Today, I had a monthly checkup with the perinatologist and got to have an ultrasound of Emmeliese. The technician printed off a beautiful picture of her face and then I realized that she was scanning her face from the top of my belly. The little stinker has turned! Right now she is breech at 33.6 weeks and is running out of room to turn again. Honestly, I am not nervous about the surgery part of a C-section -- I kind of feel like an old pro at surgeries -- BUT I am terrified of the recovery from a C-section with 3 children to care for, 2 of whom really enjoy climbing on their mother. I know we'll deal with whatever we get, but I'm praying, "Turn, baby, turn!"
I got good news about my blood pressure which has been a problem at this point and to the end of the other two pregnancies. It was 120/72, which is fairly good. I started medication early in the pregnancy to keep it at the right level throughout and it is working. That's very good news.
I am having some troubling issues with my blood sugar, though. I get gestational diabetes right at the beginning of my pregnancies. I've been on insulin and have regulated it very well until this last week when I began running high numbers after meals (150-160 1 hour post-prand) and low numbers in between eating (i.e. 50-60 2 hours post-prand). My doctor in Dixon wants my numbers after meals under 130. And the lows are not good for the baby.
The perinatologist thinks the numbers indicate that the placenta is aging. Soooo... today, we talked plan and calendar. I am going to be getting twice-weekly NST's and biophysicals. And we are scheduling an amnio to test the baby's lungs for Feb. 26 or 27, at which point I will be 37 weeks. And if she is still breech, I will have the C-section in Peoria in the next days after that. OR, if she's not, I will be induced on Mar. 5, when my doc in Dixon will return from vacation.
While I'm not glad that there is anything worrisome going on, I am very glad to have a timeline in mind. And what is funny is that I have been thinking this baby's birthday would be Mar. 3 or Mar. 6 since we found out we were having a baby. I don't know if I shared here -- but Dennis called the birthdates of both of our other children. Annalivia's is 2/25/2005 and Daniel's is 2/7/2007. Easy days for their father to remember. I was very ticked off at him during Daniel's birth because I was induced on 2/5 and Daniel refused to be born until 2/7 and Dennis made the mistake of mentioning how he hoped Daniel would wait until the next day sometime in or around the 31st hour of labor. I told him he was absolutely, positively NOT allowed to make any requests whatsoever regarding Emmeliese's birthdate, but 3/3/09 or 3/6/09 would be nice for her father.
Anyway, that is the news! Just a few weeks to go!!!
Hi! I got your post via google alerts and I wanted to let you know that if your baby is still breech, your doctor may be able to try something called an External Cephalic Version(ECV) to manually turn the baby to a head down position. Here is more info on it: http://www.aafp.org/afp/980901ap/coco.html
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your little one!
Turn, baby, turn!
ReplyDeleteTurn, turn, turn. (Singing now...)
Oh, goodness, that sounds a LOT like my last pregnancy!
ReplyDeleteWe induced at 37 weeks after amnio and twice-weekly NST, but since the baby had turned THAT DAY, I walked over for inducement instead of a c-section.
I'll be praying for you!
TURN, BABY, TURN!!!
ReplyDeleteblessings as you navigate all the tests, etc. of the next few weeks.
((((april))))
April--if you do end up having to have the C-section, it really isn't that bad. After a few days, you will be feeling more like yourself. Yes, you will have to take it easy . . .but like you said in your other post, your mom is closeby now, so you will have the help you need! :)
ReplyDelete