We're about 9 and 1/2 weeks away from Kirby's due date, and we've started taking classes. Last week it was a class focused on pain relief options and epidural... mostly epidural (since it was delivered by the anesthesiologist from Duke). I'm pretty sure Theresa nearly passed out from the thought of having the epidural. But, I think that's the route she wants to go (since she's got a low pain tolerance).
Last night we took an infant CPR and safety class. The CPR baby "simulates" are pretty freaky -- the face comes off. Of course, that's how they sanitize them, so it's good that they come off. Still pretty freaky, though. Theresa still wouldn't put her mouth on the fake baby, though.
Mid-way through showing us the CPR techniques, the instructor says something like, "Everyone understand? Good, because nearly everyone will have to use this at some point," and then she moved on. But, before she could launch into her next topic, one of the class participants said, "wait a minute. Did you just say that nearly everyone will have to use this at some point?" Apparently she that concept freaked him out.
What I thought was interesting is that in all the examples she gave while we were practicing, she never had us assume it was *our* baby who was choking. The scenarios were always something like, "okay, so your neighbor's baby is choking..." I suppose they think that telling newly expecting parents that *their* baby is choking is too much to handle.
Anyway, we've got several more classes coming -- breastfeeding, maternity ward tour, "prepared childbirth." Between getting the nursery together, taking classes, and simply feeling that little bugger jump around in there, there is no denying that our lives are about to be overhauled!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
gestational diabetes test
I took the gestational diabetes test yesterday. I know that people said not to alter my diet leading up to the test since it wouldn't make a difference, but I had stopped eating extra sugar (no sweet tea, no sodas, no desserts, no granola bars, no yogurt, etc) since Friday. For breakfast that morning, I only ate 4 slices of 40 calorie toast with butter and water was the only thing I drank.
When I got to the dr office, they took my usually stats - BP was 105/70 and my weight was 193.5 - which was great b/c I had only gained 2 pounds last month! I'm glad b/c I haven't worked out as much over the last month with all the pains. Then I had to drink some weird super sugary orange stuff - all in 2 minutes. I was worried b/c my stomach was upset and I was afraid that I'd throw up, but thankfully, the orange drink wasn't nasty like most people said it was. I had to wait exactly an hour then have my blood drawn for them to test.
In the meantime, I met with a midwife for my monthly visit and everything is still progressing like normal. My stomach measures the correct size and Kirby's heartbeat is strong. He's still moving around a lot in there - she had a hard time at first getting him to stay still long enough to read his heartbeat. :) My main questions for her were about how to manage the pain. The lower back pain has made things really difficult, and I'm really scared about what's going to happen for the next 3 months if I'm hurting this much already. Hopefully, I'm able to find ways to manage the pain without taking too many meds (I haven't taken any yet). I have a maternity belt that I wear sometimes (it's not comfortable for me to wear all the time b/c it cuts into my pre-pregnancy fat rolls :P ) and I have the pool on the back deck, which feels wonderful while I'm in it. She also suggested a heating pad for my back and cushier shoes (I mostly wear ballet flats to work, but I wear cushy tennis shoes on the weekends).
I was asked to be apart of another study while I was there. This one is to determine genetics and the environments effects on the baby. Since I was getting my blood drawn for the diabetes test (and also HIV, for some weird reason), they just took 2 extra vials of blood for the study. I answered some questions and the next time I go back for a dr appt I'm going to fill out a more detailed survey of my history and how I live. During labor, they want to take one more vial of blood and a small sample of the placenta and cord blood to compare to the blood taken yesterday for their study. I told the girl I didn't mind being a part of the study b/c I was already going to be poked for something else, but if it was something separate then she could forget it! In return for participation, I got a gift bag with notepads, a pen, and later I'll get $20. Certainly nothing worth the trouble, but I feel good helping out someone's study if it helps them stop illnesses in other children that are based on our surrounding environment. Hopefully, this study is better run than the last study (which I thought was a crock b/c the questions were written so poorly).
I ended up waiting 10 minutes past my 1 hour limit for getting my blood drawn b/c the lab tech was with someone for a *really* long time. At the time, I was getting nervous b/c the nurse drilled it into me that I needed to get my blood drawn after an hour. Once I was finally called in, I asked the tech and she said that it was ok for me to be 10 minutes later. Whew - b/c I didn't want to have to do that test again!
