28w belly shot!

27 weeks & counting!

Well, I just received a package with my new progesterone oil in it (hydroxyprogesterone in castor oil) :( Doctor wants me to start weekly injections to keep my uterus relaxed and to try to prevent early labor signs. I will also be getting back to back steroid injections over a 24 hour period next Tues & Weds to expedite baby's lung maturity. *sigh* I'm really dreading the shots....I have been having major issues in my butt/hips since my last round of the PIO, which had me crying with every shot those last 2-3 weeks. Pretty sure I have permanent nerve/muscle damage after 3 rounds of 12w daily shots. As of last week, I had a weird flare-up in that area on my right side - was hot & red & inflamed, and it lasted for about 4 days and hurt like he--! Oh well....its all for a good cause, and while I'm not looking forward to it, I will survive and know it will all be worth it to get this little girl here healthy!!!

On the upside (and I hesitate to say anything so as not to jinx myself), its been a relatively quiet week for me so far :) I have been to the doctor weekly since week 17, whether it was a scheduled appt or for some weird "issue" I was having at the time. I'm praying that this week remains calm. I am experiencing a few Braxton-Hicks, almost daily now, but nothing to write home about. Thankfully no swelling or other issues! And I'm fairly certain the placenta is still where it was - baby seems to be really high up under my ribs. U/S showed her up high last week since the placenta is occupying the lower part of my uterus :( But, since she's not sitting on my bladder, I'm only having to get up once or twice a night to pee :)

And I've been horribly neglectful about getting my weekly belly shots, so I promise to post one as soon as I get it taken - hopefully I'll remember tonight.

26w2d Update

Well, not really anything new to report. Placenta hasn't moved any more than previously, so no change in plans for the time-being. But Baby B looked perfect :)

Looking ALLOT like her big sister in this picture!

Sweet hand & both feet :)

Relieved, but still itchy...

Well, yesterday I posted about this constant, horrible itching situation I have. And I also updated to say that the OB ran some labs and we were waiting for the results.

I got the phone call that I've been waiting on and the results are in: labs were NEGATIVE for cholestasis!

Now, while I said nothing in my previous post about cholestasis, I have to say that you can Google it if you so choose. But it is basically an issue that 1% of pregnant women deal with, and its nothing short of scary. Basically, your liver quits functioning as it should, and the bile backs up into your system. One of the symptoms is itching without a rash - generally on the palms of your hands and bottoms of your feet, but it can be generalized to any part of your body. And since I have no apparent skin irritations/rashes, doctor said this would be a good guess at a diagnosis.

I am so very thankful that his guess was wrong this time! I am so very grateful to NOT have a diagnosis :)

His comment to me yesterday was "if the labs come back negative, then you're likely just going to itch and there's not much we can do about it". And you know what, while the itch is miserable, I'd much rather itch than know that we were facing yet another obstacle to bringing this precious little girl into the world safely!!!

God is good!

The Itch

I can't really say that I have a rash, because its not visible on my skin. But what I can say is that while there is nothing visibly wrong, I can't quit scratching! I have been miserable since Thursday afternoon, and spent the weekend taking Aveeno baths and slathering smelly anti-itch lotion on my entire body. Nothing has helped, unfortunately :( I tried taking Benadryl on Fri morning after my shower, and about all that resulted in taking it was that nothing happened around the house...because I was passed out....for 3 hours....then another 2 1/2 after the kids got home from school - from 1 stinkin' tablet! I can't take Benadryl unless its bedtime. But even that isn't helping really since I spend the night tossing & turning & itching.

The weird thing is that while there is no rash apparent, I can't fathom that this is just a case of dry skin. Its my entire torso, neck, and even inside my ears! I've even tried non-medicated body lotion (the severe dry skin, cocoa butter kind), and haven't had much relief. Any experienced pregnant mamas ever have a situation like this???

I think I'm calling my OB again this AM - called on Fri and nothing she's suggested has worked :(

*Update: I've been to the OB and they are running some labs. Once we get the results, I post an update. But until then, I am asking my friends and blog readers to say a prayer that the results are negative and that all will be OK. Thanks!

24 weeks!

Yesterday was my 24 week OB appointment & ultrasound. Not much to report this go around - the placenta has moved slightly, but is still just 1/2" away from my cervix, so still too close to plan for a vaginal delivery. Doctor said he is still planning for a scheduled c-section at this point, but said he is hopeful that will change in the coming weeks. I am scheduled for another u/s & OB check in 2 weeks, so only time will tell!

On the other hand, sweet Baby B looked perfectly happy and content to be snuggled in for what we can only pray is the long-haul! We found her way up high, almost underneath my ribs, with her feet folded over her head, so too hard to get a good length measurement. But, she weighs approximately 1.6 pounds already, and the measurements we could get of her bits & pieces shows her to have long legs and a small torso :) Heart rate was still at a firm 143...seems to be her typical rate for the time being.

Thought I'd post a couple of cute pics of Baby B from yesterday's appointment, so enjoy!!!

Smiling for the camera, looking so peaceful :)

Sucking on her fist

(Michael said it looked like she was trying to pick her nose - Men!!)

Precious baby feets :)

22 week update

We had our 22 week appointment today :) Baby's heart rate was 142. I'm not having any complications so no u/s today. But we had the chance to talk with Dr. R about a few things.

My IM asked him whether it was necessary to go see a Perinatologist since this pregnancy is considered "high risk" and wanted his feedback on the topic. He said that many OB's refer to a Peri when they either don't want to spend the extra time with a high risk patient, or don't feel comfortable dealing with a high risk delivery. He said many times its just a matter of their comfort level. His comfort level is high and he said he sees no reason to see a Peri, unless that's what they/we would prefer to do. And while a Peri's u/s can sometimes be more detailed, he has nothing but the utmost confidence in his u/s tech (Angie) and said he has never had a Peri's u/s show anything different than what Angie tells him. So he gave us the name of 2 that he would recommend and left it open to us. (M & I discussed this over lunch and are likely not to add a peri to the mix, but I told them that I would willingly make an appointment if they would feel more comfortable).

We also asked him to clarify the difference between a "complete previa" and a "partial previa" and then asked which I have. He said without hesitation that I currently have a "complete previa" :( All of the u/s we have had show that the cervix is completely covered, and while he said it is still unlikely that this will change, we are hoping & praying that my u/s on the 27th will show differently :)

So, we are still sitting on "wait & see" with no changes for me at this time - basically I do a whole bunch of nothing and just spend my time resting and taking it easy for the time being. The goal is to reach 28 weeks without incident (which is (holy moly Batman!) only 6 weeks away), then begin the steroid shots to help baby mature quicker, and progesterone shots to keep my uterus relaxed. We will be doing lots & lots of u/s at that time, waiting to see how quickly my placenta and baby mature, then deliver by c-section somewhere around 34-36 weeks if we can get that far. So between praying that the placenta will just move, then praying that we can get into December without incident if it doesn't, we are doing lots & LOTS of praying!!!

I'll keep y'all posted :)