On 8/12/13 Kanaan got a 10/10 on his BPP/NST. The fluid was at 6.5cm. That doesn't mean that the fluid has necessarily gone down, it could have been the way he was laying. Otherwise he was doing fine. The infected milk duct has come back and my OB Dr. K referred me to a general surgeon to have it looked at.
On 8/13/13 I met with the general surgeon Dr. P. He tried to remove the infection with a syringe, but that wasn't working, so he ended up having to cut it out. I was glad Andy was off work so he could take me and stay with. It was pretty painful, but is on the mend now. I go back next Tuesday for a follow up. Hopefully it's healing as it should and will not be an ongoing problem.
0n 8/15/13 Kanaan once again got a 10/10 on his BPP/NST. The fluid was at 10.3! If it's lower next Monday I won't be surprised, because he was curled up in a tight little ball so he wasn't really covering any of the pockets up.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Crock-pot Turkey
Around Thanksgiving, a local store had a coupon stating: Buy 1 ham and get 1 free turkey. We went ahead and took advantage of the deal even though we weren't hosting any holiday meal. I froze the turkey right away, and decided to go ahead and make it now to freeze and have on hand for after Kanaan is born. I don't have a roaster pan or a pan big enough for a turkey that goes in the oven, so I made it in the crock pot. I had an 11 pound turkey and used a 7qt crock pot.
Crock-Pot Turkey
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Vegetable bouillon base
Chicken bouillon base
Olive oil
Water
Turkey
Poultry Seasoning
I didn't use any measurements and you can do this with what you have on hand. That just happened to be what I had on hand.
First I put enough water in the bottom of the crock pot to barely cover the bottom. Then added 1 teaspoon of vegetable broth base and 1 teaspoon of chicken broth base. Added some baby carrots, celery, and 1 onion cut into large pieces. I rinsed the turkey and removed the giblets and neck. Then rubbed olive oil and sprinkled and rubbed my poultry seasoning all over that side of the turkey. I put the breast side down on top of the veggies in the crock pot while I oiled and seasoned the other side. Then I put the lid on and let it cook on low 10-12 hours. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the cooked turkey. The skin did not get crispy like if you had cooked it in the oven, but I don't like the skin anyway so it didn't really matter to me. Also it doesn't hold together for a fancy presentation if you are going for that. For our family holidays we always take the meat off the bones before dinner so people can just grab the meat and go through the line, we have a big family. We ate some for supper, and I had some for lunch the next day, but I was still able to have 13 cups of shredded meat to freeze. I probably would have had more if I hadn't munched on it while I was measuring it out to freeze.
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Vegetable bouillon base
Chicken bouillon base
Olive oil
Water
Turkey
Poultry Seasoning
I didn't use any measurements and you can do this with what you have on hand. That just happened to be what I had on hand.
First I put enough water in the bottom of the crock pot to barely cover the bottom. Then added 1 teaspoon of vegetable broth base and 1 teaspoon of chicken broth base. Added some baby carrots, celery, and 1 onion cut into large pieces. I rinsed the turkey and removed the giblets and neck. Then rubbed olive oil and sprinkled and rubbed my poultry seasoning all over that side of the turkey. I put the breast side down on top of the veggies in the crock pot while I oiled and seasoned the other side. Then I put the lid on and let it cook on low 10-12 hours. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the cooked turkey. The skin did not get crispy like if you had cooked it in the oven, but I don't like the skin anyway so it didn't really matter to me. Also it doesn't hold together for a fancy presentation if you are going for that. For our family holidays we always take the meat off the bones before dinner so people can just grab the meat and go through the line, we have a big family. We ate some for supper, and I had some for lunch the next day, but I was still able to have 13 cups of shredded meat to freeze. I probably would have had more if I hadn't munched on it while I was measuring it out to freeze.
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| Chicken Bouillon I used |
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| Vegetable Bouillon I used |
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| veggies and liquid before I added turkey |
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Make Your Own...Poultry Seasoning
Making your own poultry seasoning is a great way to cater the flavors and spices to your taste. Also you will know exactly what's going in to it. This is the recipe I used for Poultry Seasoning.
Poultry Seasoning
4 tbsp Sage
2 tbsp Thyme
2 tbsp Marjoram
1 tbsp Rosemary
1 tbsp Ground White Pepper
Pinch of Allspice
Pinch of Nutmeg
Mix all together. If desired, mix in blender or food processor for finer texture. (I did not blend/process). Store in airtight container.
Uses:
- Rub on surface of poultry before cooking.
- Season chicken or turkey soups.
- Season stuffing/dressing: add 1/2 to 1 tsp for 4 cups of stuffing/dressing
These are all dried spices/herbs.
Poultry Seasoning
4 tbsp Sage
2 tbsp Thyme
2 tbsp Marjoram
1 tbsp Rosemary
1 tbsp Ground White Pepper
Pinch of Allspice
Pinch of Nutmeg
Mix all together. If desired, mix in blender or food processor for finer texture. (I did not blend/process). Store in airtight container.
Uses:
- Rub on surface of poultry before cooking.
- Season chicken or turkey soups.
