I try not to be too Type A, too competitive about Michaela. I know that comparing her to other babies is a recipe for disaster. And the doctor has told us that since Michaela was a month early, we should give her an extra month to do things. But I have a couple of friends who have babies around the same age as Michaela. One is a girl who is 10 days younger, the other is a boy who is 2 weeks older. Today I had lunch with the friend with the daughter and I couldn't help but compare the two babies in my head. The girl, V, has rolled over. Michaela hasn't. V can grab her feet. Michaela can't. The boy, S, is smiling a lot and cooing a lot and seems much more... developed... than Michaela.
She'll be four months old tomorrow. I am reminding myself that she is growing by leaps and bounds and that one day equals a large percentage of her life. So I need to give her time and let her grow at her own rate. Besides, there's nothing I can do about it either way.
She is cooing, she smiles. Her vision seems to be really good. Michaela is a happy baby and clearly loves us very much. And I am happy with that!
Tuesday we go to the pediatrician for her four month check up. She'll get some shots (ugh) and get measured and weighed, and we'll get the pediatrician's professional opinion on Michaela's progress. More then!
Showing posts with label kaiser. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kaiser. Show all posts
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sandwich
I've had a lot of serious stuff on my mind, especially today. My brother called me today saying he'd gotten a call from my mom that was dad was feeling really unwell. My dad is a dynamo, always is full of energy, even at 62. Apparently he was out at a friend's house when he started feeling really dizzy and like he was going to pass out. He sat down, drank some water, had some fruit, but continued to feel unwell. He made it back home and called my mom, who sent my brother to help in case my dad needed to be carried.
(Side note: my parents don't live together. They're still married, but they live apart. Two houses, about 1.5 miles from each other.)
My brother checked on my dad, who went to lay down, and then called me. I only live about a mile (probably less, actually) from my dad, so I went over. I didn't know how long I'd be there, or if my mom would come (because she is strange, and because even if she did come, she doesn't drive on the freeway and the circuitous route she takes can mean a half hour to get to my dad's house, and because she doesn't have a cell phone, so I can't reach her if she's not home), so I brought a book. I talked to my dad, found out what happened, told him I'd stick around to check on him. Got out my book, read for a few minutes before my mom showed up. She sent me back home to get my blood pressure cuff. My dad has high blood pressure and is on meds, so one of our thoughts was that maybe he had a sudden drop in blood pressure (or blood sugar, though he's not a diabetic as far as we know). His blood pressure was high, which was worrisome to me since he is on meds. He was cold, he was lethargic, and he seemed to be having a hard time paying attention. We let him rest some more and checked on him and his blood pressure again. It was better, but still high.
I suggested to him, and to my mom, that we take him to the doctor. He has health insurance, so there's no reason not to go. Except that he's a man and hates going to the doctor. He said no. My mom thought he should go, but she asked him if he wanted to and he declined. After a little bit of that, I made an executive decision that he really needed to go. I called the nurse line and talked to a nurse who asked me questions and then asked to talk to my dad. If I hadn't had the nurse on the phone already, he never would have agreed to talk to a nurse, but I just handed my dad the phone and said, "here, the nurse wants to ask you some questions." The first thing out of my dad's mouth was, "I feel fine!" I left the room so my dad would feel more comfortable giving honest answers and came back in when I heard my dad say, no he would prefer to go in tomorrow. I took the phone at that point and set up an appointment for about an hour later. Sorry, Dad, you don't have a choice.
We took a family field trip to urgent care. I drove my parents. My brother met us there. It was like a jolly old field trip. Actually, it wasn't, but my mom sort of treated it that way. She and my dad went in together to see the doctor, who ordered a bunch of tests but let him go home. They're looking at several things, including the possibility of diabetes, which as an older African American man who eats like crap (taco shop 4 times a week, plus lunch meat, hot dogs, canned chili, and other things that are incredibly high in sodium), is a good possibility.
On the way home, I tried talking to them both about making better choices. My mom lives on cigarettes and Pepsi. My dad on the aforementioned foods and sugary drinks like soda and iced tea. They basically told me they're too set in their ways, that they like to eat what they like to eat, and that everyone is going to die, so why worry about it? My dad bragged about the only vegetables he eats being (iceberg) lettuce and tomatoes, and said that if he can't eat what he likes, what's the point of eating? I told him that if he ate better, he could possibly not have to take blood pressure medication anymore, and I pointed out to both of them that they could live a long time, could possibly avoid dying of some awful thing (this is especially true in my mom's case. 40+ years of cigarette smoking seems like begging for cancer), and could stick around long enough to see Michaela grow up. And they totally blew me off.
I guess today is the first time it hit me that since I've had Michaela, I'm officially part of "The Sandwich Generation." I'm trapped between my parents and my baby. Someday, probably soon, I will have to take care of the older and the younger generation. And in the case of my parents, it's not just health, it's also financial. The two-house situation they currently maintain isn't sustainable. My mom doesn't work and my dad doesn't make that much money. So it's stupid to be paying mortgage and rent, to pay two of all the utility bills, etc. But they won't change. Their answer when I talk to them about that is the same as their answer when I talk about health stuff: we are adults, we can do what we want. They don't care that they're in the process of screwing me over. They're too short-sighted or too proud or too blindly optimistic or too I don't know what to see that at some point, something is going to happen and I'm going to have to take care of them. Certainly my brother can't. He's a good person, but he works as a bar back, four days a week. He can hardly afford to take care of himself (because of his bad habits, which he learned/inherited from my parents. In fact, he recently declared bankruptcy at the ripe old age of 27). So it will all fall on me and on Mike, who just today said he expects my mom is going to have to move in with us at some point because of her bad financial situation.
Life in the middle of this sandwich is pretty scary. I hope not to do this to Michaela.
(Side note: my parents don't live together. They're still married, but they live apart. Two houses, about 1.5 miles from each other.)
My brother checked on my dad, who went to lay down, and then called me. I only live about a mile (probably less, actually) from my dad, so I went over. I didn't know how long I'd be there, or if my mom would come (because she is strange, and because even if she did come, she doesn't drive on the freeway and the circuitous route she takes can mean a half hour to get to my dad's house, and because she doesn't have a cell phone, so I can't reach her if she's not home), so I brought a book. I talked to my dad, found out what happened, told him I'd stick around to check on him. Got out my book, read for a few minutes before my mom showed up. She sent me back home to get my blood pressure cuff. My dad has high blood pressure and is on meds, so one of our thoughts was that maybe he had a sudden drop in blood pressure (or blood sugar, though he's not a diabetic as far as we know). His blood pressure was high, which was worrisome to me since he is on meds. He was cold, he was lethargic, and he seemed to be having a hard time paying attention. We let him rest some more and checked on him and his blood pressure again. It was better, but still high.
I suggested to him, and to my mom, that we take him to the doctor. He has health insurance, so there's no reason not to go. Except that he's a man and hates going to the doctor. He said no. My mom thought he should go, but she asked him if he wanted to and he declined. After a little bit of that, I made an executive decision that he really needed to go. I called the nurse line and talked to a nurse who asked me questions and then asked to talk to my dad. If I hadn't had the nurse on the phone already, he never would have agreed to talk to a nurse, but I just handed my dad the phone and said, "here, the nurse wants to ask you some questions." The first thing out of my dad's mouth was, "I feel fine!" I left the room so my dad would feel more comfortable giving honest answers and came back in when I heard my dad say, no he would prefer to go in tomorrow. I took the phone at that point and set up an appointment for about an hour later. Sorry, Dad, you don't have a choice.
We took a family field trip to urgent care. I drove my parents. My brother met us there. It was like a jolly old field trip. Actually, it wasn't, but my mom sort of treated it that way. She and my dad went in together to see the doctor, who ordered a bunch of tests but let him go home. They're looking at several things, including the possibility of diabetes, which as an older African American man who eats like crap (taco shop 4 times a week, plus lunch meat, hot dogs, canned chili, and other things that are incredibly high in sodium), is a good possibility.
