Diagnosis: Healthy

My employer offers free health screenings every year. It's probably cheaper for them to have several thousand employees spend 15 minutes in the cafeteria than to send them each to the doctor and have a round of bloodwork ordered. Assuming folks are even bothered to go.

Both years that I've taken advantage of the program, my numbers have all been good. Here's this years:

Total Cholesterol 160 ("Desirable" is <200)
HDL Cholesterol 41 ("Low" is < 40, "Optimal" is > 60..I was at the same level last year too)
LDL Cholestoerol 99 ("Optimal" < 100)
Triglycerides 101 ("Desirable" < 150)
Glucose 94 ("Normal (Non-Fasting)" < 140)
Blood Pressure 94/57 ("Normal" < 120/80)
BMI 24.0 ("Normal" = 18.5-24.9)
Body Fat 29.8% ("Healthy" for my age is 21-33%)

Yes my blood pressure is low. And no, I don't get dizzy (they asked!). The only time I came close to that "normal" range was about 8 months pregnant. I salt my food, too (though I don't like a lot of packaged or canned stuff). My mom began having trouble with higher blood pressure after age 40. I'm keeping these numbers for as long as I can, thankyouverymuch.

It is interesting that my BMI and Body Fat % have been pretty much the same for over ten years (not counting a few select months post-partum). I used to stress about the body fat % thing--I used to be on the borderline between "healthy" and "overweight". My age is now my excuse. Hooray for thirtysomethings!

My cholesterol levels were about the same last year. The only near "ding" on my record is really that hdl level--it's lower than optimal. Last year I chalked it up to breastfeeding, and having the fat literally sucked right out of me. This year, well, I guess it's just diet & exercise. But as the "counselor" explained, the ratio of my hdl to my total cholesterol is good. I'm just low overall.

I do need to exercise more, but I already eat plenty of nuts & use olive oil almost exclusively when cooking (& canola for baking). I tried a fish oil supplement once--it gives me heartburn. We don't eat a lot of fish in our house, which might also boost that number. I am not particularly comfortable cooking a lot of fish dishes (lack of experience manly), and honestly, the midwest is not a great place to buy it.

As part of the health screenings, they will feed our numbers into a computer system for a health survey. They will ask us additional questions about our diet and lifestyle, which will doubtless be used for research of some sort. I remember last year having to answer the question "Do you eat a low-fat diet". My answer was marked "medium-fat" diet, which is a more accurate description. I like meat and butter, and am never skimpy with the olive oil. And it's not hurting me so far. But despite low overall cholesterol numbers, the system still chided me for not eating a "low-fat" diet. Hmmph.

Not yet

Despite possible rumors to the contrary, I am still preganant. Sunday night we had another false alarm. This time I was sure my water had broken--not the huge gush that I got with Charlotte, but more liquid over a longer period than any bladder accident (which I have NOT been having trouble with anyway)--and it was clear fluid, with no off (i.e. urine) smell. However, the trickle stopped, and I am told that the membranes appear intact. Darn the luck.

I was having contractions, and had dialated a bit further (up to 2+ cm), and the contractions continued Sunday night and all day Monday (though 5-10 minutes apart). Today, nada. I am not at work the last two days. Yesterday, I didn't feel great with contractions, and am getting tired of scraping together enough work to keep me busy for only a day at a time (since I can't guarantee I'll return the next day to finish anything). Today I had a Dr appointment (NST was normal, as usual, still dilated 2ish cm). Now, I'm lounging on the couch, getting ready to watch a movie, and being a tiny bit careless with my sick days, which, together with short-term disability, are paying for part of my maternity leave...That means that I'll have a week (hopefully not 2) more of time off, though unpaid at the end (still wanting 12 weeks off after the baby is actually born...the time can be arranged, the money does run out before then). Then again, if I'm feeling this "normal" tomorrow and the weather is in the upper 60's as the last forecast said they would be, perhaps I'll gather friends and take Charlotte to the zoo, and try to walk myself into labor :)

Still Pregnant

My contractions slowly faded away on Wednesday, depsite additional walking (including the 1-mile loop around the Mills). Everyone was surprised to see me at work on Thursday. And today. I'm only 39 weeks, but I've been told by my dr that things could happen "any time".

I did find some red raspberry leaf tea at Wild Oats on my way home from yesterday's regularly scheduled Dr visit....maybe if I make the whole box, and then walk around the neighborhood a few hundred times this weekend....and I've already requested a bowl of my husband's fresh salsa for Sunday. My doc is out of town this weekend, and the partner who delivered Charlotte is on call (my doc was out of town for Charlotte too...maybe that means I have a chance of going this weekend....). There is no baby shower planned for this weekend (like there was for the weekend before Charlotte came), but we do have my IL's as houseguests, hopefully to be here to help out when the baby comes.

Then again, maybe this baby is like I was--willing to hang on till the last possible moment. I was a 42 week-er, but with a surprisingly fast labor that my dad nearly missed because he tried to call his parents to tell them that I was coming. Maybe I should spike that salsa with some of the tea leaves, and find an article on emergency home births for my husband...

So I went home

I started having a lot of contractions yesterday afternoon around 3pm. They weren't particularly consistent--many as close as 3 minutes apart, some closer to 8-10 minutes apart. They weren't particularly painful, and mostly seemed to cause me to use the restroom. I called my husband from the parking lot at Charlotte's daycare, after a drive with mostly 3-5 minute contractions, and asked if he could skip his weekly wallyball league game and come home instead, knowing that things weren't painful enough to mean that the baby was minutes from birth, but nor did I want to be home alone with a toddler and have a hard time reaching him by phone.