- Season stuffing/dressing: add 1/2 to 1 tsp for 4 cups of stuffing/dressing
These are all dried spices/herbs.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Kanaan 33 Week Updates
On Monday 8/5/13 at our BPP/NST Kanaan earned 10/10. His fluid was at 9.4 and he was still head down. My infected milk duct, was a lot better, still there but not red and much less painful. The ultrasound tech said she had never seen the fluid go up like this before, I mentioned that to Dr K and she said she's never seen anything like that either.
On Thursday 8/8/13 I met with Dr. A the MFM/specialist again. Kanaan's fluid was at 8.5, the doctor was not concerned about that as it could just be how he was lying. As long as his fluid is above 5 they aren't too concerned. Kanaan weighed 5lbs! I was born at 35 weeks and weighed 4lbs 10oz, he's already bigger than I was at 2 weeks later in the pregnancy. Dr A said "I'm really impressed with this kid". I will see Dr A on 8/29/13 for another growth check and he will check me at that time to see if I'm starting to dilate at all and schedule the induction for 37 weeks. He said if I'm my cervix is not favorable then I will go in 9/2/13 in the evening to get that ready before the induction on 9/3/13. If it is favorable then I won't have to be at the hospital until 9/3/13. He said he'd rather do a slow induction over a few days than try to rush it and need a c section. That makes me feel a lot better, I'd prefer to avoid a c section as much as possible. The induction dates are tentative at this point we will know an exact plan after the 29th.
On Thursday 8/8/13 I met with Dr. A the MFM/specialist again. Kanaan's fluid was at 8.5, the doctor was not concerned about that as it could just be how he was lying. As long as his fluid is above 5 they aren't too concerned. Kanaan weighed 5lbs! I was born at 35 weeks and weighed 4lbs 10oz, he's already bigger than I was at 2 weeks later in the pregnancy. Dr A said "I'm really impressed with this kid". I will see Dr A on 8/29/13 for another growth check and he will check me at that time to see if I'm starting to dilate at all and schedule the induction for 37 weeks. He said if I'm my cervix is not favorable then I will go in 9/2/13 in the evening to get that ready before the induction on 9/3/13. If it is favorable then I won't have to be at the hospital until 9/3/13. He said he'd rather do a slow induction over a few days than try to rush it and need a c section. That makes me feel a lot better, I'd prefer to avoid a c section as much as possible. The induction dates are tentative at this point we will know an exact plan after the 29th.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Kanaan 32ish Week Updates and Prayer Requests.
We're still plugging away at home on modified bed rest. On 7/29/13 Kanaan was still in the vertex position and the fluid was at 8.8cm. The doctor lumps the BPP(Biophysical Profile) ultrasound scores and the NST scores together to make a scale of 10. Remember Kanaan gets 2 points for each of the following, muscle tone, heart rate, movement, practice breathing, and 2 normal heart accelerations on the NST. He scored 10/10!! At my doctor appointment after the BPP my doctor said it was "the little kidney that could" lol. She asked what position he was in and I said he was still head down, she said "how in the world did he change positions every week with no fluid and now that it is in the normal range he is staying put?" I have no idea, but I'm happy he's staying head down. I ended up with a clogged milk duct, that was very painful, swollen and red, Dr K gave me 2 antibiotic shots and an oral antibiotic to take. If that doesn't clear it up I will need to have a surgeon cut it out. OUCH!!. It is still there and tender, but smaller, no longer red and the pain is much better. She also said my blood pressure was starting to creep up so if it is high again next week I will have to do a 24 hour urine collection. ICK. I really don't think it is high at all, it was fine at the hospital right before we got to the appointment and hasn't been remotely high during my hospital stay or any of the NSTs. I think it was just up a bit from rushing to the appointment.
On 7/30/13 I had to take off my wedding ring. They were getting too tight. I did get a vaccination shot in my left arm at my appointment on Monday so it may be swelling from that. My arm was extremely sore and I could hardly move it for several days. It is still a tad sore, but basically back to normal now.
On 8/1/13 Kanaan was still vertex and fluid was at 9.1cm. He got 10/10 on BPP/NST.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
On 7/30/13 I had to take off my wedding ring. They were getting too tight. I did get a vaccination shot in my left arm at my appointment on Monday so it may be swelling from that. My arm was extremely sore and I could hardly move it for several days. It is still a tad sore, but basically back to normal now.
On 8/1/13 Kanaan was still vertex and fluid was at 9.1cm. He got 10/10 on BPP/NST.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Continue to pray that the fluid increases. We are in the normal range, but the low end of normal. We are about to the stage where fluid levels typically peak and then start to drop for normal pregnancies. Pray that it continues to increase and does not drop at all.
- Continue to pray that his lungs will be developed in order for him to survive after birth. Even though he does do practice breathing, that has no impact on whether his lung function will be able to support life after he is born. Nobody is really sure how/when the fluid-lung connection works, his increasing fluid now may be good for his lungs, but it may be too late and missed the time to build his lungs. We won't have any idea if his lungs will be developed at all until he is born. His lungs may be fine, he may need respiratory help, or they may be so underdeveloped there is nothing to be done and he won't make it longer than a few minutes. Even though the increased fluid reduces the chance of still birth, he is still at a great danger of not having the lung function to survive. We aren't out of the woods yet.