On the way home, I tried talking to them both about making better choices. My mom lives on cigarettes and Pepsi. My dad on the aforementioned foods and sugary drinks like soda and iced tea. They basically told me they're too set in their ways, that they like to eat what they like to eat, and that everyone is going to die, so why worry about it? My dad bragged about the only vegetables he eats being (iceberg) lettuce and tomatoes, and said that if he can't eat what he likes, what's the point of eating? I told him that if he ate better, he could possibly not have to take blood pressure medication anymore, and I pointed out to both of them that they could live a long time, could possibly avoid dying of some awful thing (this is especially true in my mom's case. 40+ years of cigarette smoking seems like begging for cancer), and could stick around long enough to see Michaela grow up. And they totally blew me off.
I guess today is the first time it hit me that since I've had Michaela, I'm officially part of "The Sandwich Generation." I'm trapped between my parents and my baby. Someday, probably soon, I will have to take care of the older and the younger generation. And in the case of my parents, it's not just health, it's also financial. The two-house situation they currently maintain isn't sustainable. My mom doesn't work and my dad doesn't make that much money. So it's stupid to be paying mortgage and rent, to pay two of all the utility bills, etc. But they won't change. Their answer when I talk to them about that is the same as their answer when I talk about health stuff: we are adults, we can do what we want. They don't care that they're in the process of screwing me over. They're too short-sighted or too proud or too blindly optimistic or too I don't know what to see that at some point, something is going to happen and I'm going to have to take care of them. Certainly my brother can't. He's a good person, but he works as a bar back, four days a week. He can hardly afford to take care of himself (because of his bad habits, which he learned/inherited from my parents. In fact, he recently declared bankruptcy at the ripe old age of 27). So it will all fall on me and on Mike, who just today said he expects my mom is going to have to move in with us at some point because of her bad financial situation.
Life in the middle of this sandwich is pretty scary. I hope not to do this to Michaela.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
In the hospital
Following up on my post about induction, here's what happened to us after Michaela was born.
We spent several hours in our Labor & Delivery room, then were transported to a recovery room. Fortunately, we ended up with a room to ourselves. That had been one of my biggest worries about the process; I didn't want to have to share a tiny (tiny!) room with Mike, Michaela, another woman, her baby, and her partner. I can't imagine what it would be like to have to share, considering the constant flow of people in and out of our room. Nurses checking my vitals and my blood pressure (since I was on some heavy duty drugs), nurses checking the baby. Doctors checking me, doctors checking the baby. People to collect linens, people to drop off and pick up food trays. Multiply all of that by two and I would have died.
Anyway, so we were in the room, recovering. They'd run some tests on Michaela and eventually it came out that she was jaundiced, which is too high a level of a substance called bilirubin. Jaundice is common in kids, especially preemies, whose livers haven't developed sufficiently by the time they come out. After one night in our room with us, Michaela had to go to the nursery to be under "bili lights," which are lights that break down the bilirubin. The most important thing, the doctors and nurses said, is for the baby to be under the lights and to eat as much as possible, because the bilirubin binds to the protein and is passed in feces. Unfortunately, Michaela and I were having (and continue to have) trouble with breastfeeding. I was so upset and so stressed out, between those two things. I cried and cried and cried.
In the scheme of things, being jaundiced isn't a big deal. And considering all the problems preemies can have, it's really wonderful that was all she was dealing with. Further, we were in a hospital, surrounded by wonderful, caring nurses who really went out of their way to be good to me and to Michaela. Better that than to be at home and have something go wrote, or to have an uncaring staff.
The doctors were ready to release me after a couple of days, but Michaela needed to be under the lights for at least 24, more like 30 hours. Sunday night at about 11 p.m. she went under the bili lights (I think; it's all a blur). Monday night at 11 p.m. was 24 hours, but they left her under until about 6 a.m. on Tuesday. They took her blood every six hours to run tests; that was really hard to watch because she screamed when they pricked her and squeezed her little foot to get the blood out.
My doctors kept me admitted so I could tend to Michaela and every two-to-three hours, Mike and/or I would go down to the nursery to feed her, or bring her to the room to feed her. We'd gotten to a point where I was so stressed about he difficulty feeding that I decided to give her formula from a bottle in addition to breastfeeding, and that was a huge load off.
Tuesday morning, Michaela's bilirubin level was down enough that we could take her off the bili lights, with the knowledge that we'd have to go back to the doctor in a day and a half to have her tested again. We got to spend some time with her on Tuesday, which was the nicest thing in the world after her being so far away from us for so long. Mike went home and cleaned up a bit, brought me a change of clothes. Michaela and I took a nap together and hung out. The lactation consultant came by again and offered some more tips. It was a good day. That night, at about 9 p.m., we were released and got to bring our baby home. FINALLY!
We spent several hours in our Labor & Delivery room, then were transported to a recovery room. Fortunately, we ended up with a room to ourselves. That had been one of my biggest worries about the process; I didn't want to have to share a tiny (tiny!) room with Mike, Michaela, another woman, her baby, and her partner. I can't imagine what it would be like to have to share, considering the constant flow of people in and out of our room. Nurses checking my vitals and my blood pressure (since I was on some heavy duty drugs), nurses checking the baby. Doctors checking me, doctors checking the baby. People to collect linens, people to drop off and pick up food trays. Multiply all of that by two and I would have died.
Anyway, so we were in the room, recovering. They'd run some tests on Michaela and eventually it came out that she was jaundiced, which is too high a level of a substance called bilirubin. Jaundice is common in kids, especially preemies, whose livers haven't developed sufficiently by the time they come out. After one night in our room with us, Michaela had to go to the nursery to be under "bili lights," which are lights that break down the bilirubin. The most important thing, the doctors and nurses said, is for the baby to be under the lights and to eat as much as possible, because the bilirubin binds to the protein and is passed in feces. Unfortunately, Michaela and I were having (and continue to have) trouble with breastfeeding. I was so upset and so stressed out, between those two things. I cried and cried and cried.
In the scheme of things, being jaundiced isn't a big deal. And considering all the problems preemies can have, it's really wonderful that was all she was dealing with. Further, we were in a hospital, surrounded by wonderful, caring nurses who really went out of their way to be good to me and to Michaela. Better that than to be at home and have something go wrote, or to have an uncaring staff.
The doctors were ready to release me after a couple of days, but Michaela needed to be under the lights for at least 24, more like 30 hours. Sunday night at about 11 p.m. she went under the bili lights (I think; it's all a blur). Monday night at 11 p.m. was 24 hours, but they left her under until about 6 a.m. on Tuesday. They took her blood every six hours to run tests; that was really hard to watch because she screamed when they pricked her and squeezed her little foot to get the blood out.
My doctors kept me admitted so I could tend to Michaela and every two-to-three hours, Mike and/or I would go down to the nursery to feed her, or bring her to the room to feed her. We'd gotten to a point where I was so stressed about he difficulty feeding that I decided to give her formula from a bottle in addition to breastfeeding, and that was a huge load off.
Tuesday morning, Michaela's bilirubin level was down enough that we could take her off the bili lights, with the knowledge that we'd have to go back to the doctor in a day and a half to have her tested again. We got to spend some time with her on Tuesday, which was the nicest thing in the world after her being so far away from us for so long. Mike went home and cleaned up a bit, brought me a change of clothes. Michaela and I took a nap together and hung out. The lactation consultant came by again and offered some more tips. It was a good day. That night, at about 9 p.m., we were released and got to bring our baby home. FINALLY!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Induction
I've already written about going to labor & Delivery Triage on the night of Tuesday, Dec. 8. The next day, Wednesday, Dec. 9, I spent the day at home working and then drove up to Orange County for my old job's Christmas party. I got home from that at about 10 p.m. and crashed. Apparently, Mike and I were both so tired that we slept through the alarm that was supposed to wake us in time for my 10 a.m. OB appointment, because we woke at 9:50 instead! Rushing, knowing we HAD to make the appointment because of my L&D Triage experience a couple of nights before, each of us threw on the clothes we wore the day before and hauled ass to the OB's office. No breakfast, no teeth brushing, no nothing. We also had an NST immediately after the appointment, so we knew we needed to hurry to make that on time, too.
Got to the doctor's office, checked in, were seen. My OB asked us what had been going on and I told her about the Triage visit. She looked at the info in my files, did an internal exam (pronouncing me slightly dilated and effaced), looked at the swelling in my feet (which was pretty heavy, if you ask me), and, oddly enough, checked my reflexes. She tapped my knees and my legs sprang out. I asked if that was good and she said no. Then she said she wanted to run some tests on me and to go to the lab after the appointment to have some blood drawn and to give a urine sample. She said not to leave the NST until she'd seen the test results.
