Squid update
33 weeks and ticking...
When I got back from Germany, I had a day of prep, a day of all-day grueling meetings in Sacramento, and then a prenatal appointment. Whoa, hectic! The prenatal appointment was pretty routine - They checked weight and urine composition and heartbeat (link goes to a .wav file of the squid's fetal heartbeat - they let me record it on my cell phone, so cool) and then I got measured, which is essentially the doctor with a tape measure checking to make sure the uterus is growing at about the right rate.
Well, I'm typing away on my cell, sending the .wav file to myself and grinning, and the doctor (I really like my doctor) says, "You're looking a little on the small side - I'd like to do an ultrasound just to check." My first thought was "YAY ultrasound!" because I really like actually getting to see the squid, and we haven't had one for two and a half months now. But then I was in the waiting room and they were trying to get me a same-day appointment, and I kind of woke up a bit and had a wee panic. So I said to the doctor, "We are just checking, right?" and he said yes.
I toddled over to the ultrasound facility and they squeezed me in - the admission code in the computer said "Pregnancy complications" but I figured they probably had that code for any ultrasound that wasn't on the regular first-or-second-trimester schedule. The poor harried ultrasound tech was kind enough to double-check sex for me (yup, definitely a boy) and take some prints of the squid's face once she finished her measurements - and then I was sent out to the waiting room to wait until the doctor could review the results. Well, I thought that was a bit odd - I mean, last time they just called me the next day and told me the measurements were perfect - but I waited for about 45 minutes and then the doctor called through.
It turns out that the ultrasound showed that I have low amniotic fluid indexes - basically, young Ray is swimming in a very shallow swimming pool. This could be due to a number of factors, some simple, some less so, so the doctor had me go up to labor and delivery for the afternoon and overnight, where they have pumped more fluid into me through the IV drip (between that and the water I'm still drinking, it's about 200 ounces in 14 hours so far) in hopes of raising the amniotic fluid levels back to normal. This was very scary at first - to go from "everything's fine, just checking because you're a little small" to "6-20 hours in hospital" is a real mental adjustment. Apparently I was pretty dehydrated - I feel like I drink water constantly, but maybe not enough. I think I'd rather have it be my fault and have the guilt and an easier fix than have it be something else that isn't my fault but which I also can't control or make better.
My mother came down and sat with me all last evening and this morning and took care of the dogs and helped keep my mind off it all, god bless her. And poor Himself called from Bangalore when he woke up and got my email - I think in some ways this whole thing is scarier for him than it is for me, because I have my support systems and knowledgeable people surrounding me and reassuring me, and I know what's going on all the time. Whereas for him, he just knows I'm in the hospital, and even though everything's probably fine, that's still scary to think about when you're in a different continent and time zone. What a time to have complications - the only two weeks we are separated out of the entire nine months!
Murphy, you and your law? Suck.*
Links related to low amnitoic fluid (disregard the "birth defect" notes in the "possible cause" section, as the doctor has fairly definitively assured me that that's not the case here):There's a strong likelihood that I will need to be induced a few weeks early (2-4?) but the doctor says the squid looks fine other than being a bit small and seems to be doing well. (Part of the reason I wasn't worried at first is that he's so very active - bonking around in there at all hours of the day and night.) So we're pretty sure no harm's been done and everyone will come out just fine.
Back from the hospital, six hours (and at least 64 more ounces) later...
Well, I've had a third ultrasound and seen the doctor, and it seems to have been mostly brought on by the combination of international travel on Sunday and this huge meeting that ate my Tuesday. But I'm to rest, drink lots of fluids, do nothing strenuous (I have a license to sloth!) and they'll re-check my fluid levels on Tuesday, and we may know more then. Early induction still seems likely, but I'm hoping to hold out until March, at which point we'll be well within the normal range and the squid will be fully baked to my satisfaction. My belly is visibly bigger with all this new fluid in it, for sure...I feel stretched, kind of. I think if I didn't have this damn cold, I'd actually be feeling pretty good, but as it is, I'm going to take a nap and then drink another few quarts and then go to bed.
On the plus side of this whole ordeal, I've gotten to meet a lot of the hospital staff and get more used to the equipment, rooms, and procedures, and I sure as hell have gotten a big fat reminder to drink more water. I got a few more ultrasounds, which are always neat (I can see the squid's spine! and his ribs! all four chambers of his wee beating heart! and his looong umbilical cord!) and got to listen to his steady heartbeat for hours, which sounds often like a small angry dog, but can also resemble a galloping horse, a drum, or a train, depending on how he is swimming and what he is doing.
Amusingly enough, I almost fainted when they started the IV; that's a real first for me, as needles and blood have never bothered me much before. I got all woozy and flushed and broke out in a sweat and had to close my eyes and breathe deeply and everything! The nurse called me a "delicate flower". All of you who know me may now fall over laughing.
* Though God knows this pregnancy has been far, far, far from a case of "whatever can go wrong will go wrong," so I should not complain.
When I got back from Germany, I had a day of prep, a day of all-day grueling meetings in Sacramento, and then a prenatal appointment. Whoa, hectic! The prenatal appointment was pretty routine - They checked weight and urine composition and heartbeat (link goes to a .wav file of the squid's fetal heartbeat - they let me record it on my cell phone, so cool) and then I got measured, which is essentially the doctor with a tape measure checking to make sure the uterus is growing at about the right rate.