- Pray that the clogged milk duct clears up and I will not have to have surgery to remove it.
- Pray that my blood pressure is fine at my next appointment and continues to be so for the remainder of the pregnancy.
- Pray Kanaan continues to remain head down, so that I can have a chance at a natural delivery. I really do not want a c-section.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Kanaan 31ish week updates
Now that we are home I go to the local hospital on Monday and Thursday for ultrasounds (biophysical profiles) and NSTs and see my doctor after that on Mondays. I've decided to call these weekish posts because I turn weeks on Tuesday, but it's easier to keep track of updates in the same calendar week. So technically I was 30w6d on Monday not 31weeks, hense the ish. During the biophysical profile Kanaan is scored on a point system. He gets 2 points for each area they are looking for to reach a total of 8. They are looking for: Movement- he has to make a series of movements to pass. Tone- they are looking at his muscle tone when he moves. Fluid- they are measuring his fluid. Breathing- he has to do a series of practice breathing.
Monday 7/22/13 Kanaan was head down and his fluid was still at 5. He scored a 6/8 on his BPP because he did not practice breathe. Practice breathing does not mean his lungs will be able to support him, it's a reflex type thing babies do. This does not mean anything about if he will be able to survive birth. His NST looked great as normal.
Thursday 7/25/13 Kanaan is still head down!!!! That's the way we want him to stay. He got an 8/8 because he met all the requirements and his fluid is at 6.91. That is considered normal fluid level! It barely meets normal range but we'll take what we can get. NST was perfect as usual.
Friday, July 19, 2013
30 Week Growth Check Ultrasound and Coming HOME!
On Wednesday 7/17/13 we had our growth check ultrasound. They measure his growth every 4 weeks. He was head down again YAY!!! The fluid was at 4.97 so they are rounding up to 5!!!!!!!! HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!!!!! Kanaan is measuring at 3lbs 14oz, which is a couple weeks ahead of his age. I was born at 35 weeks and only weighed 4lbs 10oz, according to the chart I found I was slightly smaller than average, but still he's only a little over half pound less than I was at 5 weeks later. If he keeps at it I'm going to have a HUGE baby!!! We tried to do a 3D ultrasound to see what he looked like, but with the low fluid and his position we couldn't get one. I'm so excited about today's news!!!! God is so GOOD! Keep praying, as we are still very low on fluid, but are slowly getting out of the danger zone for cord compression. We won't know anything about his lungs at all until he is born, but the doctor did indicate that his kidneys must be starting to work better and that's why the fluid is starting to go up. The doctor said that once the fluid gets to 5 or higher that the risk of compression drops. He said that since Kanaan has never shown signs of distress, even when the fluid was much lower, that he feels it would be ok for us to go home.
I got home last night 7/18/13 around 9pm. I will go in to the hospital in Quincy twice a week for a NST (Non Stress Test) and have an ultrasound to check the fluid, as well as seeing my regular OB once a week. The specialists from Springfield are in Quincy once a week so they will be checking in with Dr. K here as well. If they find anything concerning during any of the tests I will be transported back to Springfield. I will see Dr. A from Springfield on August 8th for another growth ultrasound. I'm on modified bed rest and have to do kick counts twice a day. I will also be checking my blood sugar 4 times and giving myself 5 insulin shots each day. I will still be on the same meal/snack schedule as I was in the hospital. I'm still pretty tired because I have to wake up early for breakfast and stay up late for night time snack. I try to take naps between meals but I have to check my blood sugar 2 hours after I eat and give my insulin shot to myself 30ish minutes before I eat, which doesn't leave a very good stretch to nap. So my days consist of poking myself with needles, eating and sleeping, basically the same as the hospital, but it's so nice to be home with Andy and Pogo.
I got home last night 7/18/13 around 9pm. I will go in to the hospital in Quincy twice a week for a NST (Non Stress Test) and have an ultrasound to check the fluid, as well as seeing my regular OB once a week. The specialists from Springfield are in Quincy once a week so they will be checking in with Dr. K here as well. If they find anything concerning during any of the tests I will be transported back to Springfield. I will see Dr. A from Springfield on August 8th for another growth ultrasound. I'm on modified bed rest and have to do kick counts twice a day. I will also be checking my blood sugar 4 times and giving myself 5 insulin shots each day. I will still be on the same meal/snack schedule as I was in the hospital. I'm still pretty tired because I have to wake up early for breakfast and stay up late for night time snack. I try to take naps between meals but I have to check my blood sugar 2 hours after I eat and give my insulin shot to myself 30ish minutes before I eat, which doesn't leave a very good stretch to nap. So my days consist of poking myself with needles, eating and sleeping, basically the same as the hospital, but it's so nice to be home with Andy and Pogo.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Update on Kanaan!
Here's an update on what's been going on with Kanaan and I the last few weeks.
