U.S. appointments 1, 2, and 3

I thought I should probably update the blog since it’s been a long time, too long, and I’ve had three appointments since my arrival, with another scheduled next week.

First, may I just say how nice it is to be back in the land of great medical care, very clean facilities, and specimen cups that are bigger than a sewing thimble. It’s amazing what you take for granted when it’s available all the time, and a normal way of life. I never thought I would miss these things.

appointment 1, 32 weeks 5 days

The staff was awesome and seemed genuinely glad to see me back. I gave my doctor the updates from the previous two months in Dublin, she ordered some blood work, went over my chart, and then we had the big talk.

induction or c-section
Having already spoken to several doctors, doing a lot of research, and weighing the pros and cons of both, it seems that going with a scheduled c-section is the best course of action. So, the OR is booked for JULY 15!!!! Just a week earlier than my original due date.

Back to the appointment, the doctor listened to the baby, then did a non-stress test. Much to my surprise, I was having contractions. I didn’t feel them, but the machine was definitely picking them up. The doctor said that the fact that I wasn’t feeling them was a good sign, but that I should take it easy, just to be safe. I was also told that my uterus was “irritable.” My ankles were a bit swollen, so I was ordered to keep my feet up. After the whirlwind move we’d just had, that sounded heavenly. Overall everything was great, including my weight and ever perfect BP.

appointment 2 and first Bio Physical Profile, 33 weeks 4 days

Keeping my feet up worked like a charm, swelling was down, BP and weight were again, perfect.

The Bio Physical Profile is a combination of an ultrasound and non-stress test. Apparently it’s fairly standard for high-risk pregnancy assessment. More info, here.
Baby girl had her hand up on her cheek during the ultrasound, took a few practice breaths, and arched her back several times, adorable! The non-stress test portion was easy enough and we scored a perfect 10/10 on our first BPP.

appointment 3 and second Bio Physical Profile, 34 weeks 4 days

My BP was still fine, though I had lost weight, so I was told to eat more. Will do.

My stubborn little girl was uncooperative during the ultrasound portion of the BPP and wouldn’t take a practice breath. The doctor spent a lot of time pressing on her, but no luck. I then went across the hall for the non-stress test. Baby girl’s heart rate was all over the place, though she was fairly inactive, so the nurse brought me ice water to drink in hopes of waking up the baby. It worked. My doctor was pleased with the results, but wanted to do another ultrasound to check for breathing again. She pushed on baby girl, trying to wake her up and make her angry so that she would take a breath. Twenty minutes later, she finally took two practice breaths and we passed, another score of 10/10.

Very sorry for the lack of pictures. I’ll remember to ask at my next appointment. I will say that she’s adorable and loves to have her hands up near her face.

Hope everyone is well. I finally moved into the hotel last week and should have more time to blog and catch up on other blogs!!