I just had my OB appointment, following my testing and.... I PASSED! No gestational diabetes for me.
Also, my hemoglobin is apparently pretty great (132). I didn't ask my ferritin level, which has traditionally been low, but I figure she would have mentioned if something was off. Blood pressure and babies heartbeats were fine, as usual. And, I am measuring (drum roll please)... 34 weeks large! That's almost full-term! I had mentioned a bit about the aches and pains I was feeling this past week, and she said that was the reason why. She also said that I have tight muscles and skin on my belly, which is why I might feel the pressure of expanding babies more than others.
From now on, I will see her every 2 weeks until the last two months, when visits will be weekly. I will also have growth scans every 3-4 weeks. Which brings me to my next point... I have been referred to the perinatologist for my next growth scan. My OB said that the technicians in our small town are good, but she would feel more comfortable having an expert look at Baby A's placenta and the hematoma to find out what is really going on. She said she felt uncomfortable at this point in the game not knowing, and they will be able to help us decide whether c-section is necessary, and help assess the risk of pre-term labour or hemmoraging. If there is risk, she talked about admitting me to a full-care facility for tertiary care until the babies arrive. Wow! I have been aware that is a possibility, but I'm not going to worry about it until we do have more information. So, hopefully within the next week or two, I will make the 3-hour trek to the next big city for an ultrasound and a consultation immediately following.
I feel grateful that I am in good hands, and that my doctor is ensuring I receive the proper care. Meanwhile, I have completed my hours for maternity leave, and applied for funding today. I have another week or two filling in at our church office till the receptionist is back from holidays, and then I'll be fully on medical maternity leave. Holy moley! I don't know what else I'll do to keep myself busy once September hits, but I'm open to suggestions...
Showing posts with label hematoma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hematoma. Show all posts
Friday, August 16, 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
Hematoma anxieties
This week I have had trouble sleeping, worrying about the possibilities that could go wrong with this pregnancy. I've also had a bit of increasing pain around the area where the clot is, and I'm getting scared that the placenta is starting to detach. I have no idea what placental abruption feels like, but now that I know the pain is in the same place as the clot, I am worrying.
I think part of this anxiety is seeing how worried my parents are, particularly my dad. My mom had some complications with her pregnancies that are similar. With me, she had placenta previa, and went into early labour at 34 weeks due to partial placenta detachment. With my brother, it was much more severe. She had on and off bleeding throughout the pregnancy and was going to be put on hospital bed rest for the last three months. While she was in the hospital for a routine check-up at 31 weeks, her placenta suddenly completely detached. She fainted and had to be brought in for an emergency c-section right away! She doesn't know why the placenta detached, but it could have been due to a SCH as well. My brother was in the hospital for nearly 3 months, with lots of complications and barely made it. Also my mom was put at risk due to the loss of blood and had to have a transfusion. All in all, a scary time. My dad remembers it vividly and doesn't want me to go through the same thing (and neither do I!). I am worried about having a huge bleed while I am alone, or even at any point in time. I am worried that our hospital does not have an NICU, or a neonatal team... what if it the babies come early and don't get the help they need? I've even wondered if I can voluntarily put myself on hospital bed rest and be transferred to Vancouver...
I have been taking it much more easy this past week (if that is possible). I think I will ask my Dr. for another ultrasound at my next appointment. I don't know if they will be able to tell, but I really want to know if this hematoma IS affecting Baby A's placenta or not. That would put me much more at ease. Other than that, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to get rid of these anxieties. I don't even know if they are valid worries or not. But I just needed to share.
I think part of this anxiety is seeing how worried my parents are, particularly my dad. My mom had some complications with her pregnancies that are similar. With me, she had placenta previa, and went into early labour at 34 weeks due to partial placenta detachment. With my brother, it was much more severe. She had on and off bleeding throughout the pregnancy and was going to be put on hospital bed rest for the last three months. While she was in the hospital for a routine check-up at 31 weeks, her placenta suddenly completely detached. She fainted and had to be brought in for an emergency c-section right away! She doesn't know why the placenta detached, but it could have been due to a SCH as well. My brother was in the hospital for nearly 3 months, with lots of complications and barely made it. Also my mom was put at risk due to the loss of blood and had to have a transfusion. All in all, a scary time. My dad remembers it vividly and doesn't want me to go through the same thing (and neither do I!). I am worried about having a huge bleed while I am alone, or even at any point in time. I am worried that our hospital does not have an NICU, or a neonatal team... what if it the babies come early and don't get the help they need? I've even wondered if I can voluntarily put myself on hospital bed rest and be transferred to Vancouver...