On 7/1/13 we had another ultrasound to check Kanaan's fluid. It was at 2.5cm still and he had moved to head down. They also started checking my blood sugars. When I got here they did the 1 hour glucose screening test for Gestational Diabetes and I failed it. That doesn't necessarily mean that I have Gestational Diabetes, and the next course of action would be to do the 3 hour test. However, they didn't want to wait to give me the betamethasone, which is the steroid shot they give any mothers who are at risk for delivering early. The betamethasone helps lungs to mature, it will not help Kanaan's lungs if they are not developed because of the low fluid, but if they are developed it will help them mature if he has to be born early. Anyway the steroid makes blood sugar high so they decided to wait a few weeks before testing my sugars again, so they wouldn't treat me with Gestational Diabetes if I didn't actually have it. So they started testing the sugars again they were a bit high so they put me on the controlled carb diet. That helped for a few meals then there was a couple more high counts so I started on an oral medication. That helped after the first dose, but my sugar was high after the second dose, so they put me on some slow acting insulin. That helped for a few meals then they started the fast acting insulin as well. So I'm currently on 1 shot of slow acting insulin in the morning and again at night, and 1 shot of fast acting insulin right before each meal. They also test my blood sugar early in the morning, and then 2 hours after I eat.
On 7/9/13 I had another ultrasound the amniotic fluid was up to 2.7 and Kanaan was back to breech. I'm hoping that at some point he will flip back to head down. The doctor said that if Kanaan's heart rate stays ok and he flips head down they will induce me at 39 weeks and I won't have to have a c-section. I'm really hoping that I don't have to have a c-section.
His heart rate is continuing to look great on the monitors!!!
On 7/1/13 we had another ultrasound to check Kanaan's fluid. It was at 2.5cm still and he had moved to head down. They also started checking my blood sugars. When I got here they did the 1 hour glucose screening test for Gestational Diabetes and I failed it. That doesn't necessarily mean that I have Gestational Diabetes, and the next course of action would be to do the 3 hour test. However, they didn't want to wait to give me the betamethasone, which is the steroid shot they give any mothers who are at risk for delivering early. The betamethasone helps lungs to mature, it will not help Kanaan's lungs if they are not developed because of the low fluid, but if they are developed it will help them mature if he has to be born early. Anyway the steroid makes blood sugar high so they decided to wait a few weeks before testing my sugars again, so they wouldn't treat me with Gestational Diabetes if I didn't actually have it. So they started testing the sugars again they were a bit high so they put me on the controlled carb diet. That helped for a few meals then there was a couple more high counts so I started on an oral medication. That helped after the first dose, but my sugar was high after the second dose, so they put me on some slow acting insulin. That helped for a few meals then they started the fast acting insulin as well. So I'm currently on 1 shot of slow acting insulin in the morning and again at night, and 1 shot of fast acting insulin right before each meal. They also test my blood sugar early in the morning, and then 2 hours after I eat.
On 7/9/13 I had another ultrasound the amniotic fluid was up to 2.7 and Kanaan was back to breech. I'm hoping that at some point he will flip back to head down. The doctor said that if Kanaan's heart rate stays ok and he flips head down they will induce me at 39 weeks and I won't have to have a c-section. I'm really hoping that I don't have to have a c-section.
His heart rate is continuing to look great on the monitors!!!
Monday, June 24, 2013
HUGE Update on Kanaan!
I'm going to go ahead and try to update everyone on what's been going on in the last few weeks with Kanaan.
On 5/31/13 we went back to Springfield to check on Kanaan's fluid level. We were hoping that his fluid levels would be improved. However, they were still at a 1. Kanaan was looking good though. Dr T. said it was up to us when I would be admitted to the hospital for the remainder of the pregnancy. I was thinking we should come right away so that if he laid on the cord we could deliver him right away instead of him passing away before we knew. After Dr T we met with Dr. B the Neonatologist. He explained that since Kanaan's fluid is so low that his lungs would be less developed than other babies born at the same gestational age with regular fluid levels so his chance of survival were much less. He advised that based on our situation and Kanaan's chances of survival it would be better if we waited until we were 26 weeks to be admitted. If he were to be born before that he would most likely not survive at all. He said that even if we were able to make it full term his lungs may still not be developed enough to allow him to survive. He said that there is still a chance that he may not make it to 26 weeks. So we decided that June 18th when we would be 26 weeks we would be admitted for monitoring. Being admitted does not mean we would deliver him right away, but that he would be monitored so that if he did lay on the cord we would be able to deliver him right away so that he wouldn't be cut off from oxygen so long.
On 6/13/13 we had our last regular doctor appointment with Dr. K. We didn't get to have another ultrasound but she did do a NST (Non Stress Test) where they hook me up to 2 monitors, one to monitor if I'm having any contractions and one to monitor Kanaan's heart rate. He looked good on the NST and we were measuring 26 weeks even though we were only 25w2d. Which means Kanaan is still growing!
On 6/18/13 we were admitted to St. John's Hospital in Springfield. They hooked me up to the monitors and did all their blood draws and added an IV. The first day and night I was on continous monitoring. During the day he stayed on well, but once I tried to sleep he kept wiggling away and the nurses had to keep coming in to reposition the monitors. I maybe got 3 hours of combined sleep.
