This baby has, since I began feeling kicks, been very timely. While in Michigan, baby kicked every 3 hours at 12, 3, 6, & 9 AM and PM with a grand finally at about 10:30 pm.
Since I have returned, and the time zone has changed, I still think baby is kicking around every 3 hours but it isn't as timely as before. 10:30 AM right now, and kicking. Should chart it to see the pattern . . . but I do know it's strong, frequent and, when kicking, many kicks. Natalie has even see the belly wiggle with the kicks. However, she wont feel for the kicks any more since "I already did that once."
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
My Veins are Misbehaving
Six days after my regular doctor appointment for 20 weeks, when I was then at 22 weeks gestation, I noticed my left lower leg had begun to feel tingly. I mentioned this to Ross that evening and he suggested that maybe I was lacking iron. I sent a message to my Doctor and she too suggested increasing my iron, but also to schedule an appointment for the following Thursday.
For the next 4 days, my left leg tingled. I found places for the kids to stay during my appointment and went to discuss the new development with Dr Kallock.
When she arrived, she immediately noticed my eyes, which were then bright red. "Are you alright?" she asked me. I mentioned that for the last 4 days I had noticed that my eyes were red around the cornea and bloodshot elsewhere. We laughed at how vampiry I looked. After deciding to test if it's my contacts, by having me wear just my glasses, she moved on to my leg.
Dr Kallock did say it was presenting it self more like a superficial AVM (what Anna had mentioned), and that because I'm now having other symptoms (tingling) we should go ahead and make an appointment for a vascular diagnostic ultrasound. Because I am pregnant, we're not sure what can be done after the diagnosis, but it's better to know what is going on than be in the dark.
Appointment is set for Wed Aug 28, just less than a week from this recent Dr appointment.
For the next 4 days, my left leg tingled. I found places for the kids to stay during my appointment and went to discuss the new development with Dr Kallock.
When she arrived, she immediately noticed my eyes, which were then bright red. "Are you alright?" she asked me. I mentioned that for the last 4 days I had noticed that my eyes were red around the cornea and bloodshot elsewhere. We laughed at how vampiry I looked. After deciding to test if it's my contacts, by having me wear just my glasses, she moved on to my leg.
Dr Kallock did say it was presenting it self more like a superficial AVM (what Anna had mentioned), and that because I'm now having other symptoms (tingling) we should go ahead and make an appointment for a vascular diagnostic ultrasound. Because I am pregnant, we're not sure what can be done after the diagnosis, but it's better to know what is going on than be in the dark.
Appointment is set for Wed Aug 28, just less than a week from this recent Dr appointment.
The big ultrasound day, part II
After a few errands and dropping my kids off at a friends house, I went to meet Ross at our BIG ULTRASOUND appointment. Because I'm 35 years old (geriatric) and went into preterm labor with Natalie, my ultrasound was at the Maternal Fetal Medicine office connected to Tacoma General.
Before we arrived, Ross confessed his anxiety over the ultrasound. "This is why I don't like you being pregnant." The ultrasound pretty much verifies that we are not in control of the development of this baby and we just have to accept whatever is discovered. . .
Our technician was very nice as was the Doctor doing her ultrasound Fellowship who joined us. However, I think we're in for a big treat with this little one. A very squirrel-y baby in utero = a very active baby outside??? Our Technician kept making funny little remarks about the baby not cooperating and giving her a hard time. That part of the ultrasound lasted about 45 minutes. The Fellowship Doctor then had her turn to take some measurements and images, which lasted about 15 minutes.
They then went to discuss the images with the MFM Doctor to see if everything was satisfactory. The Doctor returned with them and started taking more images of baby's heart. I could tell that Ross was starting to become very nervous (as we had had some "markers" on Natalie's heart during her 20 week ultrasound--turned out just fine). After 15 minutes of looking at the heart, the blood flow in the heart, and all the chamber, the Doctor realized she was keeping us in suspense and finally proclaimed that everything looks great, they just like to have "really good" images of the heart.
I'm surprised Ross didn't just melt to the floor with relief. Poor guy.
So all is well with Baby #3. Now have a cute picture of baby knee-to-nose in profile. And all we have to do is wait a few more month to meet--in December. (And my cervix looked fine, even long, so that is not going to be a preterm labor indicator after all.)
