36 Week Update

Hi all - getting a jump start on my weekly blog post this week. Probably because I am back in the hospital for a few days & am already getting BORED. Not a good sign. They've told me that I could be here for 5 or so days :( The only decent thing about this visit is that I knew it was coming, so I was at least able to pack my bag & bring my comfiest pajamas & favorite bathroom products.

As I mentioned in my last posting, I'm back in the hospital so that they can switch one of my current medications. The blood thinner I was previously taking isn't conducive for laboring, so they are switching it over to a different one. I was told that it could take anywhere from 2 - 5 days; however, as JD reminded me today - with the way things have been going for me the last several weeks, I should anticipate it being closer to 5+. Boo.

They currently have me hooked up to an IV for the medication change, but once I reach a certain "level", they will transition to injections. Once I can show that my levels are stable while doing the injections, I believe I will be able to go back home... until it's time for BABY! Fingers crossed that I'll be able to do this quickly so that I can get back home!

Today I hit the 36 week mark - one week closer to a full term baby B!! They OB did a quick check of my cervix when I got to the hospital this morning & I am still 2.5cm dilated. They also did a quick ultrasound to check baby's position & he / she is still in the head-down "ready to rock" position! I can't say that I can tell by looking that baby has "dropped", but it definitely feels like it when I walk or stand.

I haven't felt any more *true* contractions in a week or so, but the braxton hicks contractions have definitely been getting more frequent & more intense. Baby continues to move around at all hours of the day - in fact, I joked with JD last night that I don't think that Baby B ever sleeps because I feel him / her moving all. the. time. Baby B even woke me up early this morning with the hiccups :) The nurse mentioned that she saw a note from the OB in my chart that said that they will look to induce once I've reached 38 weeks - if I haven't already gone into labor on my own. It's crazy to think that Baby B could be here in as little as 2 weeks!! JD & I are so excited / anxious to meet our sweet baby!!!!

I'm starting to get a bit stir crazy being at home on "modified bed rest"... I never thought it would be this tough to be out of work! I know it will be a different story once Baby B is here, but for now it's starting to get to me! I mean, a girl can only do so much laundry, pack hospital bags, organize drawers in nursery, etc... Mom & baby hospital bags are packed, carseat is installed, car is loaded - I think we're as ready as we're going to be for this baby's arrival!

Here's what's going on with Baby B's development this week...

Your Pregnancy: Week 36 (www.parentsconnect.com)

With a mere 28 days to go (give or take a few), you're almost at the end—and the beginning of your new life. Finish up your final prep by stocking up on diapers, washing the onesies and making sure the nursery is good to go. Then, even if baby comes early, you're still ready. Of course, every new parent feels wildly unprepared regardless of how operational the nursery is, but at least you won't be diaperless!

Wondering what's up with your body, your baby and your life this week? Read on ...

Your Body
Just when you think you can't possibly stand another day of your baby kicking your lungs and crowding your stomach, your baby will drop it like it's hot. This process, called lightening, will probably make it easier for you to breathe, but with your baby's head resting directly on your bladder, you'll be breathing all the way to the bathroom.

When your baby drops, you can rest assured that your pregnancy journey will be over within the next few weeks. Make sure to know the many signs and symptoms of labor so that you won't be caught with your pants down (both figuratively and literally).



Your Baby
Your baby continues to put on weight at about ½ pound each week. This layer of fat will help your baby regulate his body temperature after leaving your climate-controlled womb. In fact, your baby will be 15 percent fat at birth (and you ... well that's another story). Even in the womb, your baby can listen, feel, touch and see. The only thing separating him from living in the outside world is a little thing called the birth canal. Other highlights this week:

His gums are firm with ridges that look somewhat like teeth, though his actual pearly whites won't start breaking through until he's between three months and a year old.

Your baby has definite patterns of sleep and wakefulness—opening his eyes while awake and closing them while sleeping. Your baby will become alert and turn his head toward light and sound just as a newborn would—except when you put on that Celine Dion CD. Then the baby puts his hands up, turns away and gurgles, "Oh no you didn't!"

Your baby is now around 18½ inches long and nearly 6 pounds—just about as big as a breadbox!