On 6/19/13 we had an ultrasound and Kanaan weighed 2lbs 3oz, which is still a bit ahead of his gestational age. Which is good, because the low fluid can cause growth problems, plus the bigger he is the better his chances are once he's born. He also had moved from breech (head up) to transverse (lying sideways) the doctor was surprised that he had enough fluid to change positions and said that was good. However, they couldn't find the kidneys in the ultrasound. The doctor wanted me to have an MRI. The concern was that since Kanaan was growing his kidneys should be growing as well. If he didn't have any kidneys on the MRI he wouldn't make it at all once he was born, if they were there and just small then his chances would be better. I was really nervous about the MRI, I had never had one and tend to get claustrophobic. Also I've always been sensitive to loud noises. Even though the MRI was scary I got through it ok.The doctor also said that since he looked so good on the monitor, (he hadn't compressed the cord at all) that we only need monitoring twice a day. I did ask if we could do it three times a day just for my sanity that everything is ok and she said that was fine.
On 6/20/13 the doctor came in to give the MRI results. Basically they found 1 abnormally shaped kidney instead of 2 regular ones. They said he has what is called horseshoe kidney, they said that it is fairly common and most people that have it don't even know it. Although the concern is that his may not be working properly because the fluid is so low. They said he has some function because there is some fluid in the bladder, and he does have a bit of amniotic fluid. They also said that his kidney is in the front of him instead of near the back where it should be. The location isn't much of a concern, just the function. We won't know how his kidney function is until he is born, they said if it is really low they could do dialysis on him and worse case he would need a kidney transplant. Also the main concern is still that once he is born his lungs may not have had enough fluid to develop his lungs.
Today 6/24/13 they did another ultrasound to check his fluid and he has moved back to breech, and his fluid is at 2.5cm!!!! That's still really low but better than 1 and they didn't actually tell me this until today but at my last ultrasound it was at 0. YAY for improvement!!! That's higher than it's been since we found out it was low.
On 5/31/13 we went back to Springfield to check on Kanaan's fluid level. We were hoping that his fluid levels would be improved. However, they were still at a 1. Kanaan was looking good though. Dr T. said it was up to us when I would be admitted to the hospital for the remainder of the pregnancy. I was thinking we should come right away so that if he laid on the cord we could deliver him right away instead of him passing away before we knew. After Dr T we met with Dr. B the Neonatologist. He explained that since Kanaan's fluid is so low that his lungs would be less developed than other babies born at the same gestational age with regular fluid levels so his chance of survival were much less. He advised that based on our situation and Kanaan's chances of survival it would be better if we waited until we were 26 weeks to be admitted. If he were to be born before that he would most likely not survive at all. He said that even if we were able to make it full term his lungs may still not be developed enough to allow him to survive. He said that there is still a chance that he may not make it to 26 weeks. So we decided that June 18th when we would be 26 weeks we would be admitted for monitoring. Being admitted does not mean we would deliver him right away, but that he would be monitored so that if he did lay on the cord we would be able to deliver him right away so that he wouldn't be cut off from oxygen so long.
On 6/13/13 we had our last regular doctor appointment with Dr. K. We didn't get to have another ultrasound but she did do a NST (Non Stress Test) where they hook me up to 2 monitors, one to monitor if I'm having any contractions and one to monitor Kanaan's heart rate. He looked good on the NST and we were measuring 26 weeks even though we were only 25w2d. Which means Kanaan is still growing!
On 6/18/13 we were admitted to St. John's Hospital in Springfield. They hooked me up to the monitors and did all their blood draws and added an IV. The first day and night I was on continous monitoring. During the day he stayed on well, but once I tried to sleep he kept wiggling away and the nurses had to keep coming in to reposition the monitors. I maybe got 3 hours of combined sleep.
On 6/19/13 we had an ultrasound and Kanaan weighed 2lbs 3oz, which is still a bit ahead of his gestational age. Which is good, because the low fluid can cause growth problems, plus the bigger he is the better his chances are once he's born. He also had moved from breech (head up) to transverse (lying sideways) the doctor was surprised that he had enough fluid to change positions and said that was good. However, they couldn't find the kidneys in the ultrasound. The doctor wanted me to have an MRI. The concern was that since Kanaan was growing his kidneys should be growing as well. If he didn't have any kidneys on the MRI he wouldn't make it at all once he was born, if they were there and just small then his chances would be better. I was really nervous about the MRI, I had never had one and tend to get claustrophobic. Also I've always been sensitive to loud noises. Even though the MRI was scary I got through it ok.The doctor also said that since he looked so good on the monitor, (he hadn't compressed the cord at all) that we only need monitoring twice a day. I did ask if we could do it three times a day just for my sanity that everything is ok and she said that was fine.
On 6/20/13 the doctor came in to give the MRI results. Basically they found 1 abnormally shaped kidney instead of 2 regular ones. They said he has what is called horseshoe kidney, they said that it is fairly common and most people that have it don't even know it. Although the concern is that his may not be working properly because the fluid is so low. They said he has some function because there is some fluid in the bladder, and he does have a bit of amniotic fluid. They also said that his kidney is in the front of him instead of near the back where it should be. The location isn't much of a concern, just the function. We won't know how his kidney function is until he is born, they said if it is really low they could do dialysis on him and worse case he would need a kidney transplant. Also the main concern is still that once he is born his lungs may not have had enough fluid to develop his lungs.
