San Diego Newborn & Child Photographer, Maternity Photographer, Baby Photographer, Child Photographer, Family Photogapher

I hadn’t really put the date of my scheduled c-section on my blog for fear of it not happening….and well, good thing I didn’t.  Since that day has come and gone now, I feel comfortable saying that it was supposed to have been yesterday, 1/11/10.  Here is the update on that situation:

I went in for my amnio at 7:45am yesterday and was very apprehensive about going through with it. The perinatologist told me that there was a 95% chance her lungs would be completely mature and ready for birth, so if I wasn’t 100% comfortable with the procedure, I could back out. I was so nervous I thought I was gonna puke. I knew that late term amnios were more painful and I was scared to death. However, something in me told me to just tough it up and do it.

After agreeing to do the amnio, things moved quickly from there. They found a decent pocket of fluid and went for it…as soon as the needle passed through my belly and hit my uterus, Marlowe threw her hand up and blocked the entry…punk! That made the procedure about 3x as long as it should have been and WAY more painful. They had to hold the needle there and nudge her firmly to get her to move. Initially she refused to move, but finally put her hand down and they entered the uterus. They got all the fluid they needed and then told me congrats on my new baby, as we had a 95% chance of having her.

So, here is where the disappointment comes in. We waited 3 hours for the results. My dr came in midway through the wait and said they expected the results any minute but there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that I would be having my c-section today due to the prior steroids I had gotten and the IUGR causes baby’s to mature faster due to stress.

Well, unfortunately….my dr came back a while later and said the results were that her lungs were VERY premature. They showed to be 33-34 weeks maturity wise and one particular number they require to be at 2 for delivery, was at a 0. It was seriously the most devastating news bc I was so prepared to go through with this c-section today after so much stress about it. And everyone had said this was the best time for her in regards to the cord insertion/placenta deterioration. So it seemed safe and I had accepted it would happen today. What are the odds that my kid would fall in the bottom 5% lung wise…go figure.

So, to make a long story less long….based on the amnio results, she would have struggled a lot breathing wise if I had her yesterday and we chose to wait. I want to hold my baby girl in my arms and not watch her suffer if I can possibly keep her in a bit longer. They determined the final day I can go is 1/19/10 and the c-section will happen regardless for her safety (risking still birth going past that point). I am having 2 more rounds of steroids, 1st one yesterday, 2nd one was today. That makes for 4 shots of betamethazone…she oughta come out looking like the Hulk at this rate, LOL!  And Marlowe will make her official entrance on 1/19, as long as nothing happens between now and then.

Yesterday was a VERY hard day for my entire family…as we had all prepared ourselves to have my baby girl.  But again, everything happens for a reason.  I truly believe God has a plan for her.  Thanks for all the T&P…we will carry them with us to the 19th.

I haven’t been around much bc things have been drama filled for Marlowe lately.  I went in for my NST on New Years day to L&D bc the office was closed that day and she did not perform well, as usual.  But the big shocker was that my amniotic fluid had dropped from 9.7cm (which is high for me) at perinatal on Tuesday to 4cm at my NST on Friday.  The dr was shocked to say the least and I was immediately admitted, once again.  The worst part was that I drove myself bc we have no help right now and DH needed to stay home with Olivia.  They started prepping my charts for c-section the next morning and started my IV to hydrate me, with hopes that it would replenish my fluid…and my biggest fear was not having my husband there with me if they decided to take her.  If it worked, I could go home the next morning and see what happens at my next appt, if it didn’t, 1/2/10 would have been her birthday.

Well, as you see…I am still here pregnant! So after 4 bags of IV fluids and drinking GALLONS of liquid while I was there, my fluid went up to 9cm again and I dodged the c-section that morning.  She still wasn’t monitoring well but I hadn’t been able to eat when I woke up in preparation for my c-section, so she was lazy.  She had done OK on the bio-physical profile…so they monitored me another couple hours after eating some breakfast and she managed to pull out some acceptable accelerations.

Soooooo…here we are until my next appt on Tuesday, at least.  I asked the dr in the hospital yesterday if we would make to 1/11 and he said it was not likely.  But they also pretty much guaranteed me that I would have had my c-section yesterday…we like to prove them wrong all the time.

On a CRAZY note…I had been struggling with a planned c-section or induction, knowing the induction held a lot of risks to both Marlowe and myself.  I had decided on the c-section but felt very unsure of myself in many way…but knew I couldn’t do the induction for her safety.  Well, we found out that she had suddenly turned TRANSVERSE and I no longer have the induction option at all…so she gave me a sign that I had made the right decision and I feel soooooooo much better about the c-section.

Thanks again to everyone following my pregnancy journey…you have all been so awesome and supportive!  And a HUGE shout out to my friend Kelly who spent the entire day and night in the hospital with me bc my husband couldn’t be there.  When times get tough, true friends really come through…so thank you Kelly!  And sorry about the Ambien loopiness that night, LOL!

And another shoutout to my iPhone camera for capturing more of my drama-filled pregnancy while admitted in the hospital.  If it wasn’t for my phone, I might not remember this crazy time in my life!

Sorry for the lack of updates…I tend to be really lazy at home and forget to update my blog!  Since returning home, I have learned that not everyone agreed with the perinatologist’s decision to send me home on this past Monday.  My OB was not on call in the hospital the day I was sent home and apparently was under the impression that I would be delivering Marlowe while I was there, with no possibility of being discharged until that happened.  So, due to this….all of my appts in the office for NST/AFI were all canceled!  I did get a call from the nurse and she scheduled me for this past Thursday and that appt went alright.

Marlowe monitored “ok” as usual, with no accelerations in her heart rate with movement like they want to see, but no decelerations. Basically, they scheduled me the 21st, 24th, 29th for NST/AFI and then with perinatal on the 30th. My dr called the perinatologist she wants me to see that day and explained the entire picture to her. She says this particular perinatologist is very conservative with the baby’s well being and we will see what her perspective is after the growth scan.  I will be 34 weeks then and she has already had her steroids, so this good! My dr did not make me any further appts after that date, so it appears that is the next “goal” date for me to get to. Hope we can make it til then bc I REALLY want to be home for Christmas with Olivia!

So, for now…here are my 33 week belly pictures.

Oh and try not to acknowledge my leggings, shirt that is not long enough for leggings and my Ugg boots. I don’t leave the house, so I chill in what is comfy and I haven’t put on any make-up in at least 3 weeks! I realize I shouldn’t go in public like this and believe me, I don’t, hehe.