Pregnancy :: Blogging Baby

Well, I've certainly taken a considerable amount of time off from blogging, and hadn't necessarily planned on returning at any point, but there is a lot going on here and this might be the most effective way to keep everyone in the loop.... :)

I went to the OB yesterday for the first time since the move (18 weeks), and although I've griped and drug my feet terribly through the process I have to say that it was a positive experience all things considered. Luckily I was automatically routed to a high risk fetal maternal medicine team. While at the time I thought that was a bit unnecessary, it turned out to be a real time saver as that is where I would've ended up anyway.

We started with a sonogram at 9:30AM. While I expected it would take some time, I had no idea that it would go on for hours. It was amazing to see the baby for such a long period of time, but it was also exhausting. Because of the findings of the initial tech, they involved several others, including the top u/s doc at the hospital and, when it was all said and done, here's what we now know:

The baby has hydronephroses. This is the same kidney disease Langdon has also, with the main difference being that this little guy has it in both kidneys from the very start. It is currently mild, which is great. I have a feeling (judging by Lang's experience) that it will progress up to the moderate range before delivery, but most likely we can handle it with the same positive results that we saw with Lang. The odds of this are 1 in 10,000. We have 2 children with it, and there are no genetic contributing factors.... Thus, why Michael and I don't play the lottery; or perhaps, we should play the lottery, kwim?



I again have polyhydramnios (excessive fluid) and in a big way. Once again, we will probably see this condition worsen considerably as the pregnancy progresses (drawing again from our personal experience with Lang) however, this time they can draw fluid off using the amnioreduction option, whereas last time they couldn't. While this condition is most often associated with central nervous defects, it also occasionally occurs with absolutely no explanation; such seems to be our case. My fundal height is at 44cm instead of 32 cm, just to give you an idea what this condition looks like on the outside. :)

And, finally? Baby is weighing in at a whopping 5 pounds 3 oz. For 32 weeks this is just absurd. They are running a multitude of tests looking at different possibilities as to his size. Time will tell if it can be explained; we certainly never saw anything like this with any of the others. Even in the sonogram pics (which I will scan and post ASAP) you can see that he is one seriously short, fat little baby. Very rarely can you call a fetus on a sonogram image cute, but he was adorable. The techs took extra pics to show people is how much of an impression he made. We are currently referring to his condition as being "fluffy"....


After the sonogram, we continued onto the OB directly. After several hours of poking, prodding, and testing we ended up here:

I have Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). It's such an ugly thing to say, and it's uglier to feel. I had thought the clicky and slidy aspect of my pelvis this pregnancy was getting a little out of hand, but didn't worry about it until I actually began to crawl about, and the pain got really quite bad. We're starting physical therapy next week (I don't know how I'm going to find time to do this - and I already refused their cane, thanks for asking), and they've got me on some great painkillers. They don't fix it by any means, but they help. And that's something. It's exaggerated by the excess fluid/large baby situation, which I thought was all in all a wonderfully ironic combo (or all they all somehow interrelated as I never had this with any of my other pregnancies? Can't say.....). We'll continue physical therapy post partum and I should be able to ambulate like a person again by 3 months after giving birth. Yippee.

This particular OB practice loves, loves, loves VBAC (vaginal births after cesarean). Becca also loves, loves, loves VBAC. However, I have no interest in trying to squeeze a 43# confused fetus, through a tidal wave of fluid, using a defective pelvis all the while hoping my uterus doesn't explode. I believe I'm opting for a c-section, and by the end of the appt. they were recommending a c-section, so I think that's settled. For now. However, we can't plan when. If they can control everything going on they would shoot for 39 weeks, but all docs on the team were in agreement that we will likely go considerably earlier and probably with the decision being made as an emergency c-section situation. If we do go the amnioreduction route with the fluid, they will begin testing for lung maturity at 34/35 weeks and again at each drain. In other words, they will not plan my c-section for Talk Like A Pirate Day. Only real strike against them.......................

That's it for now. I have to go in every single week from here on out, so anything I've forgotten to add will probably surface somewhere down the line. Watch for me to post his sonogram pics tonight or tomorrow (still waiting for the scanner to get hooked up)..............