Today 6/24/13 they did another ultrasound to check his fluid and he has moved back to breech, and his fluid is at 2.5cm!!!! That's still really low but better than 1 and they didn't actually tell me this until today but at my last ultrasound it was at 0. YAY for improvement!!! That's higher than it's been since we found out it was low.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Baby Update!
On Wednesday 5/15/13, we went in for our mid pregnancy ultrasound and appointment. We were hoping to find out if Baby K is a boy or girl. Unfortunately we were not able to tell if we were having a boy or girl. At our doctor appointment directly after the ultrasound, the Doctor K told us that the baby had a cyst on the back of the neck, and my amniotic fluid was low. She was concerned that the combination of the two meant there was a chromosomal abnormality with the baby. She specifically mentioned Edward's Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Turner Syndrome and Trisomy 13. She sent us to Springfield to see a specialist to get a better look, as they have a better ultrasound. At that point Andy and I were praying that the diagnosis would be Down Syndrome, as the rate of the baby surviving past birth were much better than most of the others.
On Friday 5/17/13, we went to Springfield to meet with the Genetics Counselor and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist. Mary and Alan, Andy's parents went along with us for moral support. The genetics counselor gave us an idea of what the ultrasonographer would look at for each of the syndromes and advised that to know for sure what was going on, we would need to have an amniocentesis. With the fluid levels being low we were not sure if we would have enough to do the test. The counselor stated that with Edward's syndrome, Turner Syndrome and Trisomy 13 the baby would most likely have some physical deformity, if the baby had none chances were good that the baby did not have one of those. There are also markers for Down Syndrome the ultrasound tech would look for as well. As far as Turner's syndrome, that is a syndrome that effects only girls. It is when the baby only has 1 x chromosome instead of 2. So if the baby was a boy that one is also out. She said with Edwards syndrome the baby also has problems opening their hand so if the hand is in a fist the whole hour long ultrasound then that would be of concern, but if we saw the hand open, chances would be good the baby did not have that. She even said our fluid may not be low at all, if they were not able to get a good picture. She said that if there was no fluid at all they would induce me right away and we would deliver the baby, as it would not make it. We left there feeling better about what may be going on with our baby as we had more information and questions asked.
Next we had our long ultrasound. We saw the baby's hands wide open so we knew the baby probably did not have Edwards Syndrome. Praise the Lord! We asked the tech if she had a hint of what the baby was. She said she thought she saw some boy bits, but wasn't sure. She checked again after the ultrasound was basically over and was able to get a good shot, however the shot was trying to be blocked by a tiny hand being modest. She was however able to tell that we are having a little boy!!! His name is Kanaan Lee King! The ultrasound tech also confirmed what our first ultrasound stated that he is a little bigger than average. She said he was a little over 1lb, which was good news because a lot of the syndromes and low fluid can cause smaller babies. The fact that we were having a boy eliminated Turner Syndrome and his open hands eliminated Edwards Syndrome. We really didn't know how the ultrasound came out as we aren't really sure what measurements are normal/what we were looking at and what they should look like. The ultrasound, even though it was a high resolution, it still was not very clear.
After the ultrasound our Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist (MFM) Dr. T came in and gave us the findings. She stated that Kanaan looked great and had no abnormalities or markers that would indicate a chromosomal condition. No cyst. She did say that my amniotic fluid was very low. Low amniotic fluid is called Olighydramnios It should be at 20cm and mine was at 1. She said the main causes for low fluid would be the problems with the baby's kidneys, a chromosomal abnormality, the placenta not being healthy, or that I broke my water and was leaking fluid. She said Kanaan was fine, that knocked out the first 2 options. She also said my placenta looked good and was working properly as well. That left that I may be leaking fluid. She said that since the fluid was so low it can cause major problems for Kanaan. The most dire being that he may lay on the cord and without the fluid cushioning it he could cut off his oxygen supply making his heart rate drop. If he doesn't move he could die. Also it can cause his lungs to not mature and develop correctly. Baby's in the womb drink the fluid and doing that develops their lungs. Even if Kanaan, survives the pregnancy without laying on the cord, he could have breathing problems due to his lungs not developing as well. Also he could have some muscle tightness and may need physical therapy to retrain his muscles to straighten out as he does not have as much room to move around and stretch with less fluid. She said that if I'm not leaking any fluid, it may just be a rarity, but her guess was that I am leaking it and that is why it is so low since everything else checked out. What the plan of action is that once we decide that the risk of the Kanaan having major long term effects of being born very prematurely out weigh the risk of him dying in utero before we have a chance to deliver him, we will be admitted to Springfield to be observed. Once his heart rate drops and doesn't come back up immediately they will deliver him then. At this point we are at 21w6d, they are not going to admit me now because he wouldn't make it if they had to deliver anyway. We need to get to 24 weeks in order for Kanaan to have a chance of surviving, at that point he will have a 50% chance of surviving, but will most likely have permanent life long struggles and complications due to being born so early if he does survive. She wanted me to leave work and just stay at home to rest, but said that since I sit all day and just answer the phones that I can continue to work.