I called this morning for my test results and I PASSED! :) The nurse said my levels were 122 and that I was fine. I looked it up online, and I think they tend to send people over 140 on to the 3 hour test. I'm SO glad I don't have to do the 3 hour test b/c that would require fasting and 4 blood draws. Blech!
Our next appointment is August 4th - we'll have a regular dr appointment and we'll also have another ultrasound. They want to look at his head to see if the cysts are going away, but also to measure him and see if he's the right size. I'm also going to ask that they check for neural tube defects (like Spina Bifada) since the CVS test didn't test for those defects.
In other baby news, 2 nights ago was the second time that Gary was able to feel Kirby moving around in there. He was quite the kicker that night so there was no mistaking what was going on in there.:)
When I got to the dr office, they took my usually stats - BP was 105/70 and my weight was 193.5 - which was great b/c I had only gained 2 pounds last month! I'm glad b/c I haven't worked out as much over the last month with all the pains. Then I had to drink some weird super sugary orange stuff - all in 2 minutes. I was worried b/c my stomach was upset and I was afraid that I'd throw up, but thankfully, the orange drink wasn't nasty like most people said it was. I had to wait exactly an hour then have my blood drawn for them to test.
In the meantime, I met with a midwife for my monthly visit and everything is still progressing like normal. My stomach measures the correct size and Kirby's heartbeat is strong. He's still moving around a lot in there - she had a hard time at first getting him to stay still long enough to read his heartbeat. :) My main questions for her were about how to manage the pain. The lower back pain has made things really difficult, and I'm really scared about what's going to happen for the next 3 months if I'm hurting this much already. Hopefully, I'm able to find ways to manage the pain without taking too many meds (I haven't taken any yet). I have a maternity belt that I wear sometimes (it's not comfortable for me to wear all the time b/c it cuts into my pre-pregnancy fat rolls :P ) and I have the pool on the back deck, which feels wonderful while I'm in it. She also suggested a heating pad for my back and cushier shoes (I mostly wear ballet flats to work, but I wear cushy tennis shoes on the weekends).
I was asked to be apart of another study while I was there. This one is to determine genetics and the environments effects on the baby. Since I was getting my blood drawn for the diabetes test (and also HIV, for some weird reason), they just took 2 extra vials of blood for the study. I answered some questions and the next time I go back for a dr appt I'm going to fill out a more detailed survey of my history and how I live. During labor, they want to take one more vial of blood and a small sample of the placenta and cord blood to compare to the blood taken yesterday for their study. I told the girl I didn't mind being a part of the study b/c I was already going to be poked for something else, but if it was something separate then she could forget it! In return for participation, I got a gift bag with notepads, a pen, and later I'll get $20. Certainly nothing worth the trouble, but I feel good helping out someone's study if it helps them stop illnesses in other children that are based on our surrounding environment. Hopefully, this study is better run than the last study (which I thought was a crock b/c the questions were written so poorly).
I ended up waiting 10 minutes past my 1 hour limit for getting my blood drawn b/c the lab tech was with someone for a *really* long time. At the time, I was getting nervous b/c the nurse drilled it into me that I needed to get my blood drawn after an hour. Once I was finally called in, I asked the tech and she said that it was ok for me to be 10 minutes later. Whew - b/c I didn't want to have to do that test again!
I called this morning for my test results and I PASSED! :) The nurse said my levels were 122 and that I was fine. I looked it up online, and I think they tend to send people over 140 on to the 3 hour test. I'm SO glad I don't have to do the 3 hour test b/c that would require fasting and 4 blood draws. Blech!
Our next appointment is August 4th - we'll have a regular dr appointment and we'll also have another ultrasound. They want to look at his head to see if the cysts are going away, but also to measure him and see if he's the right size. I'm also going to ask that they check for neural tube defects (like Spina Bifada) since the CVS test didn't test for those defects.
