Driving myself crazy - pregnancy after a preemie

[Cheska]

Has someone said that to you hon?

 

[Dinah93]

Sorry no, that was me being completely out of it yesterday, that was meant for another forum entirely. I tend to get myself very worked up before a scan and I don't necessarily make much sense! Growth scan is today, see consultant tomorrow. Just praying it's all okay, at least I'll know today and have time to compose myself to know what I want to ask by tomorrow. Of course it could be wildly reassuring and I can just relax.... I don't know who I'm trying to convince with that one. Checking my own bp and protein at home every day. BP is swinging a lot, anywhere from 148/108-125/91 in a day is normal. Thankfully no protein yet. How are things going with you?

 

[Dinah93]

Scan went well! Little guy is measuring where he should be, blood pressure has also been great today at 115/87 which is the lowest for about a month so I think the methyldopa is finally starting to work. See the consultant tomorrow and I'm hoping he'll say 'see you in 2 weeks' which will be 28+1 - the day after my DD was born, once I can get past that point I'm going to be insufferably happy.

 

[Cheska]

That's a great update to read! I'm so pleased everything was looking tickety boo.

I felt the same with 33+1 (when ds was born) being a milestone for me. And it's that day tomorrow. So I'm feeling much calmer. Even if things start going 'off' now my anxiousness is much better.

Growth scan at 10am....feel about 75% sure they will keep me in and deliver next week....

 

[Dinah93]

Hey love, how was your scan? What makes you think they'd keep you in to deliver? As you say, even if they keep you in you're further than last time and you know what to expect x

My consultant said he'd see me in two weeks, and he's confident the baby won't come before then. He actually said its surprising this one is going so well so far. We clearly have different definitions of 'so well' but im glad he thinks I'll get past where I did last time. He told me to call him if my blood pressure rises again so we can up the tablets again.

 

[Cheska]

A few reasons.... They checked some blood vessels at 23 weeks which were looking similar to what they did with ds, one was showing a possible notch. The growth had started slow on the growth scan previously. The doctor had wrote in my notes steroids? Prepared for delivery. And my bp seems to have been creeping and if I had any protein in my urine they wouldn't let me go.

Any way.....
Delighted to say, my little pumpkin has grown - a whole two weeks worth. Est weight 4lb 4oz which is more then ds when he came home!! Did a little hop skip and a jump on my way out. Feel like I'm walking on air, literally cannot believe I'm at home. Couldn't sleep cos I was so excited. Got to go Monday to check bp and protein. But I'm wondering if ill possibly get to 35 weeks. Might be wishful thinking and don't want to get my hopes up too much but got to think positive right!?

 

[Dinah93]

That's good news, hope you get more today.

After a week of nice readings around 135/95 bp has been 140/110 or higher all weekend and I'm awake at 4 am due to a headache. Very worried and I don't get why it's gone this high when just Friday it was fine. Emailed my consultant yesterday but no reply so I think I'm going to have to do what I fear most and go to day assessment today.

 

[Cheska]

I know it's easier said then done but try to relax. Chances are the headaches just a regular headache and it's just a coincidence. Your doing the right thing though getting checked out. Plus sounds like your meds need looking at.

Keeping everything crossed for you and little one let me know how you get on.

Community midwife is coming to me today.

 

[Cheska]

Hope your ok! Xx

 

[Dinah93]

BP was 160/117 so it was a high bp headache, but no protein thank God. My consultant is on holiday for a week so a registrar has thrown 10mg of nifedipine into my tablet mix... not sure on that one but I'm prepared to be convinced. If it hasn't gone down in 2 days I'll be going back.

How was the midwife?

 

[Cheska]

Was told if I had protein and or bp 150/100 or higher I had tone admitted. It was 150/102 luckily a little lower when she took it on me lying down. No protein so managing to avoid a hospital stay so far.

Do you know if your nifedipine is slow release? That's the only tablets I'm on. I know you said they didn't really agree with you though.

 

[Dinah93]

Yeah it's slow release, it's a very small dose though and made no difference so today they've upped the methyldopa too. Nifedipine can give me migraines but I didn't get one today thankfully, although my brain did 'squeak' this morning which is a very odd sensation/noise! My threshold for going to the hospital is 150/110, admitted if I have that and protein, or if it stays at that for 4+ hours. My consultant is used to me from the last pregnancy and knows I'm over 140/100 every single day at this point, but not all the time, personally I wish they'd try to keep it lower than they do. I'm now on 400mg labetalol 4x a day, 500mg methyldopa 2x a day, 75mg aspirin once a day, and 10mg nifedipine once a day. Still significantly better than this point in my last pregnancy when I was on the same labetalol, 20mg x3 of nifedipine and 750mg methyldopa 4x a day.

