The end is here!!!

So I went to the doctor today. The bad news was that my blood pressure was higher (148/98) and I had more protein in my urine then before, but the good news is that I am going to be induced first thing tomorrow morning. With everything going on, my doctor decided it is better to not wait any longer and to just induce me!!! I did make it to 2 1/2 cm dilated so thats good. She said that my cervix still isn't optimal for induction, but it doesnt make sense to keep going on now. I have a non stress test today at 2:00. My doctor did say that if my blood pressure is higher or if there are problems when we do the non stress test then she will want to induce today. She wants to wait until tomorrow morning that way I won't be pushing in the middle of the night, but if things arent looking good then it will be this afternoon. How crazy! After all the waiting we are finally going to have our baby boy!! If you can't tell Im excited and so happy to know that I am done! No more bedrest!! Well, I will probably be resting a lot but it wont be mandatory!

Dr Appointment

Well, I had my doctors appointment yesterday and it went well. I mean, Im not having the baby so it didnt go THAT well. But everything is looking good. My blood pressure has stayed at about 138/80 so thats good. Its keeping calm. My doctor checked and I am 1 cm dilated- so that is definite progress from last week YAY! but still not enough to enduce me. She wants to see me at at least 2 cm. She said that since my blood pressure is staying pretty good it isn't forcing us to induce and by waiting a little longer she is hoping to avoid a very long labor and/or c-section. So, I guess she really does have my best interest at heart. She stripped my membranes (not the most fun thing in the world let me tell you) but it can sometimes start labor and help get things going. Jacksons head is still really high, so we need him to drop and that will help also. I go back and see her on Tuesday and hopefully I will be at least 2cm and then I can have the baby!! Tuesday I also go and have another non stress test done. At least they are easy tests and I dont get poked or prodded- plus I get to see Jackson on the ultrasound machine while the nurse measures the amniotic fluid. Anyways, we are just crossing our fingers that stripping my membranes works and that I get to be induced on Tuesday! Ill keep ya posted. By the way, I am still on bedrest, but she did add that if I feel a contraction to get up and walk around.

Non Stress Test

Well, the non stress test went well today. Jackson has been sleeping basically all day so the nurse tried to push him around to wake him up. That didn't work, so she had to use the little buzzer. He was not to happy with that, but it worked and woke him up! Everything looked good once he started moving. My heart rate was high again- 136. The nurse said that in pregnancy your heart rate goes up, but it should still be under 125. But since my doctor already knows about this and I have been tested I was able to go home (thank goodness). Other good news, he is still head down!

Another addition to why pregnancy is not my thing

Well, yesterday I had a non stress test appointment again. Basically just to make sure Jackson is fine. Well, he was doing fine and my blood pressure was doing fine but my heartrate was so high! When I was first there it was 151, then went down to about 113 then back up to 136. This was all within an hour with me just sitting there doing nothing. That combined with the fact that I hadn't been feeling well since Sunday made the nurse call my Dr. They were both really concerned about why my heartrate would be acting like I was running a marathon. So what did I get to do? Go to Labor and Delivery for monitoring. So my half hour trip turned into a full day at Labor and Delivery. When I got over to Labor and Delivery they hooked me up to the monitors again and also had a blood pressure cuff and a heartrate/oxygen monitor on my finger. My dr came in (one of the great things of having your drs office right behind the hospital) to check on me. She seemed completely baffled as to what was going on with me. So she listened to my chest and back and everything was clear. So more labs for me! They took some blood (thank goodness it was not the same phlebotomist as last time because the last one bruised me bad!!!) Anyways and they took a urine sample, and had an EKG done. I had never had an EKG done and did not know what to expect. For some reason I thought that it was a whole ordeal and took a long time, but that is not so. They put little patches on my ankles, wrists, and the left side of my chest and then I just had to lie still for like 30 seconds and it was over! Crazy! Anyways, after a couple of hours the results from all the tests came back, oh and during this time, I had a nurse change. My new nurse kind of laughed at everything that was going on telling me that I had been dealt a bad hand of cards (with the preeclampsia, Jackson being breech, and now the heart rate issue). Anyways, I kept thinking that I would be able to leave soon, but then when we finally got the results (at about 2:30), my nurse called my Dr but my Dr was really busy and not able to look at the labs yet so she faxed them in. So more waiting. Finally, at about 4:00 the nurse comes back in and said that my Dr had looked at them and that everything looked alright, but that Jacksons heart rate had dropped twice during everything. It is usually around 130, but twice it was down to the 100s or so and one time it lasted for about 2 and a half minutes. So my nurse said that my Dr wanted to check my cervix and see if it is favorable so she could induce me that day, but if it wasn't then we would keep monitoring and if his heartrate stayed good then I would be sent back home on strict bedrest still, but if it dropped again then we may be talking about inducing. Anyways, she checked and I was only 50% effaced (where the cervix is thinned) and not dialated. Bummer Deal! So then I was laying on my side for another hour of monitoring. Well, his heart rate stayed up and so I was able to go home. Which at that point I was more than ready to do. It was about quarter to 6 by this time. I had been at the hospital since 10:30 that morning! That makes for a long day.
Well, so now I go back for a non stress test on Thursday and then I'll see my doctor on Friday. Lets hope that my cervix becomes more favorable so she can induce me. All these issues are not making it any easier to be waiting, but whatcha going to do? Evidently Jackson is just perfectly content staying. But today I am feeling better (other than a low back ache and hips hurting but I think thats expected of pregnancy). So onward we go!

