Priceless

I think everyone knows this already especially since Paul updated his blog. Yes, he is as good a baby as Paul says he is. Paul has been getting up occassionally with him, but I am the one who gets up with him the most. Paul is a heavy sleeper....where as I am not.

Brian sleeps a lot. I mean, he should, but it really surprised me how much he does sleep. He also gets the hiccups constantly. I think Paul probably covered most of the stats for his birth, but I'm going to add them too.

This kind of reminds me of the old Master Card commercials. You know the ones that said something like Tickets $75 dollars, Peanuts, Hot Dogs, and Popcorn $25, Souveniers $20...A day at the Ballpark with you kid: Priceless....

Labor: 12 hours (about 7 am to about 7 pm)
Pushing Stage: 45 minutes
Epidural: Yes, Started at 11 am; started to wear off around 3 pm
Blood Sugars: Stayed fairly consistant. Was given an iv sugar drip near the end
Labor Nurse: Quite frankly can go to hell....told me to push before I was fully dialated and threatened me with a c-section right before we seriously started pushing- after she told me to push too early (at that point since I could feel everything, I would have welcomed the c-section)
OB: Great. Was there when we needed her to be. Checked in two or three times. Told the labor nurse to get the anesthesiologist when I could feel her stitching me up after delivery -Brian came out with his entire arm next to his head.
Anesthesiologist: Very good, but for some reason couldn't figure out why the drugs he gave me weren't working. Especially at the end. I think he felt bad. He stayed in the room during delivery.
Husband: Did fairly well, except for the crossword book...Didn't faint. Did cut the cord. Was only told to shut up a couple times (after repeating blood pressure numbers that started freaking me out).

Baby: Brian 6 lbs. 11.3 oz., 20 inches long. Came out screaming. APGARs of 9 and 9. Very alert for the next three hours. Good Baby!!!

News

This week has been pretty Busy, to say the least. Somewhat more hectic than the previous ones. Twice weekly appointments started this week. This all started with the bloodwork I had drawn on Saturday 7.7.07.

Unexpected (but should have been ) Test
So, anyway Monday 7.9.07 was a noraml morning until I got a phone call around 9:30 am from my ob's office. Paul was at work, and I had been sleeping. The bloodwork from Saturday was showing some numbers as being elevated. She could not tell me which numbers as she was not the doctor. But, doctor wanted me to come in for a non-stress test. So, could I come in? Well, yes. I hung up the phone and called my mom. Mom couldn't come with, she had a job interview. Dad actually had work to do at the village, so he was out too. It was just a non-stress-test and I didn't want to worry Paul, so I decided I was okay to go by myself.

I took ten minutes to shower, and headed over to the office (less than five minutes away). I got there. They had power outage because of the extreme heat. My nurse, Barb, tried to find a room with power to run the fetal monitor, but we didn't have any luck. In fact, while we were trying to get the machine to work, the power failed again and fried the machine. So, the nurse looked at me and told me to go to the hospital for the test. I asked her if I should go by myself, and she said to get Paul (because knowing me, I would be less stressed if I had someone with me). So, as I left the office, nurse was on the phone with the hospital to tell them I was coming. I was on the phone with the bank telling Paul I needed him to get off of work for the test now. By the time I drove to the bank, Paul was waiting for me in the parking lot.

We drove to the hospital, went up to the birth center, and were put into a room by 10:30 am. It was one of the older rooms. But it was still nice. My nurse asked medical history questions and hooked me up to the fetal monitor. We were checked on every so often. Baby kicked the monitor for contractions quite a few times. They sent in the blood sucker. She took a couple viles of blood. I ended up with some lovely bruises from that. And we waited for the results. Mom got out of her interview around noon. And went to track me down at the doctor's office. Barb told her I was at the hospital and what had happened with the power. So, Mom came to find us at the hospital.

While we were waiting for Mom, the nurse (Sarah) brought us in bracelets...That was not what I was expecting. I started getting more than a little nervous. They don't give you bracelets for a non-stress test. Mom came up with Paul, and we waited for the doctor. She got the blood work back. It looked better than she was expecting. I don't know all the numbers on that one either. A little side note: this was the fourth doctor in my practice, and we had not met her yet. She turned out to be really nice. She was under the impression that she was going to deliver me that day due to the bloodwork results from Saturday, but the ones on Monday looked okay. As usual, I was registering contractions on the monitor. This resulted in the expected internal exam and surprisingly, an ultrasound. She told us I was 1/2 cm dialated. Baby looked good, and was about 7 lbs. She also told us the entire office had been worried about me. She ordered blood work and a 24 hour urine to check the numbers in a day. She told us that they would probably deliver me by the end of the week depending on the bloodwork results. We were discharged around 2 pm.

