Wednesday, March 30, 2011
30wk appt
Just a quick update of my 30wk appt today. No news on Linc, but everything with me went well. My weight and blood pressure were still in the normal range even though I gained 6 pounds in the past two weeks! My blood pressure was up a little from last time, but the doc said that was probably due to stress. It is not high enough to cause concern. My belly measured 30cm (perfect!) and Linc's heart beat sounded good, too. They gave me another RH factor shot and said that I shouldn't need another one until just after delivery (I had one after the amnio at 25wks since my blood type is A-). I also was able to do my glucose test this time for gestational diabetes. I also noticed two areas on my belly where the skin is numb this week, one of which is around my belly button. The skin there is white, too. The doc said that the numb spots are fairly common, but she hadn't seen the white skin before. They are monitoring Lincoln often with ultrasounds and I'm not having any contractions or bleeding, so she told me not to be concerned. (My skin's not going to die or anything!) Overall, it was a good check-up and I'm looking forward to meeting with the Nurse coordinator for our full day on April 13th.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Full Day Schedule
Meg, the nurse coordinator at Barnes, has set up several appointments for Dan and me to go to on April 13th. She emailed a schedule to me, since this will be a full day at the hospital!
0900 AM - Ultrasound
1030 AM - Maternal Fetal Medicine 32 wk check up
0100 PM - Meet with Pediatric Surgeon and Newborn Medicine Doctor
She also said that she will set up an appointment for another ultrasound of Lincoln's heart (echocardiogram). She will take us on a tour of Labor and Delivery and the NICU where Lincoln will be staying whenever it fits best into the schedule.
I am hoping to get some sort of timeline soon concerning Lincoln's delivery and the first days following (whether/when I will be induced, what to expect at delivery, if we will see Lincoln at all, etc.) I have read online about other families birth stories, so I have an idea of what to expect, but it will just feel comforting to have a plan specific to our family. I suspect we will learn a lot at our meeting with the Pediatric Docs. It won't be long now! I'm 30 wks today! I'm so excited and nervous at the same time!
0900 AM - Ultrasound
1030 AM - Maternal Fetal Medicine 32 wk check up
0100 PM - Meet with Pediatric Surgeon and Newborn Medicine Doctor
She also said that she will set up an appointment for another ultrasound of Lincoln's heart (echocardiogram). She will take us on a tour of Labor and Delivery and the NICU where Lincoln will be staying whenever it fits best into the schedule.
I am hoping to get some sort of timeline soon concerning Lincoln's delivery and the first days following (whether/when I will be induced, what to expect at delivery, if we will see Lincoln at all, etc.) I have read online about other families birth stories, so I have an idea of what to expect, but it will just feel comforting to have a plan specific to our family. I suspect we will learn a lot at our meeting with the Pediatric Docs. It won't be long now! I'm 30 wks today! I'm so excited and nervous at the same time!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
28wk Visit at Barnes
Dan and I had our first visit at Barnes Jewish Hospital at the Maternal Fetal Medicine Women's Health Center yesterday for an ultrasound and my 28wk check up. We had only been to Barnes maybe once in our lives before, so we were following signs to find our way. The hospital is beautiful; full of walls of windows and an atrium that scales all 14 floors!
The ultrasound started a little after 8:00am and didn't end until after 10:00am. The technician was great! She was very personable and open with us about what she was looking at. She even gave us a few 3D pictures of Lincoln's little face! (I will try to post those later) Lincoln was very active throughout the ultrasound. He is approximately 1lb 15oz and his little feet are 5.15cm! He has big feet, just like his daddy!
After the tech was finish taking measurements, the nurse coordinator for the Fetal Care Center came in to introduce herself. She explained that she is the coordinator between Barnes and Children's Hospitals for families with sick unborn babies. She told us that she would be with us throughout our journey at Barnes and Children's and she would set up appointments for us with all the doctors involved in our case. Since she was just meeting us, she did not have any appointments set for us with any of the specialist that day, but she would set them up for next time. She will also take us on a tour of labor and delivery and the NICU so that we are as comfortable as possible with our surroundings for the big day and weeks to follow.
Soon after the nurse coordinator left, one of the high-risk OBs came in to talk about the ultrasound. He first asked what we have been told about Lincoln so far, and then told us what he saw currently. Lincoln's condition is basically the same. His head is measuring on track and his abdomen and limbs are measuring a few weeks behind. did say that he thought that the placental cord insertion was NOT eccentric, and that it was just the view of the other ultrasound that made the doc's at St. John's suspect that. (not that it was a real concern anyway, since it does not usually cause any problems). He also said that Linc's genitals looked ambiguous at this time. He said that sometimes the issue corrects itself by the time of delivery, and that the doctors would assess Lincoln at that time. Lincoln's urinary track is functional now, so that's what is important in utero. We will address any cosmetic issues after he is born and in stable condition. Lincoln's heart is still to the extreme left and his stomach is elongated, probably due to his bowel being herniated and pulling everything up. Linc's heart beat was a normal 153 beats per minute.