Some good but mostly bad news

Well, yesterday I went to the doctor. The good news is that Jackson has stayed head down. The bad news is Im still on bedrest, Im not dilated, effaced, and his head isn't engaged. So for now we just keep on waiting. My blood pressure was acutally pretty good yesterday, 136/90. My doctor said that since my blood pressure is doing alright that I'll just have to keep on bedrest and be monitored closely. So yesterday I had to have more bloodwork done and then a non stress test done. So they drew my blood, no big deal, but about an hour or so later I was talking on the phone with my sister and looked down and I had bled through the gauze that they had left on! Gross!! It must be something with my platelets being low I guess. Andrew was able to go to the hospital with me to go have the non stress test done. Basically you sit in a reclined chair with your feet up and first they do a quick ultrasound checking for the amniotic fluid. Mine measured just fine yesterday and we were able to see that it is a foot by my belly button that always goes poking around. Anyways, after the ultrasound they put on two monitors. One measures the baby's heart rate and the other contractions. Then you just sit and they keep a track of what the babys heart rate is doing. They like to see a good resting heart rate and then to see the heart rate go up when he is moving and then back down. Well, Jackson was super active when we first got there, so for about the first 30 minutes he just kept on moving and moving. They nurse actually kind of laughed and said that he needs to just stay still for a little while. Well, he must have listened because a little bit after that he finally went to sleep and was calm. Anyways, everything looked fine on the non stress test. He is doing totally fine and seeems to be unaffected by the preeclampsia thus far. Anyways, I go back next Tuesday for another nonstress test and then to the doctor on Friday. Hopefully next Friday we will have better news- like that Im dilated to a 3 cause then my doctor would induce me. Oh if only.

Oh the pregnancy drama!!

Well, last week I woke up to some really bad pain on my right side in my ribs. It was horrible. I ended up having some tests run and it came back that my platelets were low. I went to the doctor last Friday and when they took my blood pressure it was really high. This has happened a couple of times but usually if they take it after I see the doctor its better. Anyways, when I was talking to the doctor she told me that my platelets were low and that combined with the pain and high blood pressure I may have preeclampsia. She had me do some more blood tests and a 24 hour urine collection (so gross! you have to collect all your urine in a jug you keep in your refrigerator for 24 hours...such a pain!). Anyways, today they finally had all the results back and I have preeclampsia. Bummer deal. Here is a description of what preeclampsia is:
"Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum period and affects both the mother and the unborn baby. Affecting at least 5-8% of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. Swelling, sudden weight gain, headaches and changes in vision are important symptoms; however, some women with rapidly advancing disease report few symptoms." (thats from preeclampsia.org)
Basically it starts to cause your organs to not function to their fullest- thus causing the drop in platelets and protein in urine. It goes away as soon as you deliver the baby. Anyways, my doctor said that I am now on full bedrest. I can get up to go to the bathroom and to get something to eat. Nice. Im just glad to know that I can have the baby soon so it won't be a SUPER long time on bedrest. I go see her on Friday and we will go over our options and decide what to do then. So everyone should update their blogs because I will have A LOT of free time now. As a side note, I think Jackson may have turned back but I can't tell for sure. I have the best luck with pregnancy (I hope you can sense my sarcasm). Anyways, Ill update again when we know what is going to happen. Hopefully Ill just get to have the baby soon- like this weekend. That would be great.