We got to the hospital, which is where the NSTs are done, and did the test. Our nurse had the doctor on call in the NST lab look at the results of the blood and urine work and he said we were fine and could leave-- this time. Mike and I walked out of the office talking about how crazy it is to think about one day coming to the hospital and being told, "sorry, we're going to keep you here." We'd just gotten to the elevators when the NST nurse came running after us, calling my name and saying my OB had called just after we left and that the results weren't good and that she was going to induce.
Yup, that's right. Induce. Right then, right there. No leaving the hospital, no going home. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Just go to the L&D ward and have a baby.
I was 35 weeks and 5 days along.
I was in shock. Total shock. I got scared and teary. We went to the check-in area and signed some papers and were able to convince a very nice admitting staffer to let us go get some lunch, given we hadn't had breakfast and didn't know how long anything would take. Mike wanted to go out somewhere but I said we should just go to the cafeteria and eat there, so that's what we did. While there, we made some phone calls. I called the dog sitter, who fortunately was able to come and get the dog and watch him, and Mike let his family know. I sent a text message to a few friends, but held off on telling my family because it would have been extra stress I didn't need or want.
Once lunch was done, we went back upstairs to L&D and were settled in "High Risk 1." I stripped down and they put an IV in me to run pitocin and miso-something or other to bring on labor, and magnesium sulfate, which was to ward off seizures. My OB came and explained that some of the levels associated with my liver were off, that my blood pressure was up, and that the edema in my feet and jerky reflexes were signs that I was pre-eclamptic. The mag sulfate was to warn off seizures, which is what happens when you become eclamptic.
I sent Mike home to get some stuff, giving him a list I'd made out at lunch of things I wanted/needed. Camera. Socks. "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Random stuff. It was very strange because we had no idea how long we'd be there, and I hadn't paid much attention to the "what to pack" info in any of my books because we still had a while. (Ironically, one of the things I'd planned to do during the weekend was to pack my bag.)
Thursday went by pretty slowly. At 4 p.m., I was 1 cm dilated andd 50 % effaced. I tried to sleep when I could because I knew I'd need the energy for labor. People kept coming in to take my blood pressure and vitals. At 9 p.m., I was still only 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced.
Later, like 1 a.m. (I think) Friday morning, we were moved to "L&D 10," a labor and delivery room that would be our home for the birthing process. Mike was with me and slept in a chair that sort of reclined into a bed. I was dilating and effacing very slowly. At 8 a.m. on Friday, they broke my water. I was concerned because of the velamentous cord insertion issue, but it was fine and there were no problems. The water breaking should result in stronger contractions, they said. That happened, but they still weren't very strong and I was still not moving along well.
At 6 p.m. on Friday, we were at a decision point. Should we keep going with the pitocin or do a c-section? By that point, I was on internal monitors to monitor the baby's heart rate and the strength of my contractions. The pitocin was being given at "10," the highest level they usually use, and it clearly wasn't doing much. My contractions were regular, but they weren't strong enough to be considered "active." At the same time, because of the baby's size, the OB was seeing some swelling of her head, which is sometimes a sign that the baby is too big to be pushed out vaginally. So that was another thing in favor of doing a c-section. I wanted to try to do it vaginally, but didn't want to have it get to a stress point where they'd need to do an emergency c-section. The doctor who was with us (not my OB) was amazing and really wonderful. She presented us with our options, which included upping the pitocin up to "30" if the baby would tolerate it. Mike and I decided that's what we would do, and we agreed with the doctor that we'd give it another 2-4 hours to see if that would work. Every 1/2 hour, they would bump up the amount of pitocin. Eventually, I got up to 4 cm dilated and we called in the nurse anesthetist to give me an epidural
The epidural was a godsend. It made everything so much easier (though Mike's use of the breathing technique we learned in childbirth class was nice, it wasn't as nice as the epidural!). The drugs had worked and I was definitely in active labor and was feeling the contractions, which were pretty intense. It was a relief to feel numb except for some pressure, and to be able to push a button for additional pain blocking power every 10 minutes as needed.
(Side note: scariest experience during labor came just before the epidural was done. The baby's heartbeat dived and everyone sprang into action. I've never seen people move so fast. They demanded I roll over onto my side and started doing something or other. In a weird twist, I was so out of it because of the mag sulfate-- which induces stupor in most people-- that I wasn't even fully aware of what was happening and couldn't understand why all of a sudden everyone was yelling at me to get on my side. As it turns out, they weren't sure if the baby's heartbeat really did take a dive or if it was a monitor issue or what. But it was pretty freaky.)
Finally they did another check and I was 8 cm dilated, 100% effaced. It felt like a huge victory. That was sometime Friday night. Then, later, I felt the urge t push and told my nurse. She told me to hold off on pushing and started to get a bunch of things ready and to call the doctor and to do all these things. It felt like she was taking FOREVER. All I wanted to do was bear down. When I finally was allowed to start pushing, the nurse took one of my legs and Mike took the other. Mike did the count (1-10, signifying how long to push) and each contraction, I'd do three pushes. The first one was relatively easy and I always started off strong. The next two were progressively harder to exhale for 10 seconds apiece and to push for 10 seconds apiece. The contractions were about every three minutes, and I pushed for about 1 hr, 45 minutes.
During the pushing, they would tell me, "oh, we can see the head!" or "she has lots of hair!" and things like that. They asked if I wanted to see the head and I said no, and they asked if I wanted to watch the baby crown and I said no. I pushed and pushed and pushed. When her head came out, I could definitely feel A LOT of pressure and knew it was coming out. The OB was there then (the 4th of our nearly two-day labor experience) and he had his hands inside of me as well. Thank God for the epidural. Once the head was out, then came the rest of the body, and at 12:17 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2009, Michaela was born.
(Because she was born on Saturday morning, she made it to 36 weeks. Still 1-4 weeks from "full term," though.)
I couldn't see it, but Mike said it was amazing to watch. I found it really fascinating and cool that my body just knew what to do.
The nurse took the baby to a different part of the room to administer the APGAR test and all of that and Mike stayed with me for a minute before going to be with the baby. In the meantime, the placenta didn't come out in one piece, so the doctor had to manually sweep my uterus to get it all out. It's really important that the entire placenta be delivered (or removed) because it signals your body that the baby has come and leads to all sorts of metabolic and hormonal processes for mom and baby. The OB also stitched me up because I tore as the baby was coming out. That was NOT pleasant and I hit the extra pain medicine button multiple times during each of those procedures.
Once the baby was done being checked out-- and I have no idea how long that took-- they brought her over to me and I got to hold her on my chest. She was so amazing. Not small at all, in spite of being premature. She weighed 7 pounds, 8.3 ounces (which makes me wonder how big she would have been if she'd stayed in another month) and was 20 inches long. She has a head of dark, soft, beautiful hair and sort of slate-blue eyes. Her feet and toes are long, and her hands are tiny.
People cleared out and then it was just us and the nurse. I can't remember where the baby was after that. Things were such a blur. We were in the room for a few hours before being moved to a room in "Four North," the high-risk L&D recovery unit. Fortunately, we had our own room. This was huge because one of the things I was dreading about Kaiser was having to share a room with another woman and her partner and their baby plus Mike and my baby. It became even more important later, because we ended up having to stay in the hospital a long time. (More on that in another post.)
I'm sure there's more, but this is all I can remember right now. Funny how a doctor's appointment turned into having our little one.
Got to the doctor's office, checked in, were seen. My OB asked us what had been going on and I told her about the Triage visit. She looked at the info in my files, did an internal exam (pronouncing me slightly dilated and effaced), looked at the swelling in my feet (which was pretty heavy, if you ask me), and, oddly enough, checked my reflexes. She tapped my knees and my legs sprang out. I asked if that was good and she said no. Then she said she wanted to run some tests on me and to go to the lab after the appointment to have some blood drawn and to give a urine sample. She said not to leave the NST until she'd seen the test results.