We went home. I walked around. I started packing bags--one for me, one for Charlotte in case she needed to go visit a friends' house for the evening. Nothing really got worse. We had some dinner--cans of soup. My husband and Charlotte had popcorn and strawberries later in the evening. We all sat around on the couch and watched tv. My contractions were still in the 3-8 minute range, seeming to slow a bit if I actually lay down instead of sitting straight up. We went to bed around 10. I was able to mostly sleep--still getting up to go to the bathroom probably every hour or so, until about 2:45 in the morning.

After a trip to the bathroom, I noticed that the contractions were back at about 5 minutes apart, and were a bit more uncomfortable than before. Not really painful, just uncomfortable. I timed them for an hour or so in bed--3-5 minutes (there were a couple of 6 minute gaps where I either lost counted or started to doze, but really 3-5 minutes). My husband woke up to use the restroom and I told him what I was feeling. Finally I got up and went to call my OB, as I'd hit the 5 minutes apart for over an hour stage. He told me to head on to the hospital and get checked out.

At that point, it was about 4am and we had a sleeping toddler. I took a shower and gave my husband the unpleasant task of choosing one of two sets of friends in the neighborhood to call for assistance. He called, and one of the guys--the father of one of Charlotte's playmates, and a good friend of ours since college--came up. We packed things and headed to the hospital. My contractions were still there, and still merely annoying, so I probably looked a lot better than many women walking into a maternity ward at 4am.

The triage nurse took my information, hooked me up to monitors (the same kind of contraction and fetal heartrate monitors that I am tested on twice a week during my NST's), checked my cervix. 1.5 cm dialated, about 50% effaced. Contractions about 5 minutes apart, but on a scale 1-10, I rated them at a 3 (just above her example of menstrual cramps). They were definitely doing something--the last time my cervix was checked I was less than .5 inch dialated and just starting to efface. After a bit, I was unhooked and told to go walking around for an hour and come back. My husband and I toured the lobbies, some hallways, then outside around the parking lots, enjoying the warm spring pre-dawn.

We came back, and they repeated the checks--still same dilation, about the same effacing. By now, my doctor had arrived at the hospital for a different C-section he was scheduled for--Wednesdays are his "surgery" days, so he would actually be around all day. He confirmed the nurse's checks. They sent us on another walk. This time, we passed a Starbucks coffee cart, and I got some hot tea and a scone to nibble (my stomach was growling and it was 7:30 in the morning), and took another nice stroll outside. I was feeling contractions while walking, but they were harder to distinguish than when I was sitting (and I have plenty of normal discomfort from walking a lot, including lower abdomen pressure from the baby normally). Finally, we returned to the labor&delivery floor for round 3 of cervix checks and another quick monitoring. My contractions were a steady 4 minutes apart, but my cervix hadn't budged.

My doctor gave me the option of staying, and probably getting a bit of pitocin to help get things moving, or to head home and wait it out. Much as the idea of getting the process rolling appeals to me (and my lack of patience lately), I remember the pitocin last time and how much it hurt, and I know it would probably lead to an epidural, which I'm afraid will put me in the same straights as last time--a (bigger) baby that can get in a bad position and me not able to move enough (or be allowed out of bed) to help things. That may be what led to the C-section the first time, and I'd like to avoid one now. There's still the chance that my hip bones are just not shaped correctly to allow a baby's head to pass through, no matter how optimally he is positioned--but my mom had 5 babies, and each grandma had 4 (including the one who is less that 5 feet tall and really a tiny thing). I want the chance to try and avoid major surgery.

So I went home. And now we wait again.

For the record...YES I'm ready...

In case you were wondering, yes I'm ready for the baby to be born. We're pretty much done preparing at home. I'm full term. The baby is certainly big enough (2 weeks ago , he was estimated at 6lbs 4oz by ultrasound...no low-birthweight baby here...). We have our emergency contacts ready and waiting to take Charlotte (including friends in the neighborhood who could react quickly if its the middle of the night, and Charlotte's aunt and uncle and grandparents who are farther away but will come to help out as soon as they hear). Anytime this kiddo wants to make an appearance is fine by me--in fact, the sooner he comes, the smaller he'll be, and the better chance my VBAC has of succeeding (or at least, the better chance I have of it succeeding without freaking out doctors and hospital staff that it won't work). No, I'm not taking off of work early--at least, no earlier than my due date. I would do nothing but sit around the house and watch TV, and eat up my leave time, so what's the point--I'd rather have more bonding time with the little guy later than catch up on Oprah and my knitting now.

With Charlotte, I never got to the stage of being "ready" and impatient for labor to start. But I'm already a week past when she came, which was all I was hoping to get to this time around. I don't know any sure-fire ways to kick off labor (short of being induced, which is not on the menu, or scheduling a c-section, something I don't want to do either). I don't truly believe that spicy Mexican food will do the trick--despite my salsa story from last time, I had enough other signs that I overlooked at the time, that the Mexican was just a coincidence. I'm starting to take more walks, hoping that will help with contractions, but really it is just an excuse to see a little sunlight and help Charlotte burn off some of her evening energy. In any case, no matter what kind of crazy antics I try to get labor started, I really know that it will come in it's own time.

But really, kid, now would be great!

Freak of Nature

I had what is probably my last ultrasound (and a half) last week, at nearly 35 weeks. It was an eventful one (and a half). Tuesday morning, my in-laws were heading out of town after spending a weekend, and I had invited them to come to my appointment, as they'd never seen more than the crummy black-and-white alien photos from ultrasounds. They got quite a show.