In other baby news, 2 nights ago was the second time that Gary was able to feel Kirby moving around in there. He was quite the kicker that night so there was no mistaking what was going on in there.:)
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Feeling him kick
They say that the dad often feels "left out" during a pregnancy, since all the action is taking place in the mom's body. While I can see how a dad wouldn't feel nearly as connected as a mom, I must say that I don't feel "left out," per se. That said, it is awfully cool when I can feel the little guy kick.
It happened for the first time a little over a week ago. I put my palm across the bottom of the baby bump and felt... something. Was it a foot? Was it a hand? A head? Who knows. But, it was definite and real. But, then it was gone.
More than a week passed before I got to feel him again. Theresa thinks I'm going to have a calming influence on him after he's born, because every time I rush to put my palm on her belly, he stops kicking. But, not last night. Last night as we lie in bed, I was able to reach across and feel him doing what must have been some type of Bill Bojangles routine. I felt probably a half-dozen or more kicks in a short span before he settled into whatever new position he found himself.
It was only then that I realized how much more "connected" to him Theresa must be. She can feel the little bugger everyday. Of course, she has to suffer the negatives along with the positives. So, I'm not suggesting we switch places or anything. But, I do envy her just a touch. Hopefully I can attend another tap dance recital soon.
It happened for the first time a little over a week ago. I put my palm across the bottom of the baby bump and felt... something. Was it a foot? Was it a hand? A head? Who knows. But, it was definite and real. But, then it was gone.
More than a week passed before I got to feel him again. Theresa thinks I'm going to have a calming influence on him after he's born, because every time I rush to put my palm on her belly, he stops kicking. But, not last night. Last night as we lie in bed, I was able to reach across and feel him doing what must have been some type of Bill Bojangles routine. I felt probably a half-dozen or more kicks in a short span before he settled into whatever new position he found himself.
It was only then that I realized how much more "connected" to him Theresa must be. She can feel the little bugger everyday. Of course, she has to suffer the negatives along with the positives. So, I'm not suggesting we switch places or anything. But, I do envy her just a touch. Hopefully I can attend another tap dance recital soon.
Monday, July 13, 2009
random baby stuff
We went to Wilmington for the 4th of July weekend, and here's the first pic of my baby belly at 24 weeks.
On the way, Gary stopped for gas, and the person at the counter was the first stranger to say something to me about being pregnant. Looks like I'm not able to hide it anymore. :)
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Sometimes, the strongest baby kicks that I feel are when I lay in bed on my left side. It feels like the baby is kicking super hard on my right side - I've even seen the pillow move when he kicks! Even though I think they're hard kicks, Gary still hasn't been able to feel the movement..... until recently! Every time BBM goes crazy, I grab Gary's hand, but it seems like Gary has a soothing effect on BBM b/c he tends to calm down. However, a few nights ago, Gary was finally able to feel a few kicks. :) I'm not sure what that feels like to the dad, but I'm so glad that he was finally able to feel it. I know - give it a few weeks and then Gary will be able to feel it all day if he wanted to. However, I think there's just something so exciting about feeling it the first time..... I dunno. You'd have to ask him. :)
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Not BBM related, but still one of our "children"...... we had Bingham boarded at the vet while we were in Wilmington. He's been having skin allergies and hot spots so we asked if they also did grooming. They only do a "summer shave" and I said go for it. During the trip we were nervous that we'd come home to a naked dog. I just though, so what, it's just hair, it'll all grow back. It's not like he'd know he looks weird. :P
We were pleasantly surprised to see that there was a bit of hair left, but not only that - he was adorable!! His face looks completely different. His ears are so short and cute - I just want to stare at him and love on him all day. :D
On the way, Gary stopped for gas, and the person at the counter was the first stranger to say something to me about being pregnant. Looks like I'm not able to hide it anymore. :)
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Sometimes, the strongest baby kicks that I feel are when I lay in bed on my left side. It feels like the baby is kicking super hard on my right side - I've even seen the pillow move when he kicks! Even though I think they're hard kicks, Gary still hasn't been able to feel the movement..... until recently! Every time BBM goes crazy, I grab Gary's hand, but it seems like Gary has a soothing effect on BBM b/c he tends to calm down. However, a few nights ago, Gary was finally able to feel a few kicks. :) I'm not sure what that feels like to the dad, but I'm so glad that he was finally able to feel it. I know - give it a few weeks and then Gary will be able to feel it all day if he wanted to. However, I think there's just something so exciting about feeling it the first time..... I dunno. You'd have to ask him. :)
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Not BBM related, but still one of our "children"...... we had Bingham boarded at the vet while we were in Wilmington. He's been having skin allergies and hot spots so we asked if they also did grooming. They only do a "summer shave" and I said go for it. During the trip we were nervous that we'd come home to a naked dog. I just though, so what, it's just hair, it'll all grow back. It's not like he'd know he looks weird. :P
We were pleasantly surprised to see that there was a bit of hair left, but not only that - he was adorable!! His face looks completely different. His ears are so short and cute - I just want to stare at him and love on him all day. :D
ab pains
Thursday mid-morning, I noticed that I was having some pains in my lower ab area on the left side. I didn't feel it so much when I was sitting, but I definitely noticed it when I walked the 20 times to the bathroom. I ended up calling the ask a nurse and she thought that it was just Braxton-Hicks contractions (which are common at 25 weeks). She said that if the pains got worse or it was accompanied by something else (bleeding, fever, etc) to call back.