Well, I'm typing away on my cell, sending the .wav file to myself and grinning, and the doctor (I really like my doctor) says, "You're looking a little on the small side - I'd like to do an ultrasound just to check." My first thought was "YAY ultrasound!" because I really like actually getting to see the squid, and we haven't had one for two and a half months now. But then I was in the waiting room and they were trying to get me a same-day appointment, and I kind of woke up a bit and had a wee panic. So I said to the doctor, "We are just checking, right?" and he said yes.
I toddled over to the ultrasound facility and they squeezed me in - the admission code in the computer said "Pregnancy complications" but I figured they probably had that code for any ultrasound that wasn't on the regular first-or-second-trimester schedule. The poor harried ultrasound tech was kind enough to double-check sex for me (yup, definitely a boy) and take some prints of the squid's face once she finished her measurements - and then I was sent out to the waiting room to wait until the doctor could review the results. Well, I thought that was a bit odd - I mean, last time they just called me the next day and told me the measurements were perfect - but I waited for about 45 minutes and then the doctor called through.
It turns out that the ultrasound showed that I have low amniotic fluid indexes - basically, young Ray is swimming in a very shallow swimming pool. This could be due to a number of factors, some simple, some less so, so the doctor had me go up to labor and delivery for the afternoon and overnight, where they have pumped more fluid into me through the IV drip (between that and the water I'm still drinking, it's about 200 ounces in 14 hours so far) in hopes of raising the amniotic fluid levels back to normal. This was very scary at first - to go from "everything's fine, just checking because you're a little small" to "6-20 hours in hospital" is a real mental adjustment. Apparently I was pretty dehydrated - I feel like I drink water constantly, but maybe not enough. I think I'd rather have it be my fault and have the guilt and an easier fix than have it be something else that isn't my fault but which I also can't control or make better.
My mother came down and sat with me all last evening and this morning and took care of the dogs and helped keep my mind off it all, god bless her. And poor Himself called from Bangalore when he woke up and got my email - I think in some ways this whole thing is scarier for him than it is for me, because I have my support systems and knowledgeable people surrounding me and reassuring me, and I know what's going on all the time. Whereas for him, he just knows I'm in the hospital, and even though everything's probably fine, that's still scary to think about when you're in a different continent and time zone. What a time to have complications - the only two weeks we are separated out of the entire nine months!
Murphy, you and your law? Suck.*
Links related to low amnitoic fluid (disregard the "birth defect" notes in the "possible cause" section, as the doctor has fairly definitively assured me that that's not the case here):There's a strong likelihood that I will need to be induced a few weeks early (2-4?) but the doctor says the squid looks fine other than being a bit small and seems to be doing well. (Part of the reason I wasn't worried at first is that he's so very active - bonking around in there at all hours of the day and night.) So we're pretty sure no harm's been done and everyone will come out just fine.
Back from the hospital, six hours (and at least 64 more ounces) later...
Well, I've had a third ultrasound and seen the doctor, and it seems to have been mostly brought on by the combination of international travel on Sunday and this huge meeting that ate my Tuesday. But I'm to rest, drink lots of fluids, do nothing strenuous (I have a license to sloth!) and they'll re-check my fluid levels on Tuesday, and we may know more then. Early induction still seems likely, but I'm hoping to hold out until March, at which point we'll be well within the normal range and the squid will be fully baked to my satisfaction. My belly is visibly bigger with all this new fluid in it, for sure...I feel stretched, kind of. I think if I didn't have this damn cold, I'd actually be feeling pretty good, but as it is, I'm going to take a nap and then drink another few quarts and then go to bed.
On the plus side of this whole ordeal, I've gotten to meet a lot of the hospital staff and get more used to the equipment, rooms, and procedures, and I sure as hell have gotten a big fat reminder to drink more water. I got a few more ultrasounds, which are always neat (I can see the squid's spine! and his ribs! all four chambers of his wee beating heart! and his looong umbilical cord!) and got to listen to his steady heartbeat for hours, which sounds often like a small angry dog, but can also resemble a galloping horse, a drum, or a train, depending on how he is swimming and what he is doing.
Amusingly enough, I almost fainted when they started the IV; that's a real first for me, as needles and blood have never bothered me much before. I got all woozy and flushed and broke out in a sweat and had to close my eyes and breathe deeply and everything! The nurse called me a "delicate flower". All of you who know me may now fall over laughing.
* Though God knows this pregnancy has been far, far, far from a case of "whatever can go wrong will go wrong," so I should not complain.
posted by The Stute Fish at 16:15
2 Comments:
I've got my fingers crossed for you and a healthy rest of pregnancy for you and the bump. Also for an easy labor and healthy baby.
To help guarantee a quick labor, do not read the section in the books on "fast labor". C and I ignored that section in our favorite labor prep book (the birth partner) and I ended up with 4 hours from contractions to cord cutting.
My mom had a 2-hour labor, so I have my fingers crossed it will happen for us! (I like The Birth Partner too, but honestly, I'm ready for anything from a c-section to back labor to a quick and easy delivery - I just don't know, and I'm getting more comfortable with that as the time gets closer.)
Thanks for the crossed fingers. I'm guzzling fluids still (which leads to constant heartburn and more trouble sleeping, but whatever) and taking it easy, for the most part (the house is a MESS) and hopefully Tuesday I'll get an all-clear.
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