I have been taking it much more easy this past week (if that is possible). I think I will ask my Dr. for another ultrasound at my next appointment. I don't know if they will be able to tell, but I really want to know if this hematoma IS affecting Baby A's placenta or not. That would put me much more at ease. Other than that, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to get rid of these anxieties. I don't even know if they are valid worries or not. But I just needed to share.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Ultrasound and OB VIsit
We had another ultrasound on Monday to check on the hematoma, and it was pretty uneventful. I must say, I'm slightly jealous of you bloggers who get to see your babies every check-up. Our hospital has a policy that after the 18-week growth scan, they don't have time to show you the babies at subsequent visits. So, basically I had a one hour nap while they did their thing. The babies were moving like crazy - again, Baby B much more than Baby A. Also, Baby B had flipped and is head up. I thought that was cool, only because a few days ago I said to DH that I thought I was feeling kicks down low and wondered if he/she had flipped. I was right!
We had to wait till today to see our OB and hear about the results. The news was not-so-good. The u/s technicians couldn't get a good look at Baby A's placenta because it is still being blocked by the hematoma. Despite the bleeding I had last Thursday, the hematoma has grown to 6x7cm (from 5x4 the week prior). They are finding it hard to distinguish between the placenta and the extra blood clot, but are guessing that it is also possible placenta previa for Baby A. There is nothing that can really be done, except wait to see what happens. Hopefully the placenta will move up, the hematoma won't get in the way or cause problems. It makes it more likely that I will need a c-section for birth. And it puts me at even greater risk for Pprom, placental abruption, and pre-term labour. Hooray....
My doctor talked about the kind of birth options we have (maybe I'll write about that separately), and the procedure in case of emergency. We live in a small town with a community hospital, so options here are quite limited. In case of pre-term birth, they actually helicopter over a team of neonatal doctors/nurses from Vancouver and fly you back there WITH the team. Pretty crazy! We are just praying and hoping that will not be necessary. Since there is not much that can be done, we just have to wait and continue to take it easy. I asked more about bed rest and what I can and can't do, and basically she told me that there is no actual evidence that bed rest helps stop pre-term labour or the complications I am facing. It is just something you can do to make sure that you don't overdo it and give your body the best chance to carry the babies to term. So, I will continue on as is... modified bed rest, able to work a bit at the office but resting and taking it easy whenever I can. She did specify that we are to have no sex (duh!), no vacuuming, carrying laundry, etc. I am able to do small walks (if up for it), swim (or float) in the ocean, lake or river, and putter around the house, as long as I don't find myself contracting too much, or in pain, or showing any signs of pre-term labour.
And the babies - they are just great! She listened to the heart beats and we all burst out laughing because there was such distinction between Baby A and Baby B, and Baby B was super fast (as always!). She also said that Baby B was slightly bigger than Baby A, at 671g, as opposed to 634g, which isn't a problem at this point in time. That puts them at 1lb, 7,6oz and 1lb, 6.3oz. I think that is a great size for this far along, so I am pretty pleased. Next up I have my glucose screening test, more bloodwork, and another visit in 2 weeks.
Tomorrow is a big day... viability! I'll post a happy update then.
We had to wait till today to see our OB and hear about the results. The news was not-so-good. The u/s technicians couldn't get a good look at Baby A's placenta because it is still being blocked by the hematoma. Despite the bleeding I had last Thursday, the hematoma has grown to 6x7cm (from 5x4 the week prior). They are finding it hard to distinguish between the placenta and the extra blood clot, but are guessing that it is also possible placenta previa for Baby A. There is nothing that can really be done, except wait to see what happens. Hopefully the placenta will move up, the hematoma won't get in the way or cause problems. It makes it more likely that I will need a c-section for birth. And it puts me at even greater risk for Pprom, placental abruption, and pre-term labour. Hooray....
My doctor talked about the kind of birth options we have (maybe I'll write about that separately), and the procedure in case of emergency. We live in a small town with a community hospital, so options here are quite limited. In case of pre-term birth, they actually helicopter over a team of neonatal doctors/nurses from Vancouver and fly you back there WITH the team. Pretty crazy! We are just praying and hoping that will not be necessary. Since there is not much that can be done, we just have to wait and continue to take it easy. I asked more about bed rest and what I can and can't do, and basically she told me that there is no actual evidence that bed rest helps stop pre-term labour or the complications I am facing. It is just something you can do to make sure that you don't overdo it and give your body the best chance to carry the babies to term. So, I will continue on as is... modified bed rest, able to work a bit at the office but resting and taking it easy whenever I can. She did specify that we are to have no sex (duh!), no vacuuming, carrying laundry, etc. I am able to do small walks (if up for it), swim (or float) in the ocean, lake or river, and putter around the house, as long as I don't find myself contracting too much, or in pain, or showing any signs of pre-term labour.