After lunch, I was still feeling the pain, so I looked up symptoms of Braxton-Hicks, and it didn't sound at all like what I was feeling. B-H typically only lasts a minute or 2, but my pain wouldn't go away. I felt nervous, so I just decided to take work home and sit on the couch, with very little movement from me (like my own self-imposed bed rest).
The next day I was still feeling the pain, so I stayed at home and worked from the couch again - moving as little as possible. The pain came and went that night, but I still mainly felt it when I was standing or walking.
That night, I realized that the pain occasionally went away after I got up to pee, so I became suspicious that it was anything to really be worried about. However, Saturday I walked around a bit shopping and having lunch and there were times that I could barely walk. I felt like I was walking like an old person - not able to stand up straight and walking *very* slowly! Saturday night was pretty painful and I kept going to the bathroom in hopes that it would go away.
Sunday was better, but I still took it easy most of the day. For our morning routine (breakfast, baby registry at Target and grocery shopping) I wore the pregnancy belt in hopes that it would help with the pain in case some of it had to do with my back.
Today, I was a lot better, but still felt it some. I ended up calling the ask a nurse again and she scheduled an appt for me to come in. Other than having to wait 45 minutes past my appt time (grrrr!), the dr said everything was fine. She got more information from me about what's been happening and asked me questions to pin point trouble signs (bleeding, trouble going to the bathroom, etc).
She measured my belly, and that was normal. Then she listened to BBM's heartbeat (135) and said that it's normal and that he was moving around a lot (which I couldn't feel). Then.... the vaginal exam. She checked to see if I was dilated, but she said I was firmly shut. :) She also checked my ovaries to see if I had any cysts, but that was normal. She checked something else that I wasn't sure what was up - but that was normal, too. She said that she could feel BBM moving like crazy when she was checking everything down there. Looks like I have a lot of sleepless nights ahead of me once he's big enough for me to feel every movement. :)
So, all the exams showed that everything is fine. Her guess is that I'm just experiencing more round ligament pains. Previously, I felt them mostly in my groin, but as my stomach expands, I'll be feeling the pains in different locations. Apparently, the stretching right now is mostly taking place in my lower abs. It's certainly not fun (see the description above of how painful it can be), but it's a relief to know what's going on. At least now I don't feel like I have to veg out all the time on the couch - that it's ok for me to move around more (and go on some walks).
Also, I had my blood pressure taken (110/70) and weighed (191.5). I weighed the same as I did last appt which was 3 weeks ago. I feel a little better that I didn't gain another 5 pounds since I haven't been exercising as much these past 3 weeks with dad visiting, going out of town, and the ab pain.
After lunch, I was still feeling the pain, so I looked up symptoms of Braxton-Hicks, and it didn't sound at all like what I was feeling. B-H typically only lasts a minute or 2, but my pain wouldn't go away. I felt nervous, so I just decided to take work home and sit on the couch, with very little movement from me (like my own self-imposed bed rest).
The next day I was still feeling the pain, so I stayed at home and worked from the couch again - moving as little as possible. The pain came and went that night, but I still mainly felt it when I was standing or walking.