Before we arrived, Ross confessed his anxiety over the ultrasound. "This is why I don't like you being pregnant." The ultrasound pretty much verifies that we are not in control of the development of this baby and we just have to accept whatever is discovered. . .
Our technician was very nice as was the Doctor doing her ultrasound Fellowship who joined us. However, I think we're in for a big treat with this little one. A very squirrel-y baby in utero = a very active baby outside??? Our Technician kept making funny little remarks about the baby not cooperating and giving her a hard time. That part of the ultrasound lasted about 45 minutes. The Fellowship Doctor then had her turn to take some measurements and images, which lasted about 15 minutes.
They then went to discuss the images with the MFM Doctor to see if everything was satisfactory. The Doctor returned with them and started taking more images of baby's heart. I could tell that Ross was starting to become very nervous (as we had had some "markers" on Natalie's heart during her 20 week ultrasound--turned out just fine). After 15 minutes of looking at the heart, the blood flow in the heart, and all the chamber, the Doctor realized she was keeping us in suspense and finally proclaimed that everything looks great, they just like to have "really good" images of the heart.
I'm surprised Ross didn't just melt to the floor with relief. Poor guy.
So all is well with Baby #3. Now have a cute picture of baby knee-to-nose in profile. And all we have to do is wait a few more month to meet--in December. (And my cervix looked fine, even long, so that is not going to be a preterm labor indicator after all.)
Friday, August 23, 2013
The big ultrasound day, part I
The day started with my regular doctor's appointment for my 20 week check-up (I was officially 21 weeks, 3 days). Both kids came with me so Natalie was able to hear the heart beating via doppler. She didn't have the same awed reaction Jackson did when he first heard it, but that might be because she had been given a full report by her brother and knew what to expect. Or maybe she was just into playing with the toy she brought along.
My doctor took a look at my veins and asked me the basic questions of tingling sensations, pain, headaches, strength loss, etc. My answer to all was "no" so we left it to enlarged veins due to larger blood flow due to pregnancy. She did indicate that the vein glob (for lack of better terms) was blanching when she touched it, so there were some capillaries at work there.
And then my doctor informed me that she too was pregnant and due Dec 10! (And she just celebrated her first baby's 1st birthday!!!) We have decided that since she delivers late, and I deliver early, we should be just fine for her delivering this little one. PLUS she's on-call the week of Thanksgiving. So, maybe I'll shoot for that . . .
My doctor took a look at my veins and asked me the basic questions of tingling sensations, pain, headaches, strength loss, etc. My answer to all was "no" so we left it to enlarged veins due to larger blood flow due to pregnancy. She did indicate that the vein glob (for lack of better terms) was blanching when she touched it, so there were some capillaries at work there.
And then my doctor informed me that she too was pregnant and due Dec 10! (And she just celebrated her first baby's 1st birthday!!!) We have decided that since she delivers late, and I deliver early, we should be just fine for her delivering this little one. PLUS she's on-call the week of Thanksgiving. So, maybe I'll shoot for that . . .
Monday, August 12, 2013
Lame Veins
On Aug 1, I was able to head to the beach for a few hours just to rest, relax and take in the view from Belvedere Beach. As I was getting up to leave, I felt a pain in the back of my left thigh. I checked it out when I got home, expecting to see a bug bite, but it was a bulging mass of balled up blue veins. It was not an enjoyable sight. It was tender to the touch but nothing incredibly painful.
When my sister was in town to help drive us back to Chicago for our trip home to Tacoma, I had her take a look at it. She said it looked like a AVM-where the veins and arteries meet together instead of through capillaries. And the veins leading to the 2cm x 3cm mass were dilated. She didn't think that traveling would be an issue, but since I'm her sister and pregnant she didn't want to miss something more.
Since I was traveling with 2 kids on an airplane, after a day of driving, I too wanted a peaceful frame of mind about what this was on my leg. Anna took me to the local hospital, and the doctor there confirmed her assessments that I would be fine, though he just discussed it as varicose veins and not AVM. The main mass had calmed down a bit so wasn't as bulging.
I still have it, and will be discussing it with my own doctor at today's 20 week appointment. (I am 21 weeks . . .)
