkin young if you want to follow. Emails and calls are more than welcome...boredom strikes! www.babyyoungblog.blogspot.com

Take Care/Love,

Christi and Pumkin

Got my 3 hour results..

I flunked. Although this is nothing compared to the next blog that you may have read the email about already..

Waiting....

So I made it thru the 3 hour test...it sucked as per usual. Four vein pricks makes one look like an IV drug user. Not so good for the prego. I did bring a book, which I highly recommend to anyone who might have to endure this toruture. Now, the torture continues....waitint g for the results. Test was Monday.

29 Weeks...what's happening inside

You are 29 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 27 weeks)
(This picture is not pumkin, but another 29 week old baby)

• Your baby now weighs about 2 and a half pounds (1150gm)
  and is about 15 inches (38.5cm) long from head to heel.
• Brain is busy developing billions of neurons.
• Baby's muscles and lungs are continuing to mature.
• The fetus can taste and respond to pain.
• The milk teeth have developed under the gums.

The baby's head is growing bigger to accommodate the brain, which is busy developing billions of neurons. The eyes can move in their sockets. They may be able to follow a blinking light. As well as your baby's increasing sensitivity to changes in light, they may also be able to taste. Various studies show that your baby may indicate preferences or dislike for particular tastes at this stage.

Baby is also moving from side to side, but probably still is head up. In the next few weeks, they will move to the head down birthing position. At times you may feel as if baby is performing somersaults for an olympic gold medal. Baby may be performing fewer movements because living conditions in the womb are becoming more cramped. The baby is still doing a lot of kicking and stretching. Some of your baby's kicks and punches may even take your breath away.

Baby hears things better from the vibrations all around, and can now distinguish real sounds and voices. Do not forget to continue to 'teach' your baby in the womb by exposing them to music, literature, and simply talking to them. At this stage baby eyes are almost always blue and can distinguish bright sunlight or artificial light through the uterine wall.

At week twenty nine, your baby measures about 11 inches (28 cm) from crown to rump, or a total length of about 15 inches (38cm) from head to heel, and weighs about 2.5 pounds (1150gm

Registering...

No, I do not expect a shower.... BUT, I was at Babies R Us, oggling baby goodies, trying to remember what I actually will need new and price it out. I run into the most helpful, overly excited about babies guy that I have ever met. Guess it helps to be that way if you are working in a baby "superstore".

He tells the budget concious (aka cheap) Christi that even if no one buys anything off it, once the baby is born I can get a 10 or 15% off coupon to buy anything that is on it. Cha-ching. So excited about that.

I have been eyeing strollers, as it is the only big thing I think I will need. I have fantastic one that I love, but the problem is only one seat. Greyson is getting so big, but not quite big enough to walk independently, especially if I am going ga ga over new baby. So I found this cool one that I have been looking at that has a big boy seat in the back and a baby seat in the front. Perfect right? Well, BRU has the "deluxe" edition of this, which I now think I want. It is $20 more and can convert from a big boy seat to a baby seat, so I have 2 real seats.

3 hour test and 29 week appointment

So, after breaking down in the dr's office, I made an appointment that will be during my 3 hours of torture. I will also be in the same area as my favorite ultrasound tech in the world. I needless to say will be having something to say.

I guess the positive side is, if I do have diabetes, I will be getting another ultrasound with Connie.

So I will have more updates on baby next week, should I actually get in to see the dr.

Hot Hormonal Mess...

Let me preface this by saying, don't mess with a pregant lady....

So I showed up for my 10:40am dr appointment at 10:25, killed time outside until 10:30, as my dr, who I love, is always running a little late. I checked in at 10:30ish and preceeded to do my lab stuff (i.e. pee in cup). I sat back down in the waiting room. I read a magazine, then looked at the clock. 11:00am....

I continued to wait. The lady at the desk called to see how long it would be to get me back. I read a second magazine. My back starts hurting from sitting. 11:15...

During this time, the one person who was there when I got there AND the other 5 who came after me have all been seen and some have left. Couple that with a girl who just had her 20 week ultrasound at the office (where I wanted to and griped about in a previous post) has about 15, no joke, pictures. She is happily looking thru them, I remember the one alien baby shot that I got. I see a beautiful 3-d pic of her little girl...feel the tears welling up.

She calls back again, they can see me in a "few seconds". 11:30, still waiting. I ask to be rescheduled when I go up and they say she can take me back now, but I won't get seen until after 12:00pm.

This is when the hormonal meltdown occurs. I just wanted to know if there was any more info that the dr had about my sugar test results. The let me talk to a nurse, in tears, about my test. I of course got no more info than I did last time I talked to her. They ask me if I want to see another provider now. I am so fed up and crying at this point that I tell them "I just want to go home" when I know I have to go to work....

This would be my second official hormonal meltdown of the pregnancy!