My mother in law took me to see my OB this morning for a blood pressure check up. I was a bit worried about this visit, mostly about getting there because it was at his other office which is a 40min drive away and in a suburb on the coast that I've never really been to.
But we got there, my MIL dropped me off and went to go and find a carpark. By the time she'd parked the midwife had taken my blood pressure. It's still high but is starting to come down a bit, Dr S has doubled my dosage of Aldomet and I'll see him again on Wednesday for my regular OB appointment. And he's happy with the way it's responding so he's not moving the c-section forward and we'll stick to the original c-section date.
It's a huge relief! Because if they were to move the c-section forward it would've been moved to Tuesday. Which seems far too soon! I still need to cook, mop, and get my hair cut! And it's our 6th wedding anniversary tomorrow and I'd like to relax and enjoy the weekend with Tony, not be on panic mode about baby arriving in just days time.
After seeing the OB my mother in law and I went and had morning tea then she took me grocery shopping. It was so nice of her to drive all the way down here and then drive me all over the coast today. I'm so grateful for it, Tony's boss is back at work today after being away for 4 weeks and he really couldn't miss the meeting they were having this morning.
Now I'm home and back in my pjs. I've put the air con on and I'm about to spend some quality time on the couch watching tv and napping. Everyone keeps telling me to take it easy and relax, but I feel like that's all I've been doing for the last few weeks! Tony hooked up the Chromecast in the bedroom so after he leaves for work, I watch youtube before falling back asleep. And if I don't nap in the morning, then I have a nap in the afternoon before dinner.
I haven't had any nesting at all. My floors are in need of a decent vacuum and mopping but I just don't have the energy and to be honest I can't be bothered. And I'm completely ignoring the state of my shower too. I could clean.....or I could eat a brownie and take a nap. And taking a nap is always going to win.
Friday, 31 October 2014
Tuesday, 28 October 2014
37 Weeks - High blood pressure
I'm 37 weeks pregnant today. On the weekend I noticed that my feet were really swollen, more than they're usual pregnancy-puffiness. But it was quiet hot and I know I didn't drink enough water on Saturday (plus Maccas for lunch probably didn't help either!) but I wasn't too worried. I didn't have a headache or dizziness or any other bad signs.
But at my OB appointment today my blood pressure was high. It'd gone from last weeks borderline normal to high. My OB gave me a script for medication (Aldomet) and tomorrow morning I've got to go into the pathology place for blood work and a urine test. I would've gone tonight but we were the last OB appointment of the day and by that time the pathology lab had closed.
I'll call and talk to my OB's midwife on Wednesday and she'll let me know if I have to go in for a simple blood pressure check on Friday, or if I have to go over to the birth suites for monitoring as well as a blood pressure check up.
And if my blood pressure is still high on Friday then my c-section date will be bumped up a week. I really like the c-section date that I've got already. I don't like the closer date as much. But I know it could be safer for both of us if he's born sooner.
It did make me panic a bit though, I had a few nightgowns on laybuy and had planned to pick them up later this week. But when I heard that my c-section date might change, I got Tony to take me into Target tonight to pick them up. I need time to have them washed, dried and packed!
On the weekend I repacked my hospital bag (well, except for the stuff I picked up tonight) and organised Baby's clothes again. I packed Tony's bag and my nappy bag. I also need to wash the pillow case for my nursing pillow and call the anesthesiologist and pay the gap fee.
Plus clean the house! I want to do a deep clean of the house before Baby arrives. So before I come out of hospital all Tony has to do is vacuum and run the sticky roller over the couch to get up the cat fur.
I don't feel ready for Baby to be here as early as next week. We still don't have a first name for him. I wanted time to add a few more decorative bits and pieces to his room. And I'd planned on cooking a few meals and snacks next week. I really hope this medication works (and without too many side effects) and brings my blood pressure down. And that there's no signs of pre-eclampsia or anything else going on.
But at my OB appointment today my blood pressure was high. It'd gone from last weeks borderline normal to high. My OB gave me a script for medication (Aldomet) and tomorrow morning I've got to go into the pathology place for blood work and a urine test. I would've gone tonight but we were the last OB appointment of the day and by that time the pathology lab had closed.
