Hoping not to have a Christmas baby

Our wee man at 25 weeks gestation (over 6 weeks ago)

It’s Christmas Eve today. Our Christmas wish this year is not to get to meet our baby for Christmas – we’re hoping he will stay in and have Christmas inside my tummy… it’s looking more and more likely we’ll get our wish and that’s all we can ask for.

My hospital appointment went well on Tuesday. I must say though – what a wait! It still managed to take about 2 hours for the appointment even though we only saw one Dr. We wait in the atrium rather than the normal waiting area so I get to lie down on a couch and read while we wait. Must say though, because of all the hot weather, the atrium can be a bit stifling hot… but have found a well placed sofa that gets a little breeze from the air conditioning vent. I did get the evil eye from a staff member as I have seen her that couch many times, and now I know why… it’s the coolest place in the atrium. Anyway…

The Dr’s are just so happy that I have made it this far I think. I talked to the Dr about all my symptoms I’ve been having but they are all very general normal pregnancy symptoms so nothing to be concerned about. I’ve just never been this far along (31 weeks, 3 days now) so I guess I am to expect to experience all these weird and wonderful new things. The sore tummy button, sore tummy and more intense, gripping braxton hicks. No scan though this week – just measured my tummy which was bang on normal, and listened to our little mans heart beat which still sounded like a horse trotting along. Because of the holidays our next appointment will be in 3 1/2 weeks time, for a growth scan to see how bubs is doing, and a check for me. That will be 34 1/2 weeks gestation… our target is 34.  Would be great to make it to that appointment.

On Wednesday night I woke at 2.30 in the morning  and went for just one of the usual loo stop during the night. When I got back to bed I felt quite a bit of pressure bearing down, had a sore achy lower back and lower abdomen, a slightly sore groin area and I felt nauseous. I must say I was thinking to myself I have been just too complacent that I will make it further just because I am 31 weeks, and now I am going to be taught a lesson to never make assumptions… It seemed a little similar to the beginning stages of when I went into early labour with our wee girl last year. I had some water and reflux medicine and Roger stayed awake with me until the symptoms eased up and I dropped to sleep again. If the pain had intensified or it had gone on for too long I would have gone to the hospital, but thankfully it was only 1 hour of discomfort and then all was fine again.

The next night (once again while trying to sleep) I felt a pulling sensation really low down inside, and I guess I can’t help but wonder if perhaps my cervix is trying to open and there is some resistance because of my cerclage. Who knows… might just be random and not related, but each time I turned over I would feel this sensation that just seems so in line with my cervical stitch being pulled. Once again, by the morning everything seems fine again so perhaps it is just coincidental.

Apart from that though, I’ve been feeling fine. A bit tired, but who isn’t during pregnancy. Still am being so well looked after by Roger who continues to be amazing, and my Mum who is up here from Tuesdays – Fridays each week, and Rogers Mum who is normally here on Mondays. Everyone is doing their best to give this precious little boy a great start in life and the chance to stay inside me as long as possible. And of course other friends, family and neighbours who are always offering to help out in any way they can. Not that we take them up on the offers, but still it’s just nice to know we have good support if we need it.

I have been having crazy dreams. Had repetitive ones that used to be about me being in the middle of the Coromandel on holiday and then realising I was on bed rest and the only way to get back to the bach was to ride a bike and freaking out whether that would bring on labour. I’ve progressed to dreams about having a baby and completely forgetting to feed him or her (sometimes I have a girl). It’s pretty stressful in my dream realising the baby has been born a day or two ago and I still haven’t fed him or her once, and I go into panic mode, trying to find my baby and feed it. The last baby dream was I’d just had our baby, and he was pretty big. The first time I saw him he was in a high chair fully dressed and about a year old (even though in my dream he was just born) and smiling at me with his big blue eyes. I must say he looked like he was my cousin’s 1 year old boy, but with blue eyes… couldn’t help thinking he looked heaps like her husband… ha! (the ivf clinic would have a thing or two to answer if that was the case). But now my latest dream is about me being really fat. (this one might be closer to the truth than the other dreams). It’s pretty concerning and I am regretting eating all those ice creams and chips and chocolate bars. I guess it is reflecting what’s going through my mind right now. I have had a few things that I put on to wear (skirts, dresses and underwear) and they don’t fit anymore. I am really a bit shocked that they seemed so large and I never though I would ever outgrow them and now I have… what the? I’ve now put on about 8kg and it is just fat depositing everywhere now, not just my stomach!! Waddle waddle…

