Elora is officially 4lbs!! If we can make it to 38 weeks which is 17 days away, she will be 5lbs which seems to be the magic number. I was talking with my doctor and ultrasound tech Rachel (we see her for a level 2 ultrasound every Monday) and they both agreed that we all didn't think we would make it this far. Ric and I joke that before each appointment we go in thinking this is it, we are delivering this Monday. The theory behind this is that everytime we went in positive and excited we received bad news. Now we go in prepared to deliver and luckily get sent home for another week. So bear with us for hopefully 2-4 more weeks. Ric wants to make it to 41 weeks, I just want her to come home with me after my 4 day stint with the c-section.
Yes I am stuck with having a c-section. I asked Dr Jick since she was doing so well, could I try a regular birth, hoping to gain my freedom from bed much sooner after Elora's birth. I was given a resounding no, unless she goes into labor on her own, which if anyone knows about Isabel's labor and delivery, I would be more likely to win the lottery!
So Heather and Ric get to be at her birth via c-section. Ric will be holding my hand, and Heather's job will be to take pictures and make sure that Ric stays vertical :)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Funny Stories
I am posting a few stories that my aunt says "must be written down".
Little Elora Grace has been the little "diva" as named by the nurses in the High-Risk Perinatal Unit at Huntington Hospital. She has other pet names from Ric and I that can't be voiced out loud. I go in for 2x weekly NST tests. NST tests make sure that the baby isn't under any kind of stress. What they are looking for is for the baby's heartbeat to go up by 15 beats and to stay there for 15 seconds. If the baby is not being reactive, they will give the mom sugar of some kind and as a last results will use what I call the "baby zapper" which is a noise making device that they press against your stomach that essentially startles the baby.
Elora has taught Ric and I and most of the hospital and doctor personnel that she does what she wants when she wants. She completely ignores the sugar and repeated "giggling" of the belly by mom. She even ignores the zapper. She eventually gives you quite good results but on her time, not ours. This test is supposed to take 20 minutes and has taken at least 2 hours!
The other funny story is of Isabel. She is really excited about being a big sister. For Christmas she asked Santa for a doll that pees! I remember her running into my room screaming "Mommy the dolly peed on me" and she had the biggest smile! We'll last weekend she decided that she needed some practice diapering and decided to put a diaper on our cat Missy. Suddenly I hear a very angry cat and Isabel saying "stand still" and then a cat streaking down the hallway! Needless to say a cat even Missy will only put up with so much!
Little Elora Grace has been the little "diva" as named by the nurses in the High-Risk Perinatal Unit at Huntington Hospital. She has other pet names from Ric and I that can't be voiced out loud. I go in for 2x weekly NST tests. NST tests make sure that the baby isn't under any kind of stress. What they are looking for is for the baby's heartbeat to go up by 15 beats and to stay there for 15 seconds. If the baby is not being reactive, they will give the mom sugar of some kind and as a last results will use what I call the "baby zapper" which is a noise making device that they press against your stomach that essentially startles the baby.
Elora has taught Ric and I and most of the hospital and doctor personnel that she does what she wants when she wants. She completely ignores the sugar and repeated "giggling" of the belly by mom. She even ignores the zapper. She eventually gives you quite good results but on her time, not ours. This test is supposed to take 20 minutes and has taken at least 2 hours!
The other funny story is of Isabel. She is really excited about being a big sister. For Christmas she asked Santa for a doll that pees! I remember her running into my room screaming "Mommy the dolly peed on me" and she had the biggest smile! We'll last weekend she decided that she needed some practice diapering and decided to put a diaper on our cat Missy. Suddenly I hear a very angry cat and Isabel saying "stand still" and then a cat streaking down the hallway! Needless to say a cat even Missy will only put up with so much!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Passed Again (34 weeks 3 days)
We passed our growth check with flying colors! She grew 7 out of 7 days and is now measuring 4lb 1oz on the ultrasound. Most likely she is around 3 1/2 lbs but that is still great! We got prints of her cute little foot and her face. We were even able to see her hair, boy are these machines amazing!
Dr Jick has lifted the restrictions a bit and I am allowed out of the house a bit more. I probably wont take advantage of that too much since the bed rest seems to really help her. But it is nice to know I can have "mental health breaks" as I like to call them!
Thank you to my visitors and e-mail buddies you have really helped me thru this!
Dr Jick has lifted the restrictions a bit and I am allowed out of the house a bit more. I probably wont take advantage of that too much since the bed rest seems to really help her. But it is nice to know I can have "mental health breaks" as I like to call them!
Thank you to my visitors and e-mail buddies you have really helped me thru this!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
34 weeks
I know I haven't added to this blog in a long time. I struggle over the fact that this is supposed to be for Elora and not my struggles. To catch everyone up:
We have made it further than our doctor though possible. Every week is a roller coaster, some almost putting me back into the hospital. I am at some test or checkup at least 3 times a week, more if she isn't cooperating which is most of the time. She is a VERY stubborn baby who does what she wants when she wants. She ignores the technicians attempts at getting her to increase her heartbeat (NST test) which shows that she is not stressed. One week we were at the hospital or doctor's office 6 days out of seven! My only sanity saver is that she is very active! I know she is healthy inside me despite her antics with the nurses and technicians. My specialist Dr Bruce even had a hard time chasing her around in order to get a good Doppler on her umbilical cord. He eventually gave up and diagnosed her healthy if only based on her movements.
Each Monday we have our dreaded "growth" appointment where they takes every measurement possible to she how she is growing. I stopped reading the measurements on the screen because it is too stressful, I just wait to see my doctor's face when he comes in, he is either smiling or grimacing. As of 4 days ago she was measuring around 3lb 7 oz. She is still really behind on her stomach measurements so Dr Bruce recommended I gain some weight, which turned out easier said than done. It's funny, when I am not pregnant I can look at food and gain weight, but when I actually try it is hard!
So in 2 days we go in for another growth check. Ric and I always go in figuring this will be it, it will be time for the C-section only to be pleasantly surprised when we are sent on our way again.
Thank you for following me on this long journey and I promise to post more often.
We have made it further than our doctor though possible. Every week is a roller coaster, some almost putting me back into the hospital. I am at some test or checkup at least 3 times a week, more if she isn't cooperating which is most of the time. She is a VERY stubborn baby who does what she wants when she wants. She ignores the technicians attempts at getting her to increase her heartbeat (NST test) which shows that she is not stressed. One week we were at the hospital or doctor's office 6 days out of seven! My only sanity saver is that she is very active! I know she is healthy inside me despite her antics with the nurses and technicians. My specialist Dr Bruce even had a hard time chasing her around in order to get a good Doppler on her umbilical cord. He eventually gave up and diagnosed her healthy if only based on her movements.
Each Monday we have our dreaded "growth" appointment where they takes every measurement possible to she how she is growing. I stopped reading the measurements on the screen because it is too stressful, I just wait to see my doctor's face when he comes in, he is either smiling or grimacing. As of 4 days ago she was measuring around 3lb 7 oz. She is still really behind on her stomach measurements so Dr Bruce recommended I gain some weight, which turned out easier said than done. It's funny, when I am not pregnant I can look at food and gain weight, but when I actually try it is hard!
So in 2 days we go in for another growth check. Ric and I always go in figuring this will be it, it will be time for the C-section only to be pleasantly surprised when we are sent on our way again.
Thank you for following me on this long journey and I promise to post more often.
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