What's been going on!

Well, it has been an exciting week at our house. Kind of, anyway! Incredibly dull--and distracted!--in others.

Short version:
I have preeclampsia and have been on bed rest for about a week so far. The doctor is likely to induce me on October 5th, unless I start feeling bad before then.

Long verion:
On the 22nd of September I went in for my usual OB appointment for my 36 week exam. My blood pressure was high (I think 130/90) on the first reading, so they had me lay down for a few minutes and rechecked it. It came down, but the doctor also thought I was looking pretty puffy in the face, and apparently there was a little protein in my urine. So she was concerned I was preeclampsic, so recommended me getting my blood pressure rechecked in 48hours.

So on that Friday, during my lunch break, I went to the Minute Clinic at the pharmacy near work and got it taken again. It was definitely high (160/102) and the PA there called my doctor's office and they recommended I head on over to the hospital for some observation and tests. So I trundled over to the hospital for a few hours for some blood work, fetal monitoring, and regular blood pressures. With laying down and resting, my blood pressure came immediately down to something like 120/60. So they ended up sending me home on bed rest for the weekend and a recheck with my OB's office on Monday and some homework*.

Maternity leave seems to have officially started!

The weekend came and went without real incident, save massive brain distraction and inability to focus for both Luke and I, so nothing of consequence has been getting done. Laying around, when all you want to be doing is *getting ready* is really the pits. Poor Luke has had to do so much lately, he deserves a medal.

Monday, my mother-in-law took me to my OB office's recheck appointment. My own OB was out of the office on Monday, so I saw another one of the doctors. She was very nice. I apparently had lost some weight, but they attributed most of it to fluid loss as my edema (puffiness) had gone down significantly in my feet, etc. Again the blood pressure was pretty high, and came down with rest very quickly. She checked me out** and things seemed fine. The first homework assignment had come back, and it seemed pretty good. However, oddly, the blood work from Friday was not reported. So they opted to do another homework assignment*, and sent me home on continued rest, with the plan to recheck again with my own OB on Wednesday, but get a "BPP" (Biophysical Profile) sonogram done before that recheck. So we scheduled it for the next day.

Tuesday, went in for the sonogram, and it came out nicely. The baby was practicing breathing well, had a good amount of amniotic fluid, and the blood flow to the the placenta was good. She didn't want to move around much at first, but then they got her riled up and she was kicking some. The measurements were a bit odd though, the ultrasonographer thought, and she was getting 3 weeks *later* than my original due date (10/16/10), so that was odd. Apparently the body and limbs were measuring a bit small, but head was still right on track for 36 weeks. She was estimated to weight 5lbs and 1oz that day.

Because my doctor apparently could squeeze me in, they just had me stay at the office and do my recheck Tuesday instead of Wednesday. Again, blood pressure was high, but once I laid down it came down nicely. Things seemed to be holding steady. Again the blood work from Friday didn't seem to have come in, so that was odd, and it didn't even look like they'd set up any labs to run, from the paperwork my doctor saw, apparently. Another recheck for Friday was set up.

It was so nice to have my MIL around to help me get to and from all my appointments early this week, and also nice to just have someone there to help me remember everything.

Luke came with me to my recheck today, and, big shocker, I know, my blood pressure was high again at first, and came down with laying down and resting. It was something like 170/96 at first, I think. Anyway, the doctor seemed to be debating whether or not she wanted to go to start very very soon, or try to eek out a bit more time. In the end, because I feel so fine and rest has REALLY done wonders for my swelling and such, she decided to try to stick it out until early next week, when I'm officially 38 weeks. She checked me again, and seemed pleased with that progress in a few days.*** However, if I start to feel or look bad this weekend, we're to go into the hospital and get things checked out, if not started, without hesitation.

So it seems like she'll be arriving in a matter of days! Very exciting! But neither Luke nor I seem to be able to concentrate!

--Jenn


*(Possibly TMI! --- I also had to collect urine for 24 hours to check protein levels. Luke had to set up our old dorm-style fridge in the bathroom because it had to be kept refrigerated. Poor guy was so grossed out.)

**(Possibly TMI again! --- I was 1.5cm dilated and 20% effaced the doctor thought.)

***(Again! -- She thought my cervix was "more favorable" today, dilated to 2, and effaced "more")