January 2020 Garnets

[OnErth&InHvn]

Her small birth story:
Everything was fine until yesterday. I passed out and came to. A few hours later I started bleeding. I wasnt in the triage 15 minutes before they said you're contracting every 2 minutes and having a baby. Off to the OR. Out crying and peeing.

She needed oxygen via CPAP and needed some lung meds to expand her lungs. She might be there a few weeks. I'm nervous about my supply and I may have had an anxiety attack last night. Shes 45 minutes away, not across the hall. Theres an empty baby bed in the room. Breastpumps, etc. It was like I had a baby and a loss.

For those still waiting.... just prepare for plan a, b, and z. I was not planning on this. I thought maybe a section at 40 weeks. Maybe a hospital birth. Sure I could have a NICU baby.... but for her to come at 34 weeks and whisked away, no. I wasnt prepared.

 

[Fit_Mama2Be]

Sorry she's been moved so far away OnErth, are they planning to move you closer to her? Hoping the two of you can be reunited ASAP.

Great advice about planning for the unexpected. With my my first son I didn't pay attention at all when they were talking about emergency c-sections in my prenatal class. I was like "I'm not having one of those" as if anyone plans for an emergency c-section! Now I know that things don't always go as planned...I certainly didn't expect that this baby would be breech because my first son was head down but here we are...

 

[Literati_Love]

OnErth - That sounds like a very traumatic birth. I am so sorry that she is 45 minutes away from you. I can’t even imagine how that must feel! I hope you can be reunited very soon! When do you think you will be out of the hospital? Hoping and praying for a speedy recovery for Nora so that you can have her at home with you very soon.
Sorry you are concerned about your supply and BFing. Have you been able to pump regularly so far? I hope things work out for you with that. Have you been able to see her again since she’s been in the NICU? Hugs.

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

I got discharged Tuesday and went straight to her. I have hand expressed some and getting donor milk.
I held her for the 1st time and attempted to nurse her.

 

[goingforit]

On Earth congratulations on your little girl. A beautiful name So glad you are now out and able to cuddle your little girl.

How is she doing?

Can't quite believe all our babies are due soon!

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

The plan when we left tonight was to wean her off the canula and then possibly move her to a closer hospital (the one she was born at). After that, she needs to figure out feeding and then go home.

 

[Sophie1234]

OMG huge congratulations mama! I'm sorry that Nora has needed a bit of help, it must be so frightening for you. I hope you are both well and home ASAP.xx

 

[goingforit]

OnErth it sounds like she is doing well. I hope that the weaning off the canula goes well and that she will soon be closer to you. There is so much change for babies it's amazing all that they can achieve...I hope she starts to feed well. You are doing amazingly...it must have all been quite a shock for you. How is the anxiety? I am not surprised you had a bit of an episode...it is a lot for you to have gone through and must have been scary. Nora seems a reasonable weight for her gestation. I don't know much about placental abruption but I'm glad she arrived safely and hope she goes from strength to strength.

How is everyone else doing? 7 sleeps til Christmas

 

[Literati_Love]

OnErth - that’s great they’re going to move her to a closer hospital! I hope she figures out feeding really quickly and that you’re able to take her home soon. That’s good you were able to use donor breast milk.

 

[ashley2pink]

Congrats OnErth. Sorry about the scary abruption and Nora being born early! And her being taken to a different hospital. Was there no NICU at your hospital? That would be so hard! Do they know how your placenta abrupted or is it just one of those things they don’t know how it happens? I hope your supply hasn’t been affected and that she isn’t in the NICU too long.
I’m thinking my baby will be born very soon too. Have had 2 more episodes of close contractions since I last posted. Last night they were 5-8 min apart for 7 hrs straight. I couldn’t talk or move without setting even more off. So stressful. And with having GD it can make it so her lungs don’t develop quite as quick. So that’s another worry. Already probably going to have her early and now her lungs will be even less ready.

 

[Literati_Love]

Ashley - I am so sorry you have even more to worry about with your baby since you have GD. That is awful about having such close together contractions for so long! Hopefully she will stay in there a little bit longer, and take comfort in the fact that you have made it this far and every day you make it through is a milestone at this point, allowing her to get just that little bit stronger. You’re doing great!

 

[OnErth&InHvn]

Where she was born has a " special care nursery". Its more for low risk babies. The childrens hospital takes all babies and has an actual NICU and PICU.

I dont know yet why the abruption happened. They sent the placenta to pathology.

