Hospital Day 79 - 34 1/2 weeks!

Psalm 27:14 ~ Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Waiting is a skill I've honed these last three months, and having the perspective of waiting on the Lord has definitely helped me in times that have seemed confusing, overwhelming and endless. I feel like we're really turned a corner this week now that we've made it to 34 weeks! That was the long awaited goal for so long, what we were shooting for, hoping and praying for. And, here we are! The "plan" has been adapted to accommodate the unexpected, as the doctors are now thrilled to have a new goal of 37 weeks. So, I thought I'd lay out for you the new plan as well as the wonderful results of our ultrasound today. I will officially turn 37 weeks on Sunday, September 12th. Early that week, they will do another scan to make sure baby is still head down, and if so, will proceed with an amniocentesis to check lung maturity and look for infection in the amniotic fluid. As long as the lungs show no signs of immaturity, we will have the green light for delivery. Because my delivery with Stella ended up in a c-section, the type of delivery will be dependent upon many things, the first being the baby's position. If he's head down then they will start the induction process and do everything to assist me in a safe vaginal delivery. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be thrilled about induction, (I happily avoided it last time and Stella was 11 days late), but considering the situation, and that I trust my doctors, I feel good about it. I'm growing more nervous daily, but am beyond excited to finally meet our sweet boy, and welcome him into the world, thanking God for His first breath and every one that follows. Your prayers that the induction is successful, and we are able to have a safe delivery regardless are SO appreciated.

Our ultrasound today showed that he weighs 5 lbs 10 oz! My fluid level is 21.5, holding fast at a great level! He was in a better position today to be viewed, and we went away with some great pictures. I saw him open his eyes slightly and even what looked like a little smile! We were also told that he has lots of hair... how they can tell, I have no idea, but another cute detail to think about.

As we're nearing the end of this part of the journey, I want to again thank you so much for your love and support, and your prayers that continue to envelope us. My appreciation and reverence for life, faith, miracles and hope have deepened and grown more steadfast than ever.

With love,
Kristin

Hospital Day 60 - 31 1/2 weeks!!

Sorry I've kept you hanging for a while. Up until this week, there really wasn't much to report. I figured the details of hospital life, as exciting as it sounds, might not make for a very interesting read. Last week, I seemed to be feeling a bit more down, but thankfully after a great weekend with family and turning 31 weeks, I'm in much better spirits. Yesterday was another growth scan which brought some interesting results. Baby appears to weigh 4 lbs 6 oz, which shows growth in the 71st percentile. My fluid level was 26... Ready for a twist? That's actually 1 point above the "normal" level. There is actually a diagnosis for TOO much fluid called polyhydramnios. We don't seem to be in that territory right now, but considering at my lowest point it was 1.3 cm, this is quite a turn of events!! One cause of excess fluid can be gestational diabetes. So, considering the level is just over normal, and that the baby measured really big at the last scan (over 95th percentile) and finally, my initial blood glucose level was 137 (close to the cut off of 140) during my first glucose screening at 26 wks, they decided to re-screen me for gestational diabetes. I failed the initial one hour test yesterday, so I had to do the three hour screening this morning. Thankfully, after another round of liquid sugar and having blood drawn four times during a 3 hour period, all the readings were normal, so they are no longer concerned about GD. Needless to say, it's probably not a bad idea for me to be a little more conscientious of my intake of sweets and carbs. So, that will cut out some things I've enjoyed, but will be better for us. They will continue to check my fluid level weekly to see that it isn't increasing too much as well as check for the baby's position. Thus far, since having such a swimming pool for him to now enjoy, his position hasn't been consistent. He's been all over the place, making up for lost time I can only assume. We are hopeful that he will get cosy in the vertex or head down position which would be favorable for a normal delivery and help potentially avoid another c-section. There will be other variables affecting the type of delivery, but we'll know more as the time draws closer.

So, we're still waiting, BUT getting more excited as we know we're getting so much closer. I've seen a number of doctors since being here, so they will begin discussions next week about "the plan." Originally, the goal was to get to 34 wks and then deliver, as that is their standard procedure in cases of pre-mature rupture. However, our situation has been quite an anomaly, it sounds like they are considering letting me go beyond 34 weeks since I have more than enough fluid. I'm really interested to hear how that discussion goes... I would love to make it a bit further, because that will give baby even more time to grow. It's hard for me right now to comprehend weeks past 34 as I've spent a long time focusing on the goal of reaching 34 weeks on August 22nd, and the idea of being here longer is more than daunting. We'll take one thing at a time though, as we've always done, continuing to be so thankful to STILL be here. A lot can happen over the next 3 weeks, so I don't want to get ahead of things.

That's pretty much the scoop right now. My mom is bringing Stella up tomorrow for the weekend, and Ryan will be here Saturday evening after work. It's always such a relief when they get here and we experience another weeks turn over together.

I imagine for most of you, summer is coming to a close. It's crazy to me that I've missed an entire season during all this!! When I first came into the hospital, I noticed how the sun was setting later and later every night and now, I'm noticing just the opposite. I've been here for two months! I've been sad to miss out on all of the things I love about summer... sun, flowers, the sound of lawn mowers, lightening bugs, swimming, and most of all, enjoying it with Stella... and yet, all things to look forward, appreciate, and savor next year with her AND our little miracle.

With love,
Kristin