We got to the hospital, which is where the NSTs are done, and did the test. Our nurse had the doctor on call in the NST lab look at the results of the blood and urine work and he said we were fine and could leave-- this time. Mike and I walked out of the office talking about how crazy it is to think about one day coming to the hospital and being told, "sorry, we're going to keep you here." We'd just gotten to the elevators when the NST nurse came running after us, calling my name and saying my OB had called just after we left and that the results weren't good and that she was going to induce.
Yup, that's right. Induce. Right then, right there. No leaving the hospital, no going home. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Just go to the L&D ward and have a baby.
I was 35 weeks and 5 days along.
I was in shock. Total shock. I got scared and teary. We went to the check-in area and signed some papers and were able to convince a very nice admitting staffer to let us go get some lunch, given we hadn't had breakfast and didn't know how long anything would take. Mike wanted to go out somewhere but I said we should just go to the cafeteria and eat there, so that's what we did. While there, we made some phone calls. I called the dog sitter, who fortunately was able to come and get the dog and watch him, and Mike let his family know. I sent a text message to a few friends, but held off on telling my family because it would have been extra stress I didn't need or want.
Once lunch was done, we went back upstairs to L&D and were settled in "High Risk 1." I stripped down and they put an IV in me to run pitocin and miso-something or other to bring on labor, and magnesium sulfate, which was to ward off seizures. My OB came and explained that some of the levels associated with my liver were off, that my blood pressure was up, and that the edema in my feet and jerky reflexes were signs that I was pre-eclamptic. The mag sulfate was to warn off seizures, which is what happens when you become eclamptic.
I sent Mike home to get some stuff, giving him a list I'd made out at lunch of things I wanted/needed. Camera. Socks. "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Random stuff. It was very strange because we had no idea how long we'd be there, and I hadn't paid much attention to the "what to pack" info in any of my books because we still had a while. (Ironically, one of the things I'd planned to do during the weekend was to pack my bag.)
Thursday went by pretty slowly. At 4 p.m., I was 1 cm dilated andd 50 % effaced. I tried to sleep when I could because I knew I'd need the energy for labor. People kept coming in to take my blood pressure and vitals. At 9 p.m., I was still only 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced.
Later, like 1 a.m. (I think) Friday morning, we were moved to "L&D 10," a labor and delivery room that would be our home for the birthing process. Mike was with me and slept in a chair that sort of reclined into a bed. I was dilating and effacing very slowly. At 8 a.m. on Friday, they broke my water. I was concerned because of the velamentous cord insertion issue, but it was fine and there were no problems. The water breaking should result in stronger contractions, they said. That happened, but they still weren't very strong and I was still not moving along well.
At 6 p.m. on Friday, we were at a decision point. Should we keep going with the pitocin or do a c-section? By that point, I was on internal monitors to monitor the baby's heart rate and the strength of my contractions. The pitocin was being given at "10," the highest level they usually use, and it clearly wasn't doing much. My contractions were regular, but they weren't strong enough to be considered "active." At the same time, because of the baby's size, the OB was seeing some swelling of her head, which is sometimes a sign that the baby is too big to be pushed out vaginally. So that was another thing in favor of doing a c-section. I wanted to try to do it vaginally, but didn't want to have it get to a stress point where they'd need to do an emergency c-section. The doctor who was with us (not my OB) was amazing and really wonderful. She presented us with our options, which included upping the pitocin up to "30" if the baby would tolerate it. Mike and I decided that's what we would do, and we agreed with the doctor that we'd give it another 2-4 hours to see if that would work. Every 1/2 hour, they would bump up the amount of pitocin. Eventually, I got up to 4 cm dilated and we called in the nurse anesthetist to give me an epidural
The epidural was a godsend. It made everything so much easier (though Mike's use of the breathing technique we learned in childbirth class was nice, it wasn't as nice as the epidural!). The drugs had worked and I was definitely in active labor and was feeling the contractions, which were pretty intense. It was a relief to feel numb except for some pressure, and to be able to push a button for additional pain blocking power every 10 minutes as needed.
(Side note: scariest experience during labor came just before the epidural was done. The baby's heartbeat dived and everyone sprang into action. I've never seen people move so fast. They demanded I roll over onto my side and started doing something or other. In a weird twist, I was so out of it because of the mag sulfate-- which induces stupor in most people-- that I wasn't even fully aware of what was happening and couldn't understand why all of a sudden everyone was yelling at me to get on my side. As it turns out, they weren't sure if the baby's heartbeat really did take a dive or if it was a monitor issue or what. But it was pretty freaky.)
Finally they did another check and I was 8 cm dilated, 100% effaced. It felt like a huge victory. That was sometime Friday night. Then, later, I felt the urge t push and told my nurse. She told me to hold off on pushing and started to get a bunch of things ready and to call the doctor and to do all these things. It felt like she was taking FOREVER. All I wanted to do was bear down. When I finally was allowed to start pushing, the nurse took one of my legs and Mike took the other. Mike did the count (1-10, signifying how long to push) and each contraction, I'd do three pushes. The first one was relatively easy and I always started off strong. The next two were progressively harder to exhale for 10 seconds apiece and to push for 10 seconds apiece. The contractions were about every three minutes, and I pushed for about 1 hr, 45 minutes.
During the pushing, they would tell me, "oh, we can see the head!" or "she has lots of hair!" and things like that. They asked if I wanted to see the head and I said no, and they asked if I wanted to watch the baby crown and I said no. I pushed and pushed and pushed. When her head came out, I could definitely feel A LOT of pressure and knew it was coming out. The OB was there then (the 4th of our nearly two-day labor experience) and he had his hands inside of me as well. Thank God for the epidural. Once the head was out, then came the rest of the body, and at 12:17 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2009, Michaela was born.
(Because she was born on Saturday morning, she made it to 36 weeks. Still 1-4 weeks from "full term," though.)
I couldn't see it, but Mike said it was amazing to watch. I found it really fascinating and cool that my body just knew what to do.
The nurse took the baby to a different part of the room to administer the APGAR test and all of that and Mike stayed with me for a minute before going to be with the baby. In the meantime, the placenta didn't come out in one piece, so the doctor had to manually sweep my uterus to get it all out. It's really important that the entire placenta be delivered (or removed) because it signals your body that the baby has come and leads to all sorts of metabolic and hormonal processes for mom and baby. The OB also stitched me up because I tore as the baby was coming out. That was NOT pleasant and I hit the extra pain medicine button multiple times during each of those procedures.
Once the baby was done being checked out-- and I have no idea how long that took-- they brought her over to me and I got to hold her on my chest. She was so amazing. Not small at all, in spite of being premature. She weighed 7 pounds, 8.3 ounces (which makes me wonder how big she would have been if she'd stayed in another month) and was 20 inches long. She has a head of dark, soft, beautiful hair and sort of slate-blue eyes. Her feet and toes are long, and her hands are tiny.
People cleared out and then it was just us and the nurse. I can't remember where the baby was after that. Things were such a blur. We were in the room for a few hours before being moved to a room in "Four North," the high-risk L&D recovery unit. Fortunately, we had our own room. This was huge because one of the things I was dreading about Kaiser was having to share a room with another woman and her partner and their baby plus Mike and my baby. It became even more important later, because we ended up having to stay in the hospital a long time. (More on that in another post.)
I'm sure there's more, but this is all I can remember right now. Funny how a doctor's appointment turned into having our little one.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Labor and Delivery Triage
So tonight Mike and I got to visit Labor and Delivery Triage. I hadn't felt well all day, was just a little off. I went to bed with socks on last night and when I woke up this morning, my left leg had swollen so much that the sock constricted my circulation and left a deep line. My feet look like hooves. My hands are porky. I had a slight headache (like a sinus headache), though that went away, and it was really uncomfortable to sit down all day due to pain in my left side. Later in the day, my lower back started to hurt and I started to feel a good amount of balling up in my stomach.
We went to our childbirth class tonight and I had to get up in the middle of it to go to the bathroom. All of a sudden, my stomach started hurting and I knew I had to poo. I ended up being in the bathroom so long Mike actually got up and came into the ladides' room to make sure I was okay. I was, but that sealed it for me-- time to go to L&D Triage.
Registering once we got there was easy, though we had to wait a little bit before I actually got any attention. I was taken to an exam room, put on a fetal heart rate monitor and blood pressure cuff. Took off my pants so they could do an internal exam to check my cervix. Drank some water so they could do a urine test to look at protein and sugar in my pee, plus check for a urinary tract infection.