It turns out that my son's 2-vessel cord looks like a 2/3 vessel cord in spots. The ultrasound tech got a shot of the cord close to the baby, where there appeared to be 2 arteries and 1 vein, all in normal proportions. But much of the cord still shows only 2 vessels. She brought in my OB, who said that he'd never heard of or seen such a thing before. Both of them were a bit giddy--and talked about possibly publishing what they were seeing. Also, she noted that the baby's estimated weight was 6lbs 4oz, putting him in the 80th percentile based on gestational age....he was 40th 2 months ago, and 56th 3 weeks ago. Apparently, however many blood vessels he has, he's getting plenty of nutrients....

When I returned on Friday afternoon for my regular NST, the ultrasound tech grabbed me for some additional photos of the cord. She'd started doing a little research already and had found few or no references to umbilical cords where a vessel is either collapsed or forked or something. She did double-check the cord entry point to the bladder, and there it appears to be a true 2-vessel cord.

In any case, this doesn't really change much. I'm still on the 2x a week plan for NST's. My birth plan still hasn't changed (though the possibility of a 9lb baby does make the whole VBAC thing sound rather...um...eventful). After the baby is born, they will be examining his cord in a lab setting. I have no problems with any sort of publishing in medical journals...I'll have to remember to ask the OB to send me a copy of anything they do write, for the scrapbook :)

Gestational grumblings

I am finally developing new stretch marks. Until this morning, I had hoped that my 50-pound weight gain from last time had stretched all my belly skin out enough that I could avoid the irritation and itching this time around. Apparently not. Just to be clear here, I'm not really complaining--I only have 2 or 3 new small, reddish stripes around my midsection, and I'm past 34 weeks. Not complaining, just pouting. At least I'm not yet ripping a new 6" stretch mark every day or two--that was really uncomfortable last time.

Speaking of 34 weeks, apparently the way I count weeks and the way my doctor counts them are a little different. My appointment last Tuesday, he noted that I was 34 weeks, 5 days...My count was 33 weeks 6 days at that point. Not a large difference, I guess, and hopefully one that will be insiginificant for the birth. My preferences for birth at this point are (in order of preference) 1) natural, VBAC (no augmentation, no induction etc...pain relief minimal or none to help avoid problems positioning the baby) or 2) repeat C-section, but only in the case that #1 failed or there is an emergency condition where the baby needs to be out *now* (in other words, not for the convenience of the doctor).

Up until recently I hadn't really considered that dates would play a possible role in the process--everything I've read about the 2-vessel umbilical cord suggests that these babies are frequently early and/or small. But then, according to my last ultrasound, this baby is in the 56th percentile for size by gestational age. In other words, he's not going to be that small. I'm starting to suspect that the little joker has been ignoring the "high risk" part of this pregnancy and is planning to languish past his due date so he can continue to enjoy his little bachelor pad. With my luck, he'll arrive on April fool's day and weigh 9+ pounds.

My last whine of the day is about my wardrobe. Despite having access to the combined pregnancy wardrobes of like 4 or 5 women, I'm running out of things to wear. Most things are too small--I'm a size or two bigger than a couple of the contributing members to start, and they only build so much extra room into the shoulders, sleeves, and legs of maternity clothes. But then, some of the clothes are actually too big, but in strange ways (like pants that are huge on my hips, but don't quite fit around my belly...go figure that one out). The ones that fit are either in constant rotation in my closet (I'm doing laundry 2x a week to stay dressed for work--which is not even a dressy place), or are completely the wrong season. I keep praying for those mid-February 70-degree days that we seem to get almost every year, so I can dig into a large stash of capris, sundresses, and short-sleeved tops that I *know* will fit (because I wore them when carrying Charlotte, and weighed more than I do now). Instead, I'm borrowing an A-line wool coat from my sister in law so I have something that will button over my belly, to fight against single-digit temperatures and 3" of snow on the sidewalk.

Speaking of snow, shoes are also a dilemma. At this stage or pregnancy, putting on socks or tying shoe laces requires an advanced degree of flexibility and contortionism, because there is no way to simply bend over and touch your toes. But most of my slip-on shoes don't cover the back of my heels, which can make for cold (and wet) feet in this weather.

The day I went into labor with Charlotte, I was not ready. I still had another month of pregnancy left ahead of me, and lots of things to do. I'd heard women complain about how anxious they are in the last weeks, just wanting to get things over with, and I just could not relate. *sigh* I guess every pregnancy really is different.

Thoughts on childbirth

I read the birth story recently of an acqaintance, call her L., who had a successful VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean). The birth of her first child went somewhat similarly to my experience with Charlotte, in that her water broke early, and she was asked to labor in a bed instead of being able to walk and move freely. From this, the baby's head got to a bad position, and at some point they decided that she would need a C-section. Apparently the hours after delivery were more stressful for her than mine were--including a lenghty separation from her son after birth (a couple of hours, from what I read). I, on the other hand, was in the same room with my daughter while they finished with me (and she was mostly being held by my husband and mother, who were there with me). I held her in my own arms as we were wheeled to the recovery room, and I was able to attempt to nurse her as soon as we arrived there (maybe 1-1.5 hours after she was born? Maybe more--I was a little drugged and tired at that point to remember the time). L. and I gave birth at different hospitals, which may well account for some of the differences in our experiences.

I think the bigger way that our first childbirth experiences differed was in how we recovered from the birth--emotionally, not necessarily physically. At a LLL meeting, another mom gave me information about a group called ICAN (or ICANN)--"international caesarean awareness something or other", but when I looked at the group's website, I was immediately turned off. Though there was some information there about recovery, implications for future births, tips for attempting VBAC's, etc, mostly what I found was anger and distrust--distrust of the medical profession, hospitals, etc. Many of the women who contributed to what I read sounded like abuse victims who had been forcibly robbed of something important. In one short conversation I had with L after congratulating her on her second pregancy, she mentioned that she had found this same group, which apparently clicked with her. Early on, she was already planning a home birth with child #2, complete with birthing tub--determined to avoid a second C-section. It sounds as though she mostly succeeded--she got the VBAC, but ended up driving to the hospital at the last minute in hopes of an epidural for the pain that she had trouble dealing with (she was too late for the epidural as it turns out).

