Yep its pre-eclampsia

I think the title says it all. I had my follow up with the OB nurse this morning. My BP was up again, and didn't really come down after resting for 30 minutes. Since dr. O was at the hospital performing surgeries, he had them send me over for 4 hour monitoring. We were ther for about 45 minutes when he got a break and came by to see me, and my Bp hadn't really come down much at all yet. At that point he said he wanted to continue monitoring until about 3, but it was in his mind preeclampsia and I would be on bed rest for the duration. He said his primary goal was to keep me pregnant for as long as possible, and keep my BP down so we could avoid an induction. Have I mentioned how much I love my OB?!?!? I told him that if bed rest was what it took to keep me from having to be induced, I would not leave my bed for 2 weeks!

He really would like me to get to 39 weeks, which is just 2 and a half weeks away! Luckily we're pretty good to go. A installed the carseat yesterday, the labor bag is just about packed, and I'm feeling pretty good about every thing. Everything else will fall into place. So now we will go in for non-stress tests about twice a week and just wait for the little man to decide he's ready. 2-3 weeks of bed rest is no big deal when I look at the grand scheme of things, and it will give me an opportunity to write thank you notes, do some reading and cross-stitching, and maybe even get my birth announcements made up....if I can just get someone to go get me the supplies. Luckily I kinda know what I want.

Maybe I can convince the warden to let me go on a supply excursion with my sister on Friday...maybe.

pre-preeclampsia?

Well it looks like I've definitely got some underlying issues going on here.  We got the results back from the urine catch and my protein levels are "elevated".  The nurse didn't have the actual numbers in front of her, so I will get them when I go in on Monday morning.  I have to go in Monday for a BP recheck and another urine test.

All in all I'm feeling ok.  I've had a headache off and on all day but it seems to be more a side effect of what I do or don't eat instead of what I do or don't do.  I've been a good girl and sat on the couch all day.  The only real weirdness I've had is that I've been so HOT all day.  But it could have more to do with the heat in our house than me.  The thermometer on the lower level says it's still 76 degrees down here.  UGH.  I've been laying around in a cami and yoga pants all day.

We did get a couple final things done in the nursery, or I should say A did while I sat in the glider.  The shelves are up, the final wall decorations are up, and a bunch more clothes got sorted.  A also stripped and washed 2 loads of prefolds for me today.  I think we finally got the used prefolds that I got on the CHEAP clean.  The previous owner must not have known what she was doing to wash them there was a TON of soap suds in the basin when we rinsed them.  UGH.  It took a whole tone of rinses plus stripping to get them to stop sudsing, but I think we finally got there.  We've got one more load of inserts, and then to strip and wash the 15 BumGenius pockets that are coming in the mail next week (also used but SUPER CHEAP) and I think we'll have all the diapers ready to go.  I've got quite the starter stash built up, and I am excited.

If nothing else, bedrest will help me blog more often.  I mean come on this is, what, 4 posts in 5 days?  Crazy unheard of I know right!

So much for winning the blood pressure battle

Yep you read that right, I'm not winning the blood pressure battle anymore.  In fact as I write this I am in the middle of my 24 hour urine catch and relegated to strict bed rest (as in couch or bed with my feet up and only allowed to get up to pee or get food/water).  Here's what happened.

Yesterday I was feeling a little off at work.  The best way I could describe it was to tell A that I felt like I had taken a vicodin.  Just generally blah.  Very sleepy, and I was having a hard time focusing, and I one point I went to grab my water bottle and my arm felt like it weighed 20 pounds.  We went and got lunch, thinking maybe my blood sugar was low, and after eating I still wasn't feeling great, so I went to have the office nurse take my blood pressure.  Sure enough it was up, 156/94ish.  I called the doctors office, even though I knew my doc was on vacation, and the nurse asked me to lay down and relax while she got in touch with the on call doc.  So I laid down in the nurse's office for an hour and waited for her to call back.  Just before she called, the nurse came to check on me, and my BP was back down to 126/66.  I thought I was going to be good.  The nurse called back told me they wanted me to go home and take it easy and do a 24 hour urine catch (oh yea fun), and to have the nurse take my BP one more time when I stood up.  If it spiked again, I was to be on strict bed rest until results came back Monday, and if it didn't then modified bed rest.  Sure enough, just my luck, it spiked to 146/86 just from standing up and walking out to the main part of the office.  So into the wheelchair I went to be escorted tot he door by the nurse.  A took me to the hospital for my blood draw and to get the stuff I needed for the urine catch and then brought me home and on the couch I plopped for the rest of the afternoon.

I'm feeling a little better today, definitely not as medicine-heady as yesterday, but still a little off.  The little man seems to be just fine.  He's moving around about like usual.  I'm on watch for reduced fetal movement, crazy vision issues, pain, or excessive swelling.  Any of those symptoms will earn me an immediate trip to L&D which of course we don't want yet.