It turns out I was having contractions about every 10 minutes. My blood pressure looked pretty good-- higher than during the NSTs, but low for me-- and the baby's heart was doing fine. My cervix is soft, the doctor said, but still high; she also said I will probably deliver early, though she wouldn't commit to how early. She said to think of what I was feeling today as my baseline; anything more than this means I'm getting closer to popping.
It was good practice to go tonight and to get to know what to expect. Mike was fabulous, as expected. He's going to be a great dad. So now we just wait and see when Poppy wants to make her appearance in the world.
We went to our childbirth class tonight and I had to get up in the middle of it to go to the bathroom. All of a sudden, my stomach started hurting and I knew I had to poo. I ended up being in the bathroom so long Mike actually got up and came into the ladides' room to make sure I was okay. I was, but that sealed it for me-- time to go to L&D Triage.
Registering once we got there was easy, though we had to wait a little bit before I actually got any attention. I was taken to an exam room, put on a fetal heart rate monitor and blood pressure cuff. Took off my pants so they could do an internal exam to check my cervix. Drank some water so they could do a urine test to look at protein and sugar in my pee, plus check for a urinary tract infection.
It turns out I was having contractions about every 10 minutes. My blood pressure looked pretty good-- higher than during the NSTs, but low for me-- and the baby's heart was doing fine. My cervix is soft, the doctor said, but still high; she also said I will probably deliver early, though she wouldn't commit to how early. She said to think of what I was feeling today as my baseline; anything more than this means I'm getting closer to popping.
It was good practice to go tonight and to get to know what to expect. Mike was fabulous, as expected. He's going to be a great dad. So now we just wait and see when Poppy wants to make her appearance in the world.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
New things to worry about
So I went in for my 1st non-stress test (NST) the other day. I actually found the test very relaxing. I laid there, they had monitors on the baby's heart and on my blood pressure, and they fed me ice chips to get the baby to move around. Mike went with me, which was nice, and they did another (though low-tech) ultrasound to check the fluid around the baby.
The nurse had a little card with my info on it, including the reason for my being there. As far as I knew going in, I am having 2 NSTs/week because of my high blood pressure. Imagine my surprise, then, to see "velamentous insertion" written on the card next to hypertension. I remembered one of the ultrasound techs saying something about the cord being attached on the side, but the tech didn't make a big deal out of it and my OB didn't make a big deal out of it, so it didn't really occur to me to be worried about it. That is, not until I got home and googled the condition.
Here's what I found: In velamentous insertion, the cord is not connected to the placental plate, and its vessels travel between the membranes before attaching eccentrically to the placenta. It happens in 1.1% in singleton pregnancies and 8.7% of twins.
Associated anomalies are found in 5.9-8.5% of cases. These include:
* Esophageal atresia.
* Obstructive uropathies.
* Congenital hip dislocation.
* Asymmetrical head shape.
* Spina bifida.
* Ventricular septal defects.
* Single umbilical artery.
* Bilobate placenta.
* Trisomy 21.
Yes, lots of good things. I immediately freaked out and sent a note to my doctor. I acknowledged in the note that I would image the genetic screening I went through would have identified some of those issues (like the trisomy 21) and that the monitoring with ultrasounds would have identified others (like asymmetrical head shape), but that I was concerned nonetheless and did I need to be? She wrote back that it's actually a common problem that doesn't generally cause issues and that the previous testing would have caught things. She said that the biggest issue with the condition is the baby not growing well, which obviously isn't a problem with my ginmormous Poppy. Her closing line? "Try not to worry."
Ah, yes. Try not to worry. Easier said than done.
I will say, though, that it's too late to do anything (as in terminate the pregnancy) if the baby did have some sort of problem and all I can do at this point is move forward. She has a strong heartbeat, has been kicking like crazy, looks fine (but big) on the ultrasounds. I have to hope things are fine. And soon enough, I'll find out for sure.
The other interesting thing that came out of my NST is that apparently I'm having a lot of contractions. The nurse said my uterus is "very active" and when another, different nurse saw the results of my monitoring, she commented on the contractions, too. They said if I feel 4+ contractions in an hour or the baby balling up or anything, that I need to go to Labor and Delivery triage immediately. That, of course, brought me right back to my concern about not knowing what exactly a contraction feels like. I've been thinking I'm having Braxton Hicks (and maybe this proves that I am?), but I'm not quite sure. So when I go in tomorrow, I am going to try to ask some more specific questions about what I should be feeling for. My plan up until this point has been unless something hurts or is incredibly, super uncomfortable, to assume I'm fine and not worry about it. Seems like that worked for most of human history, so it must be okay now, too, right?
The nurse had a little card with my info on it, including the reason for my being there. As far as I knew going in, I am having 2 NSTs/week because of my high blood pressure. Imagine my surprise, then, to see "velamentous insertion" written on the card next to hypertension. I remembered one of the ultrasound techs saying something about the cord being attached on the side, but the tech didn't make a big deal out of it and my OB didn't make a big deal out of it, so it didn't really occur to me to be worried about it. That is, not until I got home and googled the condition.
Here's what I found: In velamentous insertion, the cord is not connected to the placental plate, and its vessels travel between the membranes before attaching eccentrically to the placenta. It happens in 1.1% in singleton pregnancies and 8.7% of twins.
Associated anomalies are found in 5.9-8.5% of cases. These include:
* Esophageal atresia.
* Obstructive uropathies.
* Congenital hip dislocation.
* Asymmetrical head shape.
* Spina bifida.
* Ventricular septal defects.
* Single umbilical artery.
* Bilobate placenta.
* Trisomy 21.
Yes, lots of good things. I immediately freaked out and sent a note to my doctor. I acknowledged in the note that I would image the genetic screening I went through would have identified some of those issues (like the trisomy 21) and that the monitoring with ultrasounds would have identified others (like asymmetrical head shape), but that I was concerned nonetheless and did I need to be? She wrote back that it's actually a common problem that doesn't generally cause issues and that the previous testing would have caught things. She said that the biggest issue with the condition is the baby not growing well, which obviously isn't a problem with my ginmormous Poppy. Her closing line? "Try not to worry."
Ah, yes. Try not to worry. Easier said than done.
I will say, though, that it's too late to do anything (as in terminate the pregnancy) if the baby did have some sort of problem and all I can do at this point is move forward. She has a strong heartbeat, has been kicking like crazy, looks fine (but big) on the ultrasounds. I have to hope things are fine. And soon enough, I'll find out for sure.
The other interesting thing that came out of my NST is that apparently I'm having a lot of contractions. The nurse said my uterus is "very active" and when another, different nurse saw the results of my monitoring, she commented on the contractions, too. They said if I feel 4+ contractions in an hour or the baby balling up or anything, that I need to go to Labor and Delivery triage immediately. That, of course, brought me right back to my concern about not knowing what exactly a contraction feels like. I've been thinking I'm having Braxton Hicks (and maybe this proves that I am?), but I'm not quite sure. So when I go in tomorrow, I am going to try to ask some more specific questions about what I should be feeling for. My plan up until this point has been unless something hurts or is incredibly, super uncomfortable, to assume I'm fine and not worry about it. Seems like that worked for most of human history, so it must be okay now, too, right?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I want my baby back, baby back, baby back....
No, not really. I just want MY ribs to feel better! They still hurt, especially my right side. The pain was excruciating this Sunday. I woke up and felt okay, but think I hopped out of bed too quickly and tweaked something, because for the rest of the day, I was in agony. I noticed today they're feeling a lot better than they were, though there are still some twinges of pain.
When I was at the OB this morning, I asked about the pain and she said (as I thought), it was just residual muscle strain from when I had the flu. She said the things we'd normally do to make it better-- Advil, Motrin, etc.-- are off limits because of the pregnancy, and basically, I need to grin and bear it. Which I have been doing as best I can.
In other news, my fundus is measuring 31-32 weeks, so she's sticking with her "the baby is big, we're not changing your EDD" policy. Also, I got my H1N1 vaccine today. Anything to keep from getting another round of the flu! (And never mind how much worse it would be if I picked up swine flu somewhere!). The baby is not, as I feared, transverse; she's head down. Thank goodness for that.
