Saturday, July 13, 2013

So many appointments, so little time

It's been a busy few weeks!  I've seen my OB, had two ultrasounds, chatted with an anesthetist, and had some more blood taken.  Being pregnant with an IUD is serious business!

Let's start with this:


Mr. Preston at very nearly 34 weeks!  I still think the poor kid has got his dad's nose.  He weighed in at just over 4 lbs in this picture.  Then the next day, while I was doing a poor attempt at potty-training his older brother, I got up from the couch for the 50th time to help clean a potty when I felt a gush of fluid and saw a wet spot on the couch.  Since this isn't my first rodeo, I didn't panic.  I put on a pad, and went about my day.  An hour later, the pad wasn't soaked through, so I let it go.  Then something amazing happened.  My mom took the kids for a few days!  Just as she promised, as long as I drove them up to the cottage, I could start going to my appointments alone.

I saw my OB on this Monday morning, and I asked him in passing what a fluid leak is like.  When I told him what happened, he did not take it as lightly as I did.  In fact, I think he even looked quite annoyed.  He said that under the circumstances, I should have at least called him, or gone into L&D to be checked for fluid levels.  Since I haven't had any moments of leaking like that since, I was allowed to go home, but with the promise to get another ultrasound as soon as possible to check on fluid levels.  My OB is going on vacation in two weeks, so I will have to have my 36 week check up at 35 weeks.  Then see him again at 37 weeks.  I'm not happy to be missing a week, but even OBs need time off!

The next day, I had an appointment with an anesthetist to talk about my previous epidural headache and fears about needles should I need serious medical intervention during this IUD birth.  He was a very nice man, and he told me two very important things.  First, the needles that they use during a c-section is very fine and almost never causes an epidural headache.  The body can heal the puncture spot very quickly, as opposed to an accidental puncture with an epidural needle, which is a much bigger gauge of needle.  The second thing was that the lady who did injure me could have warned me it was going to happen.  If there is a 1 in 100 chance to be punctured, then there is a 1 in 2 chance that it will turn into a headache.  But this anesthetist told me that the subsequent days following birth could/should have been treated differently.  I could have gotten the blood patch right away, maybe spend an extra night in the hospital.  But there's no dwelling on what could have happened.  He was very surprised that my headache lasted so long, alluding to it being possible that I had a very large hole in my spinal cord.  In the end, I left his office feeling less panicked about the possibility of needing a spinal.  I still don't want another epidural though.

Then the next day after that, I went for my fluid level check ultrasound.  Unfortunately, I couldn't see Melinda.  There is a new technician.  She is very nice, but professional, and doesn't have any bedside manner.  I know Melinda is the exception to the rule!  But at least the new lady is very thorough.  She showed me a close up of Preston's penis, which was great because Melinda wouldn't.  She also showed me several different angles of the IUD.  I tried to trick her into giving me a picture of the IUD, but she wouldn't bite.  She told me that Preston is approximately 5 lbs now.  That's one whole pound in one whole week!  No wonder I felt like my life force was being drained.  It probably was, in order to have a growth spurt like that.  On average, a baby gains half a pound a week until birth from here on out.  At this rate, I'll be having a 10 pound or heavier baby!  Which is not likely, since my first was 6.5 lbs, my second 7.5 lbs.  I was hoping for no bigger than 8.5 lbs.  Here's hoping he comes a little early so that he doesn't snap me in half!  But it won't be any time soon.  The ultrasound tech also told me that my fluid levels are perfect and my cervix is still closed.  I also got another picture, but he's been perfectly head down for weeks now, and he's so big that she couldn't get a nice face shot.  I got a face forward shot that resembles the Terminator, and an adorable picture of his fist.

In the meantime, my blood levels are not just good, but in the normal range.  But my OB said that he's not much concerned about that now.  The platelet levels have actually been going up!  That being said, I will have to have them tested as soon as I get to L&D at any point.

I have another appointment with my OB on Monday.  I won't be taking the kids to my mom this time since she will be taking them for a full week this coming Friday.  It's been planned since March!  I missed them dearly for the 3 nights they were up north this past week, but it was also nice to have my sanity for those few days.  They came back home with a few new habits that I've been working on reversing, but having a little "me time" was more than worth it.  I spent some time with friends, old and new, and even got my hair and toes done.  Which is good, because I can't reach my toes anymore!

Here's hoping that the week the munchkins are with Nana, I will finally get my new used minivan.  I never thought I would be so excited to buy a minivan.  But since Preston won't be getting his own room until he's ready to sleep on his own, I don't have a nursery to nest in.  No sense in moving my son out of his room and into my daughter's just to leave it empty.  I have already washed baby clothes and created a little space in my room for his clean baby stuff.  But I am missing a few things that my dear husband won't buy for the baby until we get a cheque we've been waiting for.  I've been waiting for.  For the past 2 months.  Sigh.

As for my last post, I'm sorry it was so emotional.  I guess I'm allowed that a little since it is my blog, and I am a pregnant woman ruled by hormones!  But for those of you who have asked me, no, I haven't had any resolution with either woman.  I guess so much time has passed that it feels awkward to make contact.  I suggested space.  I feel that if I reached out, I would be made to feel I have to apologize, again.

3 comments:

  1. Glad you got a bit of sanity and rest. The end is approaching so fast!!!

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  2. THANK YOU for writing this blog. I am 8 weeks with an IUD in... or not? No one can agree if the "thing" they are seeing is really an IUD, and no one will xray me due to the baby inside. No strings are visible so it's not coming out. I am so frustrated at the medical community's "just wait and see" attitude and like you, I had a lot of anger about this. Not to mention i have an 11 month old and a 2.5 year old, who are both still in diapers!

    I'm hoping you had a great delivery and a healthy baby boy. I would love to hear an update when you have a minute!

    Sincerely,
    Alexis

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Alexis. It certainly is a trying time to find out that your pregnancy isn't going to be easy, and that the problem you do have is not something that many doctors know how to deal with. I hope they provide you with an ultrasound? Take care and let me know if you have any questions. Hugs to your babies. That's a lot of diapers!

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