The ultrasound appt and other excitement

Originally written Oct 18, 2007 03:17pm (EST)

While I was writing my previous post about the second steroid shot, they came in to take me over to the perinatologist's office which is in a separate building of the hospital but still connected by a hallway somehow. So I didn't get a chance to post it until just now. So I finished that post and am writing this one to tell you how my appointment went.

Talk about drama. I'm in Pensacola, FL as some of you know and we had some bad thunderstorms here today and just before we were getting on the elevator there were all kinds of people in the hallways and stairwells saying there was a tornado circling the hospital. So we had to stay put in the hallway for a little while, I guess there ended up being 3 tornadoes nearby and eventually a 4th that really did some bad damage in downtown Pensacola. I don't doubt it wasn't on CNN. Luckily, my hospital (Baptist), did not get hit. They took me to my ultrasound appt around 10:30 and we didn't get back to my room until about 2pm with all the delays and what not. I have to admit, I didn't mind at all, it was kind of a thrill for me. I have only been out of my room once before in the last 7 weeks and that was just to go down the hall to another room.

So I talked to the peri about the slimy leakage and if it could be infection. He wasn't real concerned and said he would do a sterile speculum exam and look at some things under the microscope and send some stuff off to the lab. But my cervix is still 4 cm long, tightly closed and my uterus does not feel tender and my temperature has been a steady 98 point something. According to all this, he doesn't feel we should be concerned. He looked at some of the swabs under the microscope and couldn't find any signs of infection, he's going to get back to me after the labs come back. But he seemed really happy with everything and pretty confident that things don't seem to be starting anytime soon. I was sort of prepared for him to say we were going to have to have a c-section soon if I had an infection so I was a little excited to see my little Autumn but at the same time very scared. Though I'm really glad that everything is going as well as it possibly can be and that we can hold her in longer. Although many Dr's like to induce at 32 or 34 weeks he told me if things stay like they are, he'll hold off until 36 to get the baby but doesn't want to wait past then. I really want to have a VBAC but I assume they would have to induce me by 36 if I wasn't in labor on my own and using pitocin increases the risk of uterine rupture which I am already a slightly higher risk for since my c-section was done so recently. Just less than a year ago Halloween '06. But maybe they have some other way of inducing that doesn't increase the risk of your uterus blowing up. Of course, if she's not head down by the time they want to take her, it's pretty much an automatic c-section and I'm fine with that as long as she's healthy. But if there's a chance I can delivery her vaginally and healthy I would really prefer it. I'll have to talk to my Ob about all this cause he's going to be delivering Autumn.

I guess I didn't really say much about the actual ultrasound. An ultrasound technician did it before we saw the Dr for the speculum exam. She said everything looked really good, she's measuring right about 28 weeks and some odd days except the one thing she said was that her abdomen was measuring a week behind but that isn't anything to worry about?

The peri said not to worry about the abdomen either and that what he really likes to look for in pPROM babies is if the chest wall is really narrow in comparison to the rest of the torso, the "bell" shape. He said the bell shape is not good cause that usually means the lung development hadn't occured as good as it should have. But Autumn's chest looks normal for a baby her size so that is a good thing. Although he still mentioned we really won't know if that lung development did occur until she's born. I'm sure he has to say that cause he can't guarantee me anything but I think he has high hopes and I definitely feel like she's going to be ok. Oh yeah, and her estimated weight is 2.8 lbs.

I just can't believe how I keep getting scared and doubting that we'll get any further, and God just keeps holding our hands and dragging us along. He's so good. I should not be surprised but just the mere fact that God loves and cares for us all as individuals is really amazing to me, especially when you feel so undeserving.

April