I am starting to worry a little that we haven’t got ANYTHING ready for the arrival of a baby. We always said we’d wait until after Christmas, but now I am starting to freak out that if a baby did come along we wouldn’t be prepared for him – we wouldn’t know what we are doing with him, and we have nothing ready – no clothes, nappies, equipment at all. I guess we know he would be in NICU for a bit so that would give us time to get things sorted, but still. And at the same time my Mum told me she had bought something for the baby to come home in the other day and I just freaked out, not wanting anything bought for him right now just incase. And my niece offered to drop her baby’s pram off here so we could see it and check whether we were interested in buying it from her, but I just couldn’t do it. I told her I knew it completely made sense and was logical, but I simply couldn’t face it. I couldn’t handle the thought of a pram sitting downstairs right now, just incase once again we are caught out with making assumptions we are going to have a live baby again. So I have a few conflicting thoughts at the moment. I am trying to read books about what to expect once the baby is born but I am feeling pretty overwhelmed by it all and just don’t have a very good attention span for taking much in at a time. Hopefully I will manage to get into it a bit more as time goes on.

Oh, and we might have a new contender for a name… that will be exciting if we both continue to like it!!

Well, better go – Christmas day tomorrow. Will be like none other we have ever had. Our lovely neighbour is going to deliver us Christmas brunch so we are lucky to have such a thoughtful person next door. It will give Roger a break too, since he hasn’t allowed me to get up to prepare any food at all ever since I’ve been on bed rest.

Have a fantastic Christmas day to whoever is reading this!! May the bubbas in our tummy enjoy their first Christmases in utero!

16 weeks pregnant

Today I am 16 weeks pregnant. I went to the high risk clinic today just for a check up to make sure all is OK. I must say I am once again so impressed with the treatment and consultation. Apart from the long waiting times I really can’t fault the system.

The normal routine is to check in at reception, grab my notes and take it to the nurse who immediately records my weight, then hands me a label which I take to the loo to put on the container for the urine sample I must do each time. There is a little door that opens from the bathroom into the clinic so I just open the wee door (or should I say little door to save from confusion… but actually ‘wee’ door is rather appropriate) and place the sample on the shelf that opens into the lab on the other side of the toilets.

Then it is off to the waiting area where I make the most of reading my book. Because of the swine flu the waiting area is rather spread out in an area with lots of couches. Apparently they need people to be at least 1 metre apart to prevent it from spreading.

I got to see the same Dr who did my suture operation, and I must say I was very impressed with him this time. He was very thorough, answered all my questions, and went over everything in detail. He mentioned he wasn’t that happy after the surgery as he didn’t expect to face the issues he had to with my cervix. Apparently the posterior part of the cervix was almost non existent so was very difficult to put the suture into. He was quite happy though with where the stitch is now though so that’s good. We also listened to bubs heart racing along, but it did take a while to find. I mentioned that I was starting to have some problems with my back and next thing you know he’s organised an appointment with the physio for me, straight after my appointment with him. That’s service.

So I finish with the Dr and get a chance to catch up on my reading again while I wait for the physio. When I do see her I am impressed with all the tips and techniques she has for me about everything… how to sit in a chair, sitting down, getting up, getting in and out of bed, in and out of the car and can you believe how to best do a poo. ha! I’m to lean forward like I am reading and hiss and I ‘go’. Bizarre as it sounds it is meant to help relax the right section of muscles and tighten and support another section. Apparently my L4 or L5 section of my back that seems to be slightly out and the right part of my sacrum which in turn means it affects my piriformis muscles is effected. So she massages me and does some pressure points which hurt, but it’s good. She ends by taping me across the lower right area of my back, and sends me on my way.

So I am most impressed with how ‘looked after’ I feel at the high risk clinic. Next appointment is in 2 weeks with the midwife and physio, then 3 weeks will be our 19 week anatomy scan. Things going OK so far, but still just resting and relaxing and trying minimise stress so will hope that helps to get us where we want to go. 🙂

All looking good – 15 weeks pregnant

Went for a check to the hospital this week to make sure the suture is in place OK and all is looking good.

