Relief

Daniel and I have decided that this pregnancy is "Undercover Healthy". But first I will tell you about our latest adventures.

On Monday evening we went to the hospital for another Non-Stress Test (NST) and Ultrasound to test the level of Amniotic Fluid around the baby (called an AFI). A while back, I had too much fluid which isn't the worst thing in the world (and goes hand in hand with Gestational Diabetes) but can cause seriously complications during labor. Well, it seems that as soon as the diabetes got under control, so did the fluid levels. They are now totally normal (65th percentile, where before they were in the 95th).

We were about 30 minutes into the NST, just Daniel and I alone in the room, giggling and listing to the baby's heartbeat. Then suddenly it didn't sound quite right. We've heard this kid's heart beat a LOT and it's been consistently very strong and steady at around 140 bpm. Now we were scratching our heads wondering if what we were hearing was MY heartbeat since it was so much slower.

Moments later our nurse returned and seconds after that our tiny observation was filled with seven nurses in a flurry of panic and activity. Oxygen mask. And one kept strapping a band around my arm in different spots to put a IV in. I was, quite admittedly, freaking out. Before they could the IV in, I demanded to know what was going on. Well, they didn't know, but they wanted to make sure the baby was okay. I needed to know what was in the IV bag before they stuck the needle in. Just fluids to keep me hydrated. I tried to keep my focus on Daniel who was very reassuring. The whole thing was very, very, VERY upsetting.

The baby was fine. They suggested that maybe he had just rolled over on his cord for a moment and that this could happen all the time, but since they aren't monitoring all the time, we don't know about it and thus, it's treated as an emergency. The whole thing was fucked up.

But there is good news. We had the ultrasound after that and they ordered a complete "Bio Physical Profile" (BPP) - basically, a very complete ultrasound where they check everything. The result? Everything is really good. The baby is getting great blood flow through the umbilical cord from the placenta, and as they score the test, it came out 8 out 8. The protiens they were testing for during the 24 hour stay have completely gone away. My blood sugars have all been really steady and controlled for weeks now.

Undercover Healthy. :)

Alright, if you're still reading, here is the most important news. We're very likely going to be having this baby on November 1st. They will be inducing labor (unless I manage to go into labor on my own which is unlikely) on the evening of October 31st. I'll be 37 weeks - technically full-term. Induction usually takes a long time (just like regualr labor, only we'll have to do it at the hospital) and so he'll probably come out on the 1st.

Of course, in an ideal world, we'd be having a completely natural water birth. The GD and now the pre-eclampsia have removed that possibility. The longer the baby stays inside, the more unhealthy the environment becomes for him. At 37 weeks, his lungs are fully mature and it's unlikely that he'll have to stay at the hospital. Not to mention that pre-eclampsia is rather scary for me. The high-blood pressure can cause seizures and even death. Yeah. Do. Not. Want. Daniel has been really strict with keeping me on bed rest. He's amazing. Have I mentioned that?

So, induction involves the use of Pitocin. It is the synthetic version of the hormone Oxytocin (the love hormone) that is what normally starts labor. With luck, that will be the only unnatural part of this. Pitocin "inspires" the uterus to begin contracting. Maybe Friday we'll be trying some "natural" ways to induce labor. Accupressure among them. No guarantee that it'll work, but it probably won't hurt.

We have a wonderful doula who will be with us the whole time. She has already played a remarkable role in helping me feel like we have ownership over this experience (not something that the hospital tends to inspire). I also suspect that she was vital to the protien thing being resolved. She told me to eat 5-10 hard boiled eggs and take liquid calcium magnesium. I was giggling inside at the hippieness of it, but I did it and the turn around was incredible. Complete reversal of the amount of protiens found.

What happens now? After the 24 stay, faced with the reality that we might be having this baby a lot sooner than expected, the doula suggested that I really try to prepare. I've been really focused on saying goodbye to my pregnancy. I'm feeling much more ready. And having a date (a luxury most women don't get) really helps. I'm incredibly excited and I feel like I don't have to go around each day being afraid that today is the day. I've also decided that this Tuesday will be my last day of work (and Daniel's for that matter). We can spend the last few days together, holed up in our nest, filling the house with good energy for when the baby comes home.

I'm thinking he won't care too much if its not spotless. :)