My Happy Ending

WARNING: This could get lengthy! (I started writing this several weeks ago and have had no time to finish. I am determined to share the story of how the little guy who was due to arrive November 4th, came home over two weeks early!)

In my last post I wrote about a Dr.'s apt. that I had on the 12th of October. I was admitted as an outpatient that day and had a slew of tests run to make sure that "Baby" was thriving, and he was. That following Friday, the 15th, I was told to go in for a blood pressure check at our small town clinic where they discovered that my blood pressure was continuing to rise. I was sent home (back to bed rest), put on some BP medication and asked to again do a 24 hour urine sample on Sunday.

Monday the 18th of October....

I got up that morning feeling really frustrated. The BP medication they had put me on was creating a whole new set of problems. While it was lowering my BP, it was also causing me to black out! I wasn't comfortable with that and decided to stop taking it on Sunday. (I knew there was no way I could take the medicine before driving myself to my Dr.'s apt. Monday morning.)

I handed in my urine sample which they tested while I was there and my protein count had doubled since the week before. My BP was once again elevated since I'd stopped taking the meds, I had gained a few more pounds and the swelling hadn't gotten any better. My Dr. suggested that we go ahead and start discussing my induction at that point. I asked a ton of questions and at the end of my appointment asked when I should come back to have my "Baby"... that's when the Dr. said that we should go ahead and do it that day.

I was a little surprised but after she explained to me that sending me home could only complicate things that much more, I decided that I needed to do what was not only best for "Baby" but for Mommy too! My husband had stayed at work since he was really busy and I truly thought if we were going to get induced, that it wouldn't be for a few days. I called him after they had admitted me and gave instructions of what to pack in the bag since I was planning on doing that that afternoon. He was really surprised too!

They began giving me pitocin around 10:30 am. When the Dr. had checked me that morning I was at a 3 so she was confident that the pitocin would get things started with no problem and it did. She came back and broke my water at noon and shortly after that my husband arrived.

The contractions were really intense from the start. I was very ready for my epidural when the time came to get it done. Since my contractions were a minute apart, it took a lot longer to get my epidural started then it had when I had DS. I was never comfortable enough to rest (much less sleep) and while the epi took the edge off, it didn't completely take the pain away like I remember from my first delivery.

Things went much faster this time around as I had expected they would. Every time the Dr. came in to check me I had gotten further along, no stalling or stopping took place that day and by 4:30 pm I was at a 10 and ready to push. The Dr. came in, the nurses set up the "Baby" station and I began what took a mere 20 minutes of pushing. At one point during labor the nurse asked me to lie on my right side because the "Baby's" heart rate was all over the place. When he was born the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and one of his little feet... which was what was causing his heart rate to be all over the board.

He came into the world screaming, turned a beautiful shade of pink almost immediately and latched on like a pro after only a few minutes! I nursed him for awhile and when I had finished they checked him all over and handed him back to us. After a very long wait, we finally had the perfect little boy we'd been waiting for!

My blood pressure stabilized almost immediately after delivery, my carpal tunnel has disappeared, the swelling is gone and I've shaved off several pounds. I feel much better now that he is here and safe. Other than a "UTI" I feel almost back to my normal self again. I don't get much done other than nursing, pumping and changing diapers but I wouldn't have it any other way!

"Baby Craftysaur" or Maddox as we like to call him is almost 4 weeks old now. He is growing like a weed and developing quite a little personality! DS is absolutely in love with him and has been so sweet and gentle. We look forward to watching the boys grow up together and feel so blessed to finally have a sibling for our oldest son. It's been a long road from TTC, to the miscarriages, to the finally positive HPT that ended in a happy ending! Looking back I wouldn't change a thing! Sometimes the best gifts are worth the wait and in this case he definitely was!

So here I am ending my final post. I appreciate every one's kind and encouraging words along the way. I will continue to follow along in the rest of your journeys and continue to pray that each of you receive the happy ending you are all working so hard for!
Best of luck to you all... Craftysaur

Wonder Where I've Been?

