On Sunday last weekend, I was able to do some things in the baby room, putting away more clothes, fixing it up. We just bought a box of diapers and wipes since… oops, we don’t have any. I didn’t get a picture of the nursery, so I’ll have to post it in the next update.
Sciatica
I had a chiropractor appointment on Monday and I don’t know what she did, but I need for her to do it again. Unfortunately, when I went back on Friday, I didn’t notice anything earth-shattering, and if anything, my hips and pelvis feel all loose and wobbly. Ugh.
But Monday evening, I was able to walk up the stairs like a normal person without clinging onto the railings and pulling myself up in pain. I still waddle around, but I don’t sink as far back into my left leg like I was for the last almost 3 weeks now. I walk…almost normal. And Monday night, when I got up to pee my usual three times, it wasn’t nearly as bad as the last three weeks have been, where I am not even sure I can take another step without exploding in pain.
BPP and NST #1
Pokemon passed his BPP only because he decided in literally the last two minutes of his 30-minute allotment that he was going to do his 30 seconds of practice breathing. All the other times, he would either be doing it immediately when the US wand was put on him, or he didn’t do it at all.
I’ve had this same US tech for the last few weeks, so instead of staring bleary-eyed at the US machine for endless minutes, we chatted about her upcoming wedding, antiquing, and family drama. I was telling her about some antique I had found awhile back and then she told me Baby was practicing breathing and to keep on talking. So I continued chatting and then we both said, “Good baby.” No 3D image because of too much distortion up by his face.
He also passed his NST fabulously and is looking great.
My blood pressure was slightly elevated at 130/91 and was higher at 137/93 when rechecked, so that was hosed. Later, when I checked it at home, it was 138/80.
I’m still 2 pounds below my prepregnancy weight, which is great. I did find out from a call the data before that my Group B Strep came back positive. Which is something I won’t stress about, but of course made me roll my eyes, because why not tack that on to this pregnancy as well? But with Olivia, my water broke before we had gotten the test results back, so I was on antibiotics prophylactically, and with Emelia, I may not remember it clearly, but I had to have been on antibiotics again since I had to be induced before I was even tested.
I asked the PA what the plan was today and she said while I’m in labor, I’ll get 4 hours of an antibiotic IV infusion while I’m getting pitocin and once that’s given, I will be good to go and so will Pokemon assuming he’s fever-free after delivery. But she’s also going to talk with Dr. A. about what he plans to do about that.
Then we talked induction again. I tentatively requested next Thursday as an induction day (37w4d) and she’s going to run it by Dr. A. and get it scheduled with the hospital. I asked if I was going to have the balloon catheter placed as I did with Emelia, because in that case, they usually have you come in the night before. But she said he hasn’t been doing that as much anymore, but will again, run it by him. Most likely, I’m to call the hospital at 6:00 am to make sure my bed is still available and it will (hopefully) be show time.
Emelia’s Spring Tea
Wednesday was Emelia’s Spring Tea, where she and her class have been practicing their balance, so they can pour punch and bring it to their guest, manners and making conversation, and getting their guest more food.
It was so adorable. Olivia did it last year, only she brought her grandma as a guest. Doing this 36 weeks pregnant was no easy feat, but I was just glad to be able to be there, since I was worried I wouldn’t be, and would be sitting in a hospital.
BPP and NST #2
On Friday, I had appointment number 2. On Tuesday, at my first appointment, I had preeclampsia labs drawn, and knew they would take some time to get back, but assumed they had drawn them STAT and since it was a morning appointment, thought I would get a call by Wednesday afternoon for sure.
I was also waiting on confirmation for my induction date, but by Wednesday 4:45 when I hadn’t received anything, I finally called the clinic, only to be told “no one from that team is there” and someone will call me tomorrow. Which I found to be frustratingly annoying because seriously? No one was there that could return a call?
Right after I hung up, I got an email from the diagnostic lab that runs the blood work, saying my results were in. Obviously, nothing had been interpreted by a provider, but from what I was seeing, everything seemed to be okay. Still, it was frustrating to not have a provider inform me if I had freaking preeclampsia from Tuesday morning.
Thursday came and went and still no one called me, even though the receptionist said they would call in the morning.
I called at 2:45 and the receptionist answered. I explained I was STILL waiting on preeclampsia lab results from Tuesday morning. She goes, “Okay… so it looks like you have an appointment tomorrow…”
Um, yeah, I told her, 24 hours from now and I’d really like to know asap if I have preeclampsia or not.
She told me that no one is available tonight to give me a callback.
I held my phone from my ear in disbelief, checking the time.
“It’s not even 3:00 and you’re telling me there’s no one who can return a call about preeclampsia labs?” I said, incredulously. Even now, as I type this on Saturday, I’m in shock she had the gall to actually say that to me. Her excuse? They were short-staffed.
“Tough shit,” Chris snorted when I told him later, “You have PAs there that return patient calls. If you have to stay later, then that’s how it works.”
