31 Week Appt

Well today has been VERY interesting... to say the least. It started off by the hubs and i waking up at 8:30am to go to my appointment which was at 9:45am. We get there a little later because of the crazy snow storm! HOLY COW! We checked in and were told that i didn't have an appointment. I was so confused. So she checked the upcoming schedule and saw that my appointment was for TOMORROW at 9:45am... WHOOPS! Thank you pregnancy brain. Luckily, they were able to squeeze me in! I saw my dr. BP was 134/75. Weight, i gained back 1 pound! HOLLER! And we talked about my symptoms and which hospital i will deliver at. I told her how my insurance wont cover me at Mountain View hospital (right next door to her office and where i delivered Pax) until March 1. And she said that as of now, she wants me to deliver at Utah Valley because of their NICU unit. All Ive heard about Utah Valley hospital is negative things so i've been trying to work with my insurance to let me just deliver at Mountain View. But alas, it doesn't matter. The only way i can or will deliver at Mountain View is if i make it passed 37 weeks. Which is very unlikely at this point. My dr told me that my symptoms will get worse and baby will come early. Just not sure how long we can push it off. So Utah Valley it is. I guess now i wont have to stress about calling my insurance to switch it over. One less thing to worry about now. Anywho, she is hoping i make it to 35 weeks. So to prepare for that, she ordered that i get a Betamethasone Shot. The shot is to help the lungs of the baby to develop quicker in case the baby is born prematurely. I have to get a follow up one within 24 hours of the first one being administered. Then she told me that i will get blood work done once a week to check my HELLP levels. (Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet count) I will also be getting ultrasounds once a week to check baby's weight and the amniotic fluid levels. I have another appointment with her next Tuesday and then i will do the 24 hour urine collection again and see her Thursday. Its gonna be a busy time. But hey, at least it'll get me off the couch for a bit. Ive been going nuts laying here everyday since last Tuesday. With the exception of going to dinner two different nights. Which was an awful idea. Total panic/anxiety attack. It was pretty bad and definitely scary. Gave me a reality check. So really, i've been  strictly laying here since Saturday night. Not even to church. Bed rest sucks! i will have to do Non-Stress Test every time i see my dr. Today i was put on it. Baby is doing good. No decelerations! Thank goodness! We made my next appointment and left, after being there for over 4 hours!

Non-Stress Test. Baby's heart rate was 144 and my contractions were at a 49 (in this picture)

While i was getting my NST, my mom sent me this picture of Pax. Man i miss him :(

After that appt, we went to Utah Valley to get my Betamethsone shot. They check me in at Labor and Delivery. Get me a room. Make me put on the gown and tell me that ill be there a couple of hours. Marc and i looked at each other like, what the heck, i thought i was just getting a shot. Well, i had to get some extra monitoring time. So we did just that. My BP was 145/87 and my pulse rate was 127. Then an hour later they checked it and it went down to 126/78 and pulse rate was 110. So after that blood pressure and more monitoring for the Non-Stress Test, i was finally able to get the shot. HOLY COW, it is by far the worst shot i've ever had in my life. The needle was bigger and the serum was super thick. I could feel it going in my left hip but i couldn't feel it spreading. It was such a weird feeling. It hurts. I did my best to rub it around to relieve some of the pain but just touching it was tender. And here i am 4 hours later and it still hurts. OY VEY. Im dreading going back to get the 2nd shot tomorrow :( So ya, after the shot and the nurse calling and clearing it with my dr, i was able to go! When we got home, we had probably 8 inches of snow in our yard! Crazy. But ya, that was our day. Gone from 9am-5:30ish. It feels so good to be home! 

Showing my 31 week and 5 day belly and then below me all hooked up!

The weird smile was because we were going to send it to my mom and tell her we were going into labor... then we thought, thats not something to joke about at this point! So we passed that up and now i'm stuck with these weird facial expression pictures! ha. Oh well.

Here is my 31 Week Picture

30 Week Picture

The day i turned 30 weeks, we were driving to Wyoming for my Great Aunt Mary's funeral. We stayed until Sunday and of course, i didnt bring my shirt to take a picture in. And then Monday, my mom, sisters and niece were helping us pack and we spent all morning and afternoon together. Then Pax left with them so Marc and i packed all night long. Then Tuesday i had my appt where i found out i had Preeclampsia and Wednesday-Thursday i had to do my 24 hour urine collection and i had another appt with my dr.... SO because it was crazy busy, i never got to take a 30 week picture in my shirt :( darn it. 

BUT!!!! We have this gem. This was in Wyoming after some shopping! 

Twins?!

At my appt on Tuesday, we got a picture of Maddox and I KNEW I've seen a similar ultrasound picture.... Sure enough, after looking at old ultrasound pictures of Paxton, I found it!!! Isn't that crazy! I cant believe there is a 6 week difference! These babes are going to look identical! 

Except Maddox is still bald and Pax had a ton of hair in the womb! 

What is Preeclampsia?!

