Part Deux Update

At 36 weeks 4 days:

Blood pressure:  110/60 (better)
Fundal height:  38
Weight gain:  +0, +25 overall

Heartbeat found right away. Still head down.  PD kicking like a mad man and measuring big.

Group B culture from last week was positive.  (How'd you know Lesley?)  Anibiotics at delivery, but I imagine only if a vaginal delivery.  Didn't think to ask that.

I asked for any recommendations for the swelling in my hands and wrists and now elbows.  He said he'd rather I not take anything and just suck it up for the next couple of weeks.  Sigh.

He offered an internal check.  No, thanks.  Maybe next week, he added.  No, thanks.

Next appointments:  June 14th, 8.30am and June 21, 8.45 am. 

Part Deux Update

At 35 weeks 2 days:

Blood pressure:  120/80 (a bit high for me, but overall ok)
Fundal height:  36-37
Weight gain:  +3, +25 overall
PD heart rate: 165

Fundal height is measuring a little big. Maybe he's a big guy, or maybe he just wants to stay as high in the uterus as possible.

Ultrasound today to confirm he's head down and he is indeed head down.  Dr. H said he definitely felt his head but did an ultrasound for me to check it out as well.  He let me watch for a while as PD was wiggling around causing some waves on my tummy.  So neat to see the screen and feel those movements.

I gave him my biggest complaint:  Appendages falling asleep when I lie down on my back or on either side.  He said it is due to swelling.  I'm not "that swollen" to be concerned.

No internal checks today.  Whew. He said he'd start checking my cervix if I wanted, but didn't think any dilation or effacement, or lack of, was any indication of when labor would begin.  Maybe we'll check around 38 or 39 weeks. 

Group B strep swab performed today.  I was negative with Freddie so don't anticipate a positive culture.

Scheduled section has been pushed back one day:  Thursday, June 23rd, 10am, arrive at hospital at 8am

Next appointments:  We're weekly from here on out... June 2nd at 8.30am, June 14th at 8.30am

Oh, and sorry about the lack of a 34 week belly picture.  36 week picture will arrive on Sunday.

Part Deux Update

At 28 weeks 1 day:

Blood pressure:  100/70
Fundal height:  28
Weight gain:  +4 for the month, +19 overall

Glucose results from last appointment:  118 with anything below 130 being a pass

Everything looks good.  Heartbeat was appropriate, baby is moving, weight gain is fine, glucose was normal.  Charlie says this was Dr. H's way of saying stop complaining.  Smile.  I was feeling faint this morning and Charlie gets more than just a little worried when I have an ailment other than "I'm tired."

We spent some time talking about delivery.  60-70% chance success rate for VBACs.  He said he is very supportive and encouraging of VBACs but also read my hesitation.  He thought it important to consider the reason for previous sections when deciding, so we talked a little about Freddie's birth.  He also listened to my concerns about recovery.  He thought it best to go ahead and get a date on the books for the section and then make a "game day" decision as the date approached.  If my water breaks or laboring begins prior to that date, we'll check my progress and I can make a decision then if I want to try the VBAC.  If my cervix appears long and closed as it was with Freddie and it looks like it may be a long haul then I can always call it at any time and opt for the section.  Hearing that made me feel better.

He didn't recommend scheduling a section for much earlier than my due date.  He though a few days before the due date is a safe bet, but we had a little flexibility in that as well.  He pretty much told me not to even think about trying to take the baby early.  No arguments from me. We left it as we'd talk about it again on our next visit, and he also said as I mull it over to call him and we can always chat about it over the phone if that'd help me come to some sort of resolution.  I actually feel much better about the whole situation.  Having control and not feeling pressure to make a firm decision now really helps.

We're on a every two weeks appointment schedule now.  That means we're close! 

Next appointments:  April 22nd, 8.30 am & May 2nd 1.15pm

Part Deux Update

At 25 weeks 2 days:

Blood pressure:  96/50 (seems low, but said it was fine)
Fundal height:  26
Weight gain:  +5 for the month, +15 overall (+13 at home)

I was happy that I had an appointment this morning.  I may have even called for one last week had this one not been so close.  I haven't been feeling well lately.  I've actually been feeling really, really blah, actually.  I needed a little reassurance that everything was ok. 