Somehow, I did not end up with the same hang-ups about having a C-section. It was painful, and the recovery was long--I couldn't sleep on my stomach for 3 months after the birth, and it took longer than that before I was comfortable enough to attempt much abdominal strengthening again. But my daughter and I emerged from the hospital alive and well, and my body did heal. I don't think I ever really felt like a failure, and I found pride in the beautiful baby that my body was able to grow (and continue to sustain after birth with milk). I also realized that had I had a similar labor 100 years ago, one of us (or both of us) may not have survived--women used to die in childbirth. A lot more often than they do now. Maybe today's interventions (the epidural that keeps you from feeling your feet, keeping the mother from walking much after the water is broken to prevent cord prolapse, etc) are adding to the number of C-sections that are performed. And maybe some number of those C-sections would have been still births or brain-damaged babies otherwise. Personally, I'll take the intervention and good outcome over the gamble of the alternative.

Some women have a fantasy built up in their mind of the ultimate, blissful childbirth experience, starring themselves as powerful Earth Mother types whose bodies magically produce perfect children. I don't think they prepare for the pain that will come, because they are sure that everything will be perfect and the pain will be tolerable. They don't prepare mentally for the recovery, which for some women is less than pleasant (as any experience that can cause incontinence is going to be less than pleasant). Childbirth is messy, painful, and frought with problems. While I do believe that Mother Nature provides us with everything possible to help childbirth go smoothly, we sometimes forget that part of our source of empowerment comes from the fact that humans are social creatures. We are meant to live together in family and society groups, and we must rely on our fellow humans for help during our most vulnerable times. And childbirth is definitely one of our most vulnerable times. I am not advocating that women are somehow helpless and must submit to anything the all-knowing Medical Profession dictates to us. I am saying that we have to listen to our bodies, and trust what they're saying--especially when they're calling for help--and that it is not a sign of weakness to accept help from the doctors and nurses (who are real people with minds and hearts who generally care quite a bit for their patient's wellbeing).

I, too, am hoping for a VBAC with my second child. I remember the pain from Charlotte's birth, and remember how I was able to deal with it (and not--I did need an epidural when the back labor was at its worst). I also know that I may need help, or my baby may need help, and I may not get the birth experience that I would prefer. I remember the pain and recovery time from my C-section, and I know that I may be facing that a second time, if things don't go exactly according to plan. But, I know that I will have help around me during and after the birth, and that time heals many things. I should trust my body to know it's job, and trust those around me that they know thiers.

Pregnancy Cravings

Pregnancy cravings are a little strange. No, I'm not eating pickles and ice cream. Actually, my cravings have been less strange with this baby than they were with Charlotte. This baby actually lets me eat chocolate (though it's finally starting to give me heartburn). Still, I found myself nuking marshmallows in the office microwave earlier for some quick smores. Mmm (I'm trying to ignore the heartburn part just now).

With Charlotte, I swear I was eating my husband's diet. All I wanted was meat, meat, meat, with a few sides of fries and occaisional ice cream (ok the ice cream isn't his thing, but the meat sure was). I hardly touched chocolate the entire time because it just didn't taste good to me. Well, there were a couple of weeks where I wanted those chcoloate-covered little donuts--apparently that's one of his few occaisional sweet indulgences. I found myself searching a bowl of M&M's one day for skittles. The M&M's I had at easter time ended up going stale before I felt like eating them again. Every time I would have some strange, specific food craving, my husband would just laugh at me, and remind me that it's one of his favorite things also.

This time, my tastes are much more my own. I am in the mood for salad on a fairly regular basis. I mentioned the smores thing. I've been eating plain (big) marshmallows a lot lately too. I'm quite looking forward to the end of Valentine's candy in the stores, and the advent of the Easter candy...jelly beans and peeps have been calling to me from the store warehouses where they're currently hidden. While steak is good, I don't need it every night to prevent the monster in my belly from devouring me instead (or so it can feel like).

Even though my diet seems to be my own, I am definitely looking forward to the post-natal, breastfeeding-induced appetite that comes with a super-high metabolism and without the nasty heartburn. Then again, this pregnancy has been so mild, maybe I *won't* be able to eat a bag of double-stuffed oreos a week and still lose weight just by nursing this baby. That would be a real bummer.

Miscellaneous updates

Blogger and I have not been getting along recently. There have been several times over the last week where I've had something to post, and have been unable to login--probably more to do with internet security settings on the computers that I'm using than anything else. It's still annoying. So, instead of a couple of posts, I've got a summary for ya'll. Lucky you.

Last weekend, we started real preparations on the new baby's room. The bedroom has been a guest room since we moved into the house, with the walls still the 1-coat builder-grade-flat-offwhite color they were when the house was built. The closet had become a catch-all, full of everything from guest sheets to my husband's cassette tape collection to random bathroom accessories that we don't need (some that I don't remember purchasing or ever using....gotta love those thoughtful gifts from people). So far, we've cleaned out the closet, and relocated all non-baby items to more appropriate locations--including Goodwill, who is now the proud owner of sevaral sets of twin-sized sheets (we don't actually own a twin-sized bed...). The closet was then emptied compeletely into our bedroom (including the existing closet shelving) so it could get a coat of paint. My husband and brother-in-law began painting, and the room and closet have a coat each. My husband also got 1.5 walls covered with a brushed, glaze finish (like sponging, but with brushes). My husband gets to do the work--I get to spend the money: I hit Home Depot and Target for additional closet shelves and organizers to make better use of the space. Of course, until the painting is finished, they're piled in the living room and our bedroom.