If you are wondering where I've been... this should explain it all!

I will blog all about him as soon as I get a chance!

Sometimes my post-o temp spike leaves me wondering...

Hmmm.. is that 3/10ths spike gonna stay up?
Nope, went down 1/10th today.
Ooo.. it went back up!
Oh wait, yep FF gives crosshairs at 3dpo, so i guess I did.
Did I really ovulate?
Wow, low coverline.
Is my progesterone high enough?

This month there is no wonder. It's simple.

My temperature rose by 5/10's of a degree overnight.
Yes. I ovulated.

It also rose ANOTHER 2/10ths last night. Definitely a clear thermal shift! I wish it was always this simple. See teh sidebar for my chart if you want to see this amazing phenomenon! LOL!

We have definitely reached maximum BDing for the alloted time, so all we do now, is sit back, share some more of the awesome intimacy we've got going this month, and wait a few weeks to test for pregnancy.

Testing Halloween Morning...COME ON BFP!

Until next time...

dreamersaur

35/35

Yesterday marked the 35th week of my pregnancy and 35 days to go! I cannot believe that I have come this far. It´s all very surreal for me. I´m doing pretty well for 35 weeks, I think. I feel pretty immobile sometimes, but that´s to be expected. Some days are better than others. Today my tailbone really hurts, but maybe it´s all that sitting I´ve been doing at the sewing table to try and get things finished for the little one.

My to-do list is still pretty long, but I´ve knocked off a good chunk of it. Mr. Lillysaur needs to help me clean out the last couple of boxes out of our little girl´s room, hang a couple of pictures on the wall and fix the roman shade in there. I still need to find a lamp for some extra light, get a baby monitor, replacement screw for the crib (yes, we´ve lost one) and move a comfortable chair in there.

I´ve made an appt. to get the car serviced and the locking clip for the carseat installed. I´ve started packing the diaper bag and I´ve packed my hospital bag. Must not forget to charge the camera so that it´s ready to go when the time comes. Oh, and we must get the insurance forms filled out, that is if the agent ever sends them...So many things.

My next Dr.´s appt. is on Monday. I´m anxious to see if anything has changed. She said she´d check my cervix, do an ultrasound, check for Strep B and hepatitis and do another non stress test.

I´ve started drinking red rasberry leaf tea as the midwife in our birthing class suggested, and it´s not the yummiest thing, but with a bit of honey it´s ok. I also bought some special oil to use for perineum massages. Another thing recommended by the midwife. If it helps and keeps me from having to have an episiotomy, then I´m all for it. But I must say that massaging the perineum is a bit weird and even uncomfortable if I follow all the directions that came with the oil.

I´m sure there´s more to report, but pregnancy dementia has kicked in, and I just can´t think what it was I wanted to say! If I remember, I´ll certainly come back and post. Maybe during one of my nightly bouts with insomnia.

Tests, Tests & More Tests

Baby Craftysaur at 37 weeks... this was taken during a biopysical profile ultrasound.

My Dr.'s appointment on Monday didn't quite turn out the way I had hoped or expected! I woke up that morning feeling very nauseous with a splitting headache. I ended up throwing up three times before it was time to leave! My blood pressure wasn't terribly high compared to what it had been but I was a little puffy and starting to get a little concerned because of the vomiting. I had it in my head that we would be having a baby this week... it's now Thursday and I am still pregnant and on bed rest!

I turned in my "jug 'o pee" from my 24 hour urine analysis, peed in the cup, got weighed and sent back for my routine check up. The nurse took my blood pressure, asked a few questions and sent in the doctor. The doctor asked how I'd been feeling, measured me, listened to the "Baby" and then admitted me as an out patient to Labor and Delivery.