 

[Beadle]

Oh wow OnErth that's so crazy, I'm sorry you had to go through that but thankfully everyone is doing ok and pulling through.

Ok, sooo idr who asked about it but as I was skimming (and swore I'd remember the name of who asked, but of course preggo brain prevails) I read someone asking about pumping beforehand and collecting the colostrum and if it would help increase the supply. From everything I have read it does nothing to effect the supply, either harm or help it. I've looked into it since I needed to test my pump to see if the flanges I have fit and didn't want to risk messing up my supply.

I am hoping I have this baby early, my doc appt on Monday showed that in 6 days (from last weeks appt) I went from being totally closed and barely thinned to being 3cm and 50% effaced already and I've been having a lot of irregular contractions. I also talked with my doc and got approved to try drinking that tea and I've been drinking it since last week's appointment. Who knows if it is what boosted the change, but it tastes good and won't hurt anything so I'm continuing to drink it either way. But my next appointment is on the 27th and since I'll be 39 weeks my doc said she'd do a stretch and sweep for me so it can encourage him to come a little sooner and I can hopefully have him before my kiddos go back to school and leave me wondering how the heck to get them to school and back while I'm in the hospital if I have him late and on a weekday. But I'm having some liquid going right now, not entirely sure if it's funky discharge or if it's my water leaking, if it's my water leaking like it did with my daughter I might be having him as early as this weekend. But my brother in law finally moved out last weekend and I'm getting his nursery together so if he does come this early we're mostly prepared at least

 

[Literati_Love]

Beadle - Please do check with your doctor if you think you’re leaking fluid, but I will say that in all of my pregnancies I have a LOT of very liquidy discharge in the third trimester, especially after 30 weeks. So it is probably pretty normal, but good to check if you’re not sure.

That’s exciting that your body has made some progress already. I can’t believe you’re already 38 weeks! That’s great you can get a sweep done at your next appointment. I hope it helps! I think after dd1 it helped me, but with dd2 it did nothing.

 

[ashley2pink]

My amniotic fluid was leaking with my 1st pregnancy. Looking back I don’t know how I wasn’t sure if it was that or not. I did have quite a bit of discharge but the leaking would come out in little spurts. I would be walking and suddenly it was like a little valve would open and some water would come out then quickly shut back off. Not enough to soak through to my pants but enough that it would get my underwear wet with just water. That started happening around 34-34.5 weeks. I went like that for probably 9 days before truly getting checked. It was my waters leaking. Thankfully I didn’t end up with an infection!
So I was induced and she was born at 35+5.
I do get watery discharge sometimes now but it’s different.
Had another ultrasound today with MFM. Baby girl isn’t measuring big anymore. She was 75% 5 weeks ago and only about 39% today. I was told it’s okay and not concerning that she dropped so many percentiles. I hope that’s true. It makes me a little worried that she isn’t growing enough. They said they estimate her weight to be 5 lbs 5 oz. which for 34.5 weeks seems like a decent size. Hoping that is pretty accurate and she isn’t any smaller in case she does come soon.

 

[Literati_Love]

Just had my MFM appointment. Baby’s growth and amniotic fluid levels have remained stable. They will see me again in a couple weeks and might decide around then if they will induce me early. The dr confirmed that I am at risk of preterm labour and premature membrane rupture. I am a little frustrated, because my DH is planning a snowboarding trip when I am 36.5 weeks pregnant. I expressed that I do not feel comfortable with him going at that time. He said he would wait to find out if I am at risk of preterm labour before he decided to go. Now it has been confirmed that I am, but he was still sounding like he is wanting to go. I am really hoping he changes his mind after thinking about it, but I definitely feel undervalued by his prioritization.


Ashley - that’s interesting about your fluid leaking! It does seem like it would be hard to tell either way. I remember worrying about it with my other 2 but it was never anything. At least now I’m getting regular ultrasounds so hopefully they would catch something if it started leaking and I hadn’t noticed. I’m glad your baby ended up being okay.
I’m sorry your baby’s growth is concerning you. That does sound a bit odd that she has dropped so much in percentiles. However, I’m sure they are taking things seriously and would do something about it if it were cause for concern. I hope baby is okay. I’m sorry you’re having such a stressful pregnancy. I hope you can make it at least a couple more weeks and that baby will come safe and sound. Hugs!

