So today has been the best day since last Friday because we determined that I do not have preeclampsia!!! I went to the birthing center on Tuesday and my pressure was still up so they decided that I would have to do a 24 hour urine collection to more extensively analyze my urine for protein. This would be a determining factor in whether or not I was developing preeclampsia. One of the Midwives also gave me instructions for a natural whole-foods diet high in protein that would hopefuly help with my pressure.
I returned to the center with my urine from the past 24 hours (gross!) on Thursday after having been on bed rest and follwing the diet. They cheked my pressure again and found that it was high and we began to talk about the strong possibiltiy that I was not going to be able to deliver at the birthing center. Nancy exaplined to me that if I was developing preeclampsia I would now be considered high-risk and would have to be monitored by a doctor when in labor. We also began to talk about the fact that I may have to be induced because with as far along as I am my condition would probably only worsen so it would be best to take the baby out asap. I was checked and my cervix was 1 cm dialated and 50% effaced. This was right where I need to be but did not indicate that my labor would be starting soon. I was instructed to continue to stay in bed and return today (Friday) to get the results back about my urine and to again check my pressure. I think that leaving this appointment was the low point for me because I felt that everything I have been planning for was going to be totally different and the last thing I want is to have to deliver at the hospital and to have to be induced. I know that the nurses and doctors at the hospital will take good care of me and the baby but it is very important to me to be able to have the birth expeirence I have envisioned for myself.
So right as me, Kyle and my Mom were leaving this morning Nancy called me to tell me that my protein count was totally normal!! I was very excited about this and it really gave me a renewed sense of hope about the whole situation. I was not as anxious or worried about my appointment and consequently when I got to the center and she checked my blood pressure it was down!!! So at this point all of my blood work has come back good, my kidneys and liver are doing fine, my protein count is normal and my blood pressure is appearing to be dropping. If I was to go into labor now I would still be able to go to the birth center as long as during labor my pressure stayed down. I am so thrilled about this and am now just ready to start labor so all this pregnancy stuff can be over and we can finally meet our baby!!! I have started taking some homeopathics and herbs that may help to "ripen" my cervix and get labor started sooner. I am scheduled to go back to the center Monday to return with another 24 hour urine collection and to check my pressure once again. Hopefully I will either have the baby by then or everything will continue to look good.
I hope this wasn't too long or boring im just trying to keep everyone updated with all the facts. Check out the new pictures on flickr!! Im getting bigggg!! :D
Friday, July 24, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Bed Rest, 38 Weeks 3 Days, 10 Days until due date!!!
Im writing this blog to update everyone on what has been going on. I went to my weekly appointment on Friday (7/17). Everything was normal until the Midwife Nancy began to check my blood pressure. Almost immediately she got a weird look on her face and responded with "Huh, that is strange. Have you been running around? Or did you just eat?" Obviously I hadn't been running around and I had not eaten recently either. She proceeded to check it again and then told me my pressure was 146/89 (I think) and I needed to lay on my left side and try to relax for ten minutes. Im not a nervous person so I knew this was something to be concerned about but I was not by any means scared or overly worried.
It was kind of funny because Amber and Casey had wanted to come to this appointment with me and it turned out to be the most eventful appointment I think I have had so far during my pregnancy. All four of us sat in the room discussing what we thought could be wrong and what was going to happen. After ten minutes Nancy came back in the room and said they had tested my urine and it appeared that I had developed a urinary tract infection (UTI). I had a very large amount of white blood cells in my urine which usually indicates a UTI. She then checked my blood pressure and got 110/70. She then responded with "well that means you are now on bed rest!" This was not something I wanted to hear considering Kyle and I already had plans for the rest of the day and sitting on my butt all day does not seem appealing to me at all. Nancy then explained that I would have to go home and lay on my side until Tuesday (7/21) getting up only to use the bathroom. I guess that my heart doesn't have to work as hard when im laying down and until it gets under control I have to stay in a laying postition.