Truth is this is really hard for me.  I hate the though that I am just sitting here while there is still so much I should be doing.  I still have sewing to do, there's laundry to be done, cleaning that needs to happen.  Plus I'm not packed for the hospital, arrangements still need to be made for the dogs, and I don't even want to think about all the stuff at work that isn't ready yet.  I know all this fretting isn't helping the situation any, but I can't help it.  Its my nature to be a worrier, and I HATE not being in control.  I just have to remember to let it go and let A take care of things.  Deep breaths...

36 Weeks

How far along: 36 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: (As of 03/14/11) +23.6, 228.6  Really, all in all not too bad.  I wanted to stay under +25, and I'm not sure I'll make that, but I'm gonna be close

Maternity clothes: All maternity all the time.  I'm actually to the point where if I don't have a pretty supportive waistband, I have to add a belly band back or I'm uncomfortable by mid-afternoon.

Stretch marks: Meh.  Most of the area under my belly button is all stripy now, but they're no TOO horrible.  

Sleep: Getting worse but varying from night to night.  Last night was horrible, up every 2 hours or so.  Over the weekend, I slept 8 FULL hours both Friday and Saturday night.

Movement: Lots and lots and lots! It's too much fun to watch the alien moving around. 
Cravings: Still just Mexican.

Aversions: Pretty much gone.  My love affair with food is back!  Just look at my weight gain can't you tell?
Gender: Team BLUE!!!!
Symptoms: Heartburn and Sciatica and in full force.  Nose bleeds are under control.  On Blood Pressure Watch.
What I miss: Being able to do simple things like tie my own shoes or pick up something I drop.

What I look forward to: Ultra sound next week.  Seeing my little man FOR REAL!

Moods: Up, down left, right, in, out....depends on the minute but been a lot better lately I think.
Milestones: Less than a month to go!  OH and the stroller and car seat were delivered yesterday!

Medical Concerns: Nothing really, just typical stuff for this point.  Gotta keep the blood pressure down!
Weekly Wisdom: People really don't intend to be mean when they say "Oh you've gotten so BIG" but it still stings.  Just be prepared for at least 3 people to say it every day.
Worst moment this week: Really it's been a pretty good week.  I'm trying really hard to not let stuff get to me; in part because it's not good for my blood pressure, and in part because I gave up sweating the small stuff for Lent :-)  I'm sure you can guess how that's going.
Best moment this week:  OMG do I have to pick just one?  Finding out Genevive had her baby and DIDN'T have to stay extra at the hospital.  And our trip up north to get a couple last things.  We got a swing that is compatible with our car seat so that if little man is sleeping when we get home, we don't have to take him out!!! We can just plop the car seat right into the swing and go about our business!!!  SWEET!!  Plus we did our Maternity photo shoot this weekend..that was a BLAST!

 

Here's a preview of the Maternity shoot:

 

I'm alive

Holy CRAP! how in the heck did nearly 6 weeks go by and I haven't posted?!?!?!? BAD BLOGGER!  I promise I'm still here, I'm still pregnant, and the little man is doing great.  We've had a couple  hiccups along the way these last couple weeks, but nothing major.  Here's a run down of the last 2 weeks.

• I had a minor UTI that actually resulted in a trip to L&D before I knew I had it.  Some antibiotics and a week later I was totally good to go.
• Right now we're fighting the blood pressure battle, and winning mostly.  Must.stay.calm.
• The nursery is almost ready to go, we've got to make a trip to IK.EA this week to get a couple last things, and I've GOT to do some sewing.  Still need a curtain and new cushion and cover for the glider.
• I had my baby shower the first week of March, and I am just floored at how much this little man is loved, even BEFORE anyone gets to meet him.
• Heartburn SUCKS! oh and did you know excess calcium carbonate can cause major constipation?  Yea now you do, and so do I.
• We've been taking our childbirth classes for the last 4 Tuesday nights, tomorrow is the last one, and I am actually loving it!  And our instructor is a doppelganger for Heather Graham!
• We got a new memory foam mattress topper and a new, higher bed frame, and I actually got 8 FULL HOURS of sleep both days this weekend.  I couldn't believe it!  I felt so much more refreshed yesterday than I have in a LONG time.

If you haven't heard, Genevive had her little Cricket last night at 35 weeks and had NO NICU time!!!  I"ll let you head over to her blog to find out if Cricket is a boy or a girl :-)

Ok that's my quick and dirty.  We're getting down to the wire.  Just a month to go (assuming my little man doesn't pull a cricket).  I've still got a ton to do it seems like, but I am SO EXCITED!!!!