Monday, December 27, 2010

36 week update

36 weeks, extra large
Well, here we are at 36 weeks and two days. The longest I have ever been pregnant and wow I am huge! Today I had my doctor appointment and I am measuring 40 weeks, yes 40 weeks. I got to measuring 42 with the girls so if this one doesn't come early I very well could be just as big with one! The doctor said it is long, it grew a lot in the last week. I am also starting to retain water, and my fingers and ankles and feet have started to swell a little, which could be the beginning of pre-eclampsia, the reason the girls had to be delivered. So I am now on the look out for more swelling, and headaches. I am hoping to make it another week even though I am beyond uncomfortable and ready, but I know it is best to make it at least to 37!
So really, no other news, which in this game, no news is good news!

Friday, December 17, 2010

We've made it to 35 weeks!


35 weeks with the girls...3 Days before delivery
35 weeks now, not as big, but still pretty large!


We have officially made it to 35 weeks. Part of me wants to say it has taken awhile to get here, but at the same time it feels almost like time has flown. 35 weeks was a critical point for us. I can now deliver at the hospital where my doctor delivers, they do not have a high level NICU, so if I had gone into pre-term labor I would have had to go elsewhere and had a different doctor deliver me. I have also made it to the point I made it with the girls, so I know what a 35 weeker looks like and how to respond emotionally if it is an early delivery. Baby is currently measuring 37 weeks, so it has slowed down a little in growth, or was laying weird. Either way, my doctor thinks that in about two more weeks my body will decide it is done, that would be New Years...not sure how I feel about having a New Years baby, but what can you do, it would be better than having a Christmas Baby. I will now start going every week to my doctor, which also helps alleviate some of the anxiety I have been experiencing lately and it is just reassuring to hear the little heart beat. Baby is still breech, but it isn't a concern since we will be having a c-section anyway. The girls are starting to get excited, I think, and they ask when baby will be coming out. I am sure they will be excited until they realize how much it will cry, but you never know, maybe it won't cry and maybe they will be able to tune it out. Other than that we are just passing the time playing games and building tents and doing lots of crafts. It is hard for me to be up and about a lot, because my back hurts and I worry about falling outside in the snow and ice. The girls have been very patient and understanding and really it has been pretty dang cold out to be outside long anyway, so they get their outside time in when Daddy comes home and I get a chance to just relax. So here we are with really not much to report, which is really okay and hoping that I don't have any other baby posts until December 27, when I have my next appointment. Goal, make it one more week and get through Christmas then I am fine with whatever happens!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

It didn't even cross my mind

For the last month or so Maddie has been battling one nasty sinus infection. She has been on two different medications and as of last Thursday there was no sign of the infection left, good deal! Then late Saturday evening she came into my room burning up, fever, sore throat. Here we go again I think. So I treat the fever Sunday hoping it is just a cold with an elevated temperature. Enter Sunday night at 2:00 am, she comes in again fever is 103.4, cold compress to the head snuggle up to my little heating pad. Outside the wind is whipping and howling and I start having contractions. Really? Natalie comes in, because she realizes Maddie isn't in their room. I can't sleep, Maddie can't sleep and Natalie won't sleep. I wake Tom up and ask him to handle Natalie, because Maddie has finally fallen asleep and I need to lay back down and hope the contractions stop. After about 4 in 40 minutes and a lot of water the contractions stop, luckily! Maddie still wakes up with a fever, headache and sore throat. Strep I think, yup okay off to the doctor again. So we are treating her for strep and last night we notice a few little bumps on her bottom, I think it is from her pull ups, she still has accidents at night. Then this morning she has more bumps everywhere, not just on her bottom. Then this afternoon after gymnastics I am changing her and the rash is everywhere, good lord I think what could that be from? Poor thing is itching and scratching and it just looks painful. So I call the doctor thinking she has Scarlet Fever, because it comes from a strain of Strep. A few questions from the nurse and she checks with the doctor and low and behold she is having an allergic reaction. Good to know I say, as I am glad it isn't Scarlet Fever. Then I sit back and start thinking, wait allergic reaction, can't that be really bad, do I need to worry, what if she stops breathing. So I call the doctor again, thankfully, they inform me that she would have already started to have breathing difficulty if it was going to happen and that if she takes the medicine in the future her reaction could be worse. Okay, I am relieved now and we can concentrate on helping alleviate the pain from the current rash and she gets a new medicine for the other symptoms. What amazes me most is that an allergic reaction didn't even cross my mind. I thought for sure it was something else and the sad thing is I read the little drug reaction pamphlet and still didn't think about it. So to all you parents out there, make sure you double check the side effects and allergic reaction symptoms for all medicine, because even though they may be rare, they can be scary and they can happen to you!

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Water

It appears that water really is the key to a healthy pregnancy. When my blood pressure went up over a month ago I think it was because I was dehydrated. I couldn't drink enough water and once I was re-hydrated my pressure went down, my headache went away and I felt much better. Same thing this week with the weird cramping and contractions. I again think I was dehydrated. When I left my doctor on Tuesday she told me to drink lots of fluids and rest. So I drank lots of water and again the contractions subsided and I am feeling better. So I guess the morale of this story is, drink lots of water. If something is wrong or doesn't feel right, drink some water. I am going to try to drink as much water as I can over the next few weeks so I can stay away from the doctor and out of pre-term labor!

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Jinxed

So I jinxed myself by saying this pregnancy had been a piece of cake. Today I started having cramping and some contractions so I had to go be monitored for a little while at my doctors office. Luckily, the doctor thinks I just picked up some kind of viral bug. I was having some other symptoms that I shan't discuss here, but I was told to go home, drink plenty of fluids and to just relax. So that is what I am doing, relaxing while I watch Glee and taking in lots of fluids.

Monday, December 06, 2010

33 Weeks and Counting

Saturday marked 33 weeks! I can't believe we have made it here without much drama. At this point with the girls I had been to the hospital a few times for monitoring, gone into early labor, spent a weekend trying to have the labor stopped and then being sent home to enjoy the rest of the pregnancy on bed rest. So we are doing pretty good compared! Also, with the girls I was pretty dang big. At 30 weeks I was measuring 36 weeks. Now I am 33 weeks and showing 36 weeks. So I think I will take 3 extra weeks of growth over 6 weeks. Although I am getting pretty uncomfortable, it is no wonder. Really everything is looking good. Knock on wood my blood pressure went down and has remained down, not exactly sure what caused that little spike a few weeks ago, but whatever it was I have been able to manage it by not eating fast food, boo and drinking lots of water and getting rest. My doctor has said we need to hold out hope that we can make it past Christmas. She said I really need to get to 36 weeks, which would be Christmas Day. So of course my goal was to get through Christmas anyway. It wouldn't be very good if Santa was in the hospital so that is what we are crossing our fingers for. I am taking it easy the next few weeks, at least that is the plan and trying to keep the bun baking. All in all I am healthy and baby looks healthy and we are just trekking along enjoying the holidays and the girls who are absolutely loving that it is Christmas time. The Elf on the shelf returned and he has been helping them count down the days to Christmas by bringing them little surprises each morning instead of us doing an advent calendar. We have one that counts down the days, but he brings little treats as well. The Elf has also helped keep their behavior in check, which has been really nice! They have truly become little helpers though and will do things without being asked. Like clearing their places when they are done eating or picking up without being asked. We still have some battles, but they are really coming into their own and are becoming very independent and helpful. More to come later as well as a belly picture!