Thank you again for all of the sweet calls, texts, emails, thoughts & prayers over the past few weeks!! Things have definitely not gone as we had planned, but the most important thing is that Baby B stays healthy & happy. It has meant so much to JD & I knowing that we have the love & support of so many great friends & family members!! THANK YOU AGAIN!!

Doc Appt Update

Hi all - just an update from today's appointment with the OB at UAB...

Still no symptoms of continued cardiac / heart problems, which means that the meds are still working! Unfortunately, the OB still wants me to stay home on "modified bed rest" & not go back to work just yet. Even though I am doing well, she doesn't want anything to "spike" my symptoms & cause me to go back to the hospital again :(
I asked the doctor what the earliest was that they would induce & she indicated that it would likely be at 39 weeks (which I will be on Feb 18).

She did check my cervix while I was in the office & she said that I was still dilated at 2.5cm, but that my cervix was "very soft", which means that baby is getting ready to come!! After seeing that, the doc said that it would surprise her if I made it to the 39 week mark - meaning that we may have a baby in the next couple of weeks!!!!

Currently I am taking a handful of medications to keep my heart rate stable - one of which is a blood thinner. Unfortunately, the blood thinner I'm currently taking I can't take when I am in labor / deliver the baby, so I have to switch to a different one - which means another (shorter) hospital stay to make the switch & re-stabilize. I have made arrangements to be re-admitted on Saturday (Jan 28) & should be there no longer than 2-5 days. Hopefully it will be closer to 2 days & it will be the last hospitalization before Baby B arrives!

I will continue to post updates on Baby B's progress! Thank you again for all of the continued thoughts & prayers throughout this crazy time!

Week 35 - and back at home!

Hi all! I am happy to report that since my last blog posting I have been discharged from UAB & am back at home!!! After spending 8 long nights at two different hospitals, it never felt so good to *finally* come home. The cardiologists were happy with how I had been responding to the medications, so they felt it was okay to let me come home to "modified bed rest". I haven't gone back to work yet, but I have a follow up with the OB staff at UAB tomorrow & will find out then if I can go back to work until Baby B arrives. **Fingers crossed**

Since coming home, I've been trying to get as much rest as possible so that my heart rate doesn't spike again; but, I've also been trying to do small things around the house, like finish washing baby clothes, blankets, etc... & get the nursery organized for baby's arrival. So far, I've been able to do that without too much trouble, which means that my meds are still working :)

Today I was able to run out to pick up some items I will need when I am in the hospital when Baby B is born (pajamas, etc...) - although I was tired when I got home, it felt good to be able to do things on my own again :) After resting, I was even able to get mine & baby's hospital bags packed! Now we are just waiting for the green light from Baby B!

Baby has been doing just fine this week & I continue to feel a good bit of movement - I have had frequent braxton hicks contractions all week, but no regularity, so it looks like Baby B is going to stay put for a little while longer. I am hoping that they will measure me at my appointment tomorrow to see if I have dilated any more since last week. The morning I was discharged from the hospital, the OB team did another ultrasound to check Baby B's growth. Although the ultrasound tech admitted that it is difficult to get an accurate read at this gestational period because baby is so cramped, she estimated that baby to already be as big as 6lbs!! If that's the case, Baby B is either going to be a little monster or he / she may be coming earlier than the due date... Baby's head is definitely facing down now & is getting ready to make a move for laboring / birth!!!

Here's what's going on with Baby B's development this week...

Your Pregnancy: Week 35 (www.parentsconnect.com)

Your Body
As Patrick Swayze put it, "Nobody puts baby in a corner!" Doubly true for your little tenant. Your baby has pretty much taken over your entire torso by now. Over the past few months, he's squished and mushed all of your organs out of the way. Any day now, he'll make a final move and shove your heart up and to the left to make more room for himself. (See, he's got your heart in his hands already.)

Before all this pregnancy stuff, your uterus was a small ball the size of your fist and was tucked neatly away behind your pelvis. Today your uterus is the size of a small watermelon and reaches all the way up to your ribs.

At this point in your pregnancy all the blood has gone to your belly ... literally. Nearly 1/6 of your body's total blood volume is chugging around in the vessels in your uterus. So that's why you feel so lightheaded all the time!