Tuesday I had an ultrasound, a NST, and a prenatal visit with my OB. Baby boy is still exactly on target for size. They estimate he's in the 56 percentile for gestational age (32 weeks)--roughly 4lbs 5oz. Ultrasound size estimates are just that--estimates, but it still seems as though lacking an umbilical artery isn't hurting him any. His kidneys are still dilated, but no worse than before, and the amniotic fluid still looks good. So at this point, I'm expecting extra visits to the pediatrician after he's born, but not much else to worry about while still pregnant. All the NST's have been fine--I get to sit and read a book or magazine, and baby boy does his aerobics routine, showing nice heartrate accelerations just like he should.

Tuesday night was a bad night. First, Charlotte woke up crying at about 3am and climbed into bed with us. She was fast asleep almost as soon as my husband hoisted her up for a cuddle, though she apparently spent the rest of the night breathing in his ear--doing her Darth Vadar impression, thanks to a stuffed up nose. Then at 4:30, the phone rang. My husband did not answer it right away (i wasn't being lazy--it's on his side of the bed), but then got out of bed as he heard the message beign left on the answering machine--it was a policeman outside the house! A couple of the lights on the front of our house have been acting funny lately--we're using those little flourescent bulbs that are supposed to last a long time (but that dont' work with dimmer switches), and also have photosensitive switches to turn them on automatically at night. Apparently the combination sometimes leads to a bulb or two flashing on and off like a strobe light. As we learned early that morning, some home alarm systems are wired to make the outdoor lights flash when the alarm is triggered, thereby alerting passersby that someone has broken into the house. Our h ouse is not wired that way, but the cop making his rounds stopped to check out aroudn the house just in case. It's hard to be mad, given that he was working for our safety. It's also hard to stay awake at work the next day when you've gotten half the sleep that you otherwise intended. We are replacing all of those bulbs.

The other fun event of the week has been my hubby's car. He took it to a shop on Monday to have the brakes checked, and ended up with a $2000 repair bill for various and sundry items that needed fixing. His car is at 60k miles, but yikes, that was expensive (and unexpected). Yesterday he got a notice in the mail about a class action lawsuit pending over one of the repairs that he just had done--I guess he's not the only one with that problem (I don't remember what it was..some part that was cracked...goes to show how much I know about cars I guess). So there might eventually be some relief for the expense. Then again, if it's like any of the other lawsuit settlements, we'll likely get a coupon for something we never intend to buy, and a pat on the head. Such is life.

Non Stress Tests

I've had my first two non-stress tests this week. They're really not that bad at all. The OB has a small room with a recliner in it that I sit in and put my feet up. The nurse straps two monitors on my belly--one that checks the baby's heartrate, and the other I believe would measure contractions if I were having any. They're the same two hockey-puck shaped monitors that I wore during labor with Charlotte, and neither is uncomfortable in any way (no pin pricks or anything, just stretchy velcro that wraps around my middle to hold them in place). She also gives me a button (think Jeopardy) to click when I feel the baby move or a contraction. Then I relax and read a magazine for 20 minutes while baby boy does some belly dancing. They are checking my weight, blood pressure, and taking a urine sample at every test as well (I managed to drop a pound between last week and this week....maybe I was eating too much salt and retaining water over Christmas or something).

Tuesday I also had an ultrasound, which showed his growth is still right on target (estimated 43rd percentile for size....about the same as the 41st percentile a month ago). It was kind of funny that the baby was very active during the ultrasound, but tried to take a nap during the non-stress test. The doctor used a small buzzer to wake him up at the end and get him kicking. It put out a very small vibration, less than a computer with an bad power supply. Once he was awake, his heartrate responded correctly to the efforts of his kicking. Not that I was surprised after all the belly-shaking he's been doing lately.

Reasurring tests

I had another ultrasound yesterday to check the growth of our little boy. This one was quite reassuring. His growth seems to be on track--estimated 1lb 6oz, which puts him in the 41st % for his gestational age. That's a nice, average number as far as I'm concerned, and it means that he doesn't yet seem hindered by the 2-vessel cord. I don't know if they checked his kidneys or not this time--I think I asked but I dont' remember the lady measuring them. I believe the amniotic fluid levels were also fine, so perhaps they won't do a lot of checking until closer to birth (or after). At my last ultrasound, it was pointed out that the length of the baby's femurs were slightly short proportionally compared to the rest of him, which could be a "soft" marker of a chromosomal problem (though our bloodwork had shown that to be statistically unlikely). This time, they are fine. I'm chalking that up to some strange stage of a growth spurt--kind of how my toddler chubs up for a while and then all of a sudden grows an inch taller.

In general, the baby seems to be doing well. He's kicking and moving all the time (including at 1am when I'm trying to get back to sleep after using the restroom). I'm hungry all the time, and tired a lot, and starting to crave more red meat (mmm...steak). And, my belly is really growing rounder, though the rest of me isn't really packing on the pounds (unlike with Charlotte when I'd already hit the 25 pound mark by this time, most of it in my upper arms and face I think....). My only complaint is that my hip joints have gotten really sore since yesterday--probably related to carrying a recalcitrant toddler out of daycare and into the house, plus the extra trip back up 2 flights of stairs at the OB's office to find the ultrasound photo that I'd dropped on the way to the car....