I was really thankful the sonographer who was to do the ultrasound suggested that even though we were just there to check the suture we might as well take a good look at the baby first and check things are OK there. I must say this was a really nice ultrasound experience as I didn’t have all the intense emotion and sadness over losing our daughter this time. I guess it all just re-surfaced with the first ultra-sound at the hospital clinic. So it was nice to have a happy and positive ultrasound this time. I was amazed at just how much bubs has grown since we had the ultrasound 10 days ago. At that scan bubs had plenty of space and fluid around, but it was apparent at this scan the baby was so much bigger and had definitely grown to fill a lot of the space. Bubs had his/her hands up around the face area lots. Roger and I had smiles on our faces watching. The head and tummy measurement showed 15 weeks 3 days, and we were 15 weeks exactly so the size is pretty much on track. Bubs was moving about quite a lot, but we got a good look at all the major features. Of course we will have the anatomy scan at 19 or 20 weeks where all the checks will take place, and it’s too early to really know for sure if everything is OK or not. They gave us a printout of what looked like the baby waving 🙂 Very cute and reassuring!

So after they’d checked the baby they went on to do the transvaginal ultrasound to check the suture looked as though it was in place OK. What they found was that my cervix is completely closed (a good thing) and the suture looks as thought it is totally effective and in place. What the sonographer did find odd was it look liked there was part of a second suture still in place.

We had a follow-up with the Dr afterwards who kind of discounted what the sonographer had seen… implying the sonographer probably didn’t know and was likely to have got it wrong, but the Dr who did the surgery had written in his notes he had removed the first unsuccessful suture completely. Anyway, I know I am not willing to just let it go… I know Dr’s can get it wrong, and just because he has written it in his notes doesn’t mean he hasn’t accidentally missed removing something.

The main thing at the moment it is in place, so that’s good. However, I am not just going to forget this possibility there may be part of a 2nd stitch still there – as long as it doesn’t cause a problem right now that’s fine. But when it comes time to get it removed I will be sure to bring up this possibility part of something is left there as I don’t want them to leave something in accidentally.

I guess I have been through so many surgeries in my life I don’t just ‘trust’ that Doctors always get it right. I think they do their best, but they are human, and anyone can get things wrong, even if unintentionally. No big deal though, will just remember to follow-up on it. 🙂

Shall I be a guinea pig in the progesterone study?

We had our follow-up appointment at the high risk clinic on Tuesday to evaluate how the surgical suture went and just to check on things generally. All went really well, and once again we were impressed with the consultation we had with our obstetrician. She is lovely and always takes time to go over everything so thoroughly and doesn’t mind answering all my questions. She talked us through how the suture can cause my body to produce extra mucus which can continue throughout the pregnancy. According to the surgical notes the suture went well but to make doubly sure we are going back for a trans-vaginal ultrasound next week to check it. I guess they will look and make sure the stitch is still in place as it should be and will measure the length of my cervix.

Our appointment with the midwife went really well too. Just lots of common sense advice… and she encouraged me to continue to take it easy and make sure I am not stressed about work etc. which I’m not.  Oh, and the obstetrician checked the heartbeat with the doppler which took a bit of time to find, but that was good too.

They have a study currently taking place at the clinic for anyone who has had a previous pre-term labour and is currently pregnant, so of course we are eligible to take part if we want to. It’s to see if progesterone treatment (in the form of pessaries) can help with preventing premature labour. Apparently progesterone is thought to help keep the uterus relaxed and therefore less likely to contract I guess which happens when you go into labour… so that way it may prevent it from happening. We have been given some info to read which we haven’t done yet, but we will evaluate whether we think it is worth while or not. My initial reaction is that it might be worth a go since I have read some stuff on the internet about how it can help to reduce the chances of premature labour. I think in the States they give women progesterone injections to help with reducing the risks. But on the flip side because the study isn’t complete (obviously) they aren’t aware of any risks or side effects resulting from taking the progesterone pessaries but they certainly can’t rule it out. So, the question is, does the potential risk outweigh the benefits? We have a bit of time to make up our mind since they don’t normally start the treatment until 20 weeks pregnant and then it goes on until around 36 weeks I think. Of course not everyone in the study will be given the progesterone anyway, since there needs to be a control group, so it’s not to say we will definitely be getting it anyway.

(I had progesterone pessaries 3 x  per day as part of the IVF treatment after our embryo was transferred into me and we were always advised that the pregnancy rates drop off quite rapidly if the pessaries were stopped, so not to stop until they advised us to).

Hard to know what to do, but perhaps we’ll give it a bit of thought and research it for a while before coming to any conclusion… could be a good thing???