Dr. H found PD's heartbeat right away and felt him moving, surely due to to orange "cocktail" I just sucked down for the glucose screening.  He didn't have any concerns, chalked my backache up to sciatica, and my feeling whipped and winded all the time to the fast approaching third trimester and being home with a two year old all day.  His recommendation: lie down whenever possible. 

Glucose screening was today and he'll call tomorrow only if there are any problems.  He did want me to come back in 3 weeks, however.

Next appointment:  Monday, April 4th, 10am.

Definitely boy

Yep, that's his penis right there...

His profile...

 And a little closer...

Not too many great shots since he was face down, and awfully wiggly, but it amazes me to see him there.

Brothers!

Freddie is getting a little brother.  Part Deux is a BOY! 

At 20 weeks, 1 day he measured 20 weeks, 3 days.  He weighed in at 14 oz. 

All measurements were within the normal range so the technician did not see any flags to be concerned for down syndrome or spina bifida.  There was no evidence of a cleft palate, club feet, or water on the brain.  Brain measurements were perfect.  He has two kidneys that appear to be filling appropriately and the bladder seems to be functioning.  The four chambers of the heart were visible as it pumped away.  The umbilical cord connection was fine.  I was able to count five fingers on each hand as he held both hands over his face.  "Leave me alone" he was saying as she poked at my belly trying to get him to shift.  He was face down, head down.

Charlie missed the ultrasound to stay home with Freddie who decided to sleep in this morning after having some trouble with sleep last night due to cutting those back molars.  We were both disappointed for him to miss it, but that's just part of parenting, right?

I have a few images but can't get the scanner working, but hopefully they'll be up later.  In the mean time I need to start thinking about names.  We had some girl names picked out from last time around, but we're both at a loss for what to name a little brother.

AFP Screening Results

Dr. H left a message this afternoon that he had results of bloodwork and everything "looks great."  He said I could call back when convenient.

I almost accepted "looks great" and waited until my February appointment for details.  Almost.

Dr. H wasn't available when I called back but the nurse let me know I was "low risk" with chances being 1 in 5300.  She didn't say exactly low risk for what but I think this is for Neural Tube Defect.  I can wait until February for a more detailed explanation.  I think I'll get revised results for chances of chromosomal abnormalities after the anatomy scan.

Part Deux Update

At 16 weeks 5 days:

Blood pressure:  100/60
Weight gain: +3 for the month (all gained this past week) +4 overall

Dr. H's doppler doesn't measure heartbeat, so that's a bummer, but he does listen for a bit to make sure it is a consistent rhythm.  All sounded good.

Tests for spinal muscle atrophy and Tay-Sachs were negative.  I am not a carrier.

Blood was taken for the second trimester screening (alpha-fetoprotein screening) to screen for open neural tube defects such as spina bifida.  The AFP levels are also used to calculate risk for down syndrome and chromosomal abnormalities.

And about that weight gain.  All three of dem pounds settled on my hips this week as a result of bagels, cream cheese, fudge, and king cake. Eating meatloaf everyday for lunch one week and potatoes au gratin the next probably had a tiny bit to do with it as well.

Chugging right along.  Almost half way.

Anatomy scan:  February 7th, 8am, at the hospital
Next prenatal visit: February 15th, 8am

First trimester screening

Dr. H called this afternoon with the results from the nuchal scan and blood work.  The results are "negative" meaning I have less than a 1/300 chance of the baby having down syndrome or trisomies 18 or 21.

Results from nuchal scan and blood work as follows:

• Down Syndrome: chances given prior to testing: 1 in 95; after testing: 1 in 3,881
• Trisomies 21 and 18:  prior to testing: 1 in 345; after testing:  1 in 6,881

These aren't as low as they were with Freddie (but my prescreening chances are lower now, maybe because I have a baby without chromosomal abnormalities?), but I know my age has something to do with that.  There are just some things about getting older than stink. 

Blood work for second trimester screening will be at my next appointment on January 14th.

Prenatal Monitoring

Who would have ever thought that someone would find this uterus so accommodating and homey that leaving just wasn't an option?

All was quiet today on the monitoring front. Uterine activity was minimal and the boy performed as needed, but wasn't overly active as he had been at my last visit.

