TTC: I went off my BC pills around our first anniversary. It had been 10+ years since I'd been off of them so I expected it to take it a little while to get my body to a regular cycle. But after a year with only 3 periods and tests to confirm I wasn't ovulating we decided to try Clomid. The first 2 rounds at 50 and 100 didn't cause me to ovulate at all. The 3rd and 4th rounds, both at 150, did cause ovulation.
June 1: The best birthday present ever, a POSITIVE pregnancy test!
June 30: This was our first Dr appt and u/s. The u/s showed me to be about 9 weeks along and my due date was set at January 31, 2010. Baby's Heart Rate was 180+.
August 3 (14 weeks): Check up. Baby's HR 152.
August 24 (17 weeks): Baby's HR 137. My BP 124/70. I felt baby's first movement at 17w 5d and was feeling consistent movement around 20 weeks. Quad screen test was performed last week and the results came back with an increased risk of Down syndrome. My risk was 1/80, which is considerably higher than the risk based on my age and is considered a "positive" test. Level II u/s scheduled for next week.
18 weeks: Level II u/s performed in Denver. Baby's long bones in arms and legs were measuring about a week behind. Dr advised that this is a marker for Down syndrome, but a weak marker. Ds risk left at 1/80. Amnio was offered but we declined as we wouldn't terminate and didn't want to risk a miscarriage. Dr wants to watch baby's growth so we will have u/s every 4-6 weeks.
September 25 (21 weeks): Baby's HR 139. Darren felt the baby move at 21w 6d. You could see the baby's movement from the outside at 22w 1d.
October 6 (23 weeks): Baby's HR 138. My BP 118/70. Growth scan looked good. Arm/legs bones still measuring about a week behind. Back in 4 weeks for growth scan and 3D u/s.
November 6 (27 weeks): Baby's HR 135. My BP 120/72. Arms/leg bones still measuring the same. Baby's overall growth was right on track. The u/s tech found that the dopplers, blood flow through the cord, were elevated and this could cause IUGR. Back to Denver to have high risk Drs look at the dopplers.
November 11 (28 weeks): The Dr confirmed that the dopplers are elevated. This could indicated a problem with the placenta. Back in one week to see if dopplers have changed.
November 18 (29 weeks): Dopplers are still elevated and values are the roughly the same as last week. The u/s tech and the Dr found what appears to be a heart defect. If the defect is confirmed to be an AVSD this will increase our risk for Ds to 50/50 odds. Back next week to check dopplers and a growth scan. Also meeting with a pediatric cardiologist for an echo on the baby's heart to see if we can confirm defect.
November 20 ( 29 weeks): Check up. Baby's HR 139. My BP 124/70. Glucose and CBC are normal.
30 weeks: First appt was with the cardiologist. The tech did the echo and said that she was able to get all the pictures she needed for the Dr to review. The cardiologist confirmed that the defect is an AVSD, and that this defect is very common in babies that have Ds. He told us that our baby would need open heart surgery before 6 months of age. He said that the surgery has very good results and that meds aren't normally needed after the repair is completed. We left the appt feeling good and headed to the growth scan. Dopplers were still elevated, but unchanged. Baby's growth still good overall with long bones still measuring short. Back in 4 weeks for another growth scan. Weekly non-stress tests and fluid level checks will also be performed at regular OB. Amnio was offered again but we declined as we didn't want to risk preterm labor
31 weeks: Went to regular OB for NST and baby was non-responsive. Since my Dr wouldn't be in for a while they sent me to L&D to be monitored. I spent 2 hours on the monitor before they got the activity the were happy with. The baby's HR was always steady, but they said it wasn't increasing enough with the movement. Dr advised to watch kick counts closely.
32 weeks: Another NST with OB. Baby's heart rate in response to the movements still wasn't what they wanted it to be. BPP was done and baby passed with a full score so they let us come home. Still advising to watch kick counts.
December 15 (33 weeks): Baby passed NST. Fluid levels good. I didn't seem much difference between this NST and the prior 2 weeks, but the Dr said it looked better. I wonder if they have just decided my baby responds a little differently than most.
34 weeks: Growth scan in Denver. Baby's overall growth is right at 50th percentile. Long bones about 2-3 weeks behind. Dopplers still elevated but unchanged. Baby's weight estimated at 4 lb 11 oz. Back in 3 weeks to pick induction date.
December 29 (35 weeks): Baby's HR 138. My BP 130/88. Baby passed NST. Fluid levels good.
January 5 (36 weeks): Baby's HR 133. MY BP 128/88. Baby passed NST. Fluid levels good.
January 12 (37 weeks): Headed back to Denver for last growth scan and to pick induction date. The growth scan showed that baby hadn't grown at all from the last u/s 3 weeks ago. All measurements at this time are 3-4 weeks behind. So, it's time to have a baby!
As I read back over this time line, the one thing I've left out is the emotion of being pregnant. I LOVED being pregnant! I did have an easy time of it, no morning sickness, not too much weight gain, but the whole experience was just amazing for me. I loved knowing that a new person was growing and would soon make an entrance into the world. I loved feeling every wiggle and movement of the baby. I was even sorry to have missed out on the last 3 weeks of my pregnancy.
But I also worried. I worried about our baby's health. I worried that something was going to happen to her before she was born. But all of this worry stemmed from the tests that we had. We would discover some new problem with the pregnancy, I would finally get comfortable, and then something new would pop up. While the tests were very helpful at the end, when she wasn't growing, I'm still unsure if we will do all this scanning and testing on our next baby.
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