The big mass I've been feeling on the right side, under my (painful) ribs is the baby's rump. Good to know.
I am at a point now where I need to go in for appointments every 2 weeks, and, on top of that, I will start going in for non-stress tests twice a week at 34 weeks. I'm so thankful I'll be working in the same city as my doctor. I don't know what I would have done if I'd needed to do that while working 100 miles away.
Hard to believe we're getting so close! We still have so much to do...
When I was at the OB this morning, I asked about the pain and she said (as I thought), it was just residual muscle strain from when I had the flu. She said the things we'd normally do to make it better-- Advil, Motrin, etc.-- are off limits because of the pregnancy, and basically, I need to grin and bear it. Which I have been doing as best I can.
In other news, my fundus is measuring 31-32 weeks, so she's sticking with her "the baby is big, we're not changing your EDD" policy. Also, I got my H1N1 vaccine today. Anything to keep from getting another round of the flu! (And never mind how much worse it would be if I picked up swine flu somewhere!). The baby is not, as I feared, transverse; she's head down. Thank goodness for that.
The big mass I've been feeling on the right side, under my (painful) ribs is the baby's rump. Good to know.
I am at a point now where I need to go in for appointments every 2 weeks, and, on top of that, I will start going in for non-stress tests twice a week at 34 weeks. I'm so thankful I'll be working in the same city as my doctor. I don't know what I would have done if I'd needed to do that while working 100 miles away.
Hard to believe we're getting so close! We still have so much to do...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
"No worries"
So the ultrasound. Apparently I didn't drink the water early enough so they had a hard time looking at my cervix and had to use the dildo cam. The baby looks good-- had her hands in front of her face, boxer style. Put 'em up! But she's big. Or I'm further along by 3-4 weeks than they thought based on my 8 week ultrasound.
I emailed my doctor to ask what she thought. Her reply was actually really nice. (I always am self conscious about bothering her, which I know is stupid, but still.) It began with "no worries." She went on to say the baby is just big, that the 8 week ultrasound is waaaay more accurate than this and that they're not going to move my due date and that I don't need to be freaked out about possibly delivering about a month earlier than we'd planned. She also said that my high blood pressure could have made the baby smaller, but that it's not the case and I should be happy about that. And I don't have gestational diabetes, so the baby isn't big because of that. So I'm going to stick with her advice and focus on "no worries."
I emailed my doctor to ask what she thought. Her reply was actually really nice. (I always am self conscious about bothering her, which I know is stupid, but still.) It began with "no worries." She went on to say the baby is just big, that the 8 week ultrasound is waaaay more accurate than this and that they're not going to move my due date and that I don't need to be freaked out about possibly delivering about a month earlier than we'd planned. She also said that my high blood pressure could have made the baby smaller, but that it's not the case and I should be happy about that. And I don't have gestational diabetes, so the baby isn't big because of that. So I'm going to stick with her advice and focus on "no worries."
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Another ultrasound
The one good thing about being a "high risk" pregnancy (because of my blood pressure) is that we get an extra ultrasound to make sure the baby is growing appropriately. Tomorrow morning is our growth scan, and Mike and I are both really excited to see how big Poppy has gotten. I'm nervous, of course. I have fears that one of her limbs will have fallen off or that something's going to be wrong. I guess that's just part of being a mom. She's been actively kicking me, her heartbeat has sounded good each time I've been to the doctor, etc. So hopefully tomorrow we'll find that everything is okay and I can stop worrying. For now. ;)
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Buh-bye commute
I officially accepted the offer I got and gave notice at my job. I feel like a tremendous weight has been lifted off my shoulders. No more long commute! I counted, and with today's drive being done, I only have to make the drive 8 more times. My boss, and everyone at work, took it really well. They all basically say they will miss me, that I am a great employee/boss/colleague, and that they understand that this is the best decision for my family-- which it is.
Last night, we went to our first childbirth education class (more on that later), and as we learned about the signs of labor to watch for and what to pay attention to, I felt like I had an epiphany. "Oh my god," I thought. "I've been stupidly brave about all this!" What if something happened while I was in the middle of my drive? What if something happened while I was stuck in a traffic jam? What if I was far away (up to 90 miles) from my hospital and my husband? Of course I'd call 911 and would figure something out, and I realize labor can be a process that takes a long time, but this way I'm not tempting fate. Not to mention once the baby is born-- this way I won't have to be so far away from her if something happens. I was doing what I needed to do to keep my job and to do a good job, but as Poppy's birth gets closer and closer, it's time to stop taking chances of this type. So I'm feeling good about my decision, even as I have some apprehension about my new job and the exclusive-work-at-home arrangement that comes with it.
Last night, we went to our first childbirth education class (more on that later), and as we learned about the signs of labor to watch for and what to pay attention to, I felt like I had an epiphany. "Oh my god," I thought. "I've been stupidly brave about all this!" What if something happened while I was in the middle of my drive? What if something happened while I was stuck in a traffic jam? What if I was far away (up to 90 miles) from my hospital and my husband? Of course I'd call 911 and would figure something out, and I realize labor can be a process that takes a long time, but this way I'm not tempting fate. Not to mention once the baby is born-- this way I won't have to be so far away from her if something happens. I was doing what I needed to do to keep my job and to do a good job, but as Poppy's birth gets closer and closer, it's time to stop taking chances of this type. So I'm feeling good about my decision, even as I have some apprehension about my new job and the exclusive-work-at-home arrangement that comes with it.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Not getting better
I'm not sure how long it's supposed to take for one to recover from the flu. I'm sure it's more than 2 days, but I'm tired of being sick and tired of being scared for my baby. You see, last night, I dug out "What to Expect When You're Expecting" to look up info on fevers. For pregnant women, anything at or above 100.4 is considered "you should call the doctor" worrisome. And if you feel decreased fetal movements, you should immediately call Labor and Delivery, because that's a really big sign of trouble.
Took my temperature at various times last night. The first time I took it (7ish), it was 99.9. An hour later, 100.4. An hour later, 100.6. At 10:35, it was up to 100.8. I took 1000 mgs of Tylenol and waited to see if it would go down. An hour later, it was still 100.8, so I called the After Hours Nurse, who then transferred me to Labor and Delivery triage. The nurse there told me to give it another hour and to drink as many cold fluids as I could in that time, hoping the fever would break. Well thankfully it did and at 12:45, I was down to 98.7 (which is still a little high for me, as I'm usually more like 96- or 97-point something). Each time I got up to go to the bathroom, I'd check my temperature, and it stayed low for a while. Then, when I woke up at a little before 6, it was back up to 99.7, and a little before 8, we were back to 100.6. sigh.
I never realized until I was pregnant that such a low-grade fever could be such an issue. I mean, really, 100.4+ isn't that hot. But when you're pregnant, everything is about the health of your baby. So here's hoping the baby is okay.
I'm off to the doctor this morning to get seen. I don't think they'll do anything for me, but it's better safe than sorry.
Took my temperature at various times last night. The first time I took it (7ish), it was 99.9. An hour later, 100.4. An hour later, 100.6. At 10:35, it was up to 100.8. I took 1000 mgs of Tylenol and waited to see if it would go down. An hour later, it was still 100.8, so I called the After Hours Nurse, who then transferred me to Labor and Delivery triage. The nurse there told me to give it another hour and to drink as many cold fluids as I could in that time, hoping the fever would break. Well thankfully it did and at 12:45, I was down to 98.7 (which is still a little high for me, as I'm usually more like 96- or 97-point something). Each time I got up to go to the bathroom, I'd check my temperature, and it stayed low for a while. Then, when I woke up at a little before 6, it was back up to 99.7, and a little before 8, we were back to 100.6. sigh.
I never realized until I was pregnant that such a low-grade fever could be such an issue. I mean, really, 100.4+ isn't that hot. But when you're pregnant, everything is about the health of your baby. So here's hoping the baby is okay.
I'm off to the doctor this morning to get seen. I don't think they'll do anything for me, but it's better safe than sorry.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sick
Well, I finally got the flu shot saga cleared up. Went to the doctor on Monday and was told there aren't any H1N1 shots, and that you can't have one if you've been vaccinated within 30 days. So I got a seasonal flu shot and a month from now, if I have to, I'll get the H1N1 vaccine, too.