A lot of people have been asking me what Preeclampsia is. This is a pretty basic description of it.

Preeclampsia is a condition that typically starts after the 20th week of pregnancy and is related to increased blood pressure and protein in the mother's urine (as a result of kidney problems). Preeclampsia affects the placenta, and it can affect the mother's kidney, liver, and brain. When preeclampsia causes seizures, the condition is known as eclampsia--the second leading cause of maternal death in the U.S. Preeclampsia is also a leading cause of fetal complications, which include low birth weight, premature birth, and stillbirth.
There is no proven way to prevent preeclampsia. Most women who develop signs of preeclampsia, however, are closely monitored to lessen or avoid related problems. The way to "cure" preeclampsia is to deliver the baby.

 That pretty much sums it up right there. But for some more in depth info....

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Preeclampsia?

In addition to swelling, protein in the urine, and high blood pressure, preeclampsia symptoms can include:

• Rapid weight gain caused by a significant increase in bodily fluid
• Abdominal pain
• Severe headaches
• Change in reflexes
• Reduced urine or no urine output
• Dizziness
• Excessive vomiting and nausea

• Sudden and new swelling in your face, hands, and eyes (some feet and ankle swelling is normal during pregnancy.)
• Blood pressure greater than 140/90.
• Sudden weight gain over 1 or 2 days
• Abdominal pain, especially in the upper right side
• Blurry vision, flashing lights, and floaters

How Can Preeclampsia Affect My Baby and Me?

In moms-to-be, preeclampsia can cause rare but serious complications that include:

• Stroke
• Seizure
• Water in the lungs
• Heart failure
• Reversible blindness
• Bleeding from the liver
• Bleeding after you've given birth

Preeclampsia can also cause the placenta to suddenly separate from the uterus, which is called placental abruption. This can cause stillbirth.

What Is the Treatment for Preeclampsia and Eclampsia?

The only cure for preeclampsia and eclampsia is to deliver your baby. Your doctor will talk with you about when to deliver based on how far along your baby is, how well your baby is doing in your womb, and the severity of your preeclampsia.
If your baby has developed enough, usually by 37 weeks or later, your doctor may want to induce labor or perform a cesarean section. This will keep preeclampsia from getting worse.
If your baby is not close to term, you and your doctor may be able to treat preeclampsia until your baby has developed enough to be safely delivered. The closer the birth is to your due date, the better for your baby.
If you have mild preeclampsia, your doctor may prescribe:

• Bed rest either at home or in the hospital; you'll be asked to rest mostly on your left side.
• Careful observation with a fetal heart rate monitor and frequent ultrasounds
• Medicines to lower your blood pressure
• Blood and urine tests

Your doctor also may recommend that you stay in the hospital for closer monitoring. In the hospital you may be given:

• Medicine to help prevent seizures, lower your blood pressure, and prevent other problems
• Steroid injections to help your baby's lungs develop more quickly

Other treatments include:

• Magnesium can be injected into the veins to prevent eclampsia-related seizures
• Hydralazine or another antihypertensive drug to manage severe blood pressure elevations
• Monitoring fluid intake

For severe preeclampsia, your doctor may need to deliver your baby right away, even if you're not close to term.
After delivery, signs and symptoms of preeclampsia should go away within 1 to 6 weeks.


Thank you WebMD for the information! And hopefully that answers some of  your questions! I see the dr on Tuesday so check back then for some updates.... or hey, since im on bed rest, maybe ill be posting more blogs... we'll see.

 

 

It's a Yes for Preeclampsia... Darn it.

Well this morning at 5am, was my last urine collection. So glad thats over! And then at 7am, the hubs and i woke up, got ready and headed over to the hospital. We dropped off my urine collection and went and waited to see my doctor. My appointment wasn't till 9am but i had to turn my urine in an hour before so my dr could have the results. I was the first appt, went right in. Did my weight, still the same as Tuesdays appt. And i sat for about 10 minutes before they took my blood pressure. It was 134/80. Which is on the higher side but a lot lower then it has been. Then we went over my results from the urine. Normal protein levels are below 150. Mine was 269. Preeclampsia is 300 or more. So unfortunately, im almost there. My creatine levels were where they should be. My blood work came back good. So im happy about that! I had to get hooked up to the monitors to see how baby was doing and to see if i was having contractions. Baby's heart rate is great and strong. We also went over what the game plan is. So i will see my dr next Tuesday. And after that, i will see her 2 or 3 times a week. She is going to have me do another 24 hour urine collection later next week or the week after. Darn it!! So gross haha. I am on bed rest. She doesnt want me doing hardly anything where i have to stand or exert myself much. But at least its not strict bed rest! The last two days were horrible being on bed rest. So now its just the wait and see game. Because my symptoms are showing so early on (30 weeks) we are going to try and keep this baby in as long as we can. Hoping for at least 4 weeks! My symptoms will get worse, i.e. Blood pressure, protein in urine, headaches, etc. But since we caught it early on, being on bed rest will help it to not progress as fast. Hopefully!! Ive heard to eat more protein so i will be upping it even more. My appetite has decreased immensely. Not too sure why but i hardly eat. I know, i know, thats not good, blah blah blah. But food makes me want to puke and im legitimately not hungry. I do drink a lot. Today i hit 31 weeks! So crazy! Seems like yesterday that i found out i was pregnant. So ya, thats the update!