She ordered a non stress test which is where the mother (me) is hooked up to the fetal monitor just as she would be if she were in labor, and the response of the fetal movements is observed. She also ordered a biophysical profile which generally evaluates, through the use of ultrasound, 4 aspects of life in the uterus: fetal breathing, fetal movement, fetal tone and amniotic fluid volume. I was also given an IV due to dehydration caused by the vomiting.

While the tests were being performed they drew blood to check and make sure my liver and kidneys were functioning normally and they are. They did find protein in my urine again but it was at a +2 which isn't high enough for them to be concerned at this stage in my pregnancy. The non stress test showed that the baby is doing just fine and that I am having contractions off and on but not enough to categorize me as being in "active labor". The biophysical profile had to be done twice because the first time the radiologist came in she was unable to pass us due to my very sleepy "Baby". After a snack and a cold drink he was ready to perform and passed with flying colors in the first 10 minutes!

After about 4 hours or so I was dismissed, told to go home and remain on bed rest for another week and come back next Monday for more fun and games! I got the results of my 24 hour urine analysis back yesterday and I am being asked to retake that test... YUCK! Apparently the volume of urine was much lower than they liked to see. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to tell my nurses and doctors that I have been having trouble peeing. I will fill up on fluids this Sunday and again pee in my little jug only to blow up like a balloon from the retaining of the fluids and sit on the toilet for hours on end because of the pressure from not being able to pass much urine... YAY ME!

They are also considering another non stress test for Monday to check out the "little man" and make sure he is still doing OK. Hopefully we will have an answer as to whether or not I need to be induced next week. As far along as I am now, I am not sure I even want to mess with an induction as long as he's doing OK. I am feeling much better today and am tired of the testing and retesting and would honestly rather have labor set in on it's own between now and then. I am anxious to meet our Baby but as long as he's healthy on the inside, I say why not keep him that way and can we do it w/out remaining on bed rest... PLEASE!

I would love to hear some feedback from those of you who have been induced whether it be because of preeclampsia or other health related issues. What week were you induced and why? Were your baby's lungs fully mature upon delivery? Were your contractions that much more uncomfortable due to the induction? And finally, were you able to have a vaginal delivery w/out it turning into a C-section?

Cycle 13 TTC #3

Well, cycle 12 was a bust with AF knocking down the door at 11dpo.

So I'm starting all over again.

I feel slightly better about how I feel because I finally sat down and talked to daddy dreamersaur about it. I need answers, and without insurance it is going to come down to saving more money to get the testing done I need.

The first thing I want to do is get an HSG done. That's a test to see if my tube is blocked. If that is the problem.. well I'm done for. I can't afford a surgery to unblock it and I sure as hell can't afford IVF. If that is the problem well.. there will be a long drawn out rant about the unfairness of life and my TTC career is officially over.

If it isn't a blocked tube I need to do blood work for my thyroid again, test for PCOS, stand on my head? Maybe a real FSH level test? I used the one that came in my box of First Response pregnancy tests and "passed" but it's an indicator only. I'm not "old" but I'm pushing "advanced maternal age". I'm willing to test anything at this point.

Maybe my baby maker is just on it's last lap.. fun to drive but otherwise not very practical?

It can't be just plain old stupid bad luck.. I'm not THAT cursed!

Until next time.....

dreamersaur

Bed Rest Is For the Birds

The one thing I have been trying to avoid more than anything else this entire pregnancy has been the dreaded... BED REST! Who has time for laying in bed all day?! Not this Mama... especially not this week! During my pregnancy with DS I would have loved to have been told to go home and go to bed. Work was making me crazy and all I wanted was an excuse to get away a little early, but that never happened! This time around I have (an almost) four year old to keep up with... that doesn't leave much time for just laying around! And... it's the week of his birthday!

My appointments have been all over the place the past couple of weeks. There have been so many changes I have had to call before going in to make sure I have the right date and time. After a small get together with DS's school friends yesterday I had an appointment. Now, I will admit that I may have overdone it a touch on Tuesday. I mowed the lawn, made and decorated cupcakes for PreSchool and kind of cleaned the house (from top to bottom)! Nesting never felt so good, that is until it was time for bed! I vowed to never do that again and went on with my day yesterday.