A Success

Well today I went and had the version done. It really wasn't bad at all. So my best friend Emily came with me because Andrew has student teaching and can't miss class.(He has already missed one day because I had to go in to have the baby monitored because of pain I was having, which we still don't know what it is). Anyways, we get there and they do an ultrasound of the baby. He is growing well! He weighs about 7 lbs 12 oz and has a big head! His head measured at 10 cm!! That is gianormous!! Anyways, after the doctor looked at the ultrasound and everything she said that everything was good and we could try to turn him. So after the ultrasound I went in and had a non-stress test done. Basically they put two monitors on my belly. One measures his heart rate and another contractions. They are looking to make sure that his heart rate increases when he is moving and decreases when he is still. If he is sleeping they use a little "alarm clock" as the nurse called it, to wake him up. Basically it just makes a buzzing noise. They also started an iv, basically just in case I had to have an emergency c-section (which obviously I did not), and gave me a shot of terbutaline (I think thats how it is spelled). The terbutaline relaxes the uterus, but not only the uterus but all smooth muscles in your body which includes your heart. This causes your heart to race- basically it felt like I had had a caffeine shot. It was crazy. They then took me back to the ultrasound room and had me lie down on the table. I was only lying there for about a minute and I started to feel like I was going to pass out. I sat up and evidently as soon as I sat up color started back into my face. The doctor said my lips were white. Once I was feeling better they monitored his heart rate for a moment and then the doctor started pushing on my stomach. Thats all that it really felt like, someone pushing on my stomach. With the first couple of pushes she was able to get him to roll over and down. It was really all pretty quick. It was kind of funny because he must have kicked or something because after the doctor rolled him she said "I know youre angry with me now." So Jackson like! She monitored his heart rate and said that he was doing alright so I then went back to the other room where they did the non stress test to begin with and had another one done. I stayed there for about a half an hour and he was responding just fine so we were able to go. So now he is in the head down position (hopefully he will stay that way), although the doctor did mention that I may not be even able to deliver him because his head is so big so that is something I will have to talk to my doctor about. Oh the saga continues!

Oh Jackson!

Well, as you can see from the little baby on the side we are only about 3 weeks away from my due date! That means that I am officially full term and can really have this baby any time. Oh, but there is one problem. He's breech- STILL!!! So I went to the doctor today and it was kind of funny because she was asking me if I had any questions so I mention to her that I think hes breech. She says that she was going to check that today. So I lay down and she goes to listen to his heart and she says, "Well, I can just look at your stomach and tell he's breech!!" She then proceeded to feel my stomach and how he was laying in there and sure enough he is laying exactly as I thought with his head in my right ribs. She says that since he's breech we should try to do what is called an external cephalic version. Basically, a doctor puts their hands on your stomach and tries to turn the baby. Doesn't sound too comfortable but whatever, if it will get him to turn so be it! So next Monday I get to go to Perinatology (again) and see if the doctors can turn him. Evidently, it has to be done in the hospital just in case something goes wrong (umbilical cord gets tangled, placenta breaks, water breaks etc) they can do an emergency c-section right away. Very comforting. Actually, my doctor said that there is only about a 1% chance that something like that would happen, its just one of those better be safe than sorry kind of things. The sad part is that Andrew isn't going to be able to come with me because of student teaching. He can only miss a maximum of two classes without his grade dropping, so we have to save those days for when I am in labor.
Anyways, other than Jackson being breech, everything else is looking good! My dad says that Jackson is being stubborn, just like his parents! Well, yeah, I can see that. I'll post again and let you know how the turning of the baby goes- that should be an interesting story.