Des Moines

Because of the fact that my cervix has been measuring short and I am still having contractions, even with the meds, my doctor sent me down to the specialists in Des Moines yesterday. When I asked the purpose of this appointment I was told it is kind of a second opinion that everything was being done correctly and to make sure no further steps might need to be taken. That being said, I was kind of hoping the appointment would be somewhat informative-sadly I was mistaken.

The best part of the appointment, as usual, was the ultrasound. The technician was very nice this time (different person than last time I was down there) and she explained everything she was doing. It was a more thorough ultrasound and they checked everything from making sure he had 5 fingers on each hand to making sure he didn't have cleft palate. Oh and also that HE was still a HE (hubby had decided to bring up girl names on the drive there and I told him get over it lol).

No mistaking that picture!

She went through all of the small detailed pictures they needed and got his measurements. He is measuring one day ahead this time and is now at 1lb 14oz which is perfectly average. His heartrate was at 153bpm. Oh, and he is laying straight across my stomach at the top, so all of the feelings I keep getting so low are his feet kicking. The last measurement she took was my cervical length which was at 2.57-basically the same as it was last week. This is good and bad. Good that it didn't go any smaller, but bad that it's still shorter than it should be. Here are a few more pictures she gave us before we were sent to the room for the "consult".

He is going to have big feet like daddy and brothers.

A good profile shot. His hand was in front of his head again...he seems to like doing that.

A nursse met us not long after being taken back and asked for a basic history of my pregnancies and overall health and then left us to sit. So after waiting a while in the room (and hearing the dr go in the room next to us to discover he was in the wrong room) the doctor came in along with a med student and a resident doctor. He pretty much just verified what the nurse had written down for my history and asked what my cervical length was then (even though it was right in front of him). He asked if I was having contractions, which I answered I was and that I was also taking Procardia to help with them but it wasn't always working. He asked what my doctor had me doing besides the medicine and I said bedrest for now. He didn't comment any further on any of that.

The doctor asked me to sit up on the table and he felt my stomach. He didn't comment on anything except for the fact that he could tell I was having a contraction at that time (like I couldn't tell or something). He didn't ask how often I have contractions or if my uterus felt normal size or anything.

He then went on and asked if I had dilated at all and I said I had no idea because I hadn't been checked. He said that he would have them start checking me and if I started to dilate I would be sent back down there. After asking again if I'd be checked, he asked if they could check me. I agreed and he left the room and let the resident check me. She was not gentle at all with it like I am used to from my doctors. She did say that I wasn't dilating yet and that my cervix was still firm (which is good). When I was changing back into my clothes I could hear her talking to the dr in the hall outside the room and he was saying that what she was reporting to him did not match the ultrasound results. I never heard the end of the arguement but they all came back in and he said I wasn't dilating and so just to keep in touch with my dr.

He then proceeded to pull out his phone and tell me that he had an application that could tell me what my chances of having a preterm baby were. I laughed to myself at this. The application asked 3 (maybe 4) questions: How many previous vaginal deliveries 0 or 1+? How many previous deliveries were preterm? Is the cervical length < or > 2.5cm? And maybe there was one about being dilated or not. Based on this application there is a 0% chance I will deliver before 32 weeks, a 4.6% chance of delivering before 34 weeks, and a 15.6% chance of delivering before 37 weeks. I'm sorry but if this was so accurate than why would I be seeing him or even my own doctor for any problems when I could just download this app myself that can tell me this based on a few questions...he seriously went by this too.

After all of this the appt was over. I had no chance to ask any questions or anything. He just told me that if I started dilating I would be sent down there again. In my opinion I would my rather see a doctor that actually knows what is going on with me and will pay attention to me than drive down there for him to say "my iPhone app says you're fine and keep doing what you're doing". I will more than likely request not to go back unless I am in actual labor and it would then be for the sake of the baby since there is not the proper care for premies around here.

I think I am done venting now. This appointment really stressed me out. After leaving I at least got some Arbys (since I was starving by then) and we even stopped in Story City for some Dairy Queen too. That just made me miserable of course so the rest of the day was spent with Bentley (who was definitely glad I was back) and Jaxton just wanted to go to my sister's house so I didn't see him much until he came back home at 9 when the sleepover failed. I made up for some of the stress by doing a little Christmas shopping today since we are having our exteneded family Christmas next weekend and there's no way I could let my husband go buy the gifts. Now its back to the couch and my book for the rest of the afternoon:)

Bad news

Went in today for another cervical check and it has gone down to 2.5cm from 3cm last week. I am now on bedrest until further notice and on the Procardia every 8 hours. If I am still having contractions by Friday I will be sent down to Des Moines next week to meet with a specialist to decide where to go from here.

Hospital trip:(

Yesterday I called my nurse because I had been having a lot of contractions the night before and some that morning also. As expected I was told to go in to see what was going on. They did a fetal fibernectin test to determine if it was likely id go into labor within the next two weeks. Thankfully that came back negative but that was the only good news. I was extremely dehydrated. My dr told me she wanted to admit me for fluids but I asked if I could come back later if I still needed tosince my sister needed to go take her pharmacy technician certification test and I was supposed to give her a ride. Reluctantly she agreed.

It was a really good day and I got to do a little baby shopping finally. I wasn't good at drinking fluids like I was supposed to be though. When I got home I got a call from my nurse checking in because my dr had called her asking why I hadn't gone in yet. I honesly didn't realize she expected me to either way so we decided I better go.

I was under the impression I would be getting some fluids and going home but that didn't work out. When I was on the way to the hospital I called to see where I was supposed to go and was informed Id be staying the night. I was hooked up to fluids right away and the nurse said I had an order for Procardia but since the contractions weren't that bad I asked to wait on it and the nurse agreed.

This morning the dr came in and wasn't very happy I had declined the Procardia because I was having contractions still. I have had a headache which is turning into a migraine also so needless to say I'm way worse this morning than I was last night. I was given Procardia and told to finish the bag of fluids and I would be checked on again soon.

The contractions did slow down but I still had a headache. I was able to leave but was given a prescription for every 8 hours. The stuff has made me feel worse than I have in a long time but I am trying to put up with it at least until I get checked on again Monday.

Check up

Went in today for a quick follow up from last time and saw the dr first. He said I'm measuring at 26 weeks instead of 23 so that was nice to hear! Baby's heartrate was in the upper 140s. Then I had an ultrasound to check my cervix since the followup was because of contractions. She took about ten measurements that ranged anywhere from 2.66 to 3.06 with only two of them over 3 where they should be:( I didn't see the dr again after the ultrasound but I have to go back in another 2 weeks. The receptionist tried talking him into 3 weeks because I have to do my diabetes test and rhogam shot then but he was set on 2...they didn't really say what that appt would even be for so of course now I'm just nervous and praying the cervical length doesn't go down anymore or ill be on meds again:(