I have been feeling a little nauseous, a lot tired, kinda sore and really weepy the last couple weeks. My hand, (you know, the one infested with carpal tunnel syndrome), has been really giving me fits lately and my back has never felt so sore. But other than that, I have felt great! When I got to my appointment yesterday the first thing I noticed that seemed a little off was my weight. I had gained 5 pounds in a week... WHAT?! How is that even possible, I've barely been able to eat anything because I've been so nauseous!

Moving on... my blood pressure was a little higher than normal. I thought nothing of this because I had just finished entertaining 7 four year olds before I got there. I even joked with the nurse about it, who said they'd just go ahead and check it again before I left. When the Dr. came in she asked how I'd been feeling, I told her and mentioned that peeing was becoming a real pain in the you-know-what. I went on to explain that it's not painful but uncomfortable because of the intense amount of pressure I feel every time I try and go.

She measured me and began trying to find "Baby's" heartbeat. Normally "Baby" has a very loud, very distinct heartbeat, but yesterday the Dr. was having a heard time even finding it! When she finally did it wasn't real loud. I got real nervous at that point and asked if everything was OK. She went on to explain that because of his position it was hard for her to get a very good listen, he had his back to my stomach. She then asked when I had had my last sonogram, I told her it was done at 21 weeks. She handed me my paper towel skirt and said she'd be back to check me to see if I had dilated.

I had started to dilate and was already at a two. This really came as no surprise to me because I knew he had dropped at least 2 weeks ago and when I had DS, I was at a 2-3 for 2-3 weeks before he was born. The nurse took my blood pressure again and asked if I could stick around awhile, I said that'd be fine and she asked me to lie down on my left side for 20 minutes. This happened two more times before the Dr. came in again.

When she came back in I could tell she didn't want to tell me whatever it was she had to say. She looked at me and said, "I don't know how to tell you this, but I have to put you on BED REST!" After a few tears I was released and asked to come back on Tuesday. They had found protein in my urine, my blood pressure was elevated and I had some pretty significant swelling ... all signs of preeclampsia!

I am on strict BED REST until Tuesday when I go back. If everything is back to normal I should be able to stay pregnant a few weeks longer, if not, they will then decide whether or not to induce labor. I have to check my blood pressure twice a day, stay off my feet unless it's to get up and go to the bathroom or get something to eat or drink and collect my urine for 24 hours on Monday. I have already had to miss DS's Pumpkin Patch Field Trip and am not going to be able to help my Mom and sister decorate and make ready for his party this weekend. BED REST IS FOR THE BIRDS!!!

I know I need to do whatever I can to stay pregnant for at least another week, but this SUCKS! Not only am I not ready, but now I can't even get ready without the help of my family and friends and I feel really bad about that! I would love to hear from anyone who has had to go through this... what did you do to keep from going insane?!

Appointment

After chatting with some friends about my current physical state, they suggested that I have my thyroid checked. I did have a lot of the symptoms of hypothyroidism, so I called and made an appointment with my GP. This was my first visit with my GP here and my first experience with my GP in the UK was less than ideal, so I was a little nervous about how it would go. Thankfully, she was very nice and I didn't even have to suggest the fertility bloodwork I was hoping to have done in addition to the thyroid. Bonus was I happened to be on CD23, so they did that bloodwork today! She also suggested my husband call the local hospital to set up an appointment for a S/A while I was doing all of this. I really appreciated how proactive she was about this.

The one interesting thing (to me at least) was when she asked me if I had been having spotting between periods. For probably 6 months prior to starting to TTC I was having spotting, sometimes it was a bit heavy. She said that this could mean my body wasn't producing enough hormones to fully ovulate. Huh. I didn't even know that could happen! Since we started TTC this has actually stopped and she said this was a good sign as my body was regulating itself again.