4D Ultrasound and Doctors Visit

Allow me to introduce:

Maddox Wayne Harrison

Today i had my 4d ultrasound and let me just tell you how much i LOVE my drs office and her staff. I know you've heard me talk about my tech, Paul and how amazing he is and blah blah blah... Whelp, he lived up to it again! He's amazing! We got some great pictures of Maddox! Here is what we know:

-He is 4 lbs 2 oz
-He is bald
-His face is right by my uterus
-He is healthy
-He is measuring at 32 weeks not 30
-He likes to lick my uterus wall
-He is still breech
-He is still a BOY!
-His head is still in my right rib cage
-His face is facing out to everyone
-His spine is perpendicular to mine
-His legs and arms are tucked by his face on my right side under my rib cage

My tech sent us home with 20 printed ultrasound pictures and he recorded the WHOLE session on a dvd for us! I tried posting it but i have no room! And photobucket doesnt let you upload videos! How do you guys post videos on your blog?! It is on my facebook though, so if you are a friend on there, you can view it! Here are a few pictures from it! i cant get over how much this baby looks like Paxton!

His face is on the left and is looking straight at you. His hand is that little ball by his face

Here are his little feet and piggies!

Here is a profile picture with his mouth open and licking my uterus which is the blob on the left side

Here he looks like an old man! haha. His little nose is perfect though!

As for my doctors visit... things didn't go as planned. Ive lost 3 pounds from last appointment which was less then two weeks ago. (im not complaining about that!!) My blood pressure was 159/93 and 25 minutes later is was 151/93. And im showing other signs of preeclampsia as well. Ive been having a lot of pain on my right side but i just thought it was sore from the baby kicking but apparently thats another sign of preeclampsia. My headaches are still there and becoming worse which is another sign of preeclampsia but other then that, im fine... well, i feel fine. Last pregnancy, i was told i might have preeclampsia at 33 weeks. Then at 34 weeks i did the 24 hour urine collection and 2 weeks later i was induced to have Pax. But here i am, 30 weeks (baby measuring 32) and i have to do the 24 hour urine collection. If its anything like my preeclampsia with Paxton, then i could have this baby within the next 2 or 3 weeks. Making me 32 or 33 weeks along and baby measuring 34 or 35 weeks. Its a scary, scary thought. But knowing today that he is a big baby and that in 2 weeks he'll be about 6 lbs (they gain 1- 1 1/2 lbs a week) puts me at a little bit of ease. But of course, i would like this baby to stay in longer. Its either baby out or i have a stroke... SO CRAZY. i also had to get blood work done and im on strict bed rest.
HOW AM I ON BED REST AND MOVING IN 8 DAYS YOU ASK?? 
Well, we can't move. I cant move. I cant leave Utah. I cant do road trips. Sooooo. Here we are in a bit of a predicament. We've already boxed a lot of the house up, we've already made arrangements for the move: For me to stay in California and have the baby and for Marc to go to Arizona and work, stay with his sister and to continue house hunting for us. We've already put some furniture on Craigslist to be sold and even did our house.. we got 8 calls on it and have 4 scheduled to come see it. So hearing that news really stressed us out immediately. Now that its been a little over 4 hours since my appt, we've come together and made some decisions on what to do and this is it.

-We will not be moving on the 30th of January
-Maddox will be born in Utah by my original dr
-Marc will now start his job in March since there is a good chance ill have the baby in February
-My mom will bring Pax up when time gets closer to me having the baby
-And we will use Paxton's room as storage for boxes that we pack and fill so its out of the way

With all this settling in, ive had some time to think about life and the importance of family. Im thankful for a husband who puts me first. He immediately let me cry to him. He was there for me to hug. And he is putting his career on hold for me (and his boys). Im thankful for family who let me cry to them and support us and are there to step in when we need them. Its a huge blessing that my mom has Paxton. And whats crazier, is before i sent him with her, i started doubting if i should. But i felt so strongly to just push her to take him. Now, i know why i had that feeling. There is no way i could tend to my active boy and be on bed rest and deal with all these things going on. So im thankful for promptings and for being able to follow them.

After i do this 24 hour urine collection (they are seeing if their is protein in it) then i will see my dr on Thursday and we will have the results back and decide on what to do from there. She said that she might have me stay in the hospital until i deliver to be monitored and to let baby boy cook more. I think she will just put me on bed rest and make me monitor my blood pressure on a chart, like she did last pregnancy. We will see. Fingers crossed. But feel free to remember us in your prayers :) It'd be greatly appreciated!

 Until Thursday.....