 

[Cheska]

Gosh sounds like your rattling.

Methyldopa did not do anything for me.
I'm on 40g nifedipine 3x's a day. Bp was ok today and no protein.
At least another couple of days for baby to bake.

When you next at the hospital?

 

[jandksmommy]

Didn't want to read and run . Just wanted to say that I am so glad you ladies found each other here. What you are both going through is super stressful and it helps so much to have someone else to talk to who KNOWS what you are dealing with. Best of luck ladies, I will be thinking of you and your babies.

 

[Dinah93]

Brilliant news that baby gets a few more days. Thrilled for you.

I'm not sure methyldopa does much for me either. Do you get any side effects from nifedipine? I feel like I have flu, really hot, so achy across my shoulders and neck, feel sick. I've felt like this since Tuesday, only started on Monday so I'm hoping its the nifedipine rather than signs of pre-e.

1 week or 7 days or 168 hours or 10,000 minutes until I'm the most pregnant I've ever been.

 

[LittleMum]

I had my growth scan yesterday, baby is still measuring well but Doppler readings are bad again, amniotic fluid is down loads (only one main pocket left and that's by his feet reading a 7) and my BP has gone up to 112/81 (normally 99/67)
Had a bit of a head ache yesterday but today it's agony
Seeing nurse tomorrow for another check and scan next Tuesday. They're hoping to get me to 37 weeks but my god my head hurts ouchy

 

[Cheska]

Awh you will start to relax a bit more in 1 week or 7 days or 168 hours or 10,000 minutes I promise. I still keep having to pinch myself about it.

I didn't get any side effects I don't think. I've been on it prior to conceiving ds and then stayed on it as we thought we would like a close age gap and I didn't want my meds being messed about with too much at the start of a new pregnancy. So been on it since aug 11. Have you read about the side effects!?
When I started labetalol I got a really itchy scalp like something was crawling under my skin. My body must have just got used to it as it did stop. Was one of the things mentioned on the leaflet.

I'm at the hospital tomorrow so feeling a bit nervous again! X

Littlemum sorry to hear about the flow and fluid. Is little one still very active? How much is he weighing in at now?

 

[Dinah93]

Sorry to hear about your scan littlemum, I'd get the headache checked out but fingers crossed maybe it's dehydration from the heat?

How was the hospital Cheska?

I was back in on Friday as bp still too high, and my consultant came in for the day so he told me to pop down and see him. I was really scared as I was 27+1, which is the gestation at which I was admitted with DD and didn't get out until I'd had her. However it went well, no protein, bp was 140/98 (good for me) but it was the morning, and it's often at 150/110 or higher at night. So he decided to up the labetalol to 400mg 5x a day (no longer possible to do even spacings and get a good nights sleep ) and to put the methyldopa up from 2x 500mg to 3x 500mg. Seems to have worked as most of my readings have been around 130/96 since then, and I even had a 106/89 today (wow did I feel dizzy when that was happening! Those numbers need a bigger gap!). Best part was they did blood tests on Monday and my results were in, and he described them as 'perfectly normal' - so no signs of things going off. I can live with the high bp, it's the pre-e/HELLP that scares the pants off me. He measured the bump too, but said I'm really hard to measure and if I hadn't had a growth scan a week earlier he'd have sent me for one as he really couldn't tell where I was at. So feeling a lot happier now bp is down in the 90s again, and my blood results aren't showing signs of going doolally. My 30 week goal seems to be within sight and that's just amazing to me. 4 days till DD was born, 5 days till I'm the most pregnant I've ever been, 18 days to 30 weeks and the home straight. Hang in there little man!

Even starting to think about the birth now. After 30 weeks I have the option of induction if I'm stable enough, or if I go full term I can think about vbac instead of elcs. I was sure I wanted the natural birth at the start, but I think it's very likely they'd want me to have an epidural and I'm not sure I think it's better to labour without knowing it and being told when to push compared to the c-section. I think I'm going to put off thinking about it until 34 weeks or so when the end really is in sight!

 

[Cheska]

Hi dinah!

So pleased your bp seems to be a bit lower and stable. Can't wait for you to get past your dd's gestation. It's a nice feeling and I think you will start t relax more.

I'm still going!! Can't believe it. When I woke up on Saturday I felt like I had won the lottery. Keep having to pinch myself. Next.... Community midwife should be coming tomo to check bp and urine. Assuming that's ok next is another growth scan Friday when I'll be 35+1 exactly 2 weeks after ds's gestation xx

 

[Cheska]

How you doing dinah?

Have you got a growth scan tomorrow?