“I’ve been pretty anxious to know whether or not my labs are positive or negative from over three days ago, and I deserve someone to call and notify me about those results,” I said none too politely. She put me on hold and then came back on, letting me know she left a note on my chart and someone will be calling me back tonight.
I had doubts a PA actually would, but ended up getting a call about an hour later. The PA reassured me the labs looks good, but she was concerned about my rising blood pressure and headache I’ve had off and on.
“I know you have an appointment tomorrow with another PA and if you’re BP is elevated in the clinic, if it’s over 140/90, they’re probably going to want you to go back in the hospital for monitoring so we can draw labs and have the results immediately.”
I told her I expected that and knew that was the plan since 32 weeks and that I was fine with that, since, you know, you don’t want to mess around with preeclampsia.
So fast-forward to Friday afternoon, where I first had my BPP. Pokemon did his wiggles and movements, but took about 15 minutes before he diligently did his 30 seconds of practice breathing and passed everything.
She also did a growth scan and he’s estimating to be 7 pounds, 2 oz, in the 68th percentile. His head is measuring in the 50th percentile (hooray for an average size head because I have to push that thing out of me soon), and his tummy size went from 99th percentile to 95th.
He also passed his NST once again with flying colors.
My BP was 137/96, and then 142/95 on the recheck. Fuck. The PA and I talked about it for a bit and she said, well my labs looked good from last time and my protein/creat ratio was negative.
Four days ago, I reminded her.
She looked back in my chart and went over my dosing for the labetalol and I reminded her that Dr. C., and for sure two other PAs have repeatedly said to me that they had no intention of increasing my dose this close to delivery, that the plan was always to rule out preeclampsia.
She told me she was going to run it by Dr. N. who was the physician on call that night and over the weekend. This is doctor #2 that partners with my doctor since he’s going to be retiring in a few weeks. I’ve never met her, unfortunately, and wasn’t ever able to get an appointment scheduled with her to meet her.
While the PA was out of the room calling, I texted Chris and my doula that I was pretty sure I was going for monitoring and Chris started making arrangements.
The PA came back in a few minutes later and said Dr. N. wanted me to increase my BP meds from 400 mg to 500 mg three times a day.
I just looked at her confused and said that was interested because none of the other providers said they would consider that.
The PA looked apologetic. “Yeah, she said to increase the dose tonight and if the majority of my blood pressures over the weekend were over 140/90 to call her. And if it’s over 160/100, you’re supposed to immediately go in to the hospital.”
I opened my mouth and shut it again. I shook my head. I told her I wasn’t expecting to hear that, and I really wish this could be run by MY doctor and not a doctor who’s never met me and doesn’t know my history. Chris later scoffed that he doubted the PA even told her that the other providers had said they weren’t going to increase my meds.
Personally, I think this doctor just didn’t want to be inconvenienced on a Friday night by sending me to the hospital and having to consult on me. I don’t know, maybe she had dinner plans, but it’s funny that literally every other provider in this practice has been (very) concerned about my blood pressure for weeks now, but the doctor on call who knows shit about me is like, blowing it off.
Because that’s what it is. I actively say my BP is rising, I have headaches off and on, but…. I’m supposed to just take an extra pill and check my blood pressure. Fuck her.
I shook my head again when the PA said, “I know, I hope that’s okay with you.”
“I don’t agree with it and I’m not comfortable with it, but I guess I’m going home,” I shrugged. I was so pissed off. Apparently, I also had the PA that was the most laid back about this, even though the other three have all made me feel like a time bomb repeatedly. The one time I wished someone was taking this seriously….
So I drove home. I took my increased dose that night, but didn’t check my BP because as I told the PA, it was going to be high regardless from stress.
This morning, Saturday, I took my BP after lounging around fully relaxed and the best I could get it to was 150/92.
I ended up basically in bed on my left side for the entire afternoon, listening to my Hypnobabies tracks and drinking water, trying to lay low and stay calm. After my afternoon dose, it was 143/93, so still above the threshold. I have had a mild headache off and on, but feel like at least it comes and goes, isn’t constant, and isn’t getting worse. I don’t have any swelling and the baby is still active.
I don’t want to have to go in this weekend, but I’m almost positive I’m going to have another high number tomorrow morning and that would be “the majority of my blood pressures” being high and will need to call the on-call doctor for what to do. Because so far, her plan of increasing my meds has been going real swell so far.
So it won’t surprise me to end up in triage tomorrow and I just pray this isn’t preeclampsia because I don’t want to be admitted under her. I’m not positive my doctor is the one on call this next week, but I did find out my induction is confirmed for Thursday.
If I make it to my final Tuesday appointment, I think I’m going to push to move that induction date up because I don’t trust what’s going on with my BP. We’ll see. The end is in sight, but I just really want to come out of this without preeclampsia.
Finally, here’s another baby blanket I just finished up. This one is smaller, like a stroller blanket and made out of cotton. It’s a new pattern, and I think it turned out really well. I hope Pokemon likes it.
Next week is baby week, regardless. I’ll try to keep up with the 37 week post every day, so I can update in as real time as I can.