That night, I realized that the pain occasionally went away after I got up to pee, so I became suspicious that it was anything to really be worried about. However, Saturday I walked around a bit shopping and having lunch and there were times that I could barely walk. I felt like I was walking like an old person - not able to stand up straight and walking *very* slowly! Saturday night was pretty painful and I kept going to the bathroom in hopes that it would go away.
Sunday was better, but I still took it easy most of the day. For our morning routine (breakfast, baby registry at Target and grocery shopping) I wore the pregnancy belt in hopes that it would help with the pain in case some of it had to do with my back.
Today, I was a lot better, but still felt it some. I ended up calling the ask a nurse again and she scheduled an appt for me to come in. Other than having to wait 45 minutes past my appt time (grrrr!), the dr said everything was fine. She got more information from me about what's been happening and asked me questions to pin point trouble signs (bleeding, trouble going to the bathroom, etc).
She measured my belly, and that was normal. Then she listened to BBM's heartbeat (135) and said that it's normal and that he was moving around a lot (which I couldn't feel). Then.... the vaginal exam. She checked to see if I was dilated, but she said I was firmly shut. :) She also checked my ovaries to see if I had any cysts, but that was normal. She checked something else that I wasn't sure what was up - but that was normal, too. She said that she could feel BBM moving like crazy when she was checking everything down there. Looks like I have a lot of sleepless nights ahead of me once he's big enough for me to feel every movement. :)
So, all the exams showed that everything is fine. Her guess is that I'm just experiencing more round ligament pains. Previously, I felt them mostly in my groin, but as my stomach expands, I'll be feeling the pains in different locations. Apparently, the stretching right now is mostly taking place in my lower abs. It's certainly not fun (see the description above of how painful it can be), but it's a relief to know what's going on. At least now I don't feel like I have to veg out all the time on the couch - that it's ok for me to move around more (and go on some walks).
Also, I had my blood pressure taken (110/70) and weighed (191.5). I weighed the same as I did last appt which was 3 weeks ago. I feel a little better that I didn't gain another 5 pounds since I haven't been exercising as much these past 3 weeks with dad visiting, going out of town, and the ab pain.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
22 weeks
Wow - sorry for being slack in the updates. I guess there really hasn't been much to report on. Things are still progressing quite normally for the second trimester. I have the achy back (mainly if I'm on my feet or walking too long) and I think BBM goes through random growth spurts b/c the mega hunger and debilitating sleepiness isn't really that consistent. Around 20 weeks, I started to feel him moving, and now I feel him at least 5 times a day (it's not uncommon this early to go without any movement for days, though). The feeling is not really that comfortable - it feels like my stomach is dropping, similar to the feeling you get on a rollercoaster. At first, I really didn't like being in public when it happened b/c it was a weird feeling and it usually makes me feel like I have to go to the bathroom. I've gotten used to the feeling now, but it's still uncomfortable at times. I'm just happy that I can feel him swimming around - makes me know that he's still there and growing. :)
On Tuesday, I had my monthly appointment (this time was with a midwife instead of a dr). Apparently, I'm gaining too much weight (even though I do some form of exercise 3-5 times a week and pre-pregnancy I didn't work out at all). I'm not sure what's going on with the weight numbers but here's what the midwife said: Pre-pregnancy they have me down as weighing 174. I'm not sure where they got that number since I had never seen them before I got pregnant. I don't remember them taking that weight so maybe they just asked me what I weighted and I told them what my home scale said.
The first time I was weighted at the dr office I weighted 182 (even though the home scale still said in the 170's). So, I've just been going by 182 as my base number. Yesterday, I weighed 192. I was happy at first, thinking I've only gained 10 pounds in 22 weeks, but when I talked to the midwife she said that they actually consider me as gaining 18 pounds! Shocked Since I'm overweight to begin with, I should have only gained 15-20 pounds total - not in the first half of the pregnancy!