Your Baby
This week the final touches are being added to your mini-masterpiece and most of his development is going to packing on the pounds. While baby's movements may be becoming less jerky, he may do his final somersault in the womb soon—to put himself into the head-down position for birth. Other fascinating facts:

Your little Karate Kid can't quite pack the punch he used to due to the limited space inside the womb these days. You're likely to feel more wiggles, stretches and rolls than kicks and jabs. The extra layer of fat your baby is adding will create those cute dimples on your baby's elbows and knees. His liver has begun processing his waste products, so you know which organ to thank when he has his first blowout up the back of his onesie.

Baby's nails are growing so long they may curl over the tips of his tiny fingers and toes before he sees a pair of clippers. He'll be in serious need of a mani-pedi once he's born (as will you).

Your baby is now about 5½ pounds and over 18 inches long—about the size of one of those price-club sheet cakes.

Catching Up...

well, a lot has happened since my last post a couple of weeks ago... without posting a super long blog, I'll try to hit on the high points to bring readers up to speed!

Last Saturday we celebrated Baby B's upcoming arrival with lots of wonderful friends & family at a baby shower!! Every detail was absolutely PERFECT & we are so very thankful for everybody who came together to make it possible! Baby B is already so loved by so many great folks!

Beginning the week of the shower, I noticed that I was experiencing some not-so-great pregnancy symptoms including: trouble sleeping, shortness of breath, hot flashes, etc... I just assumed that these were normal things to experience at 8+ months pregnant, so I wasn't too worried about it. However, after these symptoms started to increase, I started to get nervous.

Last Tuesday I went in for a weekly prenatal office visit with my OB. I was scheduled to have another NST (non-stress test) & an ultrasound to check baby's growth. While doing the NST, the office nurse noticed that I was breathing heavily / short of breath & asked how long I'd felt like that. When I told her, she immediately went to get my doctor, who was very concerned & immediately had me admitted to the labor & delivery unit at St. Vincent's hospital.

As it turns out, my heart hate was in the 180s (normal is between 60 - 100). It wasn't long before a cardiologist & a pulmonologist were evaluating me & it was determined that I needed to be admitted to the Cardiovascular ICU (CVICU) for closer observation of my heart & the baby.

I was under very close observation, underwent a laundry-list of tests, was put on bed-rest & 24 hour fetal monitoring over the next several days, until it was determined that it would be in my best interest to be moved to UAB hospital, a teaching hospital where I would have access to more specialists.

I have been at UAB in the high risk OB unit since Friday afternoon. Without over simplifying, I am doing much better & Baby B is doing great! I am no longer on 24 hour fetal monitoring or any IV medications for my heart (only oral medication & blood thinners). The cardiology team here at UAB has deemed me to be pretty stable & but would like to keep me here for a few more days to make sure that my heart rate stays in a safe range (under 115) with "regular" activity. Hoping to be released to go home by the end of this week!!

My official "diagnosis" is cardiomyopathy, which converted to atrial-fibrillation - the cardiologists believe that this was brought on by one of two things: pregnancy itself (stress of pregnancy manifested itself in this way), or it may have been caused by a slight heartbeat irregularity that I've had since high school, which was aggravated by pregnancy. Both cases self-correct, so no lifetime care should be necessary. At most, I will require a little bit of follow up care after delivery, likely no more than 6 weeks.

It is highly likely that they will induce labor when I reach 37 weeks gestational (which is only a couple of weeks from now!!) since they don't want to make it harder on my heart than necessary.

This has all been a pretty stressful process, but I am happy to have caught it now before it was too late. It is so very important to listen to your body - because it will tell you when something isn't right. I wasn't alarmed by my symptoms because I assumed it was typical for this late in pregnancy, but it could have led to something much more serious / dangerous for myself & Baby B.

Throughout this experience, I am so very thankful for all of the thoughts, prayers, & support from our friends & family! We've had an out-pouring of love from the folks in our lives who have called / emailed to check in on me & help keep things as normal as possible at home. Continued prayers are much appreciated! I will continue to keep posting updates as they come in!