And the babies - they are just great! She listened to the heart beats and we all burst out laughing because there was such distinction between Baby A and Baby B, and Baby B was super fast (as always!). She also said that Baby B was slightly bigger than Baby A, at 671g, as opposed to 634g, which isn't a problem at this point in time. That puts them at 1lb, 7,6oz and 1lb, 6.3oz. I think that is a great size for this far along, so I am pretty pleased. Next up I have my glucose screening test, more bloodwork, and another visit in 2 weeks.
Tomorrow is a big day... viability! I'll post a happy update then.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Update: Bedrest and OB Visit
Did I mention how much I LOVE my OB? Let me say it again, in case I didn't. My OB ROCKS! She is just a perfect personality match for me, and I feel so reassured having her around.
This might be a bit of a long post, as am processing a lot right now. So here's the agenda: bed rest, OB visit (baby update), and emotions.
I successfully completed 6 days of bed rest. The time actually flew by. Partially it was because we had a house full of people, and partially was because I was so incredibly tired! I just slept most of it away. Our good friends P&J were visiting this past week. They were busy doing their own thing a lot of the time, but it was reassuring having close friends around, and they pitched in to help with cooking and cleaning. Then, when my brother-in-law heard the news, he and his wife decided to come for the weekend to help out. That was slightly overwhelming at first (8 people in the house), but they were super helpful and cooked all the meals, did all the clean-up, mowed our lawn, and helped with housework. The time just flew by while I was waited on and taken care of. Even when they all went out to our town's Market Days, they brought me back the cutest gift for the babies.
Today everyone left, and I felt a sigh of relief. It's just nice having your house back to yourself.
My OB came back from holidays today and I was lucky enough to get in to see her. Oh, I forgot to mention that I haven't seen any "fresh" blood since the scare on Thursdays. I had a bit of light bleeding and spotting, but it was mostly cleared up by Saturday. My OB confirmed that I have a hematoma (also called subchorionic hematoma, or SCH, from what I have read online), but it actually measures 5cm, which is not that small. She hopes that I have bled most of it out and that it won't cause any further problems. She did schedule me for a follow-up ultrasound next week to check on the hematoma, and also check the babies growth. Oh, and the hematoma was blocking the view of Baby A's placenta, so it was hard to tell if it was connected to the succenturiate lobe or not (I know, so much medical jargon). She said the hematoma, itself, is not dangerous, but puts me at greater risk for pre-term labour (which I am already at risk for with a multiples birth) and pre-term premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), where the placenta detaches from the uterus wall. Which means, it still is a concern.
So... we talked about what this all means. Basically I'm not free from bed-rest, but I guess I am going on a sort of modified bed rest. I still have to limit my activity level extremely (no lifting, no exerting energy, no heavy cleaning, no walking, no sex, etc.), but she is willing to let me go back to work IF I feel I can handle it. We talked about this a bit, and both agreed that I should cut back on my counselling job sooner, rather than later. This is because though it is not physically exhausting, it is emotionally draining, and I give a lot of myself during sessions. I was actually very relieved to hear this, because I was finding that counselling was becoming harder to do. She said she thought that my office job in August sounded alright, but that as soon as I get enough hours for maternity leave, I should wind down work. Wow! I'm not even 23 weeks!
Then she talked a lot about stress and worry, and how important it was for me to keep these to a minimum. I hadn't realized how much anxiety I had been feeling, but it definitely shone through in my appointment. There is something about having a safe place that shows you what you have been holding in. She agreed that I need to be doing something rather than staying indoors at home all the time, because that will just make me depressed. But she also thinks I need to guard my energy and emotional resources as much as I can. She suggested I find a creative outlet as a way to let out stress, that I take a book to the park or beach and relax there, and that if I need to get out to a mall or shopping, to get someone to push me in a wheelchair, haha!
I hadn't realized it, but this experience has probably affected more emotionally than I even realize right now. Resigning myself to modified bed rest for, likely, the rest of my pregnancy, is a big thing too. As much as it feels good to be told to relax, and I am more than happy to do what I have to for these babies, I am a "doer" at heart. Stopping work early brings on worries of finances too. I do have faith that things will all work out, but it is an adjustment to my mindset right now.
