28 Weeks, and medical update.

Well, we're going to start with the good news...
I'm officially 28 weeks along today.

Which also means... WE ARE OFFICIALLY IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER. ( :

There isn't much going on with Ady, but I'll update you guys anyways.

At 28 weeks gestation, she weighs approximately 2 pounds 4 ounces and is about 14.8 inches long (from head to heel). She can blink now, and has eye lashes. Her eye sight is continuing to develop and she may be able to see the light now filtering through the womb. She's also developing more and more neurons in her brain, and adding more fat to her small body to prepare for life outside the womb. 

Now, onto the medical update and not so good news.

For the past week, I have been in either the hospital or the doctor's office at least once a day (except yesterday, Saturday). As some of you know, my blood pressure was really high on Monday during my normal OB appointment. They sent me directly to the hospital for some monitoring. I stayed overnight Tuesday, into Wednesday because my blood pressure was high once again, and they wanted to do some testing. They did a 24 hour urine collection to check the amount of protein. Though it came back high, it wasn't high enough to be deemed pre-eclampsia, so they deemed it gestational hypertension. They set up an appointment with a specialist in Peoria (I'll be there this coming Thursday). Then on Thursday I was back for more monitoring, and the doctor started me on a blood pressure medication. Friday, I had my follow-up appointment. My blood pressure was still high (I started the medication at 8:30), and I had to have my 28 week labs done so they could send the results to Peoria. 

Saturday was my "day off." 

So, why am I updating you? I was back in the hospital today. I woke up this morning, and my fingers were so swollen that I couldn't even make a fist. 

And my face was so swollen that my eyes were almost swollen shut. My mom took my blood pressure, and it was extremely high (keep in mind I've been on meds for 2 days now). So we called the doctor on call (not my OB), and he said to head back to the OB department at the hospital. So, I went back and they hooked me up to the monitors. The baby looked good, her heartbeat was strong and she was moving quite a bit. 

However; I found out today that... things aren't going to get better with my health. The doctors are simply trying to prolong the pregnancy for however long they can, and allowing Ady the time to mature naturally. I have to meet the doctor in Peoria because if I have to deliver before I'm 33 weeks along, I have to do it there. I was taken out of work indefinitely, and put on bed rest. So my life is going to be pretty boring for the next few weeks, but keeping Ady safe is #1. When the doctor's can no longer prolong the pregnancy, if I'm not at a stage where Ady will be able to survive on her own, they will give me steroid injections and 2-3 days later, induce labor. So, we're hoping we get past that stage, and that Ady stays in the womb as long as she needs to. 

But, that's about it for now. I'm exhausted, my head is getting sore, and I'm off to bed. 

Have a nice night everyone!

-Ady and Mommy

27 Week Update.

3/31/14

I went to the doctor at 1:00. They did all the normal stuff, you know.. weight, blood pressure, urine test, etc. Every single test they did came back abnormal. My weight was ridiculous. I went from losing weight since day one, to gaining 20 pounds in a week. My blood pressure went from being, almost perfect... to extremely high. My urine had protein in it. 

Well, because my blood pressure was high they sent me straight to the hospital for monitoring. They hooked me up to a blood pressure cuff that went off every 15 minutes, and hooked the baby up to a heart monitor and a monitor to see if and when my uterus contracted. 

Of course, when I got to the hospital, my blood pressure went back to normal. The baby's heartbeat looked perfect, and my uterus was calm (which is normal for only being 27 weeks). The blood work they did came back normal, but the urine test came back abnormal, showing more protein than it should.

So they sent me home, but with a 24 hour urine collection. The doctor, who looks just like Dr. Gru, told me that if I had a headache and couldn't get rid of it, to take my blood pressure. If it was high, call the office. And that if I saw any other signs (blurry vision, leaking fluid, bleeding, etc), to come back to the OB department. 

4/1/14

I woke up this morning with a terrible headache. Since I fell asleep almost right after getting home last night, it was pretty much.. the tylenol given at the hospital wore off, and the headache came back. I took my blood pressure, and it was at 161/99. So I called the office. They sent me straight back to the hospital.

When I arrived at the hospital, of course the blood pressure was fine. But the Dr. wanted to keep me for overnight observation. So, I'm now sitting in the hospital. The have to check my blood pressure every 2 hours, and they have to monitor baby for 30-ish minutes every 8 hours. My blood pressure was okay, but it went back up to 179/92.  I still have to do the 24 hour urine collection. They let me use the whirlpool, which was nice. I totally want one.

I had some low-grade contractions earlier, but nothing too major. I talked to the doctor, and if this is what they think, they'll have to start giving me steroid injections to make Ady's lungs develop quicker, so they can induce labor. But I'll know more later... 

For now, I'm gonna try to relax, and watch Big Bang with Aaron. 

Have a great night everyone!

-Ady and Mommy