My high pressure could be related to many things. She explained that when you are pregnant your immune system is already stretched so thin that when something develops your body can react very strongly. So, my high blood pressure could be related to the UTI. Nancy exaplined that I would be given antibiotics and that they would begin to take affect after 48 hours and if this was the reason for my increased blood pressure it should become more stable by Tuesday. We also discussed that the pressure could be linked to other things including the heat or my recent high stress levels. She then explained that there is no concluding evidence at this point but during pregnancy an increase in blood pressure can sometimes be linked to preeclampsia. This didn't seem too likely at that point because I'm not showing other symtoms of preeclampsia such as high levels of protein in my urine or extreme swelling. Also, they don't begin to consider it until there have been two high readings.
So to sum everything up, I have been laying on my couch/bed since Friday afternoon and will be doing so until Tuesday when I go back for my appointment. I have been taking the antibiotics and consuming lots of green tea and water in hopes of helping to cure my UTI. If my blood pressure is stable on Tuesday it will most likly be concluded that it was related to the UTI and hopefully I won't have to stay on bed rest anymore. If it is still high I'm thinking preclampsia will become more of a possibilty. Im hoping that is NOT the case because if I do have it I will not be able to deliver at the birthing center because I will have to be monitored by a doctor during labor and delivery.
So those are all the updates. Hopefully everything will work itself out and my pressure will be normal again on Tuesday. I will write another blog on Tuesday updating everyone with what is going on. Oh, and if I go into labor before Tuesday I have no idea whats going to happen!!!
It was kind of funny because Amber and Casey had wanted to come to this appointment with me and it turned out to be the most eventful appointment I think I have had so far during my pregnancy. All four of us sat in the room discussing what we thought could be wrong and what was going to happen. After ten minutes Nancy came back in the room and said they had tested my urine and it appeared that I had developed a urinary tract infection (UTI). I had a very large amount of white blood cells in my urine which usually indicates a UTI. She then checked my blood pressure and got 110/70. She then responded with "well that means you are now on bed rest!" This was not something I wanted to hear considering Kyle and I already had plans for the rest of the day and sitting on my butt all day does not seem appealing to me at all. Nancy then explained that I would have to go home and lay on my side until Tuesday (7/21) getting up only to use the bathroom. I guess that my heart doesn't have to work as hard when im laying down and until it gets under control I have to stay in a laying postition.
My high pressure could be related to many things. She explained that when you are pregnant your immune system is already stretched so thin that when something develops your body can react very strongly. So, my high blood pressure could be related to the UTI. Nancy exaplined that I would be given antibiotics and that they would begin to take affect after 48 hours and if this was the reason for my increased blood pressure it should become more stable by Tuesday. We also discussed that the pressure could be linked to other things including the heat or my recent high stress levels. She then explained that there is no concluding evidence at this point but during pregnancy an increase in blood pressure can sometimes be linked to preeclampsia. This didn't seem too likely at that point because I'm not showing other symtoms of preeclampsia such as high levels of protein in my urine or extreme swelling. Also, they don't begin to consider it until there have been two high readings.
So to sum everything up, I have been laying on my couch/bed since Friday afternoon and will be doing so until Tuesday when I go back for my appointment. I have been taking the antibiotics and consuming lots of green tea and water in hopes of helping to cure my UTI. If my blood pressure is stable on Tuesday it will most likly be concluded that it was related to the UTI and hopefully I won't have to stay on bed rest anymore. If it is still high I'm thinking preclampsia will become more of a possibilty. Im hoping that is NOT the case because if I do have it I will not be able to deliver at the birthing center because I will have to be monitored by a doctor during labor and delivery.
So those are all the updates. Hopefully everything will work itself out and my pressure will be normal again on Tuesday. I will write another blog on Tuesday updating everyone with what is going on. Oh, and if I go into labor before Tuesday I have no idea whats going to happen!!!
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