I measured my thigh recently to see if I've gained any fat and my thigh is the same size (maybe a tiny bit smaller) than before I got pregnant. So, in my mind, I'm going to start counting from 182 instead of 174. ;)
However, I gained 5 pounds last month and I really should only be gaining 3-4 per month. So, it looks like I need to be a little better about trying to do at least a little bit of exercise each day (even if it's just walking for 30 minutes around the neighborhood) and I need to be better about what I eat. I've been slacking on allowing myself caffeine (it's so hard to completely give up the sweet tea when we go out to eat!). I think that things would be better if we didn't go out to eat so often since we have no idea what the meals are made with, but neither of us are big on cooking so it's hard to not go out to eat at least 4-5 times a week (mostly on the weekends). I'm not a big snacker when I get home (at work I snack a lot but it's just various fruits) so that's thankfully not an issue. Oh, and she said that I also need to get more iron so I'll be adding spinach to my lunch salads that I have every day at work.
I'm trying not to obsess about the weight gain b/c I know that I'm going to gain weight and that if I keep exercising, it'll be easier to take off after the baby's born (especially if I'm able to breastfeed), but I've been having issues (back, legs, etc) that I'm sure would be better if I didn't gain too much weight too quickly.
My next appt is the ookie gestational diabetes test. I really hope I pass the 1 hour test b/c I have a serious phobia of needles and the thought of having to get poked 3-4 times for the 3 hour test squiks me out!
On Tuesday, I had my monthly appointment (this time was with a midwife instead of a dr). Apparently, I'm gaining too much weight (even though I do some form of exercise 3-5 times a week and pre-pregnancy I didn't work out at all). I'm not sure what's going on with the weight numbers but here's what the midwife said: Pre-pregnancy they have me down as weighing 174. I'm not sure where they got that number since I had never seen them before I got pregnant. I don't remember them taking that weight so maybe they just asked me what I weighted and I told them what my home scale said.
The first time I was weighted at the dr office I weighted 182 (even though the home scale still said in the 170's). So, I've just been going by 182 as my base number. Yesterday, I weighed 192. I was happy at first, thinking I've only gained 10 pounds in 22 weeks, but when I talked to the midwife she said that they actually consider me as gaining 18 pounds! Shocked Since I'm overweight to begin with, I should have only gained 15-20 pounds total - not in the first half of the pregnancy!
I measured my thigh recently to see if I've gained any fat and my thigh is the same size (maybe a tiny bit smaller) than before I got pregnant. So, in my mind, I'm going to start counting from 182 instead of 174. ;)
However, I gained 5 pounds last month and I really should only be gaining 3-4 per month. So, it looks like I need to be a little better about trying to do at least a little bit of exercise each day (even if it's just walking for 30 minutes around the neighborhood) and I need to be better about what I eat. I've been slacking on allowing myself caffeine (it's so hard to completely give up the sweet tea when we go out to eat!). I think that things would be better if we didn't go out to eat so often since we have no idea what the meals are made with, but neither of us are big on cooking so it's hard to not go out to eat at least 4-5 times a week (mostly on the weekends). I'm not a big snacker when I get home (at work I snack a lot but it's just various fruits) so that's thankfully not an issue. Oh, and she said that I also need to get more iron so I'll be adding spinach to my lunch salads that I have every day at work.
I'm trying not to obsess about the weight gain b/c I know that I'm going to gain weight and that if I keep exercising, it'll be easier to take off after the baby's born (especially if I'm able to breastfeed), but I've been having issues (back, legs, etc) that I'm sure would be better if I didn't gain too much weight too quickly.
My next appt is the ookie gestational diabetes test. I really hope I pass the 1 hour test b/c I have a serious phobia of needles and the thought of having to get poked 3-4 times for the 3 hour test squiks me out!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
18 weeks
Yesterday was a busy "baby" day. We saw 4 daycare centers, and so far we only like 2 of them. One of them was really impressive (they have an extensive curriculum including baby sign language when they're toddlers and Spanish when they're 2-3), but of course they're the most expensive ($1300/month). The other one that we liked was $270/week. They weren't nearly as nice as the other place, but they come *highly* recommended by other local mommies. The down side to them is that their wait list is really long (over a year). We're going to see if we can find others to visit, but so far it may be the really nice place since we liked them so much and their wait list isn't as long.