More appointments

I had a prenatal appointment this morning. Most of it was the usual: pee in a cup, get weighed, blood pressure, baby's heartbeat, get my belly measured. ofWe discussed birth options, because I had Charlotte by C-section. Basically, I want to try for a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarian) because the recovery time for me should be shorter and easier, which will be important with two munchkins to take care of. But I know that 1) because Charlotte's birth went the way it did, that there's a higher probability that my hip bones won't allow a baby's head to pass through, and I may end up with another C-Section and 2) I am now a much higher risk pregnancy and the baby's safety and well-being come before my ease of recovery. Also, having labor induced or augmented is slightly more likely to lead to complications for VBAC's ("uterine rupture" = a very bad thing) and itself is more likely to result in a C-section. So the result is that I don't want to be induced, so if there's any need to speed up the delivery or birth date, then I go under the knife. Also, assuming I go into labor on my own, if the baby shows signs of distress, then I won't argue about his method of entering the world.

I talked to my OB about the last ultrasound, and am still going to do followup ultrasounds every 4 weeks, but in my regular doc's office and not at the hospital. Nothing has changed with the baby in the last two weeks that we know of, so there's no news to report there. But, my doc said that starting at 28 weeks, he will have me come into the office twice a week for Non Stress Test. From what I understand, this involves me sitting in a recliner for the better part of an hour while they monitor the baby's heartrate and movement (to make sure that he's moving and that his heartrate is behaving when he does). So, we're looking at prenatal appointments every 4 weeks (they get more frequent towards the end, but I don't remember when I start going more often), ultrasounds every 4 weeks, and NST's 2x a week. Have I mentioned lately how glad I am to have good health insurance?

More ultrasounds

Last Friday we had yet another ultrasound. Also, the results of our quad-screen blood test came in that day. The result of both wasn't vastly different than what we already knew. It looks like the little man has one kidney that is dialated (which means something is keeping it from draining normally). The other kidney actually looked normal, which is very nice to hear--people can survive quite well with one healthy kidney. They checked my own kidneys as well, because there is a correlation between the defect on my ear and kidney problems, but mine are normal (makes sense, as I've never had problems).

We still have only a single artery in the cord, instead of the normal 2, which means they're going to watch me carefully to make sure that the baby is growing at a healthy rate. The doctor did point out something new, that the length of the femur is shorter than expected. He mentioned that this can be a "soft" marker for Down's syndrome, but we don't seem to have other indications. I don't know if this will turn out to be anything to worry about or not. We do come from small families (one of my grandmothers is less than 5' tall), though I'm sure the expected size takes into account variations based on genetics. I haven't been able to find much online about what this means, so for now we're not worrying too much about it.

The blood test showed a 1 in 9000 chance of having a baby with Down's Syndrome, which is pretty low, so it seems unlikely that we have that to work with. We would have to do an amniocentesis to be sure there aren't any chromosomal abnormalities, but since that test involves risks (from cramping to possible miscarriage), we aren't going to do it at the moment. I believe that it can be done later in pregnancy, and towards the end can give clues to how well a baby's lungs are developing, so we may revisit the question at some point, but not now. We could also wait untill after the baby is born to have him tested, which might be our best bet for now.

What all this means at the moment is that I'll be getting more ultrasounds. I have 3 of them already scheduled, every 4 weeks. They will watch how the kidney is developing, and the fluid levels, and the baby's growth. I guess we may get follow up on the femur thing too.

I guess for now we're relaxing a bit. There's not much more that we can do for the little guy at the moment except to take care of myself and try to project happy, healing thoughts his way. And I get to enjoy every kick and wiggle.

On a lighter note..maternity clothes shopping

We have several wedding coming up in the next couple of months, and I realized that there's not much in the way of winterish dressy clothes in the communal maternity closet. There are a couple of nice dresses that will fit, but I wanted a bit more variety, and the two main options were ones that also I wore several times when pregnant with Charlotte.

So Friday night we made a family trip to the St. Louis Mills mall (Gasp! We weren't home watching the Cardinals win the World Series! Bad! Bad! Bad St. Louisans). While my husband supervised Charlotte playing in the kiddie area, I trekked down to the Motherhood Maternity store to see what I could find. I gathered one of nearly every dressy outfit that appealed to me and headed into the changing rooms.

The first dress I tried on was a strappy red number that looked beautiful on the hanger and on the photo of the model on the wall. Unfortunately, the cute chiffon ruffle-things decorating the dress made me look like a large red feather duster. I cringe to think what I would look like in this dress in another 10 weeks....

My next attempt involved a pretty velvet skirt (marked down to $10 from the original $50), and a flocked tank top. The top was cute, but the top and armholes were lined with snug-fitting elastic (to help hold up the built-in bra I believe)--elastic works fine as long as your upper chest and arms are solid as rocks. I, for one, have had a hard time getting my 20 hours of weekly weight training in at the gym recently, and didn't think hanging over the top of my blouse was an attractive look.

After several more attempts, I settled on something fairly conservative, and massively stretchy that promises to still fit in a couple of months. I also bought the pretty velvet skirt, betting that I might find a nice top for it later (if not, I'm only out $10). I have a beaded silk camisole from Old Navy that is unfortunately also black, though perhaps with a colored shawl or sweater I might pair it with the skirt.

That brings me to my one whine about the Motherhood/Mimi/Pea in the Pod stores. If I never wear the pretty black skirt, then there's no way for me to take it back. Their return policy sucks. Rather, it's nonexistant. If an item is not on sale, then you have 10 days to exchange it. If it's been marked down at all, then your sale is final. What's up with that? Old Navy (who has provided most of the wardrobe that I've personally paid for) treats their pregnant customers with the same respect as their non-pregnant ones--if the item has its tags, it can be returned or exchanged (they might have a time limit, but it's a lot more than 10 days!). Even stuff you buy off their website can also be returned to the stores, so you don't have to ship stuff back and forth. I just wish they had more variety!

