Who hasn't heard this line a million times? And yet, every so often you realize just why you hear it all the time. Sometimes what you wish for...comes true...just not how you'd planned. For any of you who may not be in the parent camp and are worried about too much mommy TMI, just scroll down to the bottom for the 'what's next' section. We covet your prayers even if you don't want the details!
Many of you know I had my regularly scheduled 34 week OB visit on Tuesday. This pregnancy has been going along without a glitch so far, but on Tuesday there were some anomalies in the regular-visit checks they always run. My blood pressure was up (though still in a borderline range) and I was spilling protein. Given my history of pre-eclampsia with Joshua, I was immediately sent down to the lab for a blood draw and to get set up with a 24-hour urinalysis fo ra more accurate count of how much protein was actually spilling over the course of a day. I was also put on partial bedrest until my follow-up appointment and NST this morning.
James and our friends have been awesome, and the past two days have been spent being able to truly lay-low for the most part. I've been feeling OK, but anxious to see what we're really dealing with.
This morning started out quite well. All of my blood work came back normal, no elevations or anything that would be concerning or indicate stress from the pre-eclampsia, etc. Baby and I had a non-stress test (NST) and everything looked perfect. Heart rate looked great, baby had a good number of accelerations as they like to see, and all indications are that the placenta is functioning well and not being too stressed either. My blood pressure numbers were almost the same as they had been on Tuesday (low 130's over low 80's) and still in an only slightly elevated range and as an added bonus (at least from the view of all women, pregnant or otherwise) I'd actually lost almost 3lbs since Tuesday! However, the results of the 24-hour urinalysis were also waiting for me. According the my OB/GYN the typical amount of protein collected over a 24 hour period should be <.3, my number was 2.2. Yep, more than 7x the "elevated" amount! Unfortunately, this alone is enough to classify me as severely pre-eclamptic. :(
I'm home now on bedrest for the rest of the pregnancy, monitoring my blood pressure throughout the day and watching for any of the other warning symptoms that signal worsening pre-eclampsia. Baby and I will be monitored by my doctor in the hospital or the birth center every two days and have labs drawn each time. If anything changes, I will be hospitalized until the baby arrives. If I present with one more "severe" symptom, I will likely be induced immediately. The best-case scenario at this point would be to make the pregnancy continue until the baby is 36 weeks gestational age (October 10th), we are hoping to be able to make it at least through this weekend when the baby would reach 35 weeks maturity. Given the severe nature of the case, we will almost definitely have a baby on or before October 15th regardless of what happens, as delivery is the only treatment/remedy for pre-eclampsia.
Waiting is not without risks to my health, delivering immediately not without risks for the baby, it's a balancing act at this point. Would you pray with us that we and the doctors would have wisdom to find the right course of action for the best outcomes for both of us? Also, pray for me as I feel so torn between what's best for the kids I already have and doing whatever it takes to protect this baby within, I feel like it's a no-win situation. Lydia is confused and Joshua is worried. :( Would you also pray for James this type of uncertainty and needing to be both the day-in-day-out prarent and the working parent puts a lot of stress on him as well and we all feel like we're on a roller coaster we can't get off?
Thanks so much for all the love, hugs, prayers, offers to help, and support we've been surrounded by over the past few days. We are so blessed to have such a supportive group of family and friends!
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