So, that is where I am at right now. I guess I need more time to process all of these changes. I was planning to go into work tomorrow, but DH convinced me not to. He is coming at this from much more of a protective side (which is great), and reasons that I only stopped bleeding on Saturday, and need to give my body more time. I think I will call work (counselling office) tomorrow and speak to them about what is going on as I try to decide how to wind down. My u/s will be scheduled in 7-10 days, and my OB wants to see me again next week. So, that's all for now! (Also I will try update my bump pics). Thanks for listening/reading!
This might be a bit of a long post, as am processing a lot right now. So here's the agenda: bed rest, OB visit (baby update), and emotions.
I successfully completed 6 days of bed rest. The time actually flew by. Partially it was because we had a house full of people, and partially was because I was so incredibly tired! I just slept most of it away. Our good friends P&J were visiting this past week. They were busy doing their own thing a lot of the time, but it was reassuring having close friends around, and they pitched in to help with cooking and cleaning. Then, when my brother-in-law heard the news, he and his wife decided to come for the weekend to help out. That was slightly overwhelming at first (8 people in the house), but they were super helpful and cooked all the meals, did all the clean-up, mowed our lawn, and helped with housework. The time just flew by while I was waited on and taken care of. Even when they all went out to our town's Market Days, they brought me back the cutest gift for the babies.
 |
| Handmade baby rattles! |
Today everyone left, and I felt a sigh of relief. It's just nice having your house back to yourself.
My OB came back from holidays today and I was lucky enough to get in to see her. Oh, I forgot to mention that I haven't seen any "fresh" blood since the scare on Thursdays. I had a bit of light bleeding and spotting, but it was mostly cleared up by Saturday. My OB confirmed that I have a hematoma (also called subchorionic hematoma, or SCH, from what I have read online), but it actually measures 5cm, which is not that small. She hopes that I have bled most of it out and that it won't cause any further problems. She did schedule me for a follow-up ultrasound next week to check on the hematoma, and also check the babies growth. Oh, and the hematoma was blocking the view of Baby A's placenta, so it was hard to tell if it was connected to the succenturiate lobe or not (I know, so much medical jargon). She said the hematoma, itself, is not dangerous, but puts me at greater risk for pre-term labour (which I am already at risk for with a multiples birth) and pre-term premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), where the placenta detaches from the uterus wall. Which means, it still is a concern.
So... we talked about what this all means. Basically I'm not free from bed-rest, but I guess I am going on a sort of modified bed rest. I still have to limit my activity level extremely (no lifting, no exerting energy, no heavy cleaning, no walking, no sex, etc.), but she is willing to let me go back to work IF I feel I can handle it. We talked about this a bit, and both agreed that I should cut back on my counselling job sooner, rather than later. This is because though it is not physically exhausting, it is emotionally draining, and I give a lot of myself during sessions. I was actually very relieved to hear this, because I was finding that counselling was becoming harder to do. She said she thought that my office job in August sounded alright, but that as soon as I get enough hours for maternity leave, I should wind down work. Wow! I'm not even 23 weeks!
Then she talked a lot about stress and worry, and how important it was for me to keep these to a minimum. I hadn't realized how much anxiety I had been feeling, but it definitely shone through in my appointment. There is something about having a safe place that shows you what you have been holding in. She agreed that I need to be doing something rather than staying indoors at home all the time, because that will just make me depressed. But she also thinks I need to guard my energy and emotional resources as much as I can. She suggested I find a creative outlet as a way to let out stress, that I take a book to the park or beach and relax there, and that if I need to get out to a mall or shopping, to get someone to push me in a wheelchair, haha!
I hadn't realized it, but this experience has probably affected more emotionally than I even realize right now. Resigning myself to modified bed rest for, likely, the rest of my pregnancy, is a big thing too. As much as it feels good to be told to relax, and I am more than happy to do what I have to for these babies, I am a "doer" at heart. Stopping work early brings on worries of finances too. I do have faith that things will all work out, but it is an adjustment to my mindset right now.
So, that is where I am at right now. I guess I need more time to process all of these changes. I was planning to go into work tomorrow, but DH convinced me not to. He is coming at this from much more of a protective side (which is great), and reasons that I only stopped bleeding on Saturday, and need to give my body more time. I think I will call work (counselling office) tomorrow and speak to them about what is going on as I try to decide how to wind down. My u/s will be scheduled in 7-10 days, and my OB wants to see me again next week. So, that's all for now! (Also I will try update my bump pics). Thanks for listening/reading!
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