The results from the bloodwork should be back by Monday so we'll see what it says!

I've got the "almost a year" blues...

I'm sorry I haven't posted more often lately. I've been in a serious TTC funk.

So October 24 is one year TTC. What does that mean for THIS cycle, my 12th since beginning TTC. That means I' am 12 dpo and scared to death to test. I don't want to see a lonely single line this month. I think I may just fall to pieces if I do. Any other month I'd have been testing since 8dpo.

My chart is okay this month (link in sidebar). I ovulated close to a week late, and my post-o temps are really fluctuating. But I'm not taking any supplements and my LP is still more than 10 days so I guess that is a bonus, especially since I went 100% natural this month with no supplements at all to help O or my LPD (luteal phase defect). Maybe my body is straitening out just a little??

How do the women who TTC for 2-3-4-5 years do it!! I'm pushing one year and I am so ready to just give up!

Can everyone who is so inclined throw a little positive baby dust and prayers my way?? I'd love to be posting here as a real pregosaur and not just a TTCosaur....

Peerific

I did´t mean for it to be such a long time between posts, really. I was very excited about making the 31week post and including info from my Dr.´s visit that day. That was until I spent the rest of that day running around trying to get a urologist appt., going to said urologist, getting referal to hospital urology clinic, packing bag, taking care of dog, going to clinic, being admitted to said clinic, have a "procedure" and then being put in the ob/gyn ward at the hospital for women that they don´t want to see in L&D for a few more weeks...

To make a long story short, the kidney problem that put me in the hospital the first time, it got worse. A lot worse. My Ob/gyn took one look at the ultrasound pic and said "you NEED to see a urologist about this asap." I called and told the urologist´s nurse what the doctor said, she put the urologist on the phone and he asked a few questions, asked if I could be there in 15 minutes, that he could see me today. I went. He looked. He wrinkled his brow and said "not great for 31 weeks. Too long to go." Wrote out the referal for the hospital urology clinic to put in a stent and sent me on my way with the instructions to go TODAY.

I went. First I called Mr. Lillysaur who had to take off work and come home to get me and drive me there. I was sure I was going to come home after they did whatever they did. It is an out-patient procedure usually. Well, usually does not include pregnant women or people who have them put in as an emergency at 5.30 in the afternoon. The head doctor diagnosed me with hydrophrenosis of pregnancy in the 3rd degree. I signed lots of papers, met with the anesthesiologist for the just in case the stent doesn´t work, can we put in a tube from outside...

I got changed into my special gown, put the special shoes on waited for the Dr. and his assistent Dr. and yet another assistent and then the nurse. The nurse scrubbed me down, she was very nice and very reassuring, calmed my nerves, told me she´d had some of the same procedure done and that it´s really, really not bad. A bit uncomfortable, but not bad, and short and sweet. The anesthesiologist gave me a shot of something to sedate me since they couldn´t do any local anesthesia given that I´m pregnant. The procedure was relatively short, I think. Maybe about 15 minutes? It wasn´t terrible, but it was a bit uncomfortable when the shoved the stent up there. But then it was over, and then came the catheter....

I was rushed off to the ob/gyn ward for them to put me on the monitor and make sure that things were ok with baby and that this little procedure hadn´t caused any contractions...I was beginning to feel the pain, so they hooked me up to an IV with perfalgan (Tylenol) which was only midly useful. But hey, when you are pregnant there isn´t a whole lot that they can give you.
I began having contractions and was given nifidipine to stop them. It worked. I was very, very thankful, but I spent the next five days with a catheter stuffed up my whoo haa and being hooked up to a monitor 2-3 times a day. The stent improved things slightly, but only slightly so I was given antibiotics to take and told to come back for close monitoring...

I am at the Dr.´s every week now, and when I am not at the Dr.´s then I am at home resting. I was told that bed rest wasn´t necessary, but resting and putting my feet up at home were. So that is what is "new" with me at 32w5d.