After the ultrasound, we moved to an exam room to finish the appt with another MFM OB in the practice, Dr. K. The nurse got my weight and blood pressure, both of which were good. After filling out some patient history forms, the doctor explained that the Maternal Fetal Medicine practice is comprised of several high-risk OBs who will all be aware of the details of our case and that I will probably see someone different next time we visit. The docs meet on a weekly basis to discuss patients status and options. She explained that the MFM docs will play a minimal role, since I am healthy and Lincoln is pleased as punch living inside me. They would like me to carry him as long as possible, and that they may induce around 39 wks with plans for a vaginal birth. The course of action will mostly be decided by the surgeons and neonatologists at Children's, including any testing between now and delivery day. She told us that they may want to repeat the MRI in the future and that we would get another ecocardiogram of Lincoln's heart. Everything will be set up through the nurse coordinator.
I made appointments for a 30wk appt on Mar 30th and a follow-up ultrasound in one month to monitor Lincoln's growth. We will try to have the nurse coordinator set up our other meet and greets and tour of the hospital for the same day as my next ultrasound in April.
Everyone at Maternal Fetal Medicine was friendly and upbeat. A pleasant difference from the atmosphere at St. John's where everyone was treating us as if our dog of 15 years had just died. Dan and I think the difference is probably that the staff at Barnes MFM are used to dealing with serious situations and have seen that miracles do happen. Overall, Dan and I felt very comfortable with the entire staff at Barnes and feel that Lincoln is in the best hands.
The ultrasound started a little after 8:00am and didn't end until after 10:00am. The technician was great! She was very personable and open with us about what she was looking at. She even gave us a few 3D pictures of Lincoln's little face! (I will try to post those later) Lincoln was very active throughout the ultrasound. He is approximately 1lb 15oz and his little feet are 5.15cm! He has big feet, just like his daddy!
After the tech was finish taking measurements, the nurse coordinator for the Fetal Care Center came in to introduce herself. She explained that she is the coordinator between Barnes and Children's Hospitals for families with sick unborn babies. She told us that she would be with us throughout our journey at Barnes and Children's and she would set up appointments for us with all the doctors involved in our case. Since she was just meeting us, she did not have any appointments set for us with any of the specialist that day, but she would set them up for next time. She will also take us on a tour of labor and delivery and the NICU so that we are as comfortable as possible with our surroundings for the big day and weeks to follow.
Soon after the nurse coordinator left, one of the high-risk OBs came in to talk about the ultrasound. He first asked what we have been told about Lincoln so far, and then told us what he saw currently. Lincoln's condition is basically the same. His head is measuring on track and his abdomen and limbs are measuring a few weeks behind. did say that he thought that the placental cord insertion was NOT eccentric, and that it was just the view of the other ultrasound that made the doc's at St. John's suspect that. (not that it was a real concern anyway, since it does not usually cause any problems). He also said that Linc's genitals looked ambiguous at this time. He said that sometimes the issue corrects itself by the time of delivery, and that the doctors would assess Lincoln at that time. Lincoln's urinary track is functional now, so that's what is important in utero. We will address any cosmetic issues after he is born and in stable condition. Lincoln's heart is still to the extreme left and his stomach is elongated, probably due to his bowel being herniated and pulling everything up. Linc's heart beat was a normal 153 beats per minute.
After the ultrasound, we moved to an exam room to finish the appt with another MFM OB in the practice, Dr. K. The nurse got my weight and blood pressure, both of which were good. After filling out some patient history forms, the doctor explained that the Maternal Fetal Medicine practice is comprised of several high-risk OBs who will all be aware of the details of our case and that I will probably see someone different next time we visit. The docs meet on a weekly basis to discuss patients status and options. She explained that the MFM docs will play a minimal role, since I am healthy and Lincoln is pleased as punch living inside me. They would like me to carry him as long as possible, and that they may induce around 39 wks with plans for a vaginal birth. The course of action will mostly be decided by the surgeons and neonatologists at Children's, including any testing between now and delivery day. She told us that they may want to repeat the MRI in the future and that we would get another ecocardiogram of Lincoln's heart. Everything will be set up through the nurse coordinator.
I made appointments for a 30wk appt on Mar 30th and a follow-up ultrasound in one month to monitor Lincoln's growth. We will try to have the nurse coordinator set up our other meet and greets and tour of the hospital for the same day as my next ultrasound in April.
Everyone at Maternal Fetal Medicine was friendly and upbeat. A pleasant difference from the atmosphere at St. John's where everyone was treating us as if our dog of 15 years had just died. Dan and I think the difference is probably that the staff at Barnes MFM are used to dealing with serious situations and have seen that miracles do happen. Overall, Dan and I felt very comfortable with the entire staff at Barnes and feel that Lincoln is in the best hands.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
The Nursery
Yesterday, Dan and I went with Kathi and Greg to shop for nursery furniture. After several hours of me trying to make up my mind, we ordered a crib and dresser/changer combo for little Lincoln. The furniture should be here in two to three months. Just in time! Now, Dan and I need to just get the room cleaned out, paint the trim, add accessories and a rocker and Lincoln can move right in! It is nice to enjoy the exciting things about preparing for a baby, especially with the added stress Dan and I have been feeling. Ordering the furniture made me want to finish registering for other baby things we will need and look forward to days at home with little Linc! We are looking forward to seeing him at the ultrasound this Wednesday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)