After we spoke with Dr. T she sent us down to labor and delivery triage to check if my fluid is leaking. The test came back negative, so at this point I am not leaking any fluid, it just seems to be very low. Dr. K said that drinking more water and rest can help fluid levels raise, however Dr. T said it would not help. Dr T said that if the low fluid is due to the placenta it may help but if I'm leaking it won't. Well since I'm not leaking and everything I looked at online support the rest and water intake theory, I've basically put myself on "bedrest" and am drinking as much as I can to help. I figure drinking more water certainly can't hurt anything and if I were in the hospital I'd basically be on bed rest.
Andy and I have to decide when I will be admitted, at this point we have not decided. We are praying that the fluid increases on it's own and I'm able to put off being admitted for a few more weeks, if not altogether. We will probably see what the report is next time and decide then. We go back to Springfield on 5/31/13 to have another ultrasound and meet with Dr. T. We will also meet with the Neonatologist to go over what we can expect if Kanaan is born within the next few weeks. At that time we will be 23w3d, so still a few days from viability for Kanaan. I do have several pictures to add but will do that when Andy is home to run back and forth to the scanner for me. Please be praying for our sweet baby, that he be safe inside me until he can safely be born, as well as my fluid increasing so that we will not be forced to deliver him too early. Also since I'm currently working as a temporary employee, there is a good chance that once I have to be admitted I will lose my job. Kanaan's safety is our main concern, but me being 2 hours away from family and Andy and with only 1 income and a hefty hospital bill it will not be ideal.
On Friday 5/17/13, we went to Springfield to meet with the Genetics Counselor and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist. Mary and Alan, Andy's parents went along with us for moral support. The genetics counselor gave us an idea of what the ultrasonographer would look at for each of the syndromes and advised that to know for sure what was going on, we would need to have an amniocentesis. With the fluid levels being low we were not sure if we would have enough to do the test. The counselor stated that with Edward's syndrome, Turner Syndrome and Trisomy 13 the baby would most likely have some physical deformity, if the baby had none chances were good that the baby did not have one of those. There are also markers for Down Syndrome the ultrasound tech would look for as well. As far as Turner's syndrome, that is a syndrome that effects only girls. It is when the baby only has 1 x chromosome instead of 2. So if the baby was a boy that one is also out. She said with Edwards syndrome the baby also has problems opening their hand so if the hand is in a fist the whole hour long ultrasound then that would be of concern, but if we saw the hand open, chances would be good the baby did not have that. She even said our fluid may not be low at all, if they were not able to get a good picture. She said that if there was no fluid at all they would induce me right away and we would deliver the baby, as it would not make it. We left there feeling better about what may be going on with our baby as we had more information and questions asked.
Next we had our long ultrasound. We saw the baby's hands wide open so we knew the baby probably did not have Edwards Syndrome. Praise the Lord! We asked the tech if she had a hint of what the baby was. She said she thought she saw some boy bits, but wasn't sure. She checked again after the ultrasound was basically over and was able to get a good shot, however the shot was trying to be blocked by a tiny hand being modest. She was however able to tell that we are having a little boy!!! His name is Kanaan Lee King! The ultrasound tech also confirmed what our first ultrasound stated that he is a little bigger than average. She said he was a little over 1lb, which was good news because a lot of the syndromes and low fluid can cause smaller babies. The fact that we were having a boy eliminated Turner Syndrome and his open hands eliminated Edwards Syndrome. We really didn't know how the ultrasound came out as we aren't really sure what measurements are normal/what we were looking at and what they should look like. The ultrasound, even though it was a high resolution, it still was not very clear.
After the ultrasound our Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist (MFM) Dr. T came in and gave us the findings. She stated that Kanaan looked great and had no abnormalities or markers that would indicate a chromosomal condition. No cyst. She did say that my amniotic fluid was very low. Low amniotic fluid is called Olighydramnios It should be at 20cm and mine was at 1. She said the main causes for low fluid would be the problems with the baby's kidneys, a chromosomal abnormality, the placenta not being healthy, or that I broke my water and was leaking fluid. She said Kanaan was fine, that knocked out the first 2 options. She also said my placenta looked good and was working properly as well. That left that I may be leaking fluid. She said that since the fluid was so low it can cause major problems for Kanaan. The most dire being that he may lay on the cord and without the fluid cushioning it he could cut off his oxygen supply making his heart rate drop. If he doesn't move he could die. Also it can cause his lungs to not mature and develop correctly. Baby's in the womb drink the fluid and doing that develops their lungs. Even if Kanaan, survives the pregnancy without laying on the cord, he could have breathing problems due to his lungs not developing as well. Also he could have some muscle tightness and may need physical therapy to retrain his muscles to straighten out as he does not have as much room to move around and stretch with less fluid. She said that if I'm not leaking any fluid, it may just be a rarity, but her guess was that I am leaking it and that is why it is so low since everything else checked out. What the plan of action is that once we decide that the risk of the Kanaan having major long term effects of being born very prematurely out weigh the risk of him dying in utero before we have a chance to deliver him, we will be admitted to Springfield to be observed. Once his heart rate drops and doesn't come back up immediately they will deliver him then. At this point we are at 21w6d, they are not going to admit me now because he wouldn't make it if they had to deliver anyway. We need to get to 24 weeks in order for Kanaan to have a chance of surviving, at that point he will have a 50% chance of surviving, but will most likely have permanent life long struggles and complications due to being born so early if he does survive. She wanted me to leave work and just stay at home to rest, but said that since I sit all day and just answer the phones that I can continue to work.
