Sunday, January 29, 2012

She popped!

I saw L 2 Friday's ago at our last peri appointment and she was looking pregnant but not hugely so. Then this past Friday we met for dinner and holy smokes, she has popped majorly!! It is crazy how much she has changed in 7 short days. I just kept staring at her in disbelief. I kept having to tell myself those were MY babies in there. MY BABIES!!!! Unreal! L is going to let me take a picture when I see her this Friday at our appt, that way I can stare at that beautiful belly whenever I want.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Some People

Ohmygosh! I can't believe I forgot to tell you this story!

It was at our appointment a few days before Christmas. We were sitting in the waiting room at Dr. R's office waiting to be called back for our appointment. There was another woman, who we shall call Mrs. Crazy, waiting on her sister who was back for her appointment. Somehow we ended up in a conversation that started being about getting induced. Mrs. Crazy's sister was apparently being pressured to be induced since it was close to the holidays. At first we went along with the conversation, commenting about yeah, some doctors try to do that for their convenience or for the patient's convenience. This went on for a few minutes and then Mrs. Crazy started in on how L could deliver these babies naturally, she didn't need an epidural. She's a woman, her body was built to do this. Mrs. Crazy had had 800 natural deliveries, most of which were at home. Well, maybe not 800, but I don't remember the exact number. She then told L that the doctors were going to try and scare her and get her to have all kind of medical interventions that she didn't need because again, she is a oman her was built for this. She just kept going on and on and on and on. I don't think she got the clue to shut up when we kind of started ignoring her and not responding other than a meek nod of the head. What I really wanted to say, and now wish I HAD said was something along the lines of, "We don't need the doctors to scare us, we know full and well about all the things that can go wrong. I know she could bleed out and need a hysterectomy, because it happened to me. I know the babies could have complications that result in us planning a funeral during their first few days of life because it happened to my nephew. I know all about it, don't need any doctor to scare me. Had either my sister or I delivered at home we would be dead, so there is no way in HELL L is going to have MY babies at home. Plus, if she wants to have an epidural or any other kind of help while she tries to deliver these babies, the babies she is selflessly carrying for us, then she can have all the drugs she wants. So more power to you and your med free, doctor free, easy births. But maybe you should keep your opinions to yourself because you don't know everyone's story. Not everyone is as lucky as you."


But instead I just sat there listening to her drone on and on, and just prayed we would be called back soon. But even as we were walking through the door for our appointment she calls out to L, you can do it, you were made for this.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Names

Yes, we have names picked out.


No, we are not telling.


















Nope, not even you.


















No, not you either, your embroidery/custom whatever can wait.




No point in trying to pester me about it, unless your goal is to piss me off.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

December 8th Appointment

Yes, yes, yes, I know I am behind and need to get you caught up. So sorry, life is busy. I'll try to get updates from the previous 2 appointments done today, starting with the appointment we had at 17 weeks 2 days.

For the basics, both babies looked good, and both babies were still boys. Everything with L is also looking good. Her BP is good, she feels good, everything is great. Both babies were measuring 17 weeks 4 days and were weight 8 oz each. We've got one whole pound of baby now!! Baby A had a heart rate of 153 and Baby B's was 136, which is pretty close to their HR at the last appointment.


The ultrasonographer looked at all the important parts and everything looks good on both babies. The both had beautiful hearts with 4 chambers, their brains looked good, no sign of a cleft lip or palate, femur measuring good, could see the stomachs, kidneys, and bladders. I then heard the u/s tech say she was looking at the cord insertions. I asked her if they were inserted into the correct place on the placentas. She said that wasn't what she was looking at, she was checking where they cords inserted into the babies. (and it looked good. No sign of an omphalocele.)

So when Dr. G came in, she confirmed everything the u/s tech already told us; that everything looked great. I then asked her about the cord insertion and if they could tell where they were inserted into the placenta.  After we discussed why I had a concern, she pulled out the ultrasound machine again, and explained everything to me and made sure I understood and felt comfortable with our babies cords. But as she is doing it, as she is using the same machine we had used at every appointment, as she just flipped a switch and turned on the color, I had to fight to not lose it. It was that simple, just the flip of a switch. That's all it took to check their cords. That's all if would have taken for Reid, the flip of a switch. I even said that exact thing to Dr. G, and her response was the same response we have heard from every other doctor we have talked to. The doctor we are seeing right now is a perinatologist, the high risk doctor. They have, as Dr. G called them, the Cadillac of ultrasound machines. Most regular OBs do not have a machine that fancy; meaning most don't have the switch to flip, don't have the color doppler. And most women only go see the perinatologist once during their pregnancy, for the NT scan, and then its too early to detect a velamentous cord. Basically, it all boils down to money. The chance of woman having a VC is low, the fancy machines cost too much, a regular OB isn't going to spend that kind of money to try and diagnose something that occurs in 1.1% of pregnancies. But what about the .9%, what about those babies? Do we just write them off? Do we just say, oh well, your not worth the money? It just makes me angry. To see how easily Reid's dramatic birth could have been prevented. All they had to do was flip a freaking switch!

Dr. G did tell me it was ok to cross velamentous cords and vasa previa off my list of worries. And I told her I would do so happily!