My blood pressure is nice and low, 102/63.

The nurse thought him to be of "average" size, not wanting to invest too much in the ultrasound weight readings for him. She said depending on his position, there can be large variance.

Amniotic fluid is holding steady as well at 12.1. We were at 12.2 last visit. The women in the cubbies on either side of me were given measurements of 5.4 and 7.2 and were sent to talk to their doctors about potential inductions and cervix checks. Not the case for me and III.

We're going back on Wednesday and again on Thursday, and I have a feeling I'll be there on Friday as well.

Prenatal Monitoring

Wondering if this will be the first of many monitoring sessions over the next week as we wait to see what the boy has up his sleeve. I wish I had had my little video camera because FCS was really putting on a show and my belly was pop pop popping.

I thought for a moment last night at the parade that I was leaking fluid. When I mentioned this to Charlie he seemed calm, certainly calmer than I felt inside and was trying to disguise. He told me he was excited!

Well today's monitoring revealed a perfectly normal amniotic fluid index (AFI) of 12.2. Normal for this point in pregnancy is between 5 and 25. The nurse said it can be hard to tell if there's leaking at this point, and to just keep tabs on it if it's not a big gush.

I was happy to get a look at him on the ultrasound because it has been so long since we've seen him! I meant to ask her how big she estimated him to be, but of course was distracted by just watching him move around on the screen. I know I'll probably get another chance to ask next week.

The NST test took a while. Again FCS was as active as he needed to be with his heart rate responding as it should. The nurse said I had an excitable baby and an irritable uterus. Lots of contractions coming up, which I suppose is a good thing right about now, but no definitive pattern picked up.

I need to head back in on Monday morning and do it again. Unless...well, you know.

Prenatal Monitoring

Of course he told me to come in, although he felt confident everything was ok, but he didn't want me to have any reason to lie awake at night, other than my usual bathroom trips and tossing fits to get comfortable.

Nurses in the monitoring unit were wonderful. Patient, kind, helpful. They hooked me up to the monitors and told me to relax.

Um Ba-bay passed his screening right away, kicking and his heart rate increasing with his movement as it should. Whew.

The monitoring of me, however, was extended as I had a contraction not long after I was hooked up, and I was showing some uterine "irritability". Those words pushed my heart rate way up. Things did settle down and I was told to monitor any cramping and to head in if I was having contractions or cramping more than 4 times within an hour.

To be clear, I am *not* in labor. This happens in some women, and isn't necessarily a sign of preterm labor. I am to listen to my body, stay hydrated, and remain emotionally and physically stress free.

Oh boy.

"Eat! Eat whatever you want."

Mary, Dr. M's nurse, is so sweet. She takes good care of me and always expresses so much concern and excitement.

She called this morning. The glucose screen was normal.

"Eat up and eat well," she said.

2nd Trimester Screening

MFM (maternal fetal medicine) doctor phoned today.

2nd trimester screening results were "negative."

• Chance for presence of down syndrome (trisomy 21) remain 1 in 10,000, just as reported at 1st trimester screening.
• Chance of presence of trisomy 18 also remain at 1 in 10,000.
  
• Neural Tube defect chances are 1 in 1100. I haven't done my homework on NTD, but I am thinking this is about an average result. But, I'll be looking more into this tonight.
  

1st trimester screening

Before screening, chances for our baby baby having down syndrome (trisomy 21) were 1 in 50. Post screening: 1 in 10,000.

Before screening, chances for our baby having trisomy 18 were 1 in 100. Post screening: 1 in 10,000.

I neglected to get exact levels of free beta-hCG (a certain type of human chorionic gonadotropin hormone) and PAPP-A (pregnancy associated plasma protein A), but I figured the decreased odds were enough. Yes, I even surprised myself by not asking for levels, but I did probe for more detailed information when she told my my screening was "negative." I knew "negative' put us somewhere in the 1 in 300 range, but I needed to know where we fell. I think all of my infertility treatments have made me a more informed patient, probably much to the chagrin of many doctors.

2nd trimester screening bloodwork (looking at Free(beta)hCG or total hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin), AFP (alpha fetoprotein), and uE3 (unconjugated estriol)) on September 9th.