Of course about an hour after I got my seasonal flu shot, I started feeling REALLY sick. Chest and head congestion, sore throat, alternatively productive and unproductive (non-productive?) coughs, chills. I immediately got into bed and laid around for the rest of the day. It didn't get better as time passed, though Mike did make me his delicious homemade chicken soup. I also stayed home today and mostly slept. Slept and coughed.
I sent an email to my doctor who wrote back saying that the flu vaccine doesn't have any live flu in it (which I knew, but I wanted to put the timing in perspective) and that I'm either having flu-like symptoms as a result of my immune system mobilizing due to the vaccine or that I got the vaccine a little too late and had already been exposed to the flu. Great.
I can take Robitussin, she said, and Benadryl, and should watch out for fever. If I get a fever, I need to call the doctor immediately. Gotta get out my thermometer.
Of course about an hour after I got my seasonal flu shot, I started feeling REALLY sick. Chest and head congestion, sore throat, alternatively productive and unproductive (non-productive?) coughs, chills. I immediately got into bed and laid around for the rest of the day. It didn't get better as time passed, though Mike did make me his delicious homemade chicken soup. I also stayed home today and mostly slept. Slept and coughed.
I sent an email to my doctor who wrote back saying that the flu vaccine doesn't have any live flu in it (which I knew, but I wanted to put the timing in perspective) and that I'm either having flu-like symptoms as a result of my immune system mobilizing due to the vaccine or that I got the vaccine a little too late and had already been exposed to the flu. Great.
I can take Robitussin, she said, and Benadryl, and should watch out for fever. If I get a fever, I need to call the doctor immediately. Gotta get out my thermometer.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Feeling a little sick
For the last week or so, I've been feeling like I'm getting a cold. I don't want a cold! I'm pregnant and having a cold can't be good for the baby. But I'd rather have a cold than the seasonal flu or the swine flu.
When I went in last week for the glucose screening, I also had to get a RhoGam shot. The nurse asked me if I also wanted the flu shot. That morning, I'd awakened to a story on NPR about how pregnant women are 6 times more likely to die from the swine flu. Pretty compelling reason to get the vaccine, huh? But I still wasn't set on a decision. The nurse said if I came back on/after Oct. 12, I could get both flu and H1N1 shots (one in each arm).
Well, between other research I've done and feeling sick, I've now decided yes, I'll get the vaccines. I have been reading a lot about demand for the H1N1 shots, so yesterday I sent a reminder to myself to call Kaiser today to see if I needed an appointment or if I could just walk in. The woman at the appointment center had no idea, had to call the OBGYN department, which didn't answer. So she left a message and told me I'd get a call back.
I did get a call back, and just a few minutes later. The nurse from OBGYN told me they didn't have any H1N1 shots, didn't know if or when they'd be getting any. I explained that the nurse I saw last week (literally a week ago today) specifically told me they'd be in and to come back. Today's nurse said the one I spoke with last week had no idea what she was talking about, but that maybe they'd have some shots in November. Um, okay.
About 15 minutes after that, I got ANOTHER call from Kaiser. Same nurse I'd spoken with earlier. She said she's spoken with a nurse at my medical office and that they may have some H1N1 vaccine coming in after all, later this week or early next week, and that I should call the main appointment number again to see. So it looks like I'll get to have this adventure again this Friday (or next Monday, when I have an actual appointment already scheduled).
I'm trying to remind myself that I didn't want the vaccine in the first place, so if I don't get it, it will be fine. And it will be fine, assuming I don't come into contact with anyone who has, and passes on to me, swine flu.
When can I start working from home?!?!
When I went in last week for the glucose screening, I also had to get a RhoGam shot. The nurse asked me if I also wanted the flu shot. That morning, I'd awakened to a story on NPR about how pregnant women are 6 times more likely to die from the swine flu. Pretty compelling reason to get the vaccine, huh? But I still wasn't set on a decision. The nurse said if I came back on/after Oct. 12, I could get both flu and H1N1 shots (one in each arm).
Well, between other research I've done and feeling sick, I've now decided yes, I'll get the vaccines. I have been reading a lot about demand for the H1N1 shots, so yesterday I sent a reminder to myself to call Kaiser today to see if I needed an appointment or if I could just walk in. The woman at the appointment center had no idea, had to call the OBGYN department, which didn't answer. So she left a message and told me I'd get a call back.
I did get a call back, and just a few minutes later. The nurse from OBGYN told me they didn't have any H1N1 shots, didn't know if or when they'd be getting any. I explained that the nurse I saw last week (literally a week ago today) specifically told me they'd be in and to come back. Today's nurse said the one I spoke with last week had no idea what she was talking about, but that maybe they'd have some shots in November. Um, okay.
About 15 minutes after that, I got ANOTHER call from Kaiser. Same nurse I'd spoken with earlier. She said she's spoken with a nurse at my medical office and that they may have some H1N1 vaccine coming in after all, later this week or early next week, and that I should call the main appointment number again to see. So it looks like I'll get to have this adventure again this Friday (or next Monday, when I have an actual appointment already scheduled).
I'm trying to remind myself that I didn't want the vaccine in the first place, so if I don't get it, it will be fine. And it will be fine, assuming I don't come into contact with anyone who has, and passes on to me, swine flu.
When can I start working from home?!?!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Things are going well
I went to the doctor this morning for a routine appointment and am happy to report that everything is on track. My blood pressure was 122/77-- which is amazing for me!-- and the baby's heartbeat was strong and healthy. I'm not having any weird symptoms except two different types on itching. One is a rash that seems to happen when I get too hot or sweaty. It's gross and uncomfortable, but the doctor said that may just be how I react to being pregnant and that I should 1) try some spray on antiperspirant where I tend to get the rash and 2) be happy it's starting to cool down. The other rash is a little more serious, potentially. The palms of my hands and soles of my feet get red, swollen, and itchy. It may be a sign of problems with my liver or gallbladder, so I am going to have some blood work done in two weeks when I go for my glucose test and rhogam shot. My mom has hepatitis, and the itchy palms and soles is one of her symptoms. I have empathy now, because it's miserable!
All that being said, I'm really pleased with how everything is going. Sure, I complain about the day-to-day frustrations and annoyances, but all in all, it's been an easy pregnancy. I haven't had to worry about "is my baby okay?" "Is my baby going to make it?" or anything else. No cramping, no bleeding, no contractions, no nothing. Smooth sailing. For that, I am very thankful. I honestly didn't think it'd be that way.
My next appointment is towards the end of October, then one in the middle of November. Then I start going more frequently, unless my blood pressure starts acting up, in which case I'll go probably once a week. I'm in the home stretch!
All that being said, I'm really pleased with how everything is going. Sure, I complain about the day-to-day frustrations and annoyances, but all in all, it's been an easy pregnancy. I haven't had to worry about "is my baby okay?" "Is my baby going to make it?" or anything else. No cramping, no bleeding, no contractions, no nothing. Smooth sailing. For that, I am very thankful. I honestly didn't think it'd be that way.
My next appointment is towards the end of October, then one in the middle of November. Then I start going more frequently, unless my blood pressure starts acting up, in which case I'll go probably once a week. I'm in the home stretch!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Halfway there!
I had another doctor's appointment on Thursday and while the doctor hadn't looked at the images from the ultrasound in great detail, she said if something had been obviously wrong, the tech would have called in a radiologist and they would have called her. So it's sort of a "no news is good news" situation. Same with the genetic testing.
Somehow the doctor and her office forgot to tell me I needed 2nd trimester blood work done for the genetic screening. I was surprised to get a letter when I got home at 7 p.m. on the 18th saying I needed to have the blood work done on/by the 20th or else they couldn't do any screening. I was NOT happy. It worked out fine and I was able to have it done on the 20th, after my prenatal appointment.
While I was there, the doctor also ordered some general blood and urine screening because I explained I've been a little tired, a little swollen, and sensitive to sugar. My results came back later that day and they all look sort of funky to me. My red blood count from the CBC was really low. That probably explains why I'm so exhausted all the time. I need to follow up with the doctor to see if I should be taking supplements or something.
