I'm officially the most pregnant I've ever been. Yea for baby #3!!
We had our 37 week check-up today. There is more progress to report--yea!!
I am now dilated to 4cm, which is the minimum they like to see before they'll admit you. I'm 80% effaced and the baby's head has now lowered into the 0 station. It is exciting to see so much progress in a week.
The doctor stripped my membranes today (they do this in attempt to trigger labor) and said that if anything is going to happen it will within 24 hours. Other than some extra crampiness I haven't had anything happen yet, so we'll see. Of course we are also going to have a snowstorm tonight and a change in barometric pressure can sometimes trigger labor. I'm not crossing my fingers, though.
My blood pressure was still okay, but slowly rising. This is often a step toward preeclampsia, a slow upward movement. I mentioned to the doctor that Grace's birthday (the 8th) is next weekend and since my next appointment is two days prior (6th) to Grace's birthday, I'm concerned that if my blood pressure is high they'd want to induce me on the 6th. My doctor was very understanding and is going to have me come in next Tuesday for a blood pressure check. If it is showing an increase, they'll induce me that very day.
I'm of the opinion that I don't want my blood pressure to go up, but if it is going to I'd rather they do something about it before Grace's birthday rather than wait for it to get worse and then have to be in the hospital for it.
Looks like it might be soon!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Progress
We had our 36 week doctor appointment (although I'm nearly at 37 weeks, oh well) today. This is the first time that they checked to see what progress has been made. That's always exciting because you know the end is near. The baby will hopefully be born sometime in the next 3 weeks or so.
My blood pressure looked completely normal, so it appears that I may actually have a baby on his/her own schedule (but please, please not on Grace's birthday!!). Although with Grace it was actually rather nice to be induced since she was considered full-term and that allowed my parents to get here in time without all the rushing to the hospital business. But it would be nice to deliver without the benefit of a blood pressure cuff strapped to my arm.
Anyway, for those who are interested I am dilated 3cm (out of 10) and 70% effaced (100% is the goal) and the baby's head is in -1 station (0 is considered engaged and +4 is when the head is leaving the body). Relatively good progress for how far along I am. Technically speaking the baby could arrive at any time. Or I could remain the same for the next few weeks. What will be more telling will be seeing whether there is any change between now and my next doctor appointment. Or, I suppose, if a baby shows up before then :-)
My blood pressure looked completely normal, so it appears that I may actually have a baby on his/her own schedule (but please, please not on Grace's birthday!!). Although with Grace it was actually rather nice to be induced since she was considered full-term and that allowed my parents to get here in time without all the rushing to the hospital business. But it would be nice to deliver without the benefit of a blood pressure cuff strapped to my arm.
Anyway, for those who are interested I am dilated 3cm (out of 10) and 70% effaced (100% is the goal) and the baby's head is in -1 station (0 is considered engaged and +4 is when the head is leaving the body). Relatively good progress for how far along I am. Technically speaking the baby could arrive at any time. Or I could remain the same for the next few weeks. What will be more telling will be seeing whether there is any change between now and my next doctor appointment. Or, I suppose, if a baby shows up before then :-)
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Plague
I've been MIA for far too long, I know. But bear with me, I do have a good excuse!!
Just after my last post we discovered that our brand new kitty had brought more than love into our home, but also ringworm. I'd heard of it, but never realized what a horrible thing it is to deal with.
Apparently there is no "cure" for ringworm, just treatment. And it takes a long time. We are going into our 6th week of treatment for Callie, and our dog Marcy also caught it, and she's going into week 5 (although only 4 for both with oral medication). Daphne has escaped unscathed so far, and we're hoping it will stay that way. Apparently ringworm will usually resolve itself in about 3-4 months, but if you want to shorten that, you must treat it aggressively.
Every week we give the animals two lime dips (a foul-smelling rinse that stains everything it comes into contact with and threatens to suffocate you with its stink!) and two anti fungal baths (that we have to let sit on their skin for 10 minutes before rinsing off). We are also giving them daily oral meds which costs a ridiculous amount of money. It has been an ordeal, to be sure, and all of this in my last trimester of pregnancy.
The vet told us that Callie is a carrier, and doesn't have any actual "spots", so there is no visual way to see if she is recovering. Marcy has spots on her nose which are pretty much gone now. We're taking a gamble and releasing them this Saturday when they are done with their medication. The vet said that they are usually clear two weeks after hair starts growing back into their spots. Marcy's started that two weeks ago and Callie never had any. However, the only 100% sure way to find out whether or not they are cured is to do a fungal culture, which can take up to 3 weeks to show results. Since we don't have the money, nor patience, to treat them for another 3 weeks while we wait for the results (when they are probably fine), we are just going to pray that they are cured and let them out of their cages and back into our lives.
Of course is they are not cured, we risk the chance of reinfecting everyone, including a newborn baby. It is a struggle for me to trust that the Lord can take care of us, and that all will be well. I am frequently tempted to do just "a bit" more treatment just to make sure, even though we've been reassured that they will probably be fine, and it is costly and time consuming. I'm also literally at the end of my strength when it comes to dealing with this. At 36 weeks of pregnancy I want to rest, not give my cat a bath!!
Please keep our family in prayer this weekend as we go ahead and release our pets and reenter "normal" life. And pray that the ringworm truly is gone so that we don't have to deal with this all over again after the baby is born.
Check back soon...we hope to have news on the newest addition very shortly!
Just after my last post we discovered that our brand new kitty had brought more than love into our home, but also ringworm. I'd heard of it, but never realized what a horrible thing it is to deal with.
Apparently there is no "cure" for ringworm, just treatment. And it takes a long time. We are going into our 6th week of treatment for Callie, and our dog Marcy also caught it, and she's going into week 5 (although only 4 for both with oral medication). Daphne has escaped unscathed so far, and we're hoping it will stay that way. Apparently ringworm will usually resolve itself in about 3-4 months, but if you want to shorten that, you must treat it aggressively.
Every week we give the animals two lime dips (a foul-smelling rinse that stains everything it comes into contact with and threatens to suffocate you with its stink!) and two anti fungal baths (that we have to let sit on their skin for 10 minutes before rinsing off). We are also giving them daily oral meds which costs a ridiculous amount of money. It has been an ordeal, to be sure, and all of this in my last trimester of pregnancy.
The vet told us that Callie is a carrier, and doesn't have any actual "spots", so there is no visual way to see if she is recovering. Marcy has spots on her nose which are pretty much gone now. We're taking a gamble and releasing them this Saturday when they are done with their medication. The vet said that they are usually clear two weeks after hair starts growing back into their spots. Marcy's started that two weeks ago and Callie never had any. However, the only 100% sure way to find out whether or not they are cured is to do a fungal culture, which can take up to 3 weeks to show results. Since we don't have the money, nor patience, to treat them for another 3 weeks while we wait for the results (when they are probably fine), we are just going to pray that they are cured and let them out of their cages and back into our lives.
Of course is they are not cured, we risk the chance of reinfecting everyone, including a newborn baby. It is a struggle for me to trust that the Lord can take care of us, and that all will be well. I am frequently tempted to do just "a bit" more treatment just to make sure, even though we've been reassured that they will probably be fine, and it is costly and time consuming. I'm also literally at the end of my strength when it comes to dealing with this. At 36 weeks of pregnancy I want to rest, not give my cat a bath!!
Please keep our family in prayer this weekend as we go ahead and release our pets and reenter "normal" life. And pray that the ringworm truly is gone so that we don't have to deal with this all over again after the baby is born.
Check back soon...we hope to have news on the newest addition very shortly!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)