In the afternoon, we had the 18 week ultrasound and a regular dr appt. The ultrasound was great - Baby Boy Miller (BBM) was moving around a bunch, but the technician was able to get everything he needed to see. We were even able to get a 3D image, but he just looks like any other baby out there. Gary & I think he's talking on the phone. :)
There was a bit of a nervous moment though when the dr came in after the ultrasound technician was done. The dr told us that BBM has a choroid plexus cyst. The choroid plexus makes a fluid that protects and nourishes the brain and spinal cord. When a fluid-filled space is seen in the choroid plexus during an ultrasound, it is called a choroid plexus cyst (CPC). Dr said that it's not really common and can be a marker for Trisomy 18. However, since we already had the CVS and know that his chromosomes are ok, then there's nothing for us to worry about. CPC usually goes away in the 3rd trimester, but even if it doesn't, it supposedly won't affect him, his growth, or his brain functions. I'm going again in 10 weeks for another ultrasound to check the progress of the CPC.
After the ultrasound, we met with another dr to check in and see how everything is going. He went over the ultrasound results again and said that everything looked normal and right on target. BBM did measure bigger than an 18 week fetus, but not by much (19 weeks 2 days). Dr said that it's common and that they would only really be concerned if BBM was measuring more than 10 days bigger. Dr said that it doesn't mean that I'll be giving birth sooner, nor does it mean that BBM will be a big baby when born.
I asked about my weight gain to make sure that I'm on target and not gaining too much (since I was overweight to begin with). I think so far I've only gained about 4 pounds and the dr said that it's great - nothing to worry about. I should only gain about .75 pounds a week between now and labor so that I don't gain too much (which can cause an oversized birth weight). I just need to continue getting exercise 3-4 times a week and I should try to cut down on the sugar (it's just so difficult sometimes though!).
Now seems to be the "boring" phase of the pregnancy except for weight gain. I've been feeling better (for the most part), but the painful gas is still there. I'm not as tired as before, but I do still try to go to bed around 9:30-10 each night so that I can get at least 8 hours of sleep. The next dr appt is in 4 weeks, but that's just a regular check up (weight, blood pressure, etc), and after that is the ultrasound in 10 weeks. Boring stuff. :)
In the afternoon, we had the 18 week ultrasound and a regular dr appt. The ultrasound was great - Baby Boy Miller (BBM) was moving around a bunch, but the technician was able to get everything he needed to see. We were even able to get a 3D image, but he just looks like any other baby out there. Gary & I think he's talking on the phone. :)
There was a bit of a nervous moment though when the dr came in after the ultrasound technician was done. The dr told us that BBM has a choroid plexus cyst. The choroid plexus makes a fluid that protects and nourishes the brain and spinal cord. When a fluid-filled space is seen in the choroid plexus during an ultrasound, it is called a choroid plexus cyst (CPC). Dr said that it's not really common and can be a marker for Trisomy 18. However, since we already had the CVS and know that his chromosomes are ok, then there's nothing for us to worry about. CPC usually goes away in the 3rd trimester, but even if it doesn't, it supposedly won't affect him, his growth, or his brain functions. I'm going again in 10 weeks for another ultrasound to check the progress of the CPC.
After the ultrasound, we met with another dr to check in and see how everything is going. He went over the ultrasound results again and said that everything looked normal and right on target. BBM did measure bigger than an 18 week fetus, but not by much (19 weeks 2 days). Dr said that it's common and that they would only really be concerned if BBM was measuring more than 10 days bigger. Dr said that it doesn't mean that I'll be giving birth sooner, nor does it mean that BBM will be a big baby when born.
I asked about my weight gain to make sure that I'm on target and not gaining too much (since I was overweight to begin with). I think so far I've only gained about 4 pounds and the dr said that it's great - nothing to worry about. I should only gain about .75 pounds a week between now and labor so that I don't gain too much (which can cause an oversized birth weight). I just need to continue getting exercise 3-4 times a week and I should try to cut down on the sugar (it's just so difficult sometimes though!).
Now seems to be the "boring" phase of the pregnancy except for weight gain. I've been feeling better (for the most part), but the painful gas is still there. I'm not as tired as before, but I do still try to go to bed around 9:30-10 each night so that I can get at least 8 hours of sleep. The next dr appt is in 4 weeks, but that's just a regular check up (weight, blood pressure, etc), and after that is the ultrasound in 10 weeks. Boring stuff. :)
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