Bloodwork
The bloodwork I had taken on Wednesday 7.11.2007. I had it taken at the hospital outpatient pavillion because doctors would get it back faster. The head of my practice, the crabby one, called me back that morning to see how I was feeling. We found out later that, apparently, she had just gotten the results from Monday's labs on her desk. She actually sounded concerned. My liver enzymes (the one test she mentioned) were elevated by 1 point over the cut off number. She wanted to make sure I wasn't having any bad headaches....And to tell me that if the numbers kept going up, they would have to get me delivered. I told her the doctor on monday had mentioned this. Crabby doctor was much friendlier after that and told me my regular doctor would talk to me about it at my appointment the next day.

Thursday 7.12.2007 Appointment
There weren't any power problems yesterday. All the equipment was working. I was hooked up the World's Oldest Monitor, but it worked for what it was supposed to do.

Stats
Weight: 174 lbs.; lost 2 lbs
Blood Pressure: 131/81
Contractions: Yes, small ones
6th internal exam (I think)
Dialated: Yes, 2 cm
Effaced: Yes, 50 %

My doctor actually had Wednesday's bloodwork results infront of her. She had just gotten off the phone with a doctor at the perinatologist's office. Since the numbers are staring to creep up, they are worried about pre-eclampsia, but more so worried about kidney damage. This docotr basically told her that it was not worth the risk of me being put on dialysis in a year if the numbers keep going higher just to keep me pregnant. He told her the recommended course was delivery, but it just should be done soon, not immediately (i.e. Thursday). We talked about inducing, that it had to be done (apparently, with blood pressure problems, inducing is the safer route to go). And who was on call which days. The practice head is on call all weekend, so we didn't want to do it Friday. The doctor I saw on Monday is on call next Monday, and my doctor is on call on Tuesday. So, we "picked" Tuesday. Hopefully, I make it that long. My doctor is happy that my body is doing what it should be doing to prepare for delivery: dialating and effacing. Monday wouldn't be a horrible day, but I really want to avoid this weekend if possible. She ordered more bloodwork, and depending on the results we would induce on Friday or Tuesday. I also have a non-stress test on Monday just to check on things.

So, off to the hospital yet again, for more bloodwork. The receptionist recognized me. I had the same woman from Wednesday draw my blood...No bruises! I love the outpatient blood people. The person on Monday was from the main lab. Bloodwork was drawn by 2:30 pm. My doctor had the results around 4:30 pm. The numbers are Stable, so Tuesday it is. She wants me to watch the baby. Just make sure he is moving, but remember that he does sleep too. For me, I get to watch for signs of pre-eclampsia. If baby doesn't move enough, I develop any of the pre-eclampsia signs, or I feel bad, I am to call the office immediately.

So, we'll have a birthday of 7.17.07 if everything goes well!!!!

Weekly Appointment

Appt 7.5.2007
Regular Ob Barrington, IL
35 weeks 2 days

4th non-stress test
Contractions- Yes; 2?
Cervix: Dialated about 1 cm
Weight: 176 lbs; gain of 3 lbs.
Blood pressure: 122/83
Belly: 37 cm

Well, the weekly appointment went well. This was one of the quickest visits I have had so far. Baby was cooperative right away (I think it is because I have lunch right before we went to the office). Mom went with me because Paul had to work. She ended up going home and getting my blood pressure and sugar numbers because I forgot them. By the time she got back, I was almost done being on the fetal monitor. I have gained three pounds due to swelling (my ankles). I am supposed to do less (spend less time standing), and rest with my feet up (above my heart if I can help it) more often. My blood pressure is starting to creep higher. We'll just watch it closely. Dr. Keith isn't too worried about it yet because it is still fairly close to normal range, and no where near the 140/90 that they worry about. She even said my blood sugar numbers looked okay with a few exceptions (Burger King and Chinese food are evil!). My cervix has started to dialate. She says not to get too excited about this, it can be this way for weeks before labor starts. But I am excited: 1 cm now is 1 cm less when I actually in labor (unless, of course, if they end up doing a c-section then dialation does not matter). She did a Strep-B test this visit. It takes a week for results. If it is positive, they treat me with antibiotics during labor so the baby won't get sick. If it is negative, they don't have to do anything. I was also happy because my belly measurement has stayed the same for the last three doctors' appointments! If this keeps up (fingers crossed!), Baby might not be considered to be huge in 2 weeks (when I get to 37 weeks). :) I also got my blood order for my last (hopefully) 24 hr. urine and the monthly bloodwork order (for CMP, CBC, and Uric Acid). Mom and I will go get that drawn tomorrow.