I'll call and talk to my OB's midwife on Wednesday and she'll let me know if I have to go in for a simple blood pressure check on Friday, or if I have to go over to the birth suites for monitoring as well as a blood pressure check up.
And if my blood pressure is still high on Friday then my c-section date will be bumped up a week. I really like the c-section date that I've got already. I don't like the closer date as much. But I know it could be safer for both of us if he's born sooner.
It did make me panic a bit though, I had a few nightgowns on laybuy and had planned to pick them up later this week. But when I heard that my c-section date might change, I got Tony to take me into Target tonight to pick them up. I need time to have them washed, dried and packed!
On the weekend I repacked my hospital bag (well, except for the stuff I picked up tonight) and organised Baby's clothes again. I packed Tony's bag and my nappy bag. I also need to wash the pillow case for my nursing pillow and call the anesthesiologist and pay the gap fee.
Plus clean the house! I want to do a deep clean of the house before Baby arrives. So before I come out of hospital all Tony has to do is vacuum and run the sticky roller over the couch to get up the cat fur.
I don't feel ready for Baby to be here as early as next week. We still don't have a first name for him. I wanted time to add a few more decorative bits and pieces to his room. And I'd planned on cooking a few meals and snacks next week. I really hope this medication works (and without too many side effects) and brings my blood pressure down. And that there's no signs of pre-eclampsia or anything else going on.
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
36 weeks - Carpal tunnel and the nursery is nearly ready!
I'm 36 weeks pregnant (well, 36w2d today). Baby Day is getting closer! Mum and I went shopping on the weekend for all the last minute baby things. We got a baby bath, nappy disposal unit, a few more newborn sized clothes, a baby book (I know they're a bit out of fashion these days, but I really wanted to do a baby book for Baby Boy), and a manduca baby carrier. The carrier was on my wish list and I wasn't planning on buying it until after Christmas, but mum treated me and bought it for me.
I had my 36 week appointment on Monday. We met with my OBs midwife first, and she talked us through what will happen on Baby Day. And we got the time we need to be at the hospital, what we need to bring in that day and what can wait in the car until after the c-section.
Then we went and saw my OB, my blood pressure is starting to sneak up a bit. It's not in the scary range yet, but is getting close. I had a feeling it was getting higher, I haven't had any headaches or dizziness, but my feet and hands are pretty swollen. And I'm having some carpal tunnel symptoms too, at first it was just my right hand but now it's both. It's making sleeping a nightmare. Until now I've been sleeping ok, up every few hours to visit the loo and roll over but for the most part I'm not aching or sore.
But now? The only way I can sleep that doesn't make my hands and wrists hurt and go numb is laying on my back with my hands flat on the bed next too me. I prop myself up with pillows but I still snore and wind up waking with a dry mouth and aching hips and back.
If I sleep on my side, my right arm goes numb and throbs. Then it takes ages to get feeling back in it and by that stage I'm wide awake. So I wind up napping in the glider or desk chair for a few hours until Tony's alarm goes off and I wake up and go back to bed for an hour or two. But I feel fuzzy and groggy for the rest of the day.
We've had a few warm days and I've been trying to make sure I drink even more water than my usual 2-3l a day. And I've cut down on salt and processed foods but I haven't noticed much of a difference.
My wonderful sister in law took a day off work last week and drove me up to ikea. We picked up a chest of drawers for the nursery and some storage boxes to go in the bookcase we already had. The drawers were a challenge, we're really limited on wall space in the nursery (due to windows taking up one wall and the wardrobes on the other) so they had to be able to fit in the wardrobe, but our wardrobes are really shallow. But we found some that matched the theme of the nursery so they can go out in his room later on and also fit in the wardrobe!
I spent Friday putting away all of his clothes, sheets and things. Then on Saturday Tony finished painting the nursery and on Sunday we moved everything else into the nursery. Tony put the cot together and I organised the change table. We put the cot canopy over the cot to keep the kitties out of the cot, but Monday morning I found White-kitty under the cot anyway. Oh well.
I still want to make cot rail protectors and a cover for the change table mat. I think that'll be my project for next week. And I'm looking at some prints and decorations for the nursery too. I think I've found what I want on Etsy, I just want to check out a few local stores first before I buy them online.