In a concession to my health, and thinking of Poppy's, I went back to taking prenatal vitamins last night. The ones I was taking before made me really sick, so I switched to regular adult gummie vitamins. But the prenatal ones have more good stuff that I obviously need, so that's that.
I'm happy that everything is going well and amazed at how quickly the days have passed. I'm 20 weeks along today-- halfway there!
Somehow the doctor and her office forgot to tell me I needed 2nd trimester blood work done for the genetic screening. I was surprised to get a letter when I got home at 7 p.m. on the 18th saying I needed to have the blood work done on/by the 20th or else they couldn't do any screening. I was NOT happy. It worked out fine and I was able to have it done on the 20th, after my prenatal appointment.
While I was there, the doctor also ordered some general blood and urine screening because I explained I've been a little tired, a little swollen, and sensitive to sugar. My results came back later that day and they all look sort of funky to me. My red blood count from the CBC was really low. That probably explains why I'm so exhausted all the time. I need to follow up with the doctor to see if I should be taking supplements or something.
In a concession to my health, and thinking of Poppy's, I went back to taking prenatal vitamins last night. The ones I was taking before made me really sick, so I switched to regular adult gummie vitamins. But the prenatal ones have more good stuff that I obviously need, so that's that.
I'm happy that everything is going well and amazed at how quickly the days have passed. I'm 20 weeks along today-- halfway there!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Great news!
Mike was late for our appointment. Well, he wasn't late, exactly. He was late for check-in, and they ended up taking me slightly early. He didn't miss anything. Just the least talkative technician in the world running his wand over my belly (and excruciatingly full bladder). Mike arrived, he watched. I couldn't see anything from where I was. I asked the guy, "is the baby still in there? Heart still beating?" He said yes, so that was a relief, but he didn't say ANYTHING else. Mike tried to ask the guy a question or two, but the tech just said, "you'll have to ask the doctor. I can't make any diagnoses." I don't want a diagnosis-- and by the way, does that mean something's wrong?!?-- but I'd love to know what you're looking at/for.
The tech took a million images. My bladder was threatening a revolt, so I got up and peed halfway through the exam. There was one image he was trying to get, but it took a long time. The tech kept pushing the wand into me harder and jostling me, to get the baby to change positions, I guess.
Then, finally, he turned the screen around so I could see. And what did I see? A little baby! Moving! In my belly! PHEW! He showed us head and profile and feet and arms and heartbeat... and... female genitalia! It's a girl!
He also moved the date up a bit, saying I'm really 20+ weeks along. Moved my due date from January 9, 2010 to December 29, 2009. By far, that's the easiest "week" of pregnancy I've had!
I'm off (in about a half hour) to another doctor's appointment, where we will review the sonogram images and I'll have some more blood work done. More on the blood work later.
The tech took a million images. My bladder was threatening a revolt, so I got up and peed halfway through the exam. There was one image he was trying to get, but it took a long time. The tech kept pushing the wand into me harder and jostling me, to get the baby to change positions, I guess.
Then, finally, he turned the screen around so I could see. And what did I see? A little baby! Moving! In my belly! PHEW! He showed us head and profile and feet and arms and heartbeat... and... female genitalia! It's a girl!
He also moved the date up a bit, saying I'm really 20+ weeks along. Moved my due date from January 9, 2010 to December 29, 2009. By far, that's the easiest "week" of pregnancy I've had!
I'm off (in about a half hour) to another doctor's appointment, where we will review the sonogram images and I'll have some more blood work done. More on the blood work later.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Was that movement?
I'm now 19 weeks and 2 days along. According to the books I've read and people I've talked to, I should be feeling Poppy's movement any day now. Someone told me-- and this makes perfect sense, whether it's medically accurate or not-- that all my movement during the day lulls the baby to sleep, so my best chance of feeling Poppy move (for the time being) is at night. I've laid in bed for the past few nights trying to decide if I feel anything. And then anything I do feel, I think, "is that just stomach discomfort? Gas? Am I even feeling anything?" I've become fairly nervous, though I'm not having any cramps or bleeding, and have continued to have pregnancy symptoms like the occasional morning sickness and ligament pain and swollen feet. We go to the doctor on Wednesday to find out the sex of the baby through an ultrasound, so at least I'll be able to find out soon if everything looks the way it should. I actually also have an appointment on Thursday, just for a regular check up. Should be a Kaiser-filled week.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Pain update
I didn't go tot he doctor on Tuesday. I also didn't go on Wednesday, though it started to hurt when I walked, too. I noticed that the pain definitely gets worse in the evenings, maybe because I've been moving around all day?
I was working from home today, so I decided I'd call the doctor and see if they thought I should go in. The bad thing about working 90 miles from home is that you're also 90 miles from your doctor, so spur of the moment appointments aren't that convenient.
Talked to the nurse, who asked me to describe the location pain. She asked me various questions (are you having spotting? how much water are you drinking? how would you rate the pain on a scale of 1-10?), relayed my answers to the doctor, and then relayed the doctor's wisdom to me. The result? Just as I suspected, it sounds like round ligament pain. I can take Tylenol for the pain if I want/need. I should drink more water. I should wear flat shoes. I should roll onto my side before getting up from laying down. I should cradle my belly when standing up from sitting. The last three of these things I've already been doing.
I was sure it was probably nothing but wanted to make sure they thought so, too, and I'm glad that was confirmed for me. The scary thing is that Poppy is going to keep getting bigger, which will make my uterus bigger and heavier, which will stretch the ligaments even more... .so this is probably something I should just get used to! ouch!
I was working from home today, so I decided I'd call the doctor and see if they thought I should go in. The bad thing about working 90 miles from home is that you're also 90 miles from your doctor, so spur of the moment appointments aren't that convenient.
Talked to the nurse, who asked me to describe the location pain. She asked me various questions (are you having spotting? how much water are you drinking? how would you rate the pain on a scale of 1-10?), relayed my answers to the doctor, and then relayed the doctor's wisdom to me. The result? Just as I suspected, it sounds like round ligament pain. I can take Tylenol for the pain if I want/need. I should drink more water. I should wear flat shoes. I should roll onto my side before getting up from laying down. I should cradle my belly when standing up from sitting. The last three of these things I've already been doing.
I was sure it was probably nothing but wanted to make sure they thought so, too, and I'm glad that was confirmed for me. The scary thing is that Poppy is going to keep getting bigger, which will make my uterus bigger and heavier, which will stretch the ligaments even more... .so this is probably something I should just get used to! ouch!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Thump thump
We had a little mix-up at the appointment today-- turns out I wasn't set for a sonogram at all. The receptionist was supposed to give me the info and instructions to schedule an appointment with radiology at 20 weeks for my sonogram, but instead, she gave it to me and told me it was for my appointment today. I was annoyed, but what can you do?
At today's appointment, I got to see a doctor, who I really liked. She's very nice, very personable. Answered all of my questions and then some. I'll get to continue seeing her throughout the rest of my pregnancy, though she most likely won't be there for delivery.
Anyway. At today's appointment, we heard the baby's heart beat! It was ticking away strongly and quickly. Hard to believe there's a baby in my belly!
Today's appointment was the one I was waiting for, and now we can start telling people. Mike's called each of his grandmas-- in fact, he's on the phone with one as I type-- and I'll call the few friends on my list (my best friends know, and most of my other friends will get an email or will see it on Facebook).
At today's appointment, I got to see a doctor, who I really liked. She's very nice, very personable. Answered all of my questions and then some. I'll get to continue seeing her throughout the rest of my pregnancy, though she most likely won't be there for delivery.
Anyway. At today's appointment, we heard the baby's heart beat! It was ticking away strongly and quickly. Hard to believe there's a baby in my belly!
Today's appointment was the one I was waiting for, and now we can start telling people. Mike's called each of his grandmas-- in fact, he's on the phone with one as I type-- and I'll call the few friends on my list (my best friends know, and most of my other friends will get an email or will see it on Facebook).
Appointment today
Today we have our 13 week appointment. I have to drink 32 ounces of water-- no peeing!-- before the appointment so they can do an ultrasound. My poor bladder is dreading it. But I've heard that it's possible, though not likely, to tell the sex of the baby at this point, so who knows, maybe we'll get lucky. Hopefully everything will be okay and we can move forward with our plans to share the happy news with friends and family this week. More after the appointment.
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