 

[Beadle]

I was planning on talking to my doc once I figured out whether it was more likely discharge or fluids, but after monitoring it for an hour it started to taper off so I am pretty sure it was just a weird discharge moment lol With my daughter it was just a tiny leak, like I thought that it was just urine or discharge with her too, until I realized how I was mostly filling a panty liner every two hours or so, which didn't seem right, and I was having contractions that weren't super close but regular and getting closer. So I went in and ended up staying because it was leaking and I had to be monitored for infection at that point. But since it stopped about an hour after posting I figured I was in the clear.

Ashley - Were you getting measured by ultrasound or the tape measure on your belly? I'm not sure what all goes on with ultrasound measures, but with me my kiddo went from measuring almost 3 weeks ahead from weeks 30-34 and then once I got to 36 he was measuring right on track. I guess sometimes kiddos have growth spurts and then just kinda pause for a little while and change up how big they are vs how big they "should" be. But that does sound like a good size for your gestation.

Literati - I'm glad things are looking good so far, hopefully they keep being stable. And sorry to hear about DH, like I can see him wanting to go have fun but when you're at a risk for something like that you're going to want him to stick close. Hopefully he sees your point of view, it might just be that he doesn't quite realize how risky it is yet for you going early and him potentially missing the birth if he's out of town? Sometimes people just get so caught up in the idea of fun they don't stop and think about anything else :/

 

[ashley2pink]

Beadle- hopefully it is nothing then! Though you are far enough along at this point, but it’s confusing when you aren’t sure what’s going on!
All were ultrasound measurements. My first anatomy one at almost 21 weeks she was about 4-5 days ahead. Then I had another at 25.5. She was about 7 days ahead. Then at 29.5 she was 9 days ahead. Yesterday at 34.5 she was 2 days behind. The last 3 ultrasounds were all taken at the MFM with the same tech. And their machine is the most sensitive I was told. Both the tech and the OB specialist who came to talk to me after said it was okay. That they only worry if she drops under the 10%. The Dr said some babies slow down growth at the end and it’s okay. They don’t want to see me again so hopefully it is okay and she doesn’t continue to drop percentiles. If I remember right her belly measured 33+6. Head measured 34+4 and femur was 34+2. So not too far off my dates at all. It’s more the fact that she was 9 days ahead before that concerns me.
Oh and also at the hospital they did an ultrasound at 27 weeks, completely different Tech and machine and that also was 9 days ahead.

 

[ashley2pink]

Literati- he better not go! That would stress me out! Obviously you possibly going into labor trumps his trip.
I get nervous enough with my husband has to go somewhere nearby. I have this big fear of going into labor with how quick my last one was. I just pray my water doesn’t break. I think I will be screwed. And hopefully my husband is home and not at work. He hardly ever sees his calls when he is there.

Oh and a Literati- thank goodness you don’t have GD. It’s hard! And with the holidays and all of the treats, it’s torture! One of my neighbors knows o can’t have dairy so made me some dairy free cookies. So nice of her! But, I can’t eat them with the GD! And others have brought cookies and I want them so bad. But Baby time is almost here! Then I will be eating treats! Weird thing, if I eat even a little sugar my bladder gets so irritated. I think that was what was causing it right after I got back from hospital with preterm labor issues at 27 weeks. The steroid shot causes an increase in glucose levels. Now it makes sense. I ate 1 dang Oreo the other day and my bladder was irritated. Then last night a neighbor brought dinner over and it was some kind of Indian dish. The meat was sweet. After that my bladder my irritated for a few hours. I can’t imagine eating a bunch of candy. It would get so bad! I was told once I deliver the placenta it should resolve. But then I read online that it takes some women 6-12 weeks sometimes for their glucose levels to go back to normal

 

[goingforit]

Wow Ashley that sounds like a lot to have to juggle and cope with and like you say with the festive season it's even more of a struggle. I really hope baby stays snug for you a little while longer. You have had a lot to contend with this pregnancy. I am sure if the weight has anything to be concerned about they would have flagged it up somehow.

Literati - I hope that your husband makes the decision with you at the centre of it. I can understand your anxiety in him being away with the risks.

Beadle I hope that your leak was just that. It's so hard to know what's going on with our bodies sometimes. Glad that it has eased.

Can't beleive a few of you have been experiencing contractions already. I would totally panic Second baby but this is a planned section for the 20th January and we don't really have anything in place for if baby decides to arrive early. We have no family living up here so would be relying on friends I suppose.

Afm Baby seems so active that I sometimes feel like it's trying to break free. I really don't recall this with my first.

Hope all is going well OnErth...been thinking of you x