Baby still doesn't have a name. We're tossing around the idea of using family names for both his first and middle names but it still doesn't feel right or feel like it's a good fit. I guess we'll still be talking about names after he's here. I'm down to weekly OB appointments now and there's not many left to go!
I had my 36 week appointment on Monday. We met with my OBs midwife first, and she talked us through what will happen on Baby Day. And we got the time we need to be at the hospital, what we need to bring in that day and what can wait in the car until after the c-section.
Then we went and saw my OB, my blood pressure is starting to sneak up a bit. It's not in the scary range yet, but is getting close. I had a feeling it was getting higher, I haven't had any headaches or dizziness, but my feet and hands are pretty swollen. And I'm having some carpal tunnel symptoms too, at first it was just my right hand but now it's both. It's making sleeping a nightmare. Until now I've been sleeping ok, up every few hours to visit the loo and roll over but for the most part I'm not aching or sore.
But now? The only way I can sleep that doesn't make my hands and wrists hurt and go numb is laying on my back with my hands flat on the bed next too me. I prop myself up with pillows but I still snore and wind up waking with a dry mouth and aching hips and back.
If I sleep on my side, my right arm goes numb and throbs. Then it takes ages to get feeling back in it and by that stage I'm wide awake. So I wind up napping in the glider or desk chair for a few hours until Tony's alarm goes off and I wake up and go back to bed for an hour or two. But I feel fuzzy and groggy for the rest of the day.
We've had a few warm days and I've been trying to make sure I drink even more water than my usual 2-3l a day. And I've cut down on salt and processed foods but I haven't noticed much of a difference.
My wonderful sister in law took a day off work last week and drove me up to ikea. We picked up a chest of drawers for the nursery and some storage boxes to go in the bookcase we already had. The drawers were a challenge, we're really limited on wall space in the nursery (due to windows taking up one wall and the wardrobes on the other) so they had to be able to fit in the wardrobe, but our wardrobes are really shallow. But we found some that matched the theme of the nursery so they can go out in his room later on and also fit in the wardrobe!
I spent Friday putting away all of his clothes, sheets and things. Then on Saturday Tony finished painting the nursery and on Sunday we moved everything else into the nursery. Tony put the cot together and I organised the change table. We put the cot canopy over the cot to keep the kitties out of the cot, but Monday morning I found White-kitty under the cot anyway. Oh well.
I still want to make cot rail protectors and a cover for the change table mat. I think that'll be my project for next week. And I'm looking at some prints and decorations for the nursery too. I think I've found what I want on Etsy, I just want to check out a few local stores first before I buy them online.
Baby still doesn't have a name. We're tossing around the idea of using family names for both his first and middle names but it still doesn't feel right or feel like it's a good fit. I guess we'll still be talking about names after he's here. I'm down to weekly OB appointments now and there's not many left to go!
Thursday, 9 October 2014
32 - 34 weeks - c-section? car seat installed!
Once again it's been a while since I updated. It's partly because I keep forgetting to update, and partly because I'm starting to find typing is awkward. If I sit up at the table or desk with my laptop I have to lean forward to type and get intense rib pain (seriously, it feels like my lower ribs are being ripped apart. I think it's the muscles?cartilage? something hurts!). So I try to balance my laptop on my lap but my belly gets in the way.
My 32 week appointment went well. Except, baby was measuring even further ahead. He's been a bit ahead the whole way. But it's no longer just a few days ahead, at 32 weeks he was measuring 34 weeks 3 days. Tony was with me and asked our OB if that measurement was right. The OB told him not to worry and said he'd do a second measurement and that he was sure it'd be closer to 32, it was probably just the way baby was positioned that was throwing off the measurements. But the second and third measurements were bigger! And they both showed that baby was measuring at 35w.
I'm only short, I'm just 4'10. My whole family is short and I have a petite build (it's just hidden under a few layers of fat). Where as Tony is tall, he's 6ft and for the guys in his family, that's just an average height. At one of my very first OB appointments, we talked about delivery and I said I would like a vaginal birth. My OB said that was fine, as long as baby wasn't measuring more than a week ahead at my 36week appointment, he was concerned about my size if it was a big baby. He told me not to worry about it, and we'd revisit it at 36 weeks. I didn't write about it because I wanted to try and forget about the whole conversation.