After we spoke with Dr. T she sent us down to labor and delivery triage to check if my fluid is leaking. The test came back negative, so at this point I am not leaking any fluid, it just seems to be very low. Dr. K said that drinking more water and rest can help fluid levels raise, however Dr. T said it would not help. Dr T said that if the low fluid is due to the placenta it may help but if I'm leaking it won't. Well since I'm not leaking and everything I looked at online support the rest and water intake theory, I've basically put myself on "bedrest" and am drinking as much as I can to help. I figure drinking more water certainly can't hurt anything and if I were in the hospital I'd basically be on bed rest.
Andy and I have to decide when I will be admitted, at this point we have not decided. We are praying that the fluid increases on it's own and I'm able to put off being admitted for a few more weeks, if not altogether. We will probably see what the report is next time and decide then. We go back to Springfield on 5/31/13 to have another ultrasound and meet with Dr. T. We will also meet with the Neonatologist to go over what we can expect if Kanaan is born within the next few weeks. At that time we will be 23w3d, so still a few days from viability for Kanaan. I do have several pictures to add but will do that when Andy is home to run back and forth to the scanner for me. Please be praying for our sweet baby, that he be safe inside me until he can safely be born, as well as my fluid increasing so that we will not be forced to deliver him too early. Also since I'm currently working as a temporary employee, there is a good chance that once I have to be admitted I will lose my job. Kanaan's safety is our main concern, but me being 2 hours away from family and Andy and with only 1 income and a hefty hospital bill it will not be ideal.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Baby Update!
Wow! It has been so long since I've blogged, so much for my blogging more goal.
Anyway I thought I'd do a much needed baby update. So I have not been taking weekly pictures. There really wasn't much change at all in the beginning and even now there isn't enough to do weekly pictures. I did the 6wk pic and then not again until 16wks and 20wks. I'll probably keep doing the pics every 4 weeks, maybe switching to weekly closer to the end, we'll see.
I had my first OB appointment on 3/5/13, which happened to be my mom's birthday. Everything went well and we got another ultrasound to check the baby's heartbeat. This time we even got to take home pictures! The baby's heartrate was 162bpm and it was just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig. Here is what Baby Center had to say about the baby's development at our first appointment.
My second OB appointment was on 4/2/13. Andy's sister's birthday! This appointment was pretty uneventful, no pictures or ultrasound, but we did hear the heartbeat on the doppler. The heartbeat was 156bpm. I was 15 weeks and the baby was about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighed in at about 2 1/2 ounces about the size of an apple.
I felt the baby move for the first time on 4/27/13, I was 18w4d. I'm definitely feeling it more often now but still not really strong or constant. I know it will come though.
I'm currently 20 weeks, halfway there! The baby is now the as long as a banana and is 6 1/2 inches long and 10 1/2 oz.
Now on to the belly pictures!
Anyway I thought I'd do a much needed baby update. So I have not been taking weekly pictures. There really wasn't much change at all in the beginning and even now there isn't enough to do weekly pictures. I did the 6wk pic and then not again until 16wks and 20wks. I'll probably keep doing the pics every 4 weeks, maybe switching to weekly closer to the end, we'll see.
I had my first OB appointment on 3/5/13, which happened to be my mom's birthday. Everything went well and we got another ultrasound to check the baby's heartbeat. This time we even got to take home pictures! The baby's heartrate was 162bpm and it was just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig. Here is what Baby Center had to say about the baby's development at our first appointment.
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| A profile pic of our little peanut! The oval on the left is the head, and the oval on the right the belly. If you look close to where the head and belly meet the bright area on the baby near the facing the top of the pic is the mouth and nose. Baby is lying on it's back looking up in this pic. |
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| This is a close up of the heart and heartbeat. |
I felt the baby move for the first time on 4/27/13, I was 18w4d. I'm definitely feeling it more often now but still not really strong or constant. I know it will come though.
I'm currently 20 weeks, halfway there! The baby is now the as long as a banana and is 6 1/2 inches long and 10 1/2 oz.
Now on to the belly pictures!
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| 16 Weeks |
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| 20 Weeks |
Sunday, February 10, 2013
6 Weeks! (1/29/13)
This week the baby is the size of pea. This week I had some sharp pains on my side and went to the ER. Thankfully everything was fine, and we got to see the baby and hear it's heartbeat. The heartbeat was 126bpm. I didn't get a picture this week, but there is no change in my appearance as of yet. The nausea has officially started, it comes and goes though.
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