Waterdaughter
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Waterdaughter
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June 27, 2008 - WOW, so much has happened since December of last year ... I have been busy getting my home and life in general kind of changed around to get ready for what is probably going to be the biggest change of my life. In November of 2007, Scott and I were shocked & thrilled to learn that we're expecting!!! Seriously, I had been told for nearly 10 years that it would be very difficult, not impossible, but difficult for me to conceive without intervention and assistance ... so, here's the story: After learning that the Thyroid cancer was undetectable and completely under control, Scott and I started tentatively talking about starting a family. Scott had very understandable concerns about my over all health, so he and I visited with my gynecologist. Scott asked some very pointed questions about my weight, age and 'pre-diabetes', as well as other more general questions about higher risk pregnancies. Dr. Davis said that she was pleased that I had lost weight, wasn't concerned about the age (other than 'the sooner, the better') and said that as far as high risk pregnancies are concerned, Sioux Falls has some of the best facilities in the nation. She gave us her blessing in September, reminding us that being off the pill for at least 30 days before becoming pregnant would greatly reduce the risk of miscarriage ... so I went off the pill and took a deep breath. I was prepared for months of trying, having gone down this path before nearly 20 years earlier, feeling like I was riding a horrible roller coaster - not getting my period for almost 2 months, thinking that I was pregnant, only to have my hopes dashed by a negative pregnancy test - and then go through it all again a couple months later. I had shared all of this information with Scott, so we were both prepared for a long wait. In October Dr. Davis had me to come in for a 21 day progesterone test, if I remember correctly, this test can tell the doctor whether ovulation occurred or not ... and the result of my test was low indicating that I had not ovulated, so Dr. Davis prescribed a round of Clomid to help me ovulate. I was to start it shortly after my period began in November ... to give you an idea of just how much of a geek I am, I have a spreadsheet of my cycle start dates for each month that spans back nearly 10 years, so I know what the average length of my cycles are, at least while I'm on the pill. Tuesday, November 13, 2007 – I called Dr. Davis’s office & talked to Dana. My average cycle length is 27.5 days (rounded up to 28), so my period should have started 11/9/07, but hadn’t yet as of that morning (11/13/07). This was day 32 of my cycle. Dana said I should wait a week to 10 days and take a pregnancy test (either Friday or Monday). Provera would be prescribed if the test is negative (this would be taken for 5 days and then withdrawal bleed would begin within a week of starting). Monday, November 19, 2007 – day 38 of cycle - test results
were positive. Possible false positive given my age and PCOS, so waited for
call back from Dana. Wednesday, November 21, 2007 – day 40 of cycle – Monica called me with the lab results … we’re pregnant. My progesterone level is now as 29.1 (up from 9.9 on 11/2/07) and my hCG number was 5383 (number should double every other day). I had an appointment with Dr. Davis at 11:00am on 12/03/07 (1st ultrasound to make sure the pregnancy is progressing as expected). Seriously, I am a total geek because I did the math and calculated that, dividing backward by 2 each time, my hCG number was 5383 on 11/19/07 so we conceived on 10/26/07… Here is the very first ultrasound picture:
On 12/18/07 Scott & I went in for a 2nd ultrasound & got to
hear the baby's heart beat for the first time (180 BPM):
On 1/3/08 we had a 3rd ultrasound and underwent a 1st
trimester screening. The results of the ultrasound and my blood work are
analyzed to determine over all risk for Downs Syndrome, as well as Trisomy 18.
The screening results were 'normal' - chances of Downs Syndrome were 1 in 570
(based on my age alone the chances were 1 in 39) - the chances of Trisomy 18
were 1 in 10,000 (based on my age alone the chances were 1 in 130) ... so the
doctors were comfortable that no further testing would need to be done. Oh yeah, then on 1/23/2008 Dr. Oppenheimer, my favorite thyroid doctor took a look at my blood sugar numbers, which prompted him to make a frantic call to Dr. Davis, shortly after which he took over my diabetic care and put me on insulin. I have to say that since then I've continued taking insulin, but only 1 shot just before the evening meal daily and I had met with a nutritionist, so I've been able to keep my numbers under tight control. 2/15/08 we went in to have what is known as an anatomy
ultrasound, where they spend a LONG time taking pictures of the baby to make
sure everything is forming where it should be ... the only thing they couldn't
get a good picture of was the 4 chamber heart, so I had to go back again on
3/14/08 for more ultrasounds and they were able to get a really good view of the
4 chamber heart. In May I started a 6 week childbirth class especially designed for pregnant women 35 years and older. It was interesting, but I'm not sure that I learned more from that class than I had from the books I had been reading before starting the classes ... but it was still a good experience. On 5/12/08, when I was just 30 weeks 2 days along the baby was measuring 3 weeks ahead, so Dr. Davis ordered another ultrasound to get a better idea of how big the baby actually was, so on 5/27/08 I had another ultrasound and learned that the baby weighed approximately 5lbs 4oz and was in the 75th percentile ... still not positive what that meant, but Dr. Davis seemed happy with it. However, she did order a 7th ultrasound to be done on 6/24/08. On 6/24/08, my 7th ultrasound, this one at 36 weeks 3 days, the baby's weight was up to 7lbs 9oz. Dr. Davis was concerned that the baby weighed so much because of my gestational diabetes, but after reviewing the ultrasound results she said that I just appear to be destine to have a bigger baby. She said that babies of women with gestational diabetes normally have big tummy measurements, but my baby has a big head ... just like Daddy (seriously, he can't find sunglasses that fit his head without digging into his scalp)! I've seen pictures of Tristan (Scott's oldest) as a baby, so it is entirely likely that big heads run in Scott's side of the family. That brings us up to today ... tomorrow will mark the start of week 37 and several people noticed today that the baby appears to be starting to drop. I think they are right because the pressure on my bladder increased while the pressure on my lungs seems to have decreased, plus I can eat more in one meal than I had been able to... plus I think I've been experiencing pre-labor cramping ... I had been told that it would feel like menstrual cramps, but since I've never really had menstrual cramps I had NO idea what to expect. Last night, when I went to stand up but couldn't without pain (more uncomfortable than actually painful), I surmised that must be what it was... So, the nursery is ready ... but I'm not sure I am. I think I'll get my hospital bag packed & ready to go ... and maybe practice putting the car seat in ... I suppose, ready or not, it won't be long now. Love & hugs y'all, |
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