I was upset. I cried about this for weeks. Not because I'm against c-sections or I was doubting my OB but because there was the potential there for my body to fail to do something it should be able to do naturally. It was similar to when I found out we had to do the IUIs and then again when we had to move on to IVF.
But at the 12w scan I saw baby was measuring a few days ahead, then at the 19w morphology scan he was a week ahead. My OB does a scan in his office at each appointment. He has never said how big baby was unless I ask.
I see the number pop up in the corner of the screen when he does the measurement and I could see it was a bit ahead each time. But he's never made a big deal of it, he points out the position that baby is laying in (usually on my left side, with his head facing to the right) and we see baby's little hand (or elbow!) up near his face hiding from the ultrasound. Then he scans baby's heart and we listen to the heartbeat before he takes a reading of it. This week at my 34 week appointment baby got the hiccups just as my OB went to do the heartbeat, he's even messing with the OB now! (Usually it's just Tony and I he plays games with, stopping moving when we try to catch him)
So at my 32w appointment when we saw how big baby was, my OB brought up the c-section topic again. I was prepared this time, I'd had time to talk to a friend who had gone through a traumatic forceps birth due to the size of her baby. I wanted to know what recovery was like and what her baby's recovery was like (he'd spent time in special care). I'd also decided that the last thing I wanted was to labour and then wind up with an emergency c-section. I think that would be harder for me to deal with emotionally, you're in the race but then find out you can't finish the race? That wouldn't be something I could handle. Plus Tony and I had also both talked about it a lot.
My OB said that in his opinion a c-section would be the way to go. He said that it was our decision and if I'd like to try a vaginal birth we could go for an in-depth growth scan at the specialist ultrasound clinic that did my 12 and 19 week scans to check on baby's size and I could also get a second opinion from another OB. But I declined to do that and said I was fine with the c-section. So he gave us the date and now we know baby boy's birthday!
I still feel some guilt over this, and probably will for a while. Every google search I've done has women arguing that this is a common misconception, that your body won't grow a baby too big to birth. That c-sections are an easier and more convenient for the OB. That you don't know if your pelvis is too small until you try to give birth. And on and on it goes.
But ultimately, I feel that a c-section is the right choice. I trust my OB, he was also our fertility specialist. I've been seeing him for 18 months now. I know recovery will be hard and I'm not looking forward to it. And I feel bad that baby won't be born in the warm, comforting birth suites that we saw at the hospital tour, instead it'll be in a sterile, cold operating room.
It's scary, we have less time to get ready for baby and there's an end date in sight. My mother in law came with me to my 34w appointment and we saw baby has hair! Baby was measuring even further ahead at 37w which confirmed that yes, this is the right way to go.
I had maternity photos take yesterday, I'm not sure if I'll like them. I had my hair and make up done for them and the make up was quite dark and not as natural as I would've liked. But I've documented my pregnancy and even if I don't like the way my face looks in them, I know that in 5 years time I'll look back at them and be thankful I've got those photos.
We also went to the baby store and had the baby capsule installed in the car yesterday. It seems so complicated to put baby in the carseat and then the carseat in the car! But the guy assured us that it'll be second nature in no time. While we were at the baby store I bought a breast pump, a few bottles and storage bags. I wasn't going to get it until after baby was here, but Tony said we might as well buy it now. I also found reasonably priced hooded baby towels so picked up a few of them too.
I have a few nightgowns and some underwear on laybuy that need to be picked up and I bought a few swaddles in the mail which should arrive soon too.
Then all that's left is a trip to ikea for some baskets and wardrobe organisers and to set up the nursery. The "to do before baby arrives" list is getting really short now!
My 32 week appointment went well. Except, baby was measuring even further ahead. He's been a bit ahead the whole way. But it's no longer just a few days ahead, at 32 weeks he was measuring 34 weeks 3 days. Tony was with me and asked our OB if that measurement was right. The OB told him not to worry and said he'd do a second measurement and that he was sure it'd be closer to 32, it was probably just the way baby was positioned that was throwing off the measurements. But the second and third measurements were bigger! And they both showed that baby was measuring at 35w.