When my sister was in town to help drive us back to Chicago for our trip home to Tacoma, I had her take a look at it. She said it looked like a AVM-where the veins and arteries meet together instead of through capillaries. And the veins leading to the 2cm x 3cm mass were dilated. She didn't think that traveling would be an issue, but since I'm her sister and pregnant she didn't want to miss something more.
Since I was traveling with 2 kids on an airplane, after a day of driving, I too wanted a peaceful frame of mind about what this was on my leg. Anna took me to the local hospital, and the doctor there confirmed her assessments that I would be fine, though he just discussed it as varicose veins and not AVM. The main mass had calmed down a bit so wasn't as bulging.
I still have it, and will be discussing it with my own doctor at today's 20 week appointment. (I am 21 weeks . . .)
Jackson feels kicks
Yesterday, I was finally able to time everything right, and Jackson was able to feel the baby kick. He has been wanting to for well over 6 weeks, and occasionally would feel my belly and say that he could. But yesterday, when he did feel the kicking, his eyes popped and it might have blown his mind.
Dreams
I had a few dreams in Michigan, but most were regular deams, I just happen to be pregnant in.
I did have a true pregnancy dream where I delivered a baby girl, but more than that I can't recall.
However, last night, most likely because today is my 20 week ultrasound, I had a very vivid and real pregnancy dream about my ultrasound.
I was deciding if I would learn the gender of our child, when the technician informed us it was a boy. For some reason, I was adamant they were wrong because I truly felt this baby was a girl. I was very upset. It was very difficult for me, in the dream, to cope with the shift in baby-gender-mindset and the rest of the dream was my trying to cope.
I don't know why a baby boy would be so difficult for me, since I already have one. But I guess my dream self was so sure the baby was a girl that the change was just too much for her . . .
I did have a true pregnancy dream where I delivered a baby girl, but more than that I can't recall.
However, last night, most likely because today is my 20 week ultrasound, I had a very vivid and real pregnancy dream about my ultrasound.
I was deciding if I would learn the gender of our child, when the technician informed us it was a boy. For some reason, I was adamant they were wrong because I truly felt this baby was a girl. I was very upset. It was very difficult for me, in the dream, to cope with the shift in baby-gender-mindset and the rest of the dream was my trying to cope.
I don't know why a baby boy would be so difficult for me, since I already have one. But I guess my dream self was so sure the baby was a girl that the change was just too much for her . . .
Ross feels the baby
With my baby & belly growth, the kicking really began to happen. Right about week 18 became a steady and predictable rhythm of daily baby kicks.
When Ross joined us up North, not only was he able to feel baby kick, but we could also see the belly move around with the kicks! Though we have both felt a baby kick before, it's amazing every time.
When Ross joined us up North, not only was he able to feel baby kick, but we could also see the belly move around with the kicks! Though we have both felt a baby kick before, it's amazing every time.
Baby Count Update
While I was in Michigan, two baby boys were born, and another pregnancy was revealed.
Total count:2 boys born, and 7 babies in the oven (known: 1 boy, 1 girl). And our baby count is moving into 2014 with the latest addition due in Feb/Mar.
Total count:2 boys born, and 7 babies in the oven (known: 1 boy, 1 girl). And our baby count is moving into 2014 with the latest addition due in Feb/Mar.
Vacation Growth
From July 20 to August 9, Jackson, Natalie & I were on vacation in Charlevoix. Ross joined us for about a week in the middle of the trip.
This trip offered a lot of Mudd family fun, a lot of relaxation for me, and a lot of growth for the baby & belly.
At my 16 week appointment my doctor commented that I hadn't gained half a pound yet, but given my history of late weight gain, she wasn't going to be concerned. Well, I think at my 20 week appointment my doctor will be a little surprised at the change.
Photo from July:
Photo from August:
Total weight gain: 5 lbs!
This trip offered a lot of Mudd family fun, a lot of relaxation for me, and a lot of growth for the baby & belly.
At my 16 week appointment my doctor commented that I hadn't gained half a pound yet, but given my history of late weight gain, she wasn't going to be concerned. Well, I think at my 20 week appointment my doctor will be a little surprised at the change.
Photo from July:
Photo from August:
Total weight gain: 5 lbs!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)