Ultrasound results

Last Thursday, we had our routine prenatal ultrasound. We were asked if we wanted to know the gender of the baby, and said that if it was obvious then sure, but it wasn't a huge priority. We're having a boy. The ultrasound tech got a couple of good views and we brought home two photos--one the typical head-and-body, and the other one of our son's genitalia :)

Unfortunately, the ultrasound tech also got a couple of other views which aren't quite as good. My OB called later that afternoon to tell us that they think that the baby's umbilical cord has only one artery and one vein (instead of the normal 2 arteries), and that his kidneys looked a little dilated (which could mean that there's some blockage keeping things from flowing through normally). He did repeat that the baby's size, heart, and the amniotic fluid levels all looked good. I will be going to Missouri Baptist within the next week or so for a follow-up, more in-depth ultrasound. In the mean time, I also stopped by the lab on Thursday to have blood drawn for the routine "quad-screen" test, which can signal some "defects", including chromosomal ones. We don't have the results of that back yet. So we're in a waiting game.

Thursday and Friday, my husband and I did a little research online, and talked to my Mom (a nurse who's worked in NICU for probably 20+ years), and both have helped. Here's what I've pieced together (I hope I'm getting all my facts straight..please don't use this as positive research!) It appears that the single-artery umbilical cord is somewhat common. In about 25% of the time, it is associated with other chromosomal problems , but the rest of the time it is not. It is frequently associated with renal (kidney) problems, and according to my mom, when a baby is born with a single-artery cord, they typcially need kidney ultrasounds after about a month to see if they would need surgery or any treatment. A single-artery can be capable of sustaining a pregnancy to a healthy, full-term baby. They will, however, watch to make sure the baby is growing appropriately (i.e. probably more ultrasounds, especially towards the end to check the baby's size).

The dilated kidneys may or may not signal some sort of blockage or defect in the kidneys/renal tract. Many times they resolve themselves. One of the big worries here is that in-utero, the kidneys are producing the amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby. Without sufficient volume and quality of amniotic fluid, the baby's lungs may not develop properly. After birth, if there is a kidney problem, the baby may be more prone to infections. Apparently, they frequently are prescribed antibiotics as a protective measure.

The good news that we know so far is that they didn't detect anything abnormal in the baby's size (so the artery isn't affecting growth, at least not yet), the fluid (so the kidneys are doing ok so far), or the heart (many chromosomal problems have associated heart defects).

The other, possibly-unrelated, news that my mom told me and asked me to share with the OB is that I was born with a pre-auricular tag. That's a funny-looking bump on the outside of my ear. Most of it was removed when I was a baby, but I still have what looks like a permanent, cartildge-y zit on my right ear. It's mainly a cosmetic thing. I've known about the silly thing all my life, but didn't know until now that they are sometimes associated with renal problems. I guess developmentally, ears and kidneys are related. My mom said that whenever they see a baby born with a pre-auricular tag these days, the baby generally gets a kidney ultrasound to check for problems. I don't know if I've ever had any myself (a few bladder infections and UTI's, but nothing major), but it might be related.

So now, I guess, we wait. And pray for the health of our little boy. And take a lot of deep breaths because anxiety over what might be won't help a thing.

Pantyhose

I've never been a fan of pantyhose. I think the manufacturers use metal tubing as fit models when designing the things, because they never seem to actually work on something as exotically shaped as a human leg. I have tried some of the more expensive hosiery--paying $10 or 15 for a pair (ok, so my idea of "expensive" may not be the same as others....), but those things fit just as poorly and run just as fast as the cheaper ones.

I don't wear a lot of skirts normally, so I don't generally dwell on the topic. When you work primarily with computers and men 1) No one cares if you're wearing a skirt (your coworkers don't generally notice what you wear, as long as you're dressed) 2) If someone does notice that you're wearing a skirt, it's going to be someone who makes you feel very uncomfortable for having exposed your ankles, let alone your knees, and 3) You occaisionally have to climb under your desk to fiddle with wires and cords, and that's neither comfortable nor easy while avoiding runs and over-exposure.

This weekend, I got to delve into this lovely topic, with a twist: maternity pantyhose. I had successfully avoided the subject with Charlotte, since I was pregnant mainly in the summer when bare legs are expected. Unfortunately, Saturday was cold, windy, and we had a wedding to attend.

I tried looking at Target for somethign appropriate first, and could not find either soemthing labeled "maternity" or something that was "low-waisted" (in the hopes that they would ride under my bulging belly instead of cutting it in half at the midsection). Just in case I failed elsewhere as well, I did grab one pair in a vageuly flesh-toned color that at least claimed to have no "control-top" (those things are the devil...they squish your abdomen and make what fat you have bubble up around your waist and look even bigger....I have never understood how that's supposed to make you look slimmer). I then stopped by the maternity store in the Galleria. After spending probably 10 minutes reading 3 or 4 different package types for sizes, colors, and "features", I settled on the least expensive option--basic nude-colored hose.

The first pair I tried on at home was the "maternity" hose. I had picked the size range that seemed to correspond to my height and weight (I was smack dab in the middle of the range, so in theory they ought to be sized correctly). These things could have been made of denim for how much they stretched. It was a struggle to get my legs into them. When I got as far as my tummy there was enough length in the "panty" section to pull up and over the top of my head--if only it would fit over my belly. These suckers looked like they were made for a pre-pubescent, 8-foot teenager, not an average-sized preganant woman. Looking closer at the package, I realized that it claimed to be "full support" which is supposed to help reduce fatigue in your legs....funny, I'd have thought that cutting off your blood flow would make your legs more tired, not less.

The backup pair weren't much better around my tummy, but at least they actually stretched. I couldn't quite pull them up to my eyebrows (a common problem I face with pantyhose when I'm not pregnant), but the waistband was still really uncomfortable over my belly. I ended up wiggling them down under the belly, and spending the rest of the evening worried that they would slide right off my hips.

Maybe next time I'll go with thigh-highs.

August 23, 2006

August 23, 2006

Yesterday I had my first prenatal appointment, and had an ultrasound this morning. Everything looks good and on track, and my dates are right (well, duh...you could set a watch by my cycle). My weight is definitely still down from normall--with jeans and my shoes on, I weighed 144 at the dr's office (139 naked before my shower). The Dr tried to find the baby's heartbeat with the hand-held doppler thing, but had warned me that it was a little too early. So I got an ultrasound instead. I did not get an early one with Charlotte, because he found the heartbeat immediately at my 10 week appointment. So far, ultrasounds seem to be harmless to babies, so I'm not complaining a bit about getting an early photo of the pillbug.

I haven't been overly emotional yet (probably a bit b*tchier than normal, but that's more from discomfort than hormone-mood swings), but I definitely misted up when the tech turned the volume on so I could hear the heartbeat. The photo is a white blob in the middle of a black blob in the middle of a gray blob, but if you know which end is the head, you can also sort of make out 4 points that are the leg and arm buds.

Time to spread the news is getting really close. We intend to tell our families this weekend when they're here for Charlotte's birthday. I have a baby shower to attend also, so I'll probably spill the beans there too--plus, the shower's host is in possession of my maternity clothes, so hopefully I can take them home afterwards.

Tonight, we're going birthday shopping for Charlotte, while her aunt and uncle babysit. It's going to be hard not to say anything to them when they get there, especially since my husband hasn't seen the photos from the ultrasound yet, and they're in an envelope marked "Congratulations from XYZ Center Ob/Gyn". I already put away the pile of free baby magazines and goody bag the office gave me yesterday. We might still tell them tonight, but probably will wait to share the news with my inlaws at the same time.

August 16, 2006

august 15, 2006

Well, I'm pretty sure I'm still pregnant, but miraculously my stomach is barely bothering me. Today is Wednesday and I haven't had to throw up since Saturday, which was still in the middle of the stomach flu that I was suffering. My weight is still low, 139ish, but that's ok. I'm not craving french fries all the time, so that's definitely a good thing.

I'm 8 weeks pregnant today, and my collection of pants that fit is getting smaller and smaller. I did manage to buy a couple of pairs of early-pregnancy maternity clothes last week, but the one pair of jeans I wore this week are still huge on me. Thank goodness some of my regular clothes are pretty low-waisted--my khaki's today even button, but I normally would have to wear a belt to keep them up.

My first prenatal appointment isn't until next week, and we won't probably tell any of our friends until after the following weekend, when we can make our announcement to our families. Both my mom and my inlaws will be in to celebrate Charlotte's second birthday. We haven't really talked about what to say to Charlotte yet. I have looked once or twice on Amazon to see if there are any good books for small kids about pregnancy and/or new babies. There are a couple of them, but I think I'd really need to read them myself before deciding. There's a Sesame Street dvd that talks about Baby Bear's new baby sister (Curly Sue?). That might be worth a look too. Maybe the library would have a copy of it...

Charlotte looked at my "Pregnancy Week By Week" book with me the other day--it has illustrations of the embryo/fetus through all the stages. She pointed out the first couple, alien-looking ones and pronounced them "fish" :) After about 12 weeks or so, they look like babies with arms and legs and no tails. I didn't explain what was going on or that there was a baby in my tummy, we just looked at pictures of babies, which she enjoyed. At the baby shower over the weekend, she didn't really object to me holding a baby either (though she did object to her daddy doing so). She even wanted to hold the baby herself (with my help). We're going to get her a nicer doll for her birthday, and try to keep fostering themothering-instincts she's got going, in hopes that she'll be more interested than jealous of her new sibling.

Like greeting old friends

I'm back to real-time for a post, instead of my August series. The topic is more of the same, however. I think I've mentioned in other posts that there is a roaming collection of maternity clothes that has been shared by 4 (possibly 5) different women over the last several years. We're all a little differently sized, and our pregnancies have covered different seasons, but we've all been able to borrow heavily from the group collection and just add a few pieces of clothing as we need. I had gotten about half of the clothes a couple of weeks ago from the friend, P., who was most recently storing them. I was disappointed at the time that several things that I had bought with Charlotte were not there. Last night, we finally had time to load up the other half of the clothes, plus a few additional things that P. had found in her closet. While my husband was putting Charlotte to bed, I got to open the treasure chest.

I found quite a few more of the clothes that I had worn frequently in this half. My favorite Old Navy jeans were in there, along with two different dresses--one that my mother-in-law bought me the weekend we announced our pregnancy, and one that I wore for both my grandfather's funeral and my baby shower(that sounds kind of morbid grouped like that). I also found a linen top that I had sewed myself (and that actually turned out quite nice). That top I stashed away in my closet with tops that my mother-in-law and her mother had worn during their pregnancies--I'll pass them all to Charlotte one day.

Most of the clothes are summer clothes and are *huge*. Granted, I was huge when I wore them, but still they look like tents right now. My favorite jeans are still too big, though not a lot worse than anything else I'm wearing (my regular pants are all too small, but I'm wearing belts with maternity pants to keep them on..go figure that one out). I believe that they were uncomfortably small after about 6 months last time...maybe this time I'll mostly gain baby instead of everything else :)

I had fun pulling out clothes and remembering where I bought them, or what I did while wearing them. I also found a couple of new things that had been added, including a pretty floral skirt and matching tank top (which I probably won't wear in the winter), and several beautiful and warm sweaters and pairs of corduroy pants (which I'll probably wear a lot of). It is also fun to try things on and see the slightest hint of a bump in my shirts (I think my tummy sticks out more than "slightly", but maternity tops are meant to cover a lot more than what I've got so far). Maybe in the next week or so I will get up the nerve to wear an actual maternity shirt.