I'm only short, I'm just 4'10. My whole family is short and I have a petite build (it's just hidden under a few layers of fat). Where as Tony is tall, he's 6ft and for the guys in his family, that's just an average height. At one of my very first OB appointments, we talked about delivery and I said I would like a vaginal birth. My OB said that was fine, as long as baby wasn't measuring more than a week ahead at my 36week appointment, he was concerned about my size if it was a big baby. He told me not to worry about it, and we'd revisit it at 36 weeks. I didn't write about it because I wanted to try and forget about the whole conversation.
I was upset. I cried about this for weeks. Not because I'm against c-sections or I was doubting my OB but because there was the potential there for my body to fail to do something it should be able to do naturally. It was similar to when I found out we had to do the IUIs and then again when we had to move on to IVF.
But at the 12w scan I saw baby was measuring a few days ahead, then at the 19w morphology scan he was a week ahead. My OB does a scan in his office at each appointment. He has never said how big baby was unless I ask.
I see the number pop up in the corner of the screen when he does the measurement and I could see it was a bit ahead each time. But he's never made a big deal of it, he points out the position that baby is laying in (usually on my left side, with his head facing to the right) and we see baby's little hand (or elbow!) up near his face hiding from the ultrasound. Then he scans baby's heart and we listen to the heartbeat before he takes a reading of it. This week at my 34 week appointment baby got the hiccups just as my OB went to do the heartbeat, he's even messing with the OB now! (Usually it's just Tony and I he plays games with, stopping moving when we try to catch him)
So at my 32w appointment when we saw how big baby was, my OB brought up the c-section topic again. I was prepared this time, I'd had time to talk to a friend who had gone through a traumatic forceps birth due to the size of her baby. I wanted to know what recovery was like and what her baby's recovery was like (he'd spent time in special care). I'd also decided that the last thing I wanted was to labour and then wind up with an emergency c-section. I think that would be harder for me to deal with emotionally, you're in the race but then find out you can't finish the race? That wouldn't be something I could handle. Plus Tony and I had also both talked about it a lot.
My OB said that in his opinion a c-section would be the way to go. He said that it was our decision and if I'd like to try a vaginal birth we could go for an in-depth growth scan at the specialist ultrasound clinic that did my 12 and 19 week scans to check on baby's size and I could also get a second opinion from another OB. But I declined to do that and said I was fine with the c-section. So he gave us the date and now we know baby boy's birthday!
I still feel some guilt over this, and probably will for a while. Every google search I've done has women arguing that this is a common misconception, that your body won't grow a baby too big to birth. That c-sections are an easier and more convenient for the OB. That you don't know if your pelvis is too small until you try to give birth. And on and on it goes.
But ultimately, I feel that a c-section is the right choice. I trust my OB, he was also our fertility specialist. I've been seeing him for 18 months now. I know recovery will be hard and I'm not looking forward to it. And I feel bad that baby won't be born in the warm, comforting birth suites that we saw at the hospital tour, instead it'll be in a sterile, cold operating room.
It's scary, we have less time to get ready for baby and there's an end date in sight. My mother in law came with me to my 34w appointment and we saw baby has hair! Baby was measuring even further ahead at 37w which confirmed that yes, this is the right way to go.
I had maternity photos take yesterday, I'm not sure if I'll like them. I had my hair and make up done for them and the make up was quite dark and not as natural as I would've liked. But I've documented my pregnancy and even if I don't like the way my face looks in them, I know that in 5 years time I'll look back at them and be thankful I've got those photos.
We also went to the baby store and had the baby capsule installed in the car yesterday. It seems so complicated to put baby in the carseat and then the carseat in the car! But the guy assured us that it'll be second nature in no time. While we were at the baby store I bought a breast pump, a few bottles and storage bags. I wasn't going to get it until after baby was here, but Tony said we might as well buy it now. I also found reasonably priced hooded baby towels so picked up a few of them too.
I have a few nightgowns and some underwear on laybuy that need to be picked up and I bought a few swaddles in the mail which should arrive soon too.
Then all that's left is a trip to ikea for some baskets and wardrobe organisers and to set